Gutter Covers
By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes 0 Comments

Tips to hiring the best siding expert for your house

Our house is the most significant investment, and protecting it has become the utmost priority. We have to look into the proper maintenance and upkeep of the house. Everything that can contribute to the house’s aesthetic appeal is regarded as necessary. All the elements that can enhance the house’s curb appeal should be added while building or renovating our property. Siding in the house is the element that plays a significant role in protecting the foundation of the house and the other contents within it. The fundamental purpose of our house’s siding is to protect the house against the various foreign elements. A damaged or broken siding must be replaced from time to time as it provides a protective layer to the house’s interior features. 

The siding contractors use various materials in the house, such as wood, bricks, stones, metals, etc. Siding can also set a refined tone for the house as you can complement your home’s siding with its theme. Siding gives us numerous benefits and acts as a barrier in protecting our property from harsh weather conditions. It is imperative to go for siding the house to maintain an optimal temperature in the house and maintain a good level of insulation. To ensure that siding is appropriately done, you have to hire siding contractors to replace the damaged siding. You should not be scammed while picking a siding expert as so many contractors in the market claim to provide the best services but turn out to be inexperienced. Here are some common tips to consider before hiring a siding expert for your house:

Get several bids: Before you fix a contract with any siding contractor, you must be well assured that you have obtained numerous price quotes. It is always a good idea to accept several bids to get an estimated figure. You can ask three or four companies who visit your house, and you can list down your specifications. Once you have picked our few contractors and obtained price quotes, you can choose the one that fits your budget. 

Go with referrals and reviews: Siding is not easy, and multiple facets must be seen before hiring any contractor. You can continually get referrals from your relatives and friends who have recently worked with any company. By getting references, you will come to know about the accuracy of the services. Also, you will come to know if the siding contractors stayed within the initial quoted budget. Another way to find a good siding contractor is to look at the site and check their reviews. If there are a lot of positive reviews, you can hire the company. 

Look for experience: Hiring an experienced siding contractor will relieve you of unnecessary stress. After gaining several bids, you should look for a professional contractor who has skills and knowledge in this field. The siding experts should possess a solid background and must be able to satisfy you with their portfolios. 

Know about the price: before you hire a siding contractor, you have to ask them about the pricing options. They must give you multiple payment options, and you must choose the one that fits your needs. The package they provide should include the total cost of materials and the installation process.

By blogger Construction • Eavestrough & Downpipes 0 Comments

How to maintain your Eavestrough and keep it clean

Eavestrough and gutter are one of the most important parts of your house, and if they malfunction, they can cause quite a problem for you, hence it is important to maintain them and keep cleaning them from time to time. Keeping the eavestrough clear of debris and garbage is an important part of maintaining your roofing system. However, it might sound easy, but the task of cleaning them is not easy and obviously not the most glamorous chores but proper eavestrough cleaning will ensure the proper drainage and foundation of your home is protected and water is channeled to the safe location.

It is important to clean the eavestrough and gutter at least twice a year. Especially before the winters, as the weather begins to become chill. Also, you should consider the surroundings and environment around your house, if you happen to have a lot of trees around your house; it would require you to clean the eavestrough and gutters more often.

You should note that cleaning the eavestrough is not at all easy; rather it can be quite dangerous. You would need to work with a ladder, which can be a dangerous position to be in, especially when devoting free hands to the use of tools. Here are a few tools that you would require for the cleaning process.

  • Gloves: You should wear thick work gloves while cleaning to effectively scoop out the debris and garbage. Make sure that the gloves are thick enough to protect you from sharp objects.
  • Eye protection: when you are working on a height or with any tools, you should make ensure that your eyes are protected with a help of eye protection wear.
  • Trowel: you can scoop out the debris or garbage with the help of a trowel or even a small shovel. You should avoid using your hands as much as possible.
  • Bucket: after you are doing scooping out the debris, you would need a place to throw away the garbage, it is always suggested to keep a bucket handy to dump the debris.
  • Ladder: to reach the roof of your house, you would need a ladder. Make sure the ladder is stable and solid. Also, you should make sure that you do not put too much weight on the eavestrough as the ladder can break or bend it.

