By blogger Design 0 Comments

Safety concerns while building the roof of your apartment

Building the house is a fantasy for everyone. We give our heart and soul to creating the home of our dreams. It takes hands to construct the place, but only love can make it a desirable home. It is the place where the story of our life begins and where we live the most precious time of our life with our loved ones. The cost of building the house always goes above the estimated cost. Building the house is a very complex task as it requires a wide range of things. Choosing the right team of builders and house constructors is the essential component of building the house. While making the house, it is our obligation to look after our safety and the safety of the people working on the roofing project. Workers are exposed to various types of risks and injuries while they perform the work on the roof. Roof safety is the list of preventative and safety measures that the workers must undertake while performing the rooftop’s repairs. Roofing is the most dangerous and daunting task and can lead to many accidents. Having knowledge about the roof hazards can help us prevent them by taking necessary precautions. So here is a list of standard rooftop safety measures which must be undertaken:

  1. Stability of the roof: it is crucial to check whether the roof is stable enough to walk over it. If the roof is unstable, there may be a risk of collapse, leading to injury.
  2. Installation of the ladder: This the common cause of fatal accidents. The placement of the ladder should be done correctly so that person doesn’t slip off. If possible, there must be someone holding the ladder while the worker is climbing it. The head of the ladder should be tied to the roof so that the ladder should not shift from the place. Wood and fiberglass ladders are safer to use in the process of construction.
  3. Remove the clutter from the work area: It is essential to keep the work area clean and organized. Only the required equipment and the materials must be held on the site. Ensure you have collected the debris to one side so that it doesn’t block the workers’ way.
  4. Weather conditions: Noting the weather forecast and them doing the work accordingly is essential. You should avoid working in extreme weather conditions as there are various risks involved. If there is any chance of rainfall or snow to occur, the work must be postponed to avoid any mishappenings.
  5. Proper training: You need to undergo training before you start with any roofing project as it will teach you how to guard yourself against potential hazards. The appropriate use of the equipment pieces is also acquired in training as going for the roofing is a perilous job.
  6. Holes in the roof: Assuring that there are no holes in the roof is essential to avoid the risk of falls. The top should always be checked for skylights that are not covered. This can be easily avoided by staying cautious at work.
By blogger Design • Do It Yourself 0 Comments

What is Eavestrough and why every House Needs it?

Eavestrough is also known as a rain gutter. It is one of the components of the water discharge system for the building. It is used to prevent water from dripping or flowing off the roofs in an uncontrolled and directionless manner. It runs around the perimeter of the house’s roof, and collects the rainwater or snow that runoff from the roof, discharging it through the downpipes and eventually to the drainage system. The components of the eavestrough system include:

  • Eavestrough: Narrow troughs that do the function of collecting the water.
  • Downpipes: they attach the roof to the ground level
  • Soffit: it is the underside of the overhanging area of the roof eaves.
  • Fascia: it is the horizontal face of the roof edge where the gutters are attached.

Eavestroughs are essential for any house, as they perform plenty of functions. Here are a top few benefits of the eavestrough system.

  • Leads to an efficient water drainage system: If you don’t have eavestrough installed on your roof, the rainwater or the melted snow will fall directly from the roof. This will cause the water to splatter which can cause dirty and muddy marks on your home’s wall. Also, if the water is continuously pouring from the roof, it can damage the soil as it can lead to oversaturation. This can further result in damages to the foundation of your house. Installing an eavestrough system will prevent all this.
  • Prevents yard flooding: excessive rain or the melting of snow can cause a lot of water to require systematic drainage. If the water is not drained properly, this can lead to flooding in your yard. Water will keep falling from your roof and flood your yard when the ground level drainage system will not be able to handle the high volume of water.
  • Prevents major damages: Due to continuous falling of water from the roof, it can lead to soil erosion and oversaturation of the soil. These issues can cause a problem to your plants or shrubs in your yard, your plants may wither or break. Apart from the damages to your lawn, it can also lead to settling of the ground, basement flooding, house flooding, cracks in deck and patio, and many other foundational problems. By installing the eavestrough you can avoid all these problems and protect the foundation of your house.
  • Prevent roof rotting: when the melted snow does not drain properly, it gets submitted to the different areas of your roof. The accumulated melted snow can lead to standing water on your roof which can wreak havoc on your entire roofing. This can be quite risky and dangerous as it can cause your roof to fall.
  • Better home experience: do you want your guests to pass through Niagara Falls every time someone leaves or enters your house? Getting the eavestrough installed will prevent all this and you will be saved from the waterfall experience outside your main door. A good eavestrough system will surely give you a good home experience.

