Category: Construction

Wondering why you should pay for a roofing inspection when you have our roof maintenance checklist right in front of you? An inspector will be able to spot potential problems you might’ve missed, as well as provide you with invaluable tips for maintaining your roof. They’ll also give you a rough idea of how many more years it will last. Most roofers recommend inspections every two years, but an inspection once a year will increase your chances of finding potential issues before they become costly repairs.

1st important thing is to maintain your gutter properly. As the days start to get warmer, trim back any overgrown trees or bushes that could be crowding the draining of your house. This will keep water away from your foundation. While unclogging your gutters yourself is a viable option, if you notice mold or algae during your spring roof inspection, make sure you call a professional. They have special equipment that can clean your shingles without damaging them, as well as biodegradable cleaning solutions that can help prevent mold growth.

Lets write about Commercial roofing repair and replacement for flat roofs. Clear the roof and gutters of leaves, branches and other debris. Down spouts should not discharge onto roof surfaces, but should be extended to the eaves-troughs of the lower roof. Backed up gutters can cause damage to shingles, shakes or tiles along to the edge of your roof, so be sure to keep them cleaned out. Clear out any debris that may accumulate in the valleys where two roof surfaces join. Debris holds moisture and can cause mold and moisture to being eating away at your roofing material.

If it’s safe to do so, a roofer should take photos of the roof and its drainage systems. (Or, ask a colleague to safely assist.) These can give the roofer and the homeowner a baseline record against which to measure if a small problem appears to be getting worse. Or, if the roofer spots a change in the roof and isn’t sure what it means, he can email the photo to a fellow roofer to see if they think it warrants a repair. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to maintain the life of your roof system, or a roofing professional educating your client on the benefits of regular inspection and repair, committing to a consistent schedule is like a well-constructed roof — well worth the investment.

Something you can certainly do yourself is to grab a ladder and head up to check to see if there are any signs of shingle damage to your roof. Shingles can see everyday wear and tear, or you might not be aware of something striking your roof if you weren’t at home to hear it, so it’s best to periodically check the condition of them just to be sure. If the shingles are curled, buckled, or simply missing, you’ll want to address the issue right away to prevent any damage from occurring. The attic is a great indication if your roof is holding its own or if it’s time to think about replacing it. If you can see daylight peeking through the boards, if there are water stains that are evident, or noticeably weak shingles, then these issues should be fixed immediately. The attic will also let you know how well your roof is performing after a big storm has hit. See extra details on Roofing contractor in Colorado Springs.

A home’s first impression plays a critical role in a prospective buyer’s evaluation of a property. Unfortunately foundation issues can negatively impact curb appeal. People want a home that looks good and feels safe. Sagging floors, ceiling cracks, visible foundation cracks, or even the simple knowledge that a home has had foundation repair in the past can be enough to turn even the most excited buyer away.

An engineer may ask for certain testing to be done on things like soil, helical piers or push pier bearing capacities. We have learned not to rush engineers. Soil samples sometimes take up to 3 weeks to come back from the lab if they are requested by the engineer. We know that our customers are eager to have the solution installed but we also want to provide the best, most accurate and well-thought-out solution for your foundation repair based upon all of the information available.

At first, a minuscule crack in the wall or the slight buckling of the foundation might not seem like an immediate problem for your home. Minor issues are often overlooked and neglected—until the problem becomes much larger and compromises the overall stability of your home. The best defense against escalating expenses is to scan for potential signs of foundation damage and address these issues as soon as they appear. Many of these signs often manifest in other parts of the home, usually several levels above the underlying foundation.

If your house is brand new those cracks are probably nothing much to worry about but do your homeowner due diligence and keep your eye on them over time. If they change in size or shape, or you see new ones, that’s a different story. Those cracks should be addressed quicker. Older homes can have foundations created from just about any material including stacked stones with mortar joints. I had one of these homes in the northeast U.S. and the foundation was in need of a bit of love; it and the house were over 150 years old. It’s easy to show age at 150! The foundation had a small leak in the older mortar and the water caused a slight bow; this happened long before I bought the home. One of the easiest ways to fix that was by doing basement foundation waterproofing. A waterproofing paint was applied to the whole wall from the inside. As I mentioned, the French drain was also installed in the yard to pull water away from the foundation. I made sure to complete these fixes as soon as I noticed the problem. The wall didn’t seem to move or leak again after I learned how to make those repairs to save my stone foundation. See more info on Basement waterproofing Colorado.

Party wall problems? Here are some tips: You must tell your neighbours if you want to carry out any building work near or on your shared property boundary, or ‘party wall’, in England and Wales. Party walls stand on the land of 2 or more owners and either: form part of a building, don’t form part of a building, such as a garden wall (not wooden fences). Walls on one owner’s land used by other owners (2 or more) to separate their buildings are also party walls. Party structures: You can also have a ‘party structure’. This could be a floor or other structure that separates buildings or parts of buildings with different owners, eg flats. Party wall agreements are different from planning permission or building regulations approval.

Party wall matters can cause a delay to the project, so this should be considered reasonably early in the design stage. Depending on the notice required you may need to inform your neighbours up to 2 months prior to your proposed start date. If the project is complex it may take some time for the surveyors to come to an agreement, or several awards may be required. The act does provide various mechanisms for non cooperation including non communication of adjoining owners and their surveyors, however there are also rights of appeal and referral to a third surveyor if necessary.

Unfortunately some fee orientated surveyors have learnt to work the system and pitch their fee as high as they can without causing the adjoining owner to challenge it for fear of delaying the works and incurring a further fee. Although the Party Wall Agreement covers many aspects of the work including access, contractor’s insurance and resolving damage one of the clauses which is most contentious relates to working hours. The Award will state the permissible working hours and they may appear quite restrictive at first glance; normally 8.30am to 5pm with no allowance for week-ends or bank holidays. Bear in mind that this clause only relates to the works which are the subject of the award and not the associated works which can carry on outside of these hours.

At Home Heroes we provide a professional service, we are very competitively priced and you can be sure you award will be handled by qualified and experienced Party Wall Surveyors. We are a small company with a dedicated and qualified team of building surveyors on Party Wall Matters. We can deal with all types of project no matter how complicated and are able to offer a service that is both efficient and meticulous. See extra info on Party Wall Surveyor Kent.