Category Archives: General

The envelope of your building, including the siding is the ultimate line of defense against the weather, the materials used for creating that envelope being essential for the comfort and the safety of your home. Moisture being the single most destructive element when it comes to building components, if your building is located in a humid climate area, you need to choose the materials of that envelope very carefully, paying special attention to the materials that your siding panels are made from. Start with asking the siding contractors Lincoln NE employs what type of siding they install and recommend.  Here are the siding materials that work best in geographic areas that get humid climate.

Vinyl

Vinyl siding is made from polyvinyl chloride, a strong and versatile synthetic material that is impervious to moisture. Vinyl siding repels moisture and sheds water droplets and it offers homeowners other benefits, including very convenient pricing, low upkeep and durability.

Fiber Cement

The material is a bit higher-priced than vinyl, but its great qualities make it an excellent choice for homes in wet climates. Fiber cement is an extraordinary, versatile material – it is one of the toughest and most durable materials available today and the panels made from it also come in a very wide range of colors and textures.

If you choose fiber cement for your siding, you should know that the material is quite heavy and it requires a professional to install it.

Aluminum Siding Panels

Metal siding panels are popular among homeowners looking for durable protection for their building, but not all metal alloys are suitable for areas in which the panels are continuously exposed to moisture. Aluminum siding makes an excellent choice – it provides all the benefits of more expensive metal panels, including strength, durability, resistance to impact, pest attacks and dents, without the shortcomings, such as sensitivity to moisture. Aluminum is also lightweight and affordable, providing a low-cost and very resistant siding solution for buildings in moist areas.

Brick Veneer Siding Panels

This traditional, time-tested and eco-friendly siding material will not only protect your home against moisture – it will also confer it an elegant appearance. The term brick siding usually refers to panels made from brick veneer and is the preferred choice of many building owners in humid climate regions. The benefits of brick panels include resistance to rot, mold and mildew, to fire and to pest attacks and for the great thermal performance offered by the sustainable material. Brick veneer siding is also very easy to install and to maintain, with a color that will never fade and a surface that will not warp.

Thermally Modified Wood Panels

While natural, untreated wood is not the best choice for wet climates, modern, thermally modified wood siding has been developed to offer homeowners in wet climate zones the beauty and all the other benefits of wood without the sensitivity to moisture. The process of thermal modification changes the structure of the wood by removing the organic compounds that can be blamed for the appearance of rot and mold and it also gives modified wood its characteristic, elegant and attractive dark hue.

The roof is probably the most important part of a building because it protects or affects its entire structure; this is why you must constantly keep an eye on it, schedule inspections and identify any small problems and needed repairs before the damage becomes too big and too expensive, affecting your living space.

Leaks are only one of the reasons why you may need a roof repair; a roofing problem doesn`t always start as a leak, and this is why overlooking the other possible reasons translates into increasing the chance of damage.

What are the factors that may threaten the performance of your roof?

A good roof consists of a support of rafters or trusses, layers of roof sheathing and insulation, shingles and flashing. Damage may occur anytime, in any of these elements, due to different weather conditions, nearby vegetation, wildlife or man`s activity. Sometimes the damage is minor, but the sooner you detect it the better. This is why inspecting your roof twice a year is essential; given the climate in Fayetteville, specialists typically recommend inspections in the spring and fall.

Here are a few reasons to hire Fayetteville roofing companies to perform repairs on your roof:

• Damaged roofing material
• Mold and mildew in your walls or attic
• Missing shingles or gaps from metal flashing, which allow insects and small wildlife to penetrate and damage the roof`s structure
• Any other splits, cracks and holes that may compromise the shingle barrier and allow water infiltrations
• Rips in the surface of the vapor barrier
• Missing or warped metal flashing
• Hanging gutters that may take down with them other roofing material
• Many shingle granules scattered in the gutters and even all over your yard (however, small quantities of granules should not constitute a reason to worry because it is a sign of the natural wear-and-tear)
• A roofing surface that looks uneven, as this may be a sign of shingles that pop up due to hail impact, or a problem with ventilation in your attic that has to be addressed correctly so that the temperature stays below 120 degrees
• Loss of energy efficiency translated into higher energy bills
• The age of your roof (common roofs are designed to last 20-25 years, but there are also materials that come with 50+ year warranty)

Any of these problems may ruin your home, sometimes even without your knowledge, so quickly identifying small issues during periodic inspections means that you can prevent extensive damage, very costly repairs and even roof replacement, so the experts roofing Fayetteville AR homes say.

Besides regular inspections, the performance of your roof also depends on proper maintenance. Cleaning the mold and mildew, the ventilation system, painting the exposed metal, sealing pipes and vents, removing debris from the gutters – these are maintenance operations that should be performed annually. In some degree, they can constitute do-it-yourself operations, but building owners should also consider professional services provided by Fayetteville roofing companies at least once in a while, if only to be sure that they didn’t miss anything.