Basic maintenance is an important part of any household. In order to keep your investment in great condition for as long as you can, basic maintenance is required for any part of your home. This includes keeping your roof looking great and functioning properly. As your Chattanooga roofing provider, want you to be able to keep your roof looking amazing for years to come.

Basic maintenance for your roof takes place in every season. In the height of summer, it may seem like there is little that you can do to keep your roof in good condition, but there is always the need to check and make sure everything really is okay above your heads. That's why, as your Tennessee roofing company, we suggest always being vigilant for what's going on up on your shingles.

One of the most common problems your roof will face in most residential areas is the presence of leaves. Those leaves are so aerodynamic that you may not even have a tree in your yard, yet have a blanket of them up there on your roof. These malicious kite-impersonating objects can get caught on the slightest breeze and whisk their way up to land on your roof.

The problem with leaves is that once they get wet, they take on the consistency of paper mache. You get a good layer of them up there and do nothing about it, and you'll be calling your Chattanooga roofing experts in to repair leaks before you know it! Once those leaves get stuck up there, they will start to rot almost immediately. If left to their own devices, that rot will pass on to the shingles themselves, and start turning into moss and mold on the shingles.

The problem with summer is that American home owners associate fallen leaves only with the fall season. They aren't vigilant for leaves that have been blown down in recent storms and become stuck on the roof in the meantime. These storm-removed leaves will begin to rot just as readily as the bright orange and yellow variety that you see in the fall.

In order to keep your roof in the best condition possible, you need to keep the leaves off of it all year round. Whenever a summer storm blows some leaves down onto your roof, keep an eye on them. If they don't remove themselves in the coming days, you must climb onto your roof and remove them yourself.

This should always be done with safety in mind. Be careful while you are cleaning the roof off, and don't use a method that could damage your shingles such as a shovel or a rake. Instead, use a broom for the task. And, as always, if it is something that you can't handle on your own, don't hesitate to give your Chattanooga roofing specialists a call to take care of the problem for you. More blogs about roofing just click here

When you want to improve your home, but budgeting is an issue, you need to look for cheap, easy ways to increase your curb appeal. You search for opportunities that can give your home a facelift when viewed from the street. As your Knoxville contractor want you to know that there are ways you can make small changes that produce dramatic results.

If you want to create a fast and relatively inexpensive makeover of the front of your home, consider adding a decorative railing to your porch and steps area. This is an easy project that will only set you back a couple hundred dollars for even the most exquisite supplies. The labor is not intensive, and it is a weekend project that honestly can be completed in a single weekend.

Your contractor recommend keeping any children or disabled pets away from the construction area from beginning to end. As you will have the extant barrier down for the duration of the project, the area will become dangerous to those who are unstable on their feet. Your Knoxville roofing specialist wants everyone in your family to be safe during the banister replacement.

Begin by purchasing the supplies for your project. If you already have a banister in place and are replacing it, then you know roughly how many railings you will need. If you are planning to install a type of fencing, measure the length that you will be covering. If you are wanting to install a decorative railing that you piece together yourself, determine how far apart you want your spindles to be, then measure the area and work out the math.

Once you have determined the supplies that you need, bring them home and disassemble the existing banister. You can re-use the existing support locations if you remove the screws from them carefully. This type of recycling will help keep your costs down, and help keep your Knoxville contractor from needing to fill in the old holes for appearance's sake.

If you are using a pre-fabricated railing, line the pieces up and have someone hold them vertically while you screw in the individual sections. Make sure to put any end-caps over the pieces that join together, if one is provided.

For the do it yourself style of banister, assemble your spindles into the pre-drilled holes of the upper and lower railings. This will take a little more creativity, as well as some wood glue, and should be left to dry overnight in a clamped position before you install it. When the installation time comes, your Knoxville contractor wants you to use caution. Have others assist in holding the banister vertical and affix it to the existing mounting holes with care.

When you have finished, the new banister will give your home a breath of renewal. The increased curb appeal will please the neighbors without breaking your bank.

For homeowners who are looking for a classic, stylish way to place a multifunctional sheltered area on their property, having a sunroom installation is the way to go. When you commonly entertain guests, the party sunroom can provide all the comforts of indoor living, without needing to have them cut through your house.

