Siding Contractor Michigan – Gutters Michigan

Although the housing market has finally managed to pull itself out of the recent slump, those who are currently looking to sell their houses may still encounter a degree of difficulty. After all, most potential buyers are still trying to underbid on quality homes by capitalizing on the effects of the past couple of years. And given the competition of the market, it can be difficult for an average homeowner to set his house apart from similar properties in the area.

When your home is for sale

If your home has been on the real estate market for far too long without a buyer, it might be time to take some steps in order to get it sold. Certain interior improvements can appeal to buyers on a large scale because most buyers these days are interested in spacious kitchens, upgraded bathrooms and storage space that go above and beyond their general expectations.

However, although some improvements can make your house more appealing, they will not necessarily help move your house off the market faster. After all, it’s not a secret that most buyers prefer high-end kitchens and bathrooms coupled with ample storage. And for this reason, a large percentage of homeowners have made such improvements to the best of their abilities. But on the other hand, many sellers seem to be neglecting the importance of the exterior.

How to improve the exterior

A.W. Ross is the controller of Lundberg Roofing, Windows & Siding, a business that has been serving the Charlotte, North Carolina area since 1979, and according to him, exterior improvements can increase the value of your home and make it far more marketable in the process. If you’re serious about selling your house, you should be aware that when potential buyers arrive to scope out your property, the exterior will be the first thing that they see. Therefore, it’s a good idea to focus your cash-based energy on improving the appearance of your home.

The addition of siding or siding replacement can improve the exterior of your home. In recent years, vinyl siding has become an affordable yet attractive option for outdoor enhancement. It is available in a variety of colors and can do an excellent job insulating as well as covering a worn household facade. Since vinyl siding is known for its ability to save homeowners money throughout the years on heating and cooling, it is a wise method of home improvement for those who are looking to set their houses apart from the rest.

Adding a new roof is another way to improve the exterior. A buyer will certainly hesitate to take the house if he has to deal with a deteriorating leaking roof down the line. Therefore, if your current roof is older and isn’t in the best of shape, adding a new roof might be a worthwhile investment.

Adding a patio, deck or sunroom can enhance your open-air space if you happen to live in the area where the climate is conducive to outdoor living all year round. While some buyers might be content to simply drag out some lawn chairs and plant them next to the grill in the backyard, others are looking for defined spaces and areas for outdoor dining and entertainment.

In short, if you want to give your home a leg up on the local competition, you’ll need to highlight the aspects with which other houses in the area can’t compete. By making some or all of the exterior improvements mentioned above, you can increase your chances of selling your home for top dollar.

A.W. Ross is a writer for Yodle, a business directory and online advertising company. Find a <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://local.yodle.com/articles”>roofer</a> or more <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=” http://local.yodle.com/articles/topics/contractors-construction/home-improvement-remodeling-services /”>roofing </a> articles at Yodle Consumer Guide.　　

Give your home a new look with help from Exterior Solutions. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, they sell and install home improvement products including replacement windows, doors, gutters and vinyl siding. Free in-home consultations and lifetime warranties are available. Visit us www.yellowpages.com

(502) 491-9330 Home Improvement Lousiville KY Pergolas Windows Entry Doors Security Vinyl Siding Sun Rooms Patio Enclosures Gutter Protection Gutters Replacement Energy Efficient Exterior Remodeling Covers Free In-Home Estimates www.mengelexteriorsystems.com “Proudly Serving Kentuckiana for Over 33 Years” Mengel Exterior Systems is a local company that has been offering full-service remodeling to residential customers in the Kentuckiana area for over 33 years. With thousands of satisfied customers, Mengel Exterior Systems still operates on its’ founding principle that the customer’s satisfaction is our primary goal and we are only as good as our last satisfied customer. Mengel Exterior Systems offers a full line of quality home improvement products featuring Sun rooms, Solarium’s, Conservatories, Pergola and deck work. We also offer a high efficiency energy star rated window line, as well as security/entry doors, siding, soffitt, fascia, trim and gutter protection. Our expert sales staff and installation teams are some of the best in the home remodeling industry with continuous training and updates on new materials and installation technologies. Mengel Exterior Systems will always bring you the best value for you home. We are licensed #B0266 as a building contractor and insured by general liability and workers compensation. Our sales staff is very professional and knowledgeable with over 33 years experience in the remodeling business. We are members of the Better Business …

Interior & Exterior Tour of 6180 Josephine Rd. Doraville, GA. Cute 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom bungalow in conveniently located Doraville, GA. Close to I-85 and 285, this house features hardwood laminates throughout, fresh paint, new interior doors, central HVAC, upgrades appliances, vinyl siding, fenced front & backyards and more!

