Month: December 2021

A new year is beginning, which means it’s time to think about your goals. If you’re a homeowner, why not include caring for your roof in those resolutions of yours? Your home is one of the biggest and most important investments you’ll ever make, so making homecare a priority year after year should always be on your list.  

Your roof, specifically, is one of the most important aspects of your house, and many homeowners continue to ignore the care and maintenance they need to get the most out of your investment. In the new year, make these resolutions for your roof to ensure its working and looking its best:

Get a Professional Inspection

One of the best ways to ensure your roof is in good condition is to get periodic inspections. As a homeowner, you can look around your roof for any signs of damage when you’re outside, but having a professional come take a look once or twice a year is essential. An expert will be able to spot missing or broken shingles, look for signs of mold growth, holes, and potential problems as well. Additionally, getting regular inspections can help you prevent costly repairs down the road.

Get Repairs Done 

If you are told you need repairs done after your inspection, don’t wait. Since roofs have to continuously handle the harsh elements, damages can get worse quickly, making them more costly. Even if there are just minor issues, it’s always better to get them fixed right away.  

Keep It Clean

Another important way to increase the longevity of your roof is keeping it clean! Start by making sure trees around your house are trimmed back, and any debris is removed. Moreover, depending on your roofing material, make sure it is being properly maintained. For example, if you have a cedar roof, regular cedar shingle maintenance is needed to keep it looking great and doing its job.  

Don’t Ignore Your Gutters

A home’s gutters are also an important part of the roofing system; make sure they get the attention they deserve as well. Gutters and downspouts collect debris which leads to clogs, so don’t forget to give them a thorough cleaning at least twice a year. In addition, if there are any damages, don’t wait to get those fixed either. 

Contact Landmark Exteriors for roofing inspections, repairs, and installations!

The experts at Landmark Exteriors are here to help ensure your home’s roofing systems look great and function properly for years to come! Give us a call at (203) 838-3838 or visit our website to learn more.

Icicles are considered one of the true natural beauties of winter and can often be found hanging off the side of your home. However, a large build-up of icicles after a winter storm could be a sign of a very serious problem with your home’s roofing system.   

What are Ice Dams and What Causes Them?

Ice dams are ridges of ice that hang off the edges of your roof, like a big formation of icicles. These ice dams get in the way of snow melting and draining off of your roof. 

Ice dams form due to indoor hot air rising through the ceiling and attic, therefore warming the roof surface. If snow is sitting on your roof, it will quickly melt and flow downward until it meets the lower parts with a temperature below freezing. This freezing water then turns into an ice dam, which can continue to grow as this process continues. 

What Do Ice Dams Mean For Your Home?

As previously mentioned, ice dams form due to hot air rising in your home and melting snow off your roof’s surface. This process occurs due to poor ventilation in your attic space. Proper air circulation and ventilation in an attic are crucial to the well-being of your roof, especially during the winter months. So, if you are noticing more and more ice dams forming after each snowfall, it’s time to look to your attic and see about adding more vents. 

Why are Ice Dams Dangerous?

Ice dams themselves can be incredibly dangerous for you and your home too. First of all, as they melt or strong winds blow, they can break off and harm anyone or anything underneath them with their sharp point and weight, making them a serious hazard. As for your house, if left undisturbed, they can destroy your gutters, loosen roofing shingles, and lead to leaks. 

Contact Landmark Exteriors for roofing inspections, repairs, and installations!

The experts at Landmark Exteriors are here to help ensure your home’s roofing systems look great and function properly for years to come! Give us a call at (203) 838-3838 or visit our website to learn more.

Is your home ready for the cold and snowy weather on its way? Proper winterization of your home is essential to ensure it can handle the drastic change in temperature and keep you and your family protected throughout the season. 

Take a look at these important areas of your house to check and make sure they are prepared for winter:

Inspect Your Roof

Your home’s roof is one of the most important defenses for your house from the harsh elements this winter, so it’s crucial to make sure it’s in working order. Have your roof professionally inspected to ensure that any damages can be spotted and fixed as soon as possible. Also, make sure any debris is cleared off and nothing is blocking any vents.  