Having a sunroom built on your party grounds is an excellent way to provide your guests with everything they could desire. Installing large glass doors that open fully on one end of the sunroom will permit the party to take place both inside the structure and in the area around it without the need to interrupt the party atmosphere.

Homeowners who enjoy this entertaining idea commonly contact their Tennessee contractor for arranging plans and proceeding with this sunroom installation. For families who like to entertain frequently, having a sunroom of this style installed alongside the family pool or the patio garden is a popular trend in the Tennessee area.

The sunroom doesn't have to be an all-glass structure as home owners often assume it is. Your sunroom can have regular walls on a portion, providing a safe location to lock away your party supplies when not in use. Installing a refrigerator and a sink for washing dishes, along with cabinetry for storage in a small kitchen on one end of your sunroom, allows your guests to have access to cold drinks without the need to lug around large coolers.

Washroom installation is another common aspect of the modern party sunroom. When your guests have the facilities they need incorporated into the sunroom, they won't need to cut through your house while looking for the toilet anymore.

When not in use, the sunroom makes a wonderful location to keep your party supplies stored in. Extra patio furniture can be kept out of the elements, while those food stocks used for entertaining can be directly stored in the small kitchen you've had built on. There's always room for your steaks to marinade in this refrigerator once your Tennessee contractor installs electricity to your sunroom.

Best of all, when the weather turns sour in the middle of your gathering, the party doesn't have to be over. Your guests can simply step inside the sunroom, bringing their patio chairs along with them, and you can shut the storm out while still providing the entertaining atmosphere that your guests are wanting. Once the storm rolls past, you can open the sunroom doors again and resume the party with dry chairs and full glasses.

Having a party sunroom installation take place on your property will grant you all of these entertaining options, and can double as your personal retreat when you're not entertaining as well. If enjoying a relaxing summer evening in the solitude of your garden sounds as wonderful to you as the idea of entertaining a dozen guests at an outdoor dinner party, you should consider having a sunroom installed by your Tennessee contractor today.

For homeowners who are looking for only the best in sunroom installation, the concept of having a traditional style tearoom installed is always a fascination. This standalone structure can be modified to meet today's comfort standards and be used in all weather, while still possessing the exterior charm that the structure style demands.

As your Tennessee contractor, few building ideas shock us anymore here at Weather Tamer. The teahouse structure is traditionally built near a source of water, such as a pond or a stream, and normally extends out over the water itself. While not terribly difficult, sunroom installation in this most traditional manner may require some extra steps and planning to make certain the foundation is stable.

Modern teahouse structures are usually sunrooms that are installed in a quiet area of the property, with natural water sources viewed as optional. When your Tennessee contractor understands what you are looking for in your sunroom, the installation process will be much easier. If you want the stand-alone structure on the quiet side of your yard to resemble a teahouse, then make sure that your contractor knows from the start. Otherwise, creating the correct appearance will be a challenge for the design team.

Your sunroom installation plans will have your new teahouse looking magnificent. As an addition to your property, the teahouse should strive to fit into the landscape, relying on traditional colors such as green or brown for vinyl siding colors. Alternatively, if you want to draw attention to the sunroom, bright red is the traditional focal color for tearoom designs.

As your Tennessee contractor will inform you, the traditional teahouse has large sliding doors that are opened to make the central room feel as if it is a continuation of the natural setting beyond. In modern tearooms, these doors are usually made from glass, and feature a locking mechanism to secure the teahouse when not in use. If you want these to face a certain direction or to look a certain way, be sure to mention it while your sunroom installation is still in the planning stage.

The modern tearoom design should fit in with your property, while still allowing you all of the necessities that make modern life comfortable. Traditionalists will demand that the structure have no running water or power. Modern designs commonly feature both, including exterior illumination that can be controlled both from the main house and from within the tea house itself.

Ultimately, you will want safety features included in your sunroom installation. Regardless of how traditional or modern you want your teahouse design to be, you will need to consider the modern world's demands for a securely locking structure. Insist on a design that will allow whatever you have inside the teahouse to be safely locked away when not in use. Your Tennessee contractor will help you reach all of the right decisions for your sunroom installation design.

