Your Guide To Choosing Home Exterior Paint

Work With Pre-Existing Materials

If parts of your home or walk are made of stone or brick, these materials are ones you’ll want to consider color matching around. Any items that you plan on keeping as part as your landscape should be considered in the color decision. Find the underlying tones in the pieces for a place to begin finding colors you may want to paint the exterior. If you aren’t in love with the swatches you find of these colors, consider looking for its opposite in regard to color temperature. Consider painting trim a few shades lighter. If these specific methods aren’t working for you, perhaps you can pull many brochures of predetermined color schemes and compare them to your house. Other things to consider when choosing your paint color are the colors of your neighbor’s homes.

Take Technology Generated Recommendations

Every neighborhood hardware store carries different paint brands, but all will likely have a technology kiosk that can assist you in choosing the right color for the exterior of your home, considering some of the colors that are pre-existing. For example, Behr is a brand carried by Home Depot and Home Depot has a Color Solutions kiosk. If you don’t have a Home Depot or choose to visit another hardware store, you can always take the color recommendation from their kiosk and have it color matched in another brand quite easily. Bring in existing materials for color matching, such as the brick or wood on or around your home that you’d like to incorporate going forward, ask an associate for help at a kiosk, and leave with some swatches or samples to think on awhile.

Have Patience and Test Some Colors

Painting the exterior of your home is a money and time investment you don’t want to rush, so if you are between colors, buy samples of both and paint swatches right on your house to see it in real life. Be sure to paint an adequate space on the North and South sides of the home where light can make a dramatic difference. Take a step back. What do you think?

Additional Tips

Be sure to spend an adequate amount on quality paint such as Marquee Exterior Paint & Primer in One. No corners should be cut on this project, nor quality compromised. Once you’ve spent the money on the quality stuff and painted the home, you will be grateful you won’t have to be up on your ladder in 6 months to a year patching and repainting spots.

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4 Common Roofing Styles

Metal

Metal roofing options are growing in popularity. The industrial look can give your home a modern edge and it’s very sensible to boot. They are most used down south due to their harsh weather and durable roofing needs. In climates where water damages most other roofing materials, metal is a winner. It’s a more expensive choice, but will pay for itself over time. The roof can last you up to 60 years vs. the most popular roofing material, asphalt shingles, that only last 20. Because of its light weight, it will also bear less weight on your home’s foundation and walls.

Asphalt

Asphalt shingles are the number one choice of homeowners in the U.S. They are the most readily available, affordable, as well as aesthetically pleasing to the eye. There are two categories of asphalt shingles, fiberglass and organic. Fiberglass shingles are less durable than organic, but less expensive and get the job done. As mentioned previously, you can expect a fiberglass asphalt shingled roof to last you approximately 20 years. Organic shingles are made of recycled felt paper. Both these options are coated with a water resistant coating and then sprinkled with ceramic pieces to reflect the sun’s UV rays.

Cedar Shake

Cedar shake are shingles made of wood coated with a fire resistant coating. It is an expensive option, but can look really beauiful and also help you save money on your energy bills going forward. In fact, you will make back your investment in heating and cooling because of the roof’s ability to insulate. This roofing option is durable and does well in high heat places, as well as in places where mother nature is extremely unpredictable (for example hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, etc). One major downfall is that this roofing option needs special installation, so before you commit to it be sure you find a roofing company with experience in cedar shake roofing that you trust.

Tile

Tile roof shingles are made of ceramic or slate and come in a variety of colors, but are most commonly purchased in a orange/terracotta hue. They are very durable and can last you 50-100 years or more. They withstand the elements well, specifically the heat of the sun, so they are popular choices in hot climates. This choice can also effect your heating and cool bills in a positive way, due to its good heat resistance.

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Gutter Cleaning Products You Need To Know About

There are many times of gutter products that are meant to make their maintenance easier for you and allow you to clean them out less. These products include systems of gutter covers, gutter guards, and heating systems for colder climates. Other products for making cleaning easier include tongs, vacuums, sprayers, and more. There are many factors to consider here. First you have to consider which products will actually work with your current home or gutter system. Not all products will fit your home’s design and current gutter structure. Some solutions might even suggest you replace your entire gutter system like a gutter and cover in one product. The next thing you need to consider is your budget. Are you willing to spend less and clean more? With any solution you consider, you should thoroughly research and review products before purchasing. Most professionals can agree that there are pros and cons to every single option and you should weigh them heavily before deciding. To make things easier, you might make an appointment for your trusted roofer to assess your situation. They might be able to help you with other roofing recommendations, installation, or gutter cleaning if you choose to put off making the decision. Here are 4 of many really good products to consider.

