Exterior Remodeling Ideas and Trends

In 2017, it seems like people were more focused than ever in investing in the appearance of their homes. After all, you must feel proud when you look at your home, it must represent you, otherwise why bothering with so much working and investing money in it, right?

Here are some of the most noticeable home exterior trends of 2017 by roofers experienced in roofing Fayetteville AR homes.

First, it is all about the entrance and the front door. With good reason, highlighting the home entrance and the front door is a priority, because it represents the first contact with the house. Current trends include the door painted red, or made in glass and iron, as well as creating grand entrances by accentuating the area around the front door. In warmer areas, Dutch doors also seem to gain in popularity.

Vinyl siding was another trend this year, surely because it provides a good balance between price and quality, as well as for its low maintenance requirements and incredible versatility when it comes to color and the ability to mimic various other materials.

Other exterior accents that are very popular these days include eye-catching house numbers, arts-and-crafts touches, the use of natural stones to create beautiful facades, unique fences, as well as copper gutters.

 

 

Original Post here: Exterior Remodeling Ideas and Trends

Advantages of Gutter Screens On Your Home

The roof is an essential component of a building, ensuring its overall integrity, by protecting it from rain and other weather phenomena. However, this protection works only if water and anything else that falls on the roof is being removed or carried away. Think about gutters as the transportation system: water flows through them, being directed into the ground, away from the building. Inexistent or faulty gutters would cause improperly directed water, which may run into the basement, or cause siding rot.

Gutters often get clogged by debris, and this is why they require regular maintenance from a local Fort Smith roofing expert, which means not just cleaning them, but also protecting them with gutter screens (also known as gutter guards), in order to keep them unobstructed.

Gutter screens are made from special materials and look like a protective mesh, fitted over the gutters. They provide many great benefits, besides stopping debris from causing obstructions:

• You will not have to spend time, twice a year, cleaning out your gutters; with screens, they will remain debris-free up to five years;
• You will not spend money to bring a professional in roofing maintenance, to clean them for you;
• Last but not least, you will prevent clogged gutters from retaining moisture and rusting prematurely.

 

First Seen over here: Advantages of Gutter Screens On Your Home

How Much Insulation Do I Need In Arkansas?

The question about how much insulation you should install depends on where you live (R-values in warm areas are different from R-values in colder areas) and on the age of your home (older buildings require more insulation). However, adding more and more insulation is not necessarily better, because it may become ineffective. Arkansas has hot, humid summers and mild winters; R-values in this state are R-13 for wall cavities and R-38 for attic insulation.

The importance of effective insulation should not be neglected, because it represents a major factor in your home’s heating and cooling capacity, being necessary to maintain the thermal comfort and to pay lower energy bills. A house that is properly insulated is also soundproof (from an interior and exterior perspective).

Due to the climate in the state, most insulation companies in Arkansas and Specifically quality trained Springdale roofing technicians are equipped to install radiant barriers and reflective insulation. The technology behind them is intelligent: during the cold season, the heat is reflected back into the house, while in the hot season, solar radiation is kept away from the attic. As a result, radiant barriers and reflective insulation keep the house cooler when the weather is hot and warmer when the weather is cold.

 

First Seen here: How Much Insulation Do I Need In Arkansas?

Should I Install Concrete Siding? Pros and Cons

Concrete siding is also known as fiber cement siding and it simulates wood, so well that you can barely make a distinction between the two materials.  Asking a professional experienced in roofing Fort Smith AR homes is adviced.

Comparing to wood and other siding materials, it comes with several advantages:

• concrete siding adds a beautiful look and elegance to your project
• it is cost-effective and offers a great balance between price and quality
• it is a durable and sustainable material, being able to withstand big variations in temperature
• it is also resistant to impact, fire, rodents and insects
• it requires very little maintenance
• it can be combined with weather barriers, which will increase the energy efficiency
• installation is not complicated, but must be performed by qualified workers.

Even if there are so many pros about concrete siding, it will obviously not last forever, as Mother Nature will deteriorate any material, eventually. However, with just a little effort (involving keeping an eye on the caulking and removing bird residues and dirt with low pressure washing, every 6-8 months), it will have a very long life.

As about the cons, they are mostly related to the fact that concrete siding needs to be repainted every few years, although if you opt for the pre-painted panels, they will have a longer lasting initial finish.

 

 

 

Originally Posted right here: Should I Install Concrete Siding? Pros and Cons