Trim Trees

If you have overhanging tree limbs or branches, now is the time to cut them down. Trees can be a serious hazard to your roofing system and home since wind and snow can force them down and potentially cause damage. 

Clean The Gutters

Your gutters are likely clogged with debris such as leaves and sticks from the fall season, so make sure to have them thoroughly cleaned out before snow comes! As the snow melts off your roof, that water needs to be safely rerouted away from your home’s foundation, making clean gutters an essential aspect of a proper roofing system. Don’t forget to check the downspouts too!

Insulate Your Windows

Drafts of cold air seeping in through cracks and crevices can drive up your energy bills and leave you with chills! If you notice any air leaks in your home’s windows, take some time to properly insulate them with weather stripping, caulking, or other methods so you can stay warm while inside. 

Check The Fireplace

Giving your fireplace and chimney an inspection from inside and outside your home can ensure it’s all ready for some cozy winter fires. Be sure to look for any debris buildup, missing or crumbling bricks, a functioning chimney cap, and that the roof flashing is tight against the chimney during the inspection.  

Make Sure Your Heating System is Working Properly

Don’t be left in the cold with a broken heating system once winter weather arrives! Take the time now to have your home’s heating system checked that it’s in working order and get any issues repaired quickly. 

Contact Landmark Exteriors for roofing inspections, repairs, and installations!

The experts at Landmark Exteriors are here to help ensure your home’s roofing systems look great and function properly for years to come! Give us a call at (203) 838-3838 or visit our website to learn more.

It’s true – ensuring your attic is properly ventilated can help improve your home’s energy efficiency, extend your roof’s lifespan, and prevent mold growth and damage! 

The attic space is sealed off from the rest of your home, and your living areas are fully insulated themselves. However, if your attic is poorly ventilated and gets too hot and humid or dry and cold, it could start affecting the rest of your house. An attic with proper ventilation should have an equal amount of entering and exiting air circulating to prevent air from being stored and impacting your house’s temperature.  

Making sure your attics ventilation is up to par can go a long way, so these five tips for improving your attic ventilation are here to help: 

Assess the situation. 

Before making any changes, it’s important to assess what extra ventilation your attic needs, and if so, how much. Checking based on the current season is the most helpful:

• In the summer – On a hot summer day, touch your ceiling with your hand. If it is feeling noticeably warm, this means your attic is storing hot air, and more ventilation is needed. 
• In the winter – If you notice ice buildup on your eaves during the winter season, better ventilation is needed in your attic.  

Install roof vents.

Soffit planks, like your siding, help connect the roof’s overhang to the exterior walls of your home and conceal the roof beams. Soffit vents provide a space for outside air to enter your attic from below to create adequate circulation when paired with roof vents. Like roof vents, it’s also important to check that they aren’t blocked by debris regularly.   

Install soffit vents. 

Soffit are planks, like your siding, that help connect the overhand of the roof to the exterior walls of your home and conceal the roof beams. Soffit vents provide a space for outside air to enter your attic from below to create adequate circulation when paired with roof vents. Like roof vents, it’s also important to check that they aren’t being blocked regularly. 

Install gable vents. 

When roof and soffit vents aren’t enough to keep your attic properly ventilated, gable vents are the next step to get additional airflow. Located at the gable ends of your roof, these vents help air circulate out of the attic space and often have controllable openings as well. It’s common to see homes with only gable vents, which are rarely sufficient, and roof and soffit vents will be needed.  

Use fans to improve the airflow. 

Since attic ventilation relies on the natural rising of hot air, if you live in a more humid climate, fans may be needed to help increase airflow. Attic fans can be powered electrically or by solar panels, and some can even be connected to a thermostat to go on automatically.

Contact Landmark Exteriors for roofing inspections, repairs, and installations!

The experts at Landmark Exteriors are here to help ensure your home’s roofing systems look great and function properly for years to come! Give us a call at (203) 838-3838 or visit our website to learn more.