Fire destroys garage, damages home’s exterior in Ellsworth
ELLSWORTH, Maine — Fire destroyed a garage and damaged the exterior of a home on North Street on Tuesday afternoon.

Read more on Bangor Daily News

So you’ve done it – you have purchased your own home. You have achieved the American dream. But you really can’t call your home “yours” until you put your own personal touches on it. Whether you bought a brand new home, a fixer-upper, or you have landed somewhere in the middle, an inexpensive way to give your home a personal style is to add exterior vinyl shutters.

Vinyl exterior shutters will give your home a more inviting feeling and will make you stand out among your neighbors. Your home will have “curb appeal” and it will give you the feeling of pride you are looking for. And the best part is you don’t even need to call a contractor to install decorative shutters – you can install them yourself in a matter of minutes.

To get started, you first need to decide which style of exterior shutter will look good on your home. There are generally 3 basic styles of shutters to choose from:

1. Louvered shutters
2. Raised panel shutters
3. Board and batten shutters

Louvered shutters are by far the most popular and are indeed what comes to mind when most people think about the term “exterior shutters”. However, it is important to realize that this isn’t the only option.

Louver shutters were originally meant specifically for solar control, as other types of shutters do not allow varying amounts of sunlight to pass through when they are closed. The modern decorative shutters are only meant for aesthetic purposes and do not open or close. Operable shutters are also available, but most people who put shutters on their home now do it for decorative purposes so they opt for the inexpensive exterior vinyl louver shutters.

Raised panel shutters are another option. Raised panel shutters tend to stand the test of time a little better than louvered shutters because they do not have as many parts when they are put together. These shutters look better than louvered shutters when placed on a really “busy” surface such as brick, but they also look good on smooth surfaces.

Board and batten shutters give your home more of a rustic look. These shutters are constructed using vertical “boards” that are held together with horizontal “cross battens”. The vertical boards can either be butted (or joined) together or spaced apart. Modern styles also have a diagonal batten joining the other two to form a “Z” shape, similar to the way a barn door looks.

After you have decided on a style, you need to decide on a color. Color samples can be ordered to determine the appropriate color for your home, or alternatively you may wish to choose a neutral color such as black or white or even order shutters made from a paintable plastic so you can paint them to match.

Next, you need to measure your windows so you can determine the proper size of shutters for your home. Vinyl exterior shutters can be custom made, or ordered in stock sizes. Stock sizes are usually cheaper, but for a perfect fit you should consider getting the custom made shutters. Of course, another thing to keep in mind is that you may mix-and-match the standard and custom shutters, provided the standard sized shutters are available in the same style you desire. You should measure every window on your home carefully and write down the measurements. This is important because many homes have shorter windows on the second floor than on the first floor. Sizes of windows can vary drastically even on the same house.

Now it is time to order your shutters. Choose your vendor carefully, as not all of them make shutters in-house. Also, pay careful attention to how long the lead time is for the shutters. Some vendors also offer next-day shipping, but most do not. Try http://www.shuttercontractor.com/.

After you receive your vinyl exterior shutters, you can install them quickly and reletively easy. There are typically 2 mounting options, either using shutter-loks or color coordinated painted screws. Shutter-loks look like a button that protrudes from the shutter surface, and come in the same colors as the shutters. Painted screws are the option that most shutter contractors use because the installation is quicker.

Pay careful attention to the mounting instructions that came with the shutters or you have downloaded from the vendor’s web site. It is important to use the correct mounting pattern or you may void the warranty of the product.

After you have finished installing your exterior vinyl shutters, take a few steps back and look at what you have accomplished! You now have a home you can be proud to call “yours”. Cheers!

Installing exterior vinyl shutters is usually a simple, straightforward task when installing on wood or siding. However, if you are installing plastic shutters on a brick surface, some things need to be taken into consideration.

First of all, some bricks are reinforced with metal. This makes it an extremely difficult task to drill through the brick. I tried this once and it took me all day just to mount 3 pairs of shutters because I had to continually switch back and fourth between a masonry drill bit and a steel drill bit.