Always make sure you have the assistance as managing all the tools along with the ladder can be quite challenging. It is always better to have someone around the ladder while you are cleaning.

The steps involved in the cleaning of the eavestrough are quite simple, you will need to position your ladder at the end of your eavestrough and climb the ladder. Run some water through the eavestrough to know where the blockages are occurring and if there are any leaks. The next step is to remove the debris using a trowel or a small shovel. Once the section is clear of the debris, run the water again to ensure the smooth flow of water.

By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes • Eavestrough Repairs 0 Comments

Five Major Problems Caused by Clogged Eavestrough

If you desired for your dream home for long and have successfully purchased one lately, you need to know that it is not the end. Buying a home and maintaining it are two different things.

To keep your property look new and aesthetically well-maintained, you have to take care of your landscape, interiors as well as the foundation of the building.

Another crucial element that you have to keep in sight is the eavestrough. Generally, people forget to inspect it simply because it is hard to reach. The situations worsen up when the early signs go undetected and an emergency broods up.

From foundation damage to roof leaks, clogged gutters demand costly repairs during summer rains and the occasional tropical storms. Considering the amount of damage that clogged eavestrough cause to your precious investment, you should be aware of this problem and learn how to work to fix it all at once.

Here are a few points to illustrate how clogged gutters impact your home and why you need to pay enough attention to them:

Damaged Foundation

An eavestrough system is installed to channel water down from the roof and away from home’s foundation. Any blockage would hamper the flow of water and cause it to pool around the foundation.

This constantly seeping water forms crack and weakens the foundation. It can even result in collapsing of building.

Leaking Roof

The biggest problem with clogged eavestrough is that the debris and shredded leaves stuck in it doesn’t let the water to flow through it and instead pours over the sides. This causes the water to sit on top of the roof and causes the ceilings to drip with water.

The standing water becomes too heavy to deal with and can easily cause the roof to sag.

Mold Formation

Inefficient eavestrough invites mold problems. It only takes a few days for the standing water to become stagnant and become a breeding ground for mold. Not only this, when this water enters the attic and building walls, you will find toxic mold species thriving inside your homes as well.

And since, mold remediation is quite an expensive deal; you better take care of the gutters to save your household.

Waterlogged Basement

The dampness and humidity in the basement is another bad outcome of clogged gutters. There can be leaky walls and mold issues too. The basements that aren’t waterproofed suffer the most.

So, it is recommended to duly waterproof your basement and regularly inspect and clean your eavestrough.

Deteriorated Landscape

If you are a person who puts a lot of effort in maintaining the landscape, you should know that all of your hard work will go in vain if you let the gutters clog. It would wash away your grass, flower beds, and plants and cause puddles in the lawn.

This would become an unappealing sight to the eyes and also affect your property’s value.

 

 

By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes 0 Comments

Commercial Gutters and Downpipe Installation: Know How

 

The gutter is of prime importance. It is the main artery of the house and should be handled with proper planning and care. They help to direct toxic material and water away from the home to avoid flooding the basement or rotting soffits. In today’s time, there are different types of the gutter to choose from. There is a gutter for every kind of people. Those who want to replace gutter themselves opt for the Vinyl gutter while those who wish to hire a professional, they often tend to opt for aluminum or copper gutter. No matter which gutter you choose, you must understand the process of gutter installation as it helps you to make the best decisions for your home. The steps to install gutter are as follows:

Look Around And Measure Your House

Even before the installation starts, you must look around your house. Not every section of your house needs a gutter.

Further, you should only consider those section that is directed towards your yard or slopes that are away from your home. Water is carried to downspouts with the help of gutter, directing it outward will save your basement from flooding. Also, all the corners that are inside or on the outside must be marked carefully which will help you to buy materials that you need and will give you an idea on the gutter length.

Cutting And Joining The Gutter

If you assemble the gutter’s section on the ground, it will be easier to assemble than to collect it on the top of the ladder. Don’t butt up part together with a seam instead overlap the seams and then seal them with the help of screws and connectors. Make sure to cut the extra length of the gutter with the help of a hack saw. Further, attach the corner pieces at appropriate points to move it quickly around the house.

