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
My roof is 6 years old. I discovered some nasty black staining that I believe is a moss or algae. Can you suggest a product to get rid of this and prevent it from returning on my roof? I would like to do this myself, and was wondering if this is a do-it-yourself project, or …
I am going to replace my roof. I have one layer of shingles down and was going to reshingle on top of them. Someone told me that when you put new shingles over old ones, it shortens the life of the new shingles. Is this true? Also, is the cost between shingles that last 25 …
I’m shopping for a new roof and learning that there are a lot more choices for shingles these days. I’ve decided against using composite asphalt shingles. Natural slate and shake are out of the question for cost and safety reasons. I’m seriously considering synthetic slate or shake shingles and like the colors and textures I’ve …
I think I may have a bathroom ceiling leak. I discovered a water stain all around the ceiling in our small bathroom, and a few weeks later noticed another water stain in the shape of a circle more than a foot in circumference about 6 inches in from the original water stain all around where …
We are experiencing a roof leak in our 5 year old home and are about to replace the ceiling in my daughter’s room due to leak damage. The problem seems to occur when snow, which sits on top of a roofing vent, begins to melt, although I can not confirm this. I’ve contacted our insurance …
Fixing Roof Leaks: Replace Flashing Around Roof Vents to Prevent Roof LeaksRead More
We need to repair a roof leak we are experiencing in our five-year-old home, and are about to replace the ceiling in my daughter’s room due to leak damage. The problem seems to occur when snow sitting on top of a roofing vent begins to melt, although I cannot confirm this. I’ve contacted our insurance …
Repairing a Roof Leak: Re-flash Around Roof Vents to Prevent Snowmelt IssuesRead More
We have a 1960 plantation style home with crown molding under the flashing (no gutters). My lot is 1.5 acres and has an elevation change of 25 feet from the street (high point) to the river (low point). We are installing a French drain system to carry water away from the house, but should we …
Installing Gutters: Gutter Systems Help Manage a Home’s Water Drainage IssuesRead More
I noticed unsightly black stains on my shingle roof a few months ago. I’m guessing they are the fungus/mold that grows on the North side of buildings and spreads from rooftop to rooftop. What can I use to get rid of these unsightly black stains and clean my roof?
Asphalt Shingle Roof Cleaning: Use bleach to clean mold from roofsRead More
I had a roof repair done, and later another repair carpenter told me that the roofer had driven roofing nails through the middle of approximately 40 shingles. He said this was not acceptable. What should I do? I have already paid the roofer.
Roof Repair Problems: Improper nailing of roofing shingles can lead to problemsRead More
Grace Ice & Water Shield products can protect your roof and prevent roof leaks in climates with winter weather extremes. The self-adhering membrane can be purchased in 75-foot rolls or pre-cut strips for easy installation.
Roof leaks can be tricky to spot. But with a few simple tips, your can find roof leaks and get them fixed before the roof leaks gets worse and cause major roof leak damage.
Find out what you need to know about installing skylights in your home. Skylights installation can add space and natural light to the rooms in your home. Learn the basics on installing and maintaining skylights
We live at the shore between the bay and ocean. At times, the winds are horrendous and can drive into the windows at an angle. The problem is at our sliding glass door and inside, where we have a leak affecting the ceiling of our gable roof where the inside wall of the sliding glass …
Your roof is wearing out – right now. Thanks to the UV radiation that bakes roof shingles until they are brittle, the summer sun takes more years out of a roof’s life than any other environmental factor. If your roof is looking a little worse for wear, the summer is also a good time to …
My 6-year-old roof has some nasty black staining that I believe is a moss or algae. Can you suggest a product to get rid of this and prevent it from returning? Also, is this a do-it-yourself project? Mark F. Westfield, NJ Sounds like your asphalt shingle roof has been marked by blue-green algae or “moss”, …
My 18 year old wood roof shingles have algae here in Northern NJ. I got several quotes and they were all very costly (about $5,000) to clean the roof using diluted bleach. Should I wait until need a new roof and replace with long life shingles? Algae and fungus on your roof is unsightly and …
I have been reading that metal roofs are about the same price as a good asphalt shingle roof. The advantage to metal roofs is they reflect the sun better and thus are more effective in reducing heating and cooling costs? Please give me some advice on this subject. Lonnie Metal roofs are an excellent choice …
I am going to reshingle my roof. I have one layer of shingles down and was going to reshingle over top of them. Someone told me that when you put new shingles over old ones that it lessons the life of the new shingles. Is this true? Also is the cost between shingles that last …
I have a major moisture problem with a home that is one block from Lake Michigan in South Haven, MI. I have a working sump pump below ground level and am still having rotting problems with the floor joists. A local contractor wants to staple plastic to the joists or lay it on the ground. …
I have a problem with my basement flooding. A waterproofing company charged me $14,219 to correct. Two of that firms inspectors insisted underground water was being forced up into the cellar via hydrostatic pressure and only a “French” drain would correct it. Hence, they installed a long deep ditch running alongside the interior of the …
We are experiencing a roof leak in our 5 year old home and are about to replace the ceiling in my daughters room due leak damage. The problem seems to occur when snow, which sits on top of a roofing vent, begins to melt, although I can not confirm this. I’ve contacted our insurance agent …
About two years ago, I had noticed there was a leak coming through the ceiling in my bathroom which is connected to my bedroom. My husband went up to the attic to see where the leak was coming from. While he was up there, he fell through the ceiling in our dining room! Undeterred, he …
We have a 1960 plantation style home with crown molding under the flashing (no gutters). My lot is 1.5 acres and has an elevation change of 25 feet from the street (high point) to the river (low point). We are installing a French drain system to carry water away from the house, but should we …
I noticed some unsightly black stains on my shingles roof a few months ago. I’m guessing they are the fungus/moss that grows on the north side of buildings and spreads from rooftop to rooftop. What can I use to get rid of them? Robert G. The best thing to do is to clean the roof …