 

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 Do It Yourself 0 Comments

The Ideal Frieze Board Trim

In order to make your home a perfect place to live, the exterior is as important as the interior, and the beauty of the exterior is often hidden in trivial details. The selection of the frieze board and its installation are essential to successful home projects, no matter how experimental you are going to be with the construction. Frankly, even though a frieze board is one of the most critical parts of your home designing, it comes at the last position in your mind while thinking about what could make your home well-built.

Though frieze boards can often be missed while the designing process is going on, this is that subtle detail that is critical and makes a difference in the final design and at the same time enhances the appearance and performance of your home. Also, frieze boards ensure that the house is intact, well-protected, provides better stability for the exterior of the house, and ensures the integrity of your home.

FINDING a Good Frieze Board

Frieze board is usually installed in between the soffit and the top of a house’s siding panel. Its primary function is to give a finishing touch to the house’s exterior, and they come with a variety of options. The market has various types of options available for frieze boards. Still, it is necessary to first scale-out the maintenance, cost, requirements, and durability, and then it is advisable to decide. Also, be sure to ask the company some questions:

  1. How long will this board last?
  2. The cost, warranty (if any), and procedure of installation.
  3. Is the board’s material immune to the external environment?
  4. Can it be painted?

INSTALLATION of a Frieze Board

Frieze Board Installation is done using a trim board hook, which should be lined up with the seam and then fixed with a nail. Even if, at times, homeowners miss the frieze board, which makes it undervalued, it still serves two major roles.

  1. It fills the gap between the soffit and the siding.
  2. It gives the exterior a posh appearance.

Thus, it prevents moisture from snow or rain from entering the siding. At the same time, not having trim gives your house an unfinished appearance due to the gaps.

Also, the frieze board generally infuses a smooth transition from the siding to the soffit. It stabilizes and finishes the home while giving it a decorative feel.

CHOOSING the Right Material

Generally, you have different forms and elements of the frieze board out of which you have to choose for your situation.

  1. Cedar Wood

This is one of the standard options in terms of materials used to make the trim. It gives the trim a good thermal mass and is a heavy log structure making the cedar trims capable of releasing, storing, and absorbing heat.

This material can adapt to various environmental conditions and has energy-saving benefits with low moisture content by undergoing the air-drying process to lose the moisture naturally.

  1. Fiber Cement

It is an alternate option to the commonly used cedar trim and has its own pros. It can also adapt to the weather and is made of sustainable elements.

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Importance of Drip Edges

Drip edges are molded metal strips made of industrial-grade galvanized aluminum or steel. These are fixed with the help of nails to the edges of the roof, ensuring a water-tight fixture. Drip edges help protect the roof shingles by safeguarding the wooden structures underneath them that are typically prone to rot and water damage. Not having a drip edge installed can lead to problems like curling of shingles and cracking or sagging roof along the edges. A drip edge provides support to overhanging shingles at the roof edges, furnishing a systematic structure to the overhang and directing water towards the eavestrough, away from the fascia of the roof. It adds a clean look to a roof while preventing water from entering into vulnerable regions.

Drip edge has two primary purposes –

  1. Diverting the water away from the fascia.
  2. Protecting the deck of the roof from wind-driven rainfall.

The role of a drip edge is to direct water towards the gutter. In case your home has no gutter, the drip edge will help prevent water from entering the fascia and soffit cavity regions. It can save you from spending huge amounts on major recovery projects after encountering extensive damage to your house.

Drip edges are available in a variety of styles and shapes. The most commonly used are the T-, C- and L-style drip edges.

The L-style, as the name suggests, is a simple design that is bent in the center. One end of an L-style drip edge is put under the roofing materials and the other end over the fascia. The C-style drip edges are curved bent, installed under the roofing material with the curve around the roof’s deck. These drip edges are generally used on roofs without a fascia. T-style drip edges are shaped like a “T” having an extra lip, directing water away from the house. This style is used beyond the deck of the roof and is bent backward in a triangular shape. The extra lip extends away from the roof end and moves water out and away from your home.