Your current roofing material isn't going to last forever, and you are going to need to make the right choice not only for your home, but for the environment as well, when the time comes. As your Knoxville contractor, Weather Tamer would like a chance to review the environmental impact of your decision with you.

When it comes to Tennessee roofing choices, the materials that you can select from are varied. Which each provides your home with a certain look, some are friendlier on the environment than others. Your Tennessee roofing contractor would like you to consider the difference between some of these common roofing materials before you make your decision.

Shingles are, regrettably, a wasteful type of material. Modern shingles have been made stronger and more durable by the addition of a stronger Core, but this same strengthener also means that shingles last longer when they are ripped from your home and tossed in the local landfill. Granted, they will last a very long time on your home, but their non-recyclable nature does mean that they will eventually become a hardship on our planet.

As your Knoxville roofing professional, we encourage you to consider a more planet friendly alternative for your future roofing needs. Metal roofs of all types have a lower environmental impact than you realize. When they are taken off your roof and replaced decades from now, they will still be the same metal that they were when they went on your roof.

Metal has one massive environmental impact: it can be recycled easily. When it is no longer fit for your roof, it can be removed, melted down, and be formed into new metal that can be used again and again. As your Knoxville contractor, we at Weather Tamer don't need to tell you how big of an impact this can have on the environment. You may be thinking to yourself it's only one roof, how big of a difference can it make? Think about what would happen if everyone in your city chose metal roofing options instead of shingles next time around?

The beauty of metal as a Tennessee roofing material is that it functions well under even extreme circumstances. Metal can be fashioned to look like shingles, giving your home the shingled feel while maintaining the friendliness of the metal usage. The best part of all is that many forms of metal roofing material are cost equivalent to the shingles that you are used to having on your home.

No structural changes need to be made to switch your roof from shingles to metal, by the way. Just as if it were a shingle roofing job, your Knoxville contractor will arrive, pull off the old shingles, and lay down an Earth friendly metal version in their place. Since modern metal roofing is every bit as insulating, durable, colorful and strong as shingled roofs are, why not give the environment a hand the next time you need to replace your roof.

Part of the joys of the spring season come in the way of your garden. You work hard on your herbs and your other plants, and enjoy the fruits of your labors long into the summer months. Unless, of course, those notorious Tennessee spring storms ruin your crops.

We've all been there: the fruit is just starting to ripen on your Strawberry vines, or the tomatoes are just starting to take shape, and a nasty hailstorm flattens your entire garden. As your Nashville contractor, we know how much it sucks to lose your hard work in the garden due to a single severe storm. There's simply no recovering your crop once the stalks have been broken by baseball-sized hailstones, while standing water from the downpour has washed all the soil away from the roots.

There is a way to prevent this damage from happening to your garden, though. If your garden is routinely trashed by the severe weather associated with spring, you don't necessarily need to give up your passion for gardening. What you need is a freestanding sunroom installation on your property. Your Nashville contractor team at Weather Tamer will be able to guide you through all of the details of planning for this property upgrade.

The concept is fairly simple. When you have a sunroom installation placed on your property, you can leave a section of natural soil open on the floor, or you can build in raised garden beds instead. You will have your garden like normal, except under the sunny conditions of a protected glass sunroom roof, rather than open to the ravages of nature.

When building your sunroom especially for a protected garden area, you won't have to worry about your plants not finding the pollinators that they need. Discuss your sunroom installation with your Nashville contractor, and make sure to mention that gardening is what you plan to do with your new area. Your contractor will go out of his way to plan the items that you need to make sure your plants get all the possible sunlight and pollinators that they require.

Your Nashville contractor will plan your sunroom installation with multiple glass sections in the ceiling, so that plenty of delicious sunlight can get to your plants. To keep the air from getting too hot, lines of windows completely around the structure will open to the elements. With moveable screens, you can lift these to allow the bugs that you need inside your sunroom. Your plants will be pollinated, and kept in healthy condition, while the weather bears down outside.

When the rough weather does roll in, you can just step outside and close the windows to your sunroom. The sunroom installation by your Nashville contractor will provide you with easy to maintain gardening space during the spring and summer seasons. Once your crops have been harvested, you can move your raised planting beds aside and enjoy your detached sunroom for other purposes.