Adding Downspouts And Outlets

Measure the corner of the house to the center of the chosen downspout. Now with the help of a hammer and a hole saw, or chisel carves a round hole in the gutter for a downspout outlet. Once done apply gutter sealant to the flange of the downspout outlet. Then screw the outlet to the hole in the gutter.

Install Trim Or Fascia Board

Many houses are already equipped with a trim or a fascia board under the roof tiles. So check it beforehand and replace if necessary. In case it is absent make sure to buy one and attach it. Also, color and prime the board before you hang the gutter. Temporarily screw the gutter with the fascia board and install hanging brackets onto the gutter. Later, raise the gutter, tighten the brackets by screwing through the fascia and into the rafter tail.

Finish By Hanging Gutter Sections

Finish the gutter job by hanging the downspouts. Attach the downspouts to the wall. If you can’t find U-shaped brackets, make them from sections of the downspout. Always remember to make it sloping this helps eliminate standing water that can cause corrosion and leak through the seams.

When you install gutter, always be careful as slightest of mistake could lead to a lot of damage during heavy-rainstorm. The wind could make it lose and that can lead to creating puddles. When you do not have an idea on gutter installation, you should always seek the help of a professional gutter installer as when a gutter is installed well, it protects your house from water damage for years to come. Also, for a long-lasting gutter, make sure to clean it often. There are a lot of companies that specialize in gutter-cleaning, they can be hired to avoid clogged gutters and plugged downspouts.

 

By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes • Eavestrough Repairs 0 Comments

Fix Gutter Slopes and other Gutter Problems

Do you want to protect your home from water damage? Then make sure to pay proper heed to the gutter. The gutter is your first line of defense. Even the smallest problem in your gutter can create havoc in your house. So always make sure to clean it and to also have regular check-ups. This will keep your gutter healthy. Often times, when you forget to get it repaired or hold timely inspection, the gutter can cause various problems which can further lead you through a frustrating road. However, being proactive could solve many of these problems. The most common problems that can be found when you deal with the gutter are as follows:

LEAKS

This can take place anytime, and anywhere. The leaks can be treated easily if identified in time. But why do leaks happen in the first place? There are various reasons behind it. Such as loose fasteners are one of the causes when they fastened to a roof with hangers and screws, they can pop out anytime. Cracks and holes are another reason for such leaks. Mostly, such situations are found in a metal gutter.

GUTTER JOINT SEPARATION

Caulk and glue are not very strong adhesives to join two gutters together. You will need to use rivets for separated gutter sections. However, the most common cause for such separation is due to clogs and debris that gets accumulated in the joints. The joints are vulnerable to the weight of water and clogs in the system.

IMPROPER SLOPE

House owners hardly pay attention to the sloping of a gutter. If one hires a professional they will always tell you the importance of an angled slope. A slope is the most important part of the gutter, if not angled properly it can cause myriad of problems like it will pool in the system and water will spill over the sides. You can always try to fix the problem yourself, but it will be better if you consult a professional for the same.

BAD DOWNSPOUT DRAINING

Sloping is important but the location of downspouts are equally important. If they are too close to home, it can result in pooling around the house. Make sure to always direct them away from the house. Closeness will only lead to the creation of puddles.

NATURAL ELEMENTS GROWING IN YOUR GUTTER

If your gutter gets enough sunlight along with rain, be sure to find a garden growing in your gutter. You will find wild plants, seeds, birds dropping and debris that will lead to clogging your gutter. It can also create extra pressure which will weigh down your gutter and cause joints to separate. It is therefore essential to have a routine inspection of your gutter.

ICE DAMS

Those homeowners who live in cold climate areas are to face the problem of ice. When water melts and reaches the gutter and then freezes, it creates an Ice dam. It again weighs down the gutter and pulls it away from the house. The hardware of your gutter begins to wear down which could destroy the attic sometimes, so make sure to insulate the attic too if a similar situation arises.

CLOGGED GUTTER

Apart from leaks, Clogging is another problem that can be found in the gutter. Due to wind and rain, often the gutter gets clogged by debris, insects, leaves, pine needles, and other plant life. When water gets clogged, the gutter has to bear additional weight which may result in cracks, separation of joints, gardens growing in the gutter, and a number of other problems.