Bottle Brush Gutter Guard

A bottle brush gutter guard is a less expensive option to consider making your gutters efficient longer between cleanings. The brush product you insert into the gutters collects debris and keeps it from clumping and preventing the passage of water. It seems to work really well for people who’ve chosen to use this product. Just like gutters, it needs to be cleaned out periodically, but less than gutters usually do and it shouldn’t cause you any problems (clogging) in the mean time. Other gutter guards are made of a mesh or foam material that catches debris as well, but getting the proper fit for your gutters might be problematic and each product seems to be hit or miss about doing its job.

Gutter Cover and Heat Cable System

Only homes in cold climates will need to consider this option. When ice and snow build on the eaves of the home, it can cause icicles and build up and potentially damage the home. The gutter cover and heat cable system will heat the ice and snow and send the melted water away from the home, preventing water or damage from the heaviness of sitting snow. If sitting ice and snow has been problematic for you in recent years, you may consider installing this system to prevent the costly damages in the future. The only con is that the installation is best done by a professional. Ask your roofer if they recommend the system and if they are able to order and install it.

Gutter Tongs

Cleaning your gutters is recommended twice per year. If you don’t mind doing it yourself, there are products available that can make your life easier. Many people just climb a ladder and use their hands to remove debris that has clogged their gutter system. Gutter tongs can save your hands and prevent you from injuring yourself by being an extension of you and preventing imbalance and falling from the ladder. Extensions of the tongs might be available to keep you from even having to climb a ladder, but seeing if you’ve removed all the debris could be problematic if you don’t get up there yourself.

Gutter Vacuums

Again, if you clean your own gutters and have a shop vac, you can purchase a gutter vacuuming extension. This might do a better job than tongs can do and make the task easier for you. There is definitely an extension for this product so you won’t have to climb a ladder to do it, but you run the same risk of not seeing whether you’ve removed all the debris.

If money is a non-issue, support your local roofing company and employ them to clean your gutters the twice per year that’s needed. The average cost is 175.00-275.00 and depends usually on the size of your home and gutter system. Don’t forget that properly maintaining your home will prevent costly damage later on and can improve resale value in the future.

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The Face Of Homes Through The Decades

White trim around doorways and windows, against a darker hue on the body of the house was a popular look in New England during the early 1900s. This time also marked the era of the beginning popularity of craftsman style homes. Craftsman style homes often use triangular columns, wide porches, muted porches, and gabled roofs.

By the 1920s using mixed materials to design the exterior of houses became a popular concept. Lots of texture was provided by creating walkways and stairwells made of different stones or bricks. Metal details and a texture rich home continue the tradition as the eye is drawn up. As the era moved toward the 1930s, sophisticating farm house styles became a trend. Painting homes red with white trim like a barn became a thing. Barn doors and other farm stylized accessories added charm. The 40s and 50s were nearly opposite, being separated only by World War II in 1939-1945. During the war, the home building trend was understated details. The homes were neutral colored, usually cape cod or cozy cottage looking, nothing too loud. The most contrasted detail of the homes were white shudders. By 1950, the trend was to paint the exterior kitschy and uplifting colors such as yellow, light blue, and teal.

The 1960s were all-American looking and employed the most classic, colonial elements. White clapboard siding, shudders, and decorative roof domes called cupolas were especially popular. The 1970s were all about earthy and natural colors, both in fashion and in home style. Brown, brown, brown!

The 1980s ushered in styles unrelated to every other decade in every sense. “Contemporary” style began then and interiors as well as exteriors became more eclectic, but are still embraced widely today. Neutral colored stucco replaced traditional siding options and a variety of different shaped windows became popular. The 1990s tended to trend backward, reverting back to some older styles such as using streamlined columns and the 2000s brought about curated color palettes for the home’s exterior to accentuate its best features. The boldest color chosen? Bold paint colors for front doors became a cool, yet subtle way for your home to stand out and have a personality.

