Why Do People Have Lions In Front Of Their Homes?
Recently, while walking down a street in Fall River, Massachusetts, I couldn’t help but notice that many homeowners had placed ornamental lion statues on either side of the entrances to their yards. This is something in certain areas that is surprisingly common. Many people also wonder why these stone or concrete lions are almost always […]
To Weave Or To Cut?
As many age-old dilemmas go, when roofing or re-roofing your home, the decision about how to handle your roof valleys—to “weave” them or “cut” them—is probably almost as old as asphalt shingles themselves. So which method is correct? Let’s explore. First, it helps to understand what a roof valley is. A valley is the area […]
Increasing Your Exterior Paint’s Fade Resistance
Years ago in Pawtucket, RI, we completed a painting project on an old Victorian home that came out absolutely fantastic. The colors were rich, classic, and exactly what the homeowner had envisioned. Within just a few short months, however, the paint on the exterior had dramatically faded. It was a painstaking exercise to get the […]
What Are Soffit Vents?
Soffit vents are small openings built into the underside of a roof overhang. That underside is called the soffit and it wraps around the roof edges of most houses. The soffit vents help fresh air move into the attic while pushing warm, moist air out, most ideally through a ridge vent at the top peak […]
How To Prevent Ice Dams?
As we in New England are all VERY well aware, ice dams can cause serious damage to a home during the Winter months – particularly during Winters that are rougher than others! Ice dams form when snow on the roof melts and then refreezes at the edge of the roof. This creates a ridge of […]
What Is A Ridge Vent?
Sometimes I am walking around a house with a Client, and the discussion comes up (for various reasons) centered around their roof’s ridge vent (or lack thereof). In the moment, working to explain the concept of a ridge vent can be a little challenging, as in the process I often try to point out a […]
What Causes The Board Behind A Gutter To Rot Out?
When the board behind a gutter begins to rot, it is usually a sign that water has been getting into places it should not. This board – often called a fascia board – sits right behind the gutter and helps support it. Because these are often made of wood, they can break down quickly when […]
Why Does That Thin Line Of Cement Go Around the Home?
If your home was built in a certain era, you may notice a thin (vs. wide) line of cement along its foundation. While not as wide as a sidewalk or patio, this “line” of cement usually goes all the way around the house or at least along one or two sides. Once in a while […]
What Is The Best Way To Match The Exterior Color On Your Home?
There are a number of reasons why we match paint colors on the exterior of our homes. Sometimes when painting the entire exterior of our home we want to paint it the way that it was previously painted. Or maybe the whole home does not necessarily need to be painted, but a part of it […]
Modern Coating System For Wooden Gutters
There are certain things that were commonplace years ago which because of a variety of different reasons have evolved to something much different today than yesteryear. Think of the typewriter as an example. Anyone under the age of 40 (and perhaps even older!) may find it hard to believe that we once did school papers, […]