Below are a few significant benefits of installing Drip Edges:

  1. Drip edges direct the water away from the fascia or directly into your home’s gutter system.
  2. Drip edges are installed below the shingles at roof ends, preventing water from seeping into the unwanted areas.
  3. Drip edges provide support to overhanging shingles, keeping them in a clean and manageable straight line.
  4. Shingles without drip edges don’t look adequately sharp and are more prone to easy damage.
  5. Drip edges cover the gap between a roof deck and a fascia board. This gap is often responsible for allowing small animals or other unwanted pests to enter your home by way of your attic.
  6. Roof edge flashing can protect your roof during strong wind or heavy rain, or even an ice dam formation. An ice dam is a clutter of ice collected on the edge of a roof, which can prevent snow from draining and thawing appropriately.
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De-Icing Cables for Winter

Ice dams are created when melting snow on a roof doesn’t completely flow off into the gutters. When the temperature falls, the consequential ice blockage creates a dam that further slows down additional melting of the ice, enabling it to get beneath the roof’s shingles and infiltrate the protective top layer of your home. The reason ice dams form in the first place is the uneven heating from beneath. Warmth circulates in the attic because heat increases. This melts ice on the roof, which dribbles down toward the gutter, but then reaches the cold edges of the roof where it freezes again, forming ice dams.

The old-school way to solve the ice dam problem was with a shovel and a lot of dangerous manual labour. But with technological advancements, you can cross manual labour off the list. De-icing cables are the solution to your ice dam problems. De-icing cables are electrical cables connected to the roof of the house. They aren’t visually distracting and hence won’t make a dramatic change as many people expect them to. Before investing in de-icing cables, it is recommended that you are well-acquainted with the benefits and functionalities of de-icing cables.

 

The Benefits of De-Icing Cables:

When properly installed, roof de-icing cables work quite efficiently, although they don’t often make much of a graphic change. The cables don’t completely clear patches of snow, but rather melt the ice in close proximity around them, providing sufficient space for water to run off into your gutter. This is an important distinction: ice dams may still form but they won’t block the flow of further snow melt, and that’s what shields your roof.

De-icing cables are only designed for adequate snowmelt to avoid ice dams from building up. How much exposure your roof needs with de-icing cables hangs on the shape and slant of the roof and the spaces where ice dams form. The cables aren’t efficient in extremely low temperatures (–10°F and below). However, ice dams won’t form at such low temperatures, so it’s rarely an issue.

 

Cost:

The bright side of the high electrical bill is the probable savings when your roof isn’t infiltrated by an ice dam. If you’re stressed about an ice dam condition, then investing in appropriately installed heating cables has the potential to pay beneficial returns by shielding your roof and the home beneath it! It is also more preferred over manual labour that never provides a permanent solution to your ice dam problem.

 

Installing De-Icing Cables:

You’re right if you are wondering if installing de-icing cables isn’t something you can do on your own. It’s never an advisable idea to consider working on your roof, especially in winter. Aside from the safety issues, de-icing cables will only work wonders if installed correctly. These are electrical cables that need to be associated to your household electrical system and which will function in connection to water, and hence, it is highly recommended to entrust this job to a licensed electrician or professional who has experience with this type of service.

 

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The Functions and Importance of Fascia and Soffit to Your Roofing

The soffit and fascia are some of the most integral yet underrated parts of roofing systems. This is because they don’t give the impression to be the components of a home that would play a key role in your roofing system’s performance. To clear that up, it’s important that you know what exactly about the roles of soffit and fascia.

 

Fascia:

The fascia is the portion of the roof that is used to make a barrier between the outside and the edge of the roof. Classically installed behind the gutters and underneath the roof line, the importance of the fascia to a well-constructed roof is undeniable. The fascia will frequently cover the entire structure and be connected either to the top of the exterior walls or to the rafter’s uncovered ends. It usually comprises from fibre-cement board, cedar, or aluminium.

 

Soffit:

Outspreading from the side of the structure to the edges of the eave, the soffit is the structure beneath the eave on the house’s exterior in order to seal the space underneath. Its design warrants that it is installed from the exterior walls to the fascia boards. It comprises of wood, sheet metal, or fibre-cement board. Since one of the many functions of a soffit is to aid in ventilating the attic, it usually features small holes which permit the air to cycle to the vents thereby drawing moisture and heat away.