The 2010s to today have trends that aren’t as easily visible, as technology has blown up over the decades. Standing out from the crowd is in the details, maybe the homeowner only knows about. Statement shingles such as staggered patterns and innovative materials are a newer trend, and having entire window walls open up to the outside landscape.

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Is Solar Roofing Right for Your Home?

Your roof is a simple, yet valuable investment for your home, as any reputable roofing company will tell you. The roof’s sole purpose is to keep your home safe from the wind, water, and the sun. What if the sun could be converted into a natural resource for your home? That is the purpose of solar roof panel shingles: to turn this sustainable resource into energy. But how do you know if such an investment is right for you?

1. You are a permanent resident in your home and plan to live there for many more years.

Solar shingles are a large investment. Homeowners who intend to live in their home for many years to come will often find that the purchase of solar shingles will benefit them in the long run.

2. It meets your HOA restrictions

Depending on where you live, your home might fall under the purview of a homeowners association. If this is the case, you might want to check with the organization to make sure that solar shingles will not violate any restrictions or rules. Some gated communities may not allow solar panels of any kind. Other HOAs may have restrictions about the types of shingles you may use. Be sure to check with your local association if you have one when working with your roofing company.

3. Your home is in direct sunlight

While the idea of solar shingles as part of your roof’s single system may appeal to you, they would serve no purpose if your home is in the constant shade or only gets sunlight for two or three hours per day. If your home has high exposure to the sun’s rays from the south, it might be a prime candidate for solar shingles on your roof.

If you own a home and want to tap into this precious natural resource, look into solar shingles . These are a smooth and aesthetically pleasing alternative to regular, large solar panels. If you have questions or want to try solar shingles, Beneficial Roofing is the premier roofing company in Cumberland to offer the service.

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What Is A Living Roof?

A living roof, or sometimes called a green roof, is a roof covered by a waterproofing membrane and then covered partially or completely by vegetation and growing mediums that retain water and transfer it back into the atmosphere through natural means. Installing green roofs conserve a notable amount of energy, but have additional benefits such as beautifying a building and increasing it’s value and improving the air quality around it, among other things.

Benefits

Commercial building owners as well as homeowners can benefit from installing a green roof. Aside from being a green concept that keeps other roofing materials out of landfills and has its own recycled products, the green roof can save you money on your energy bill. Roofs are the main culprit for retaining unwanted heat in the summer and letting wanted heat escape in the winter. With a green roof, you can expect a significant drop in your air conditioning needs (up to 75%) and heating as well. This is because the plants absorb the heat. Rain and storm water is also absorbed by the substrate, then sucked up by plants that need it, and evaporated back into the atmosphere. This reduces the risk of water damage, and slows the run off process and purifies the water naturally on the way down. Having a green roof also improves the air quality and reduces electromagnetic radiation tremendously (some studies report up to 99.4%). The plant matter acts as a natural fire retardant and can save a home significant damage if this unfortunate event occurs. The attraction of the green roof for commercial buildings is on the rise, due to city planning trends and goals. The industry could expect a lot more jobs made to meet the demand of people wanting these energy efficient and meaningful statement roofs.

Types

A living roof or green roof goes by even more names. You might hear it being called a roof garden or a garden roof as well. Like the tiny house movement, there are endless possibilities for design. Roofs can be designed with aesthetics heavily in mind, or made of plants chosen for different purposes. Some look covered in strictly grass, others spotted with flowers, some even have small trees. Some look tightly groomed and others, wild. In some cultures this clever roofing is as old as the 19^th century. Sod roofs were the most common roof type in Scandinavia at the time. They were made of loose roof boards covered in layer upon layer of birch bark and sod as the final layer. Green roofs today might employ additional modern technologies to care for the roof such as drainage and irrigation systems.

Additional Information

Unlike a traditional roof, the green roof when properly cared for, can last you 35-50 years or more. If you’re interested in green roofing, you should know that in most cases you will need a permit to make one. Some people require the guidance of a landscape architect or architect and a pre-evaluation to determine whether your roof is strong enough to support a living system. You’ll be happy to know that you can start small. Many people try it first using a small building such as a garage or shed. If you try it out and decide it’s not for you, you’ll still have a beautiful sight to see on your property.

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