Always try to keep your home protected with the help of a properly designed and well-built gutter system. Also by being more proactive and by conducting an inspection regularly, you can save your house from being flooded. If you do not have the time to do it yourself please feel free to call gutter protection companies that will help clean and protect your gutter.

 

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Practical Tips To Consider Before Hiring An Eavestrough Company

Home improvement and renovation jobs on your residential premises can greatly improve the quality of your living. When you hire the services of a professional home improvement contracting company, you can ascertain the quality of their work and, consequently, be certain that the project that hand will be conducted successfully. However, it is necessary to keep in mind certain parameters that are expected of a professional eavestrough company.
The following enumeration lists all the parameters that you would need to verify before you render the services of an eavestroughing company.

Considering a Company That Is Fully Insured And Licensed
When you are researching and looking into the profiles of reliable eavestrough contractors for your purposes, make sure that you are only considering to hire companies that are fully insured and which have a significant amount of liability and property damage insurance. Installing eavestrough systems and the associated jobs require a certain level of professional expertise and therefore, do include a factor of risk as well. In this manner, when you make sure that the company that you are hiring for the job is fully insured, you will be at ease pertaining to their competence and their experience in this domain. Moreover, a company that is properly insured also has the reputation of being legitimate and professional. When you interviewing the companies, be certain to ask them about the necessary documentation that would corroborate their claims of being fully insured and licensed. You will be well within your rights to be asking for evidence and any reputable eavestrough company services would be more than willing to provide you with all the necessary paperwork.

Specialized In Eavestrough Systems
Another determinant that will be acting as a filter for your search would be whether or not the company that you are looking into a specializes in eavestrough systems installations. Making sure that the company is in fact specialized in this arena would be a guarantee of the quality of their work. Not all contracting services focus on all the parts of home improvements and renovations, therefore, it would be to your advantage that you would be hiring the services of a contracting service specializing in eavestrough systems. This would also mean that they have all the necessary equipment and the knowledge to use that equipment for the project at hand.

Workmanship Warranty
It is advised that you settle down on the name of a company that offers a strong workmanship warranty. Even though many eavestroughing companies claim that they have a warranty, you would have to take the initiative to make sure that it is indeed a workmanship warranty and not just a manufacturer’s warranty. Not only is it important to have a workmanship warranty but also it is imperative that this workmanship warranty is, in fact, a strong one. This would be indicative of the company’s confidence

By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes • Eavestrough Repairs 0 Comments

Important Eavestrough Tips and Suggestions

Rain gutters are found more and more extensively in both residential and commercial properties. A major advantage of a rain gutter installation is that it assists in channelling the flow of the rainwater in the direction of a downspout. There are many residential properties which use eater deterrent measures to avoid any damages that might be incurred due to unpredicted water flow or inclement weather conditions.

Although installing eavestroughs can be beneficial for your house to keep it in the best condition, they necessitate a regular maintenance routine to ensure their proper functioning and optimal state. This maintenance schedule is vital to evading a situation where there is overflowing drains or leaking roofs.

Enumerated below are a few tips and suggestion with regard to the installation and the upkeep of eavestroughs that will assist you in their maintenance.

 

Gutter Spikes and Rafters

Homeowners, in the majority of eavestrough installations, make use of gutter spikes in the structure to aid in the support of the gutters. However, many of them also happen to discard the idea of investing in rafters that could be advantageous for the security of the structure of your gutters for a prolonged period of time. Thereby, when you are installing gutters for your residential property, make sure that you get both new gutter spikes and rafters to ensure that there is no chance of loosened hardware or any poor drainage.

 

Old Caulking

With a long period of use, it is possible that a rain gutter might develop some leaks or start dripping water from the cracks that might have formed on the surface. As the material of the gutters will wear out gradually, your system will become more and more susceptible to the formation of these cracks. To keep these problems at bay and avoid leaking, you could use a chisel to scrape off the old caulking from the surface. Following that, you could use silicon sealing that would help prevent the water from leaking through the surface of the boards.
Rivets

Make sure that you examine the rivets that are installed in the downspout. If the gutters have been installed for a long time period of time now, there is a likelihood that the rivets would have come loose or they would have come undone completely. To counter this issue, you can use a rivet gun to fasten them to their previous position again.
Pressure Washing