You may have noticed a few shingles on the ground after that last big storm or some bare spots on your room – not a good sign. Worse, maybe you have some leaking or water damage. Well, it just might be time to get a new roof. After some of the crazy weather we’ve had, particularly in Knoxville roofing should be a priority for any homeowner. But how do you know when it is time to replace? It is rather simple, actually.


Experts advise that you should inspect your roof twice a year, usually in spring and in the fall. Start inside, go to the attic, trusty flashlight in hand and look for these telltale signs:

• ·  Sunlight shining through the ceiling (the roof) – not a good sign

• ·  Signs that water has been leaking or is leaking

• ·  Signs if water damage such as dark spots on the wood, ceiling, walls or anywhere inside (a note, you may see water damage in your ceiling as well which is also a sign of your roof leaking)
  

• ·  Sagging of the roof deck

• ·  Discoloration of the roof deck or supporting structures

Next you want to check out the outside which means actually getting up on the roof. Look for missing or loose shingles or shingles that are cracked, curled or buckled. Really, if your shingles have anything but a normal, smooth appearance, you want to check it out. Also look for any signs of rotting or greenish stains (or they may be dark) which indicates algae growth. In more humid climates such as in Tennessee roofing can be more prone to moisture related damage such as algae.

Pay close attention to the shingles that butt up against pipes, vents, gutters and chimneys. Look for shingles that appear to be worn or loose. If you see a lot of shingle granules in your gutters that can be a sign that the shingles are worn. Shingle granules are coarse, like large grains of sand or finely chipped granite. Check your gutters and make sure that they are securely attached. Make sure that your gutters are clean and that all drains are clear so that water can run off your roof and isn’t left to sit on any part of it. Standing water can create a lot of problems.

You want to be on the lookout for any signs of moisture. This may include mold or rot. But beware, water can travel, so where you see water damage may not necessarily be where the problem shingle is located. Fungi, bacteria and mold all grow rapidly, usually within 24 to 48 hours of the water leaking in. You don’t want to play with that. Look for signs of mold and fungi on the inside as well as the outside. If you see crumbling wood or fascia inside or out, you want to investigate further, particularly if it feels moist to the touch. Wood can hold water for a long time.

You should also check your roof after storms, especially if there were high winds or pounding rain. Extreme weather can cause a lot of wear and tear on a roof and it is better to find a small problem early than correct a large problem later.

If you're looking for a way to increase the overall value of your home and improve the durability of the house, take a second look at tile roofing. With a look that is just unparalleled , tile roofing gives any home curb appeal.

Any Nashville roofing contractor will tell you that tile roofing is going to add a great deal to the overall home value and that it's going to make for a roof that will last longer and look more attractive. In fact, most Tennessee roofing contractors will tell you that these very stylish roofs can stand up to some of the harshest weather that mother nature can throw at you. They will overcome wind, rain, hail, and even fire. Roofing made of tile will stand up to more hard use than most of the other roofing materials that you'll use and in addition, most of them have a far hardier warranty because of that. They are typically quite cost effective and since you won't have to replace them as often, or even repair them, you'll save money on the overall home improvement chores that you have to accomplish for your home.

In addition, the tile roofing can be a far more environmentally friendly choice. Take a closer look at tile and understand what makes it such a wonderful choice for any area, not only the Nashville or Chattanooga or Knoxville roofing will benefit from it. The life of tile roofing can be as long as 40 years. In some cases, depending on the tile that you choose, your roofing may last you from 25 to 50 years, making it not only environmentally friendly, but certainly home owner friendly because you're not going to have to replace it. 

Tile roofing comes in a wide range of different styles, colors and materials. For example, concrete tile and clay riles are very unique and remarkably lovely. They last a very long time and they are available with finishes on them that create different looks that are as interesting as the homes upon which they are installed. Tile roofing does initially cost a bit more, but overall, it has to be replaced far less often, making it the more economical choice when the cost is divided among the years that it will last. Tile can also prevent the heat from getting through to your home, saving you money on the utility bills as well as money on the repair bill. With all of this going for it, your tile roof may be the best thing that you've added to your home-- so far as resale value and home improvement --in a very long time.

