Home Improvement Tips & Ideas
Find out how to make your home weatherproof with a roof & gutters that deliver style and durability including tips on shakes, shingles, and metal roofs
Live in a climate with brutal winters, where your roof is prone to ice dams and leak damage from wind-driven rain and snow? The leading self-adhered roofing underlayment, Grace Ice & Water Shield, offers premium leak protection for sloped roofs in harsh climates.
We have a flat 12×12 deck off our master bedroom. It sits on top of our garage. We love it and want to keep it, but it continuously leaks water into the garage below. We've tried everything we can think of, from rebuilding the deck with outdoor tile to adding more drains (when snow melts, …
The roof of my 2013-built single-family house makes loud squeaking/creaking noise on windy days. The problem started in one room and expanded to another. It's getting louder over time. The builder says “It is my belief that the noise you are hearing is caused by the wind coming through the two homes, almost creating a …
A layer of snow on your roof can hide ice dams and lead to a collapse if the roof is weak or damaged. Find out how to remove snow from your roof during winter, and how to build protection into your roof.
I have a corrugated steel roof that was damaged in a hail storm. The seams came apart in places. I was wondering if I should replace the roof with something else or can the seams be fixed?
New outside drains were installed to carry the rain water from the downspouts away from the foundation. Roof gutters were cleared of debris last week. One of the downspouts is not taking the water this week. I need to open the white PVC cover on the access drain next to one of the down spouts …
I need to replace my roof, which has solar panels installed for heating my pool. What do I need to watch out for when talking to roofing contractors? The panels have to be removed and then reinstalled upon completion of the roof. Every roofing contractor reassures me that may not be a problem; however, I'm …
Do high-end gutters that feature heavy “fenders” on top work, even in heavy downpours? At $25 – $30 per foot, LeafGuard brand seems overpriced. Raindrop looks smarter to me for our cloudbursts, and are priced better, but I could use some guidance.
Today during a heavy rain I disovered that we had a leak. We had a steady drip of water coming from the furrdown in the powder room. It only lasted about 20 minutes, but it continued to rain heavily for another hour which I thought was unusual. Not that I wanted more water in the house. …
Ceiling Leak in 1st Floor Bathroom During Heavy RainRead More
I would like to have seamless gutters installed on my home due to water in the basement. From listening to your show I think this may help keeping the water away from the foundation What do I need to know or ask when I have the contractors here providing quotes? Are there any other recommendations you have …
I purchased a manufactured home built in 1998 for my daughter. The inspection revealed that I needed a new roof. The inspector saw a small leak in the lanai and interviewed a few roofers who said the leak resulted from the attachment to the regular roof. So I had the roof replaced last week, but …
I hear so many people call in about problems with water getting in their crawl space or lower level of their house. Tom reiterates the importance of gutters and downspouts placed at least 4 to 6 feet away and the proper grading of the soil. My girlfriends house has a daylight basement and has an …
We have a church that’s approximately 12 years old and started leaking within about a year. It has a corrugated metal roof installed with screws with rubber seals. My question to you is: other than replacing with a whole new roof is there any other options for us to do that would work to seal …
The article says you should have 1 downspout for every 600-800 sf of roof. What determines the proper size of the gutters & downspouts? Won’t a four inch carry at least 25% more water away than the three inch? Should I use a 5″?
Learn about cool metal roofing, which uses reflective pigment technology so that solar heat bounces off instead of being absorbed. This energy efficient type of roof can also save you money, lowering both heating and cooling costs.
Find out how to prevent basement moisture by cleaning and repairing your gutters and downspouts so that they can do their job properly and carry water away from your home's foundation. Also get tips on grading the soil around your foundation so that it slopes down about 6 inches over 4 feet.
Find out why the solution to most wet basement problems is simpler and less expensive than you might think.
Water, Water Everywhere: How to Keep it Out of Your BasementRead More
Find out how to inspect your home for storm damage, including the foundation, basement, roof, exterior and windows. Get tips on hiring a professional home inspector or independent insurance adjustor to help you.
Find out how extra light from a skylight can help improve your mood, make a room seem bigger and possibly lower your energy bill. Also get tips on proper installation and learn about less risky tubular skylights.
Add a Skylight to Brighten a Room and Save on EnergyRead More
I just moved into a townhouse with the washer/dryer on the second floor. When I connected the washer, I must not have tightened the connection well enough, because water was spraying out at the connection point. I turned the washer off, but by this point the first floor ceiling had already begun gushing water through …
On your show, you mentioned a product that will help resurface an uneven deck. The deck is upper level & waterproofed so the porch below stays dry. So in a sense, this a flat roofing question. I have a sloped deck that drains to a gutter on the lower side. The coating is AMES Safe-T-Deck …
Is spray on roof recoating a legitimate process?
After the 22in. of snow we had this last winter my roof leaked. At least that is what I think happened. When the snow and ice started to melt water came in between the window frames. Do I need to have the roof checked for damage or was this just a freak thing because of …
We have a back deck on our home. Our house has a metal roof and 6″gutters. We want to screen in our back deck to use it more often (it gets buggy down here in the south) The screen room will have a simple slant roof and we will get the same color metal roofing. …