Perhaps the best method to clean a gutter is to employ a pressure washer. Be certain to blow some artificial air on the surface to remove any loose particles and dried leaves from the gutter. Before you use the pressure washer, make sure that you have secured the eavestrough with screws or new spikes. If you do not have a pressure washer handy, you could use a plain garden hose and downspout with pressure for this purpose.
Replacements and Repairs

If your gutters are corroded, you can remove the rust from the surface, and then follow up by applying primer and paint. You must use a good quality rust inhibiting paint to prevent any further rushing of the surface. You could also install a splash block that will prohibit the water coming out of the downspout when you are digging a trench or laying a new foundation.

If your gutters are already too old and rusted, you must get them professionally replaced with materials like vinyl or aluminum that are not prone to corrosion.

By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes • Eavestrough Repairs 0 Comments

Tips For Rain Gutter Installation

Having a viable and working gutter system is a crucial part of the sanitation of your house. It also doubles as a safety implement that accumulates rainwater and helps channelize it down to the ground instead of directing it to the foundation of your house as it might weaken and damage it. They additionally provide extra protection to the sides of your house by not letting the water on the rooftop gush down. You must make sure that the existing gutter system of your house is in its optimum state so that it is conducting its function to the fullest degree.

Nevertheless, a gutter system is not infallible. Over the course of several years, it can easily be susceptible to damage and needs to be repaired. Discarding a routine maintenance of your gutter system could also result in the plummeting of its functionality.

A rain gutter installation might seem to be an easy task, but despite its simplicity, it demands a certain level of expertise so that the installation is done properly and so that the system can actually function to its fullest capacity.

Listed below is a list of aspects that you would have to keep in mind before you go ahead with this project.

 

Initial Evaluation

Prior to the initiation of the work, there is the need for an evaluation of the overall existing conditions of your house to make the gutter system compatible. All dependable rain gutter contractors will conduct an examination of the property in question to assess the right type of gutters that would suit the property the most. Further, it is advisable that you spend a little more money to consult with a professional rain gutter contractor to gain better grounds at understanding the requirements of your house. They would be far more competent to identify and consign the right gutter system for your property. Moreover, if there are any subsequent problems with the installed gutter system, you can depend on them to come up with a solution rather than having to face additional trouble and incur supplementary repair charges.

 

Materials

A proper and functional rain gutter system entails the utilization of the right materials for your purposes. The material you would choose would depend on your allocated budget as well as your needs. Rain gutters come in a spectrum of materials. For instance, galvanized steel rain gutters are one of the more economical options and also last longer than its aluminium counterpart, but they need to be painted regularly to avoid rusting. Stainless steel is another viable option, furnishing you with the advantages of being durable and tensile, but are comparatively expensive. Aluminium ones are the list common alternative, thanks to being lightweight and thus, easy to install. However, they do not come close to the strength of the steel rain gutters.

 

Maintenance

Once the installation is over, you must make sure to routinely maintain your rainwater gutters to evade the conditions of leakage, clogging and flooding, all of which could be detrimental to your house’s foundation. You could employ the assistive of a professional rain gutter installation service to learn more about their maintenance.
If you happen to be on the lookout for a rain gutter contractor, you could consider hiring Century Aluminum to cater to all your needs.

By blogger Eavestrough & Downpipes 0 Comments

How to Paint Aluminum Rain Gutters

It is quite a misconception that painting aluminum gutters is too demanding a task to be done by oneself. While it is true that the painting task necessitates some degree of preparation and effort, it is not out of reach of any homeowner’s capacity for exterior painting.

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Listed below are the rudimentary steps of painting an aluminum gutter unit.

 

Clean Them First

Before you start painting your gutters, make sure that you have a clean surface to work with. Washing them with a power washer is easier and more convenient and will save you more time. You could either rent a power washer or buy one at a hardware store near you. However, make sure that your gutters are not severely rusted prior to using the power washer as it can be detrimental to their condition. Stand on a secure ladder to get as close as you can to the gutters and rinse them thoroughly to remove all the dirt, debris, or flaking paint. Also make sure to get to all the corners and joints.

If you don’t have access to a power washer, you could wash your gutter unit by hand. Make a solution using mild soap and water and take a brush with gentle bristles and wash it using swirling motions.