Asphalt is the most common type of roofing used in the United States today. Low priced and generally quite cost effective, asphalt roofing is usually effective in any climate, but may require more replacement and repair, depending on your weather patterns.

Asphalt is made of crude oil. That is the same oil that is used to make kerosene, gasoline, and motor oil, as well as vinyl products. It is the leftover components that are residual in the production of oil and gas products. The asphalt is about 80 percent carbon based, which will explain why it typically has the dark black color and has an oily feel to the touch.

Asphalt tiles for roofing are created from this crude oil by mixing them with substances called aggregates, such as gravel or sand. That finished product is what we call asphalt. The dark black tar grips very firmly to the aggregate which makes asphalt tile a very durable product, suitable even for Tennessee roofing where the weather can get a little wild at times. When the tar that it is created from is used in roads, the asphalt is poured over a heavy bed of gravel or crushed stone. It is then pressed down hard into the surface very firmly. When it is used in roofing, much the same kind of compression takes place which makes it sturdy enough to last on your roof for several years.

It does harden a bit more over time but there is still enough flexible behavior to ensure that if the tiles have to bend they can do so. It's quite popular as a roofing surface. The tiles are bendable, and it can take a great deal of wear and tear or even a vast amount of the rays of the sun and still come out strong. The typical asphalt roofing material will last between five and ten years when not subjected to high winds or to heavy storms.

There are a few drawbacks to using asphalt roofing. It will burn much more easily and it can be very tiles are subject to tearing as anyone who has worked on roofing knows. It can, over time, harden and become quite brittle, breaking very easily and allowing water to hit the roof itself where it may lie below the remaining shingles and cause some water damage.

While asphalt roofing is a very cost effective way to cover your roof, you are reminded that no matter what kind of roofing you are using, a yearly roofing inspection is always a good way to ensure that your roof and the furnishings below stay dry and undamaged.

Installing vinyl replacement windows represents a significant investment in several aspects. It is then to your advantage to carefully consider your options – and there are many, to say the least – before making your final choice and hiring a Tennessee contractor for the job. Here are useful tips to make a wise choice in these PVC replacement windows.

Stick to Your Budget

In general, PVC replacement windows provide good value for your money in the sense that their benefits outweigh their costs. But it is also possible to go overboard with your purchases and, thus, find yourself enjoying great windows but little else. Your home improvement project may even be left hanging, so to speak, because of your ill-advised splurge on the vinyl replacement windows.

Just stick to your budget but be sure not to go for the cheapest option either. Keep in mind that cheap PVC replacement windows are simply not worth the money paid for these products. Their demerits include fast fading, warping and cracking especially when exposed to weather extremes, which will lead to lower energy efficiency, faster degradation and uglier appearance. This is where an experienced Tennessee contractor comes in. You must discuss your overall budget for your home improvement project so that certain adjustments can be made.

Plan for the Purchase

Depending on the color, size and style, vinyl replacement windows can be expensive. For example, a single high-quality pane can cost $300 to $700 while a glass-walled living room can cost upwards of $1,000.

You must then plan for the purchase of these replacement windows. Planning involves several aspects including:

• When to buy

It is best to wait for the sales season, which will vary depending on your area. Just be on the lookout when your favorite online sites and hardware stores are offering substantial discounts on their products and services.

• Where to buy

Nowadays, the best place to purchase products and services related to vinyl replacement windows is online. You will be able to choose from among several contractors in Tennessee, for example, in online sites as well as check on their credentials in the official state website.

• What to buy

You must also plan for the quality and quantity of the PVC replacement windows you plan to buy. In this case, the expert assessment of an experienced contractor will come in handy since you want to purchase the right kinds and numbers of replacement windows for your home. Too little and too many will be a waste of your time, energy and money.

In general, expert contractors advise homeowners to choose vinyl replacement windows that will:

• Match their homes’ color schemes especially the colors on the trim and sidings

• Address their needs for energy efficiency (i.e., triple-glazed windows are better options)

• Meet their maintenance needs although this should not be a problem considering that vinyl windows require just the occasional wiping for maintenance.

Indeed, vinyl replacement windows are great choices for your homes but you must also make the right choices. Get down to it with your contractor and enjoy the benefits.