Gutter and Gutter Protection Project

Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to work with a local company installing new gutters and gutter protection here in Raleigh.  Here are a couple of photos from that project.

The job featured 5" seamless aluminum gutters and large 3"x4" aluminum downspouts. As you can see, the front and side lengths are long, in excess of 40' and 30' respectively.  The color is Dark Bronze.  We finished the project with a "hooded" gutter protection in the same color.

As you can see, the front and side lengths are long, in excess of 40' and 30' respectively.

Roofing Tip

Here is a tip from Danny Lipford, a nationally syndicated TV show host of Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford.

What could that wet spot on my ceiling mean?

The dreaded water stain on the ceiling is a sure sign of a leak that needs to be fixed right away, before it does any more damage. A little detective work in the attic or room above the leak should, in most instances, reveal what's causing it.

Roof leaks can be difficult to find, because water often runs down the roof decking or rafters before it reached the ceiling. Common culprits include damaged shingles, nail pops, gaps around flashing on chimneys, dormers, valleys or cracked vent pipe boots. Damaged shingles should be replace and suspicious spots sealed with roofing cement.

Here come the squirrels again!

Last March, we had the opportunity to replace a roof for a client in Bahama, NC.  The project went very smoothly...that is until last week.

We received a call from the client reporting squirrels were knawling on his recently installed pipe collars.  These were not the usual black neoprene pipe boots. We had installed lead pipe boots which under "normal" circumstances last longer than neoprene.

Much like my earlier post, dated 7/6/11, the squirrels had other ideas.  Here is what we encountered when we retrieved the collar.  Again this is the second time this year we have encountered squirrels damaging metal.

 Anyone with a suggestion as to how to prevent this type of damage in the future would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You for all of your Support

As we wind down the last couple of weeks of 2011, I wanted to express my appreciation for all of the support we have received this year.  It has been a very busy year.  Hundreds of Triangle residents and building owners trusted us to repair or replace their roofs and gutters.  We have exceeded nearly all of our expectations in 2011.

With that being said, what I feel is more important is whether we exceeded your expectations. I never want to lose sight of that goal.  I believe it is fundamental to our existence.

We at Allen and Deans want to thank all of you who have either considered us or actually contracted us.  We do not take that consideration or trust lightly.

Wishing all of Raleigh only the best this Holiday season.

Thanksgiving Blessings 2011

We hope everyone is enjoying Thanksgiving with their families and friends.  We at Allen and Deans are very thankful, as 2011 has been a very good year.

But much more importantly, I would also like to express my thanks, appreciation and gratitude for the men and women in our Armed Forces, past and present, who will not have the opportunity to share this Thanksgiving with their families and friends.  Because of their sacrifices, I have the opportunity to do what I do and live in the best country on the planet, in FREEDOM.

May God Bless and protect you all.

Chimney Cricket not Jiminy Cricket Installation

There are time when we receive calls at Allen and Deans about leaking chimneys.  In most instances the metal flashing has rusted or corroded allowing water to enter.  However, there are times when the chimney is positioned at the eave (bottom of the roof) and there is no cricket.  Rain water flowing down the roof hits the back of the chimney.  Over a long period of time, water will begin to infiltrate or penetrate in or around the metal flashing, which is the last line of defense for the chimney.  This is usually the case in older homes here in Raleigh.

Here is a photo of a brick chimney we worked on recently. Note how wide the chimney is.  It almost serves as a dam for water as the water runs directly into the back wall.

Add some pine straw or leaves behind the chimney and you can easily see how water and moisture can stay behind the chimney and not flow away to the sides and off the roof.

A cricket is nothing more than a wooden structure consisting of 2"x4" lumber for the base structure and 7/16" OSB for the angled platform.

The last photo is the cricket completed with "ice and water shield", new metal step and counter flashing and new, 3-tab, self-sealing shingles.

Now when it rains, the water is safely directed to either the right side or the left of the chimney falling harmlessly into the gutters below.

Roof Damage from Storm

From time to time, we encounter roof repairs in Raleigh from storms.  In this case, we were asked to repair a pavillion or shelter roof damaged from the tornado earlier this year.  Here you can see what we were faced with.  As you can see there was damage to the decking (sheathing), fascia board on both the eaves and rakes, trim, drip edge and the shingles.

Here is a picture of the roof repair upon completion. It features a GAF Royal Sovereign, Autumn Brown shingle.