 

Let Them Dry

Wait for a few hours to let them air dry before you paint over them. Additionally, if your gutters were infested by mold or mildew, you can add mildew retardant. You can buy this product at a hardware store or online.

 

Apply a Primer

Before painting your gutters, make sure to prime them first. For this base material, clear acrylic bonding primer will yield optimal results. Apply the primer on the dried, clean surface of your gutter thoroughly to coat them in an even layer of the primer. After that, wait for the primer to settle down and dry. As mentioned before, be certain that the surface is completely dry before you prime or paint.

 

Apply an Oil Based Enamel

After approximately 48 hours have passed, you can proceed with applying enamel. The best enamel for this material would be an oil-based high-gloss one. This enamel will add a layer that is favorable for fast rainwater flow. Once the first layer of enamel has dried down, add a second layer for extra protection.

 

Apply an Aluminum Appropriate Paint

Again, you would have to wait for 48 hours for the enamel to have dried completely before proceeding to paint the surface. Make sure that the paint you have settled on is compatible with your primer and your enamel. Select a good-quality 100% acrylic paint. This paint should be devoid of ammonia as it can react badly with the aluminum surface. You can even choose one with UV protection to minimize the risks of sun damage. Make sure you take the necessary precautions to avoid getting paint on surfaces other than your gutter. Additionally, make sure that the weather is conducive to your painting- execute this task when there is bright sunshine and pleasant breeze so that the paint dries quickly.

 

If you live in the GTA area and are in need of premium quality aluminum gutters, you can count on Century Aluminum Services to provide you with the best units and excellent customer service at unbeatable prices.

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How Do Gutters Protect Your House Value?

We all agree that the first thing people notice about a house is its exterior appearance. You might be focusing on the perfect interior design or luxurious appliances, but do not forget about the gutters. If you do not have them, install them. If you have gutters, take care of them on a regular basis. It may not seem like they are a big deal, but they do actually help to protect your property value.

Gutters will protect your landscaping, the quality of your house and the house condition during the rainy season. When the time comes for you to move to greener pastures and you need to sell the house, you will need the house to be in a great condition to get a good price. Before installing new gutters or repairing current ones, always ensure that you look for a professional who specializes in eavestroughing in Toronto to get the job done right. Here’s how gutters contribute to a better house value:

They keep your house in a good condition

Gutters will protect you from a lot of damage. You will be safe from internal seepage that will eventually lead to a flooded basement which would have led to mold formation and insect infestations such as mosquitos. You would have saved yourself and your family a trip to the hospital when your gutters are installed right. In addition, the odds of passing your home inspection are high. You will then be able to get a good price for the house.

Maintain the curb appeal of your house

When a buyer comes by, the first thing he or she will notice is the front yard. Having installed the gutters, your garden will be protected from excess water. The front walls of the house will look as good as new; flawless walls without cracks. They will send an inviting message to all and match the well-designed interiors. This is meant to dazzle any serious buyer and will help you hit your desired house price with better chances. Even with installed gutters, you need to ensure they are in a great state. Faulty gutters may ruin your garden fixtures and plants and cause paddles. It is also a health measure, as it protects you against attacks (from brutal disease bearing insects) that occur due to stagnant water.

Ensure the quality of your house

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Rain is a blessing but if you neglect gutter installation, it may turn into a curse. Water seepage has several consequences. Did you know that gutters can save your house foundation from eroding? If you have well maintained gutters you will have your foundation in rock-solid shape. Formation of cracks will also be minimal which means the house will retain its original form. You will be saved from the need to block the cracks. Indoor flooding is a great issue given that there are no outlets and can be a cumbersome affair. You will be free from that too. Moist surfaces are great conditions for growth of mold and other form of water borne bacteria. It is very unsightly but you will not have to worry since you have already ‘ducked’ that one.

Keeps your house value at the level it is meant to be

Most people tend to remodel their houses’ interiors and landscaping to match trending designs. You may also need to crank up your gutter game for your house to be one that people envy and want to have at the same time. Lead by example because you know what is good for your house and the better the state of the house, the better the selling price. So remember that whenever you want to protect your property value, gutters are a must to be installed and maintained well!