Category - Home Renovations

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Use Gutters in a Decorative Way

An important part of having a healthy house is to have an efficient drainage system. Gutters are an easy and effective way to keep our roof dry and tidy!

Featured Image By: Gbvims Home Makeover

Besides the use we normally know for gutters, there are many others. Gutters can be used in a decorative way. If you are DIY enthusiasts, this could be the project you are looking forward to spend a few weekends.

Gutters in the Garden

The forms of the gutters are perfect to maintain plants and the function of the gutters offers the possibility of hang them and use them in a decorative way.  In the garden, you could cut your old gutters, hang them on the wall and use them as a plant pot; it could give a pretty view if you sow plants that hang. 

Another way to place your plant pots made of gutters; it is poking holes in the gutters and tie a string through the holes, making a kind of ladder. You can cut all the gutters with the same size if you want a harmonious look or in different sizes if you want a more relaxed look. After you decided the size think about the color, you could let the gutter with its natural color, paint it to match up with your decoration or in any different color to make it the centerpiece of your garden.

If you have kids, a gutter could be a toy. After filing its sharp edges and get rid of any piece that could harm, you could hang them on the fence forming a labyrinth, it always has to have a way out, the idea is to construct your DIY ball run game. At the end you could ask the kids to join you and paint it in their favorite colors.

Gutters Inside the House

Gutters can help you decorate and organize your house. In the case of decoration, the waterproofing trait of gutters could help you to do a pretty table center piece. One of the possibilities is to a romantic dinner, fill the gutter with water, add into it flowers that could float like gerberas (a flower family of the daisies) and some candles; you will have the perfect atmosphere for a romantic dinner. The length of the gutter, and the colors of the flowers and candles are up to you and your taste, choose something that matches your decor. If you don’t like candles, you could plant into the gutter some succulent plant or cactus. 

To organize your house, you need to hang them on a wall and put in them what you need to have at the same place. In your closet it could help you with your shoes, in the bathroom it could help you organize your makeup, combs, brushes, hair dryer and all your beauty supplements that sometimes are difficult to place and organize. The possibilities are endless. 

Keep Your Gutters Clean

Once in a while, it’s necessary to clean the gutters because they could get clogged with dirt and sheets, especially during autumn. If the maintenance for cleaning and repair leaks that could appear due to the use and time is not made, it could affect the performance of the gutters and cause some troubles like humidity and mold. To maintain your gutters can be tricky. If you need, you can get help from experts in gutter services, like Amigo Gutters, to help you maintain the health of your roof.

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Don’t Wait to Renovate—Here’s Why A Roof Replacement Is A Must

If you’ve been considering replacing your roof soon, you may well think it’s best to wait until spring!

Featured Image By: Thompson Custom Homes

The weather is warmer, your spring cleaning energy will have set in, and you’ll get to see that beautiful new roof under the light of those sunny spring mornings!  Plus, if you’re getting ready to sell in the spring, you’ll have a brand new roof to tout to potential buyers. What’s not to love about that?  Well, the truth is that there’s really no need to wait. Here’s why. 

A new roof will save you heating costs during the winter. If your roof is in need of a replacement, it’s already losing plenty of heat. In general, about 25 percent of your home’s heat is lost through the roof, though that number can climb if the roof is old and the seals aren’t as tight as they were earlier in its life. By putting in a new roof now, you’ll prevent your home from losing more heat through the roof than it has to and keep your heating bills manageable. 

New roofs can increase the home sale price. According to HomeAdvisor, a new roof typically increases home value by a national average of $12,000.

This is an important point, as not all improvement projects actually increase home value. A roof, however, is one of those top home renovations that provide value for both buyer and seller, and can help you sell your home more quickly and for more money. You’ll avoid additional damage from intense summers or harsh winters. If you live in an area of the country with intense summers or harsh winters, replacing your roof as soon as you’re able to will give you greater peace of mind. 

Winter weather can cause further damage to an already compromised roof. Heavy snow can cause shingles to separate, while snowmelt can refreeze as it runs into your gutters, preventing the snow and water from leaving your roof. This can create leaks and even a bowed roof if the weight of all that snow gets heavy enough. Heavy winds are also common in winter, and these can separate shingles, peel them back, or even tear them off completely. 

Likewise, if you live in an area that sees temperatures higher than 100 degrees regularly during the summer, you can end up with shingles that split or crack. High humidity can also cause condensation to settle beneath your shingles, resulting in water damage.  These problems are all more likely to occur when your roof is older. Exterior features are more important for your home sale than you may think. 

When you’re getting ready to sell your home, plenty of attention is given to the inside—but how about the outside?  Curb appeal should go beyond planting a few flowers and raking your lawn. Your home’s exterior should be in tip-top shape, and that includes everything from the fencing, to your siding or paint, to your roof. 

Additionally, since replacing a roof is a major investment, homebuyers who know that they’ll need to replace your home’s roof in the next few years are almost certain to offer a lower purchase price—or forego your home altogether.  Replacing your roof as soon as you’re able to can save you a lot of headaches and potential damage. Not only that, it can help your home sell for more when it’s time to put it on the market! So—what are you waiting for? 

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