 

Importance of Fascia and Soffit:

One of the reasons why your soffit and fascia are so significant is because they can give your home’s external an appeasing look, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. However, their importance goes outside this as they also avert your home from sustaining structural damage. They can achieve this by keeping pests from attacking your home and they can avoid moisture build-up that can consequence in mould growth and rotted rafters.

  • Offers air intake to naturally vent the attic and keep roof’s surface cool
  • Helps diminish energy consumption and costs, particularly in the summer
  • Also aids in extending the lifespan and dependability of shingles/roof materials
  • Covers gaps between the rafters/joists to avoid entry by rodents and insects
  • Guards against impairment to roof deck/frame and to the attic insulation

 

To fully make the most of the purpose of fascia and soffit in your roof, proper care and fitting is highly encouraged. This is specifically so if you have an old home that comprises of wooden fascia and soffit since wood and water do not go hand in hand. The good news, though, is that there are minimal maintenance fascia that are created either from aluminium or PVC with the former being popular and common. Contrarywise, most soffits are designed using vinyl which is highly effective in enduring the degradation caused by heat and moisture.

However, over a period of time, this aluminium type will also certainly necessitate recoating or a retouch. This is where quality coatings come in as they not only offer the essential shield, but sustain the colour trend of your fascia and soffit as well. Therefore, always reach out for expert and experienced professionals that can satisfactorily handle such a project for you.

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Signs That You Need To Replace Your Roofing

A very common misconception among homeowners is that they think their roofing system is a semi-permanent feature and will last for very long. This cannot be more wrong, since the roof is probably the only part of the house that faces the most of nature’s wrath and therefore, is prone to damage. We do not mean to say that you should replace your roofing every two to three years, it is definitely sturdier than that, however, and it is a good idea to check up on the soffits and fascia boards from time to time to look for damages. Sometimes, these are ignored by homeowners until it becomes absolutely unbearable.

Here are some signs to look out for which may indicate that your roofing systems needs to be looked at.

  1. The paint is cracking and peeling off.

The soffit and fascia boards definitely add to the curb appeal of your home, and in case they are peeling off paint, it can result in a number of problems such as mold, water damage, and bug infestation and so on. If this happens, you should get the roofing checked by a professional and take immediate steps to prevent further damage.

  1. Leaking gutters.

If the gutters of your home start leaking or dipping even when the weather is dry, it might be due to build-up of leaves, twig and numerous kind of debris in the gutters. This can lead to a number of problems, since water accumulation will lead to mold, act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and spread diseases, and damage the structural integrity of your home. You should definitely get your roofing checked in this case so that you later do not have to spend heavily on repairs.

  1. Roof rafters are damaged.

Water build-up can do significant damage to your house, especially to the roofing since parts of it are made using timber, which can be damaged or even be rotted away with excessive moisture absorption. In case your roof rafters are damaged, this is a clear indication that your soffit and fascia boards are faulty and are allowing water to leak inside. If this is not handled properly on time, this can damage your roofing completely and call for a complete replacement.

  1. Issues with ventilation.

Soffits and fascia boards help with maintaining the ventilation system in your home to allow clean air to come in and to keep the temperature inside your home favourable. If you notice any unusual symptoms with your ventilation, this might be a sign that your soffit and fascia boards are damaged, and cannot allow air circulation.

  1. An unusually high AC bill.

In the warmer months, if you get an unusually high AC bill, high enough to be concerning, it is a good idea to check the roofing. This is because your roof may hold excess heat which in turn makes your AC consume more energy and take longer to cool the interiors. This can be a sign of damaged soffit and fascia boards.

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Your Home Maintenance Guide Post-Rains

When living in Toronto, you never know what a cloudy day brings along. A simple rain prediction can quickly convert into an astounding storm, and at the end, it is your house left alone to battle the powerful winds, damaging hail, flooding lighting strikes, and more. Hence, special care is required during and post heavy rains to prevent home damage and loss.

Here are a few tips to take care of your home in the monsoon season –

  1. Inspect the Roof

Your roofing is the first line of defence against inclement weather conditions, which is why it is usually in the most worn-out condition after storms. Excessive downpour often leaves behind cracks in the roof that can create a whole bunch of new problems.