Another thing to consider is that the life of the house will probably be longer than the life of the vinyl shutters. It is quite possible that the person who buys the house from you (whenever that day may be) won’t like the shutters and will want to take them down. Alternatively they may wish to install operable exterior shutters in their place. So we must be sure to make removing them in the future an easy process.

Both of these problems can be solved by drilling into the mortar between the bricks instead of into the bricks themselves. The main reason for this is because it is much easier to patch the mortar than it is to fill and match the color and texture of the bricks.

The next thing to consider is whether you want a permanent installation or if you would like the option to take your window shutters down. The primary reason why you would want to take down your vinyl shutters would be to paint the house. Since brick typically is not painted a permanent installation will suffice in most situations. However, if part or your entire mounting surface is painted you may wish to make them removable for future maintenance. To mount the shutters permanently, you can order vinyl exterior shutters with shutter-loks (sometimes called shutter locks or shutter plugs). To make a removable installation, you can get painted metal screws to mount your window shutters and use some masonry anchors to hold them in place.

Finally, you will also need to take into consideration the construction of the house. If the window has a slope sill you will need to leave a 1/4 inch gap between the sill and the bottom of the shutter to allow rain, snow, and ice to drain from the window. If you have a brick mold you will need to order the correct size of exterior shutters to stretch from the top to the bottom of the window opening.

You will need the following items to complete the installation:

1. Tape measure

2. Power drill, steel and masonry drill bits

3. Sawhorses

4. Square

5. Pencil

6. Vinyl shutters

7. Either shutter-loks and or painted steel screws with masonry anchors

8. Hammer

9. Phillips screwdriver (for painted screws only)

For vinyl shutters that are 55 inches or larger, you will need to use 6 shutter-loks or painted steel screws. If the shutter panel is less than 55 inches, 4 mounting fasteners will suffice.

To get started, hold one panel of the vinyl shutters in position next to the window in the position you would like it mounted. The shutter should be as close to the window opening as possible. Now, you will need to use a pencil to mark the center of the mortar in each of the 4 (or 6) mounting locations. Keep in mind that you will need to leave a 2 to 5 inch gap on the top and the bottom of the shutter above and below the mounting fastener. So for example if the first mortar line is less than 2 inches down from the top of the shutter, you should use mark the second mortar line as the point on the shutter where you will need to drill. Just mark the side of the plastic shutter in the 4 (or 6) locations where the center of the mortar lines are.

Now, set the vinyl shutter face up on the sawhorses. Using the mark on the side as a guide, lay the square across the top of the shutter with one end of it hanging over the side pointing downward toward the ground. You are only using this as a guide to mark the drilling location on the front side of the exterior shutter based on the markings you placed on the side that indicate where the mortar lines are. The stiles (or rails) for vinyl shutters are typically 2 to 4 inches in width. Using the square as a guide, draw a small line across the face of the stile and then use the tape measure to mark the precise location of the mounting hole (exactly in the center of the stile). Repeat this until all of the holes are marked.

If you decided to use shutter-loks to install your vinyl shutters, you need to drill a 1/4 inch hole at each of the locations using a steel drill bit. For the removable installation, use an 11/64 inch steel drill bit to drill the holes in the vinyl exterior shutter at the locations you marked.

Place the shutter against the surface of the house and use the pencil to mark the center of the hole (which should also be in the center of the mortar). Be sure the vinyl shutter doesn’t slip while you mark all of the locations.

Now remove the exterior shutter. If you are using shutter locks you will need a1/4 inch masonry bit. For painted screws you will need to use the correct size masonry bit for the anchors you purchased. Drill at each of the 4 (or 6) locations you marked.

For shutter-loks, make sure that the hole is at least 1 3/4 inches deep. For painted screws you should drill 2 inches deep. It is better to drill a little bit over to ensure they don’t bottom out because starting over is not particularly easy and requires new shutter-loks.

To finish the shutter-lok installation, place the shutter against the wall in the final location and push the shutter-loks through the vinyl shutter and into the hole in the wall. If you can’t push it all the way in, use a hammer to gently tap it until it just touches the surface of the vinyl shutter. Be sure to leave a little bit of play to allow for expansion and contraction.

When mounting with painted screws and anchors you should drill 2 inches deep into the mortar. Using a hammer, tap the anchors into the holes in the mortar. Finally, place the shutter against the surface and put the screws through the vinyl exterior shutters into the masonry anchors and tighten the screws with the screwdriver. Do not over tighten them – the vinyl shutters should not dimple.

Repeat each of the steps for the other panels of your exterior window shutters.

Exterior reflects style, personality and environment
The latest color trends for home exteriors include darker shades of paint or siding, such as this house with Mastic Home Exteriors by Ply Gem Quest siding in Woodland Green.

Read more on The Record and Herald News

If you are a homeowner and are looking for an easy way to dress up your exterior and add cosmetic value to your home you should consider adding vinyl exterior shutters to your window frames.

This is a great way to add that magic touch to your home. Most homeowners will be pleasantly surprised at the inexpensive cost of adding vinyl exterior shutters that really does create a new look and a sense of style to your home. The other exciting feature about adding shutters to your home is the fact that they are inexpensive to purchase and easy to install.

New vinyl exterior shutters can be purchased for as little as twenty dollars a pair. They come in many colors to accent your present home and can even be primed and painted to match your personal touch. In stock shutters come in widths from twelve inches to fifteen inches. Most decorators agree that a consistent size shutter be used no matter what the different sizes of windows you may have in your home.

The other great feature about vinyl exterior shutters is that they are entirely care free. Your new shutters will not warp, fade, dent, or rust. They are nearly indestructible and will last for the life of your home New shutters will certainly add value to your home without investing a lot of money. These new shutters will make your home a real feature for any potential buyer should you decide to sell your home on the open market.

The installation process for vinyl exterior shutters can be a do-it-yourself project. Most shutters can be attached and installed to your home using a matching shutter-lok system that is quick and easy. Most homeowners elect to do this project themselves but even if you hire a professional contractor to do the work you will find the cost very reasonable.

The final about about your new vinyl exterior shutters is that they are easy to find. Major home stores carry a selection of shutter in their story. You can also purchase shutter through the internet by using on line sites that carry shutters. Web sellers offer a wide variety of shutter styles, sizes and colors. This is perhaps the easiest way to find a good price on shutters and a nice selection of styles.

Simon Harris writes about Vinyl Exterior Shutters at http://www.shutter-world.com

When you are considering how to finish the outside of your house, you may want to consider the advantages of stucco versus vinyl siding. While the first one certainly is an attractive finish for your home, it does require maintenance and repair, while the second one is virtually carefree. Frequently the choice of whether to maintain an old stucco finish or simply cover it with vinyl siding simply depends on how much maintenance the old stucco finish needs.

Understanding Stucco
Even though stucco does require maintenance, there are some advantages to having a stucco finish on your home. First of all it is attractive and durable. A stucco finish on your home gives it a very distinctive style. It is resilient, and even though it may need maintenance, it is generally pretty low maintenance. Stucco also helps to insulate your home making it more energy efficient. Many areas of the country prefer stucco homes, and having a real stucco home adds resale value to your house. Some stucco is applied using a concrete mixture over a wood or wire lath. It is first coated with an acrylic polymer making it weather resistant, and it helps to minimize cracking in the stucco. There are also new materials that are used in construction today where a Styrofoam based stucco product is sprayed onto a fiberglass mesh and foam board creating stucco panels. This newer stucco costs more than the original concrete stucco, but it has superior insulation qualities.

All About Vinyl Siding
As you are considering which product will best suit your home, remember that vinyl siding has some good qualities of its own. It is almost maintenance free, and it comes in a huge array of colors. It is not painted; instead the color goes all the way through the siding. Newer versions of vinyl siding are much improved over its predecessors in that modern siding has better color, and it is more durable and flexible. This home finish is extremely weather resistant, and it does not rust, crack or deteriorate. An occasional hose washing is pretty much the only maintenance that it requires, and many people consider it one of the best home finishes available.

Which is Best?
As you are considering which finish is right for our home, you may want to remember that while vinyl siding is virtually care free, the original concrete stucco is far less expensive to apply. However, when you compare your costs over the years and factor in maintenance costs, then vinyl siding may not actually be more expensive at all. Finding a contractor to install vinyl siding will be easier than finding one to install stucco, but regular stucco does add a warmth, style and charm to a home that you just do not get with vinyl siding. So if you have a stucco home, and you are trying to decide if you should repair it or simply cover it with vinyl siding, unless it has a lot of extensive damage, the most economical solution will be to repair it.