Here in the northeast we can experience some pretty brutal winters that can leave our homes at high risk if you don't have a good roof. The strongest part of your home may be the foundation but without a adequate roof, your home is worthless! Crippling snowstorms are very common in our area and the weight load of snow on our roofs can result in collaspe of your roof, as we have just seen in Buffalo, NY

Another common problem is ice damming. Ice damming occurs when heat loss from your home due to inadequate insulation melts snow and it freezes when it reaches the soffit of your home. As ice forms water backs up under the shingles causing major water damage to the interior of your home.

A poor roof can leave a home with very little value due to the damage it can do. Sometimes the damage can go unnoticed for years until it is too late! Rot and mildew can run rampant if issues aren't corrected quickly and efficiently!

What are the risks of a poor roof?:

• Interior water damage

• Rotten wood

• Dry rot

• Mold/mildew

• Health problems

• Allergies

• Termites

• Carpenter ants

• Roof collapse

  
  

   

  With a new roof replacement you want to do it right. New architectural shingles on the market are rated for 30 yrs. Thats a long time but if not installed correctly, roof will fail!!! 

  
  

  Call today for a free roof estimate

  845-590-5336

  

   
   
   

Wood Doors vs. Steel Doors vs. Fiberglass Doors

Even after 25 years, fiberglass remains the most advanced material for entryways — able to satisfy both today’s and tomorrow’s homeowners by giving them the look of wood doors and the strength of steel doors, without the compromises of either. In fact, fiberglass doors offer just what homeowners want* — the optimum combination of security, energy efficiency, performance and aesthetics. Therma-Tru not only pioneered the fiberglass door category but we continue to lead the industry.

Benefits of wood doors:

• Beautiful wood grain

• High end look

• Warm feel and touch

• Scratches easily fixed

Benefits of steel doors:

• Lower maintenance

• No cracking or bowing

• Less exspensive

• Energy efficient

• Good insulating value

• Secure

Benefits of fiberglass doors:

• Lowest maintenace

• Resists cracking and denting

• Offers smooth or wood grain finishes

• Won't rot, deteriorate or rust

• Can be painted or stained

• Energy efficient

• Won't warp, bow or twist

• Five times the insulating value of wood

• Secure

Therma-Tru offers decorative glass options:

• Increase curb appeal and the perceived value of your home

• Allow more light into your home

• Reflect your personal style

• Are offered in impact rated glass options to increase security and protection from severe weather

 After looking at all three door choices, fiberglass seems to be the best choice all around. Wood still has the best appearance and steel is right in the middle with economy and insulating values. When remodeling  your home with a new door upgrade the options can be endless. Therma-Tru has thousands of different choices and configurations to choose from. Call WMB Construction today for your next door installation!

Insulation plays a very important role in maintaining the efficiency of your home. Without it your home would be a very uncomfortable atomosphere. Basically every home has some form of insulation in the walls and ceiling but most homes don't have nearly enough. This is why many people add more insulation to what they have already. Increasing your R-value saves you thousands over years and creates a greener tomorrow with less energy and raw materials being used.

Can insulation be installed incorrectly?

Apparently it can! This is what I found in an attic where the customer paid to have insulation added to her attic. The contractor installed R-30 faced fiberglass insulation in between the rafter bays instead of over the ceiling joists.

The contractor achieved nothing by installing insulation between the rafters and would have dry rotted the entire roof if left like that.

How we corrected the problem:

• The original insulation installed when the house was built was unfaced so we removed it

• We removed the R-30 insulation from in between the rafter and reused it in between the ceiling joists, vapor barrier facing down

• We took the original unfaced insulation and layed it over the R-30 insulation

A simple mistake could have cost this customer thousands down the road. The proper way is always to add unfaced insulation on top of faced insulation. You never want two faced insulations together that create a double vapor barrier.

Benefits of adding insulation:

• Keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer

• Lowers heating and cooling bills

• Added vapor barrier

• Helps prevent ice damming

• Sound barrier

Over insulating is not recommended either. Insulation must remain fluffy to maintain its R-value. Too much insulation creates dry rot especially in between roof rafters where the summers sun cooks roofs. The only time insulation is installed in between roof rafters is with cathedral ceiling and then baffles should be installed.

You may be interested in enhancing the exterior of your home and vinyl siding is the first thing that comes to mind. Vinyl siding offers your home a complete transformation in a matter of weeks. With a variety of colors and styles available on the market the options become endless. With the wrong installation the problems can be endless too!

Vinyl siding benefits:

• Instant added value to your home

• Maintenance free home

• Added insulating values

• Home protected from the elements

Installing vinyl siding should be left in the hands of a professional. Poor installations can leave you with thousands of dollars in damage. The sad part is that most customers are unaware what is right and what is wrong. In the end the customer will suffer.

Problems due to poor installations:

• Water damage

• Dry rot

• Termites

• Carpenter ants

• Blown off siding

• Buckled siding

The #1 problem in a poor siding job is overlooking flashing. A good contractor will foresee any water issues and correct the problem before it is a problem. I have seen it way too often when flashing was install incorrectly. Nobody will see the results until the real damage has been done.

A quality siding job consists of:

• Removal of old siding to expose any damage and ensure proper nailing of new siding

• Tyvek paper and/or styrofoam instalation

• Proper flashing installation

• Good quality vinyl siding that carries wind ratings and a thick mil rating

• Quality aluminum bending that leaves no open voids for water penetration.

• Quality caulking. Leave caulking to a minimum and where necessary be clean and neat. All caulking will eventually shrink and discolor.

• Pressure bends on aluminum facias will strenghten and help eliminate wavy facias.

 Make your home transform into the home of your dreams!!!

I am in my own personal home right now in Monroe, NY and it is 5 below zero. It is January and the weather is very unpredictable this time of year. Besides snow, the temperature has been lower than the regular average raising my heating costs above normal. To much of my surprise, I realized that I have been heating my attic instead of my home. The insulation originally installed was an R value of R-13 instead of an R-38. A difference of 13 inches of insulation! Now that is an enormous amount of heat transfer loss within my home!

After realizing that the R-value of my home has been outdated by 30 yrs., I found myself at the lumber yard purchasing R-38 unfaced fiberglass insulation