There can be loose shingles, chimney damage, and broken vents causing moisture to seep in through the exterior walls gradually. Patches can also be seen as a result of water seepage.

So, to avoid these issues taking a bad turn, you must inspect your roof as the rain settles. Look out for signs of moisture and fix them at the earliest.

  1. Clear the Gutters

The beautiful view of rain is priceless to watch but it is disastrous for the health of your home. Gutters and downspouts quickly fill up with debris, dirt, and leaves, and prevent the water from flowing freely. This can soon cause water pooling and cause harm to the exterior parts of the building.

Water accumulation can further lead to mold problems and in winter, cause ice dams to build up, deteriorating the condition of your gutters.

Thus, to make things easier, use a gutter protection and carry out a thorough cleaning with professional help. If malfunctioned, invest in a new eavestrough system as soon as possible.

  1. Make Way for Air Ventilation

By shutting windows and doors during rains, there can be high moisture levels in your home, causing your indoors to smell musty and bad. That is because there hasn’t been enough sunlight inside your house and the flow of fresh breeze in the rooms.

The dark and damp conditions can make way for mold contamination, and you can soon develop skin allergies and breathing issues.

And while this can take a while to come to the surface, it is best to be proactive and cut down the humidity trapped in the home. Open windows and doors once a day and for the rest, use dehumidifiers.

  1. Trim and Clear the Branches

 

Tree branches and shrubs tend to grow quickly. If they aren’t manicured properly, they can be a huge nuisance to sidings, exterior walls, screens and windows in monsoon. They can be an open invitation to pest and insect problems and cause physical harm to you and your family.

Besides, there can be damaged leaves, and branches fall off, causing drain blockages and taking a severe toll on the health of your lawn.

That is why you must trim away the bushes from the sidings and attic and remove the dead branches whenever possible.

 

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New Exterior Shutters: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Exterior window shutters are usually installed to maintain the privacy of your home and to limit the amount of sunlight entering your house. Window shutters, whether interior or exterior have become a popular trend among many homeowners.

 

If you are updating your house with new materials whether to give a classic touch or incorporating exterior window shutters into the renovation project for the first time, the choice of shutters and the way you install them plays a significant role.

 

If you believe that shutters are meant for adding just the functionality, you may be wrong. Shutters come in a variety of designs, colors and sizes, leaving room for making the right choice for your home. You are no longer bound to select the typical traditional shutters anymore. However, the problem arises when you are not familiar with some facts associated with the installation of shutters.

 

If you wish to enhance the beauty of your home’s exterior and the windows, here are some common mistakes to avoid when it comes to exterior window shutters.

 

1) Buying Low-Quality Shutters- If you are more deviated towards the decorative mode that you end up purchasing low-quality shutters, believing that there are other things to rely on when it comes to blocking the sun rays; you are wrong. It is the first common mistake that people make. You must know that low-quality shutters that you are putting to enhance the beauty will be fastened outside the home where they will be exposed to all sorts of weather changes. The brittle material will wear off within a month, and its paint will fade away within weeks. Therefore, buy high-quality shutters to get improved performance and look for years to come.

 

2) Purchasing the Wrong Size of Shutters- The wrong size of shutters can disrupt the symmetry of your house from outside. Secondly, incorporating shutters that are overly designed may not fit well on the windows. If they are too large, it won’t be easy to shut them. If they are too small, they won’t seal well. To make the most of it, measure the size from the outside of your window and then visit the exterior shutter store to purchase them.

 

3) Incorrectly Fastening Shutters- Fastening shutters is an important part since each material requires a proper technique and usage of equipment to fasten them to the windows. For instance, material like wood and vinyl expand or contract upon heating and cooling, it means they need a little room to breathe, and people often fasten them too tightly, damaging the shutters.

 

4) Choosing the Wrong Paint for Shutters- Although you purchase the right size and material of shutters, yet painting them with wrong paint can make a difference. Remember, if you have bought wooden shutters, make sure to use paint that completely seals them; otherwise a thin paint can wash away easily and damp the wood. Moreover, never use paint that is white or pale since it can get dirty easily because of the outdoor elements. It is better to spray the shutters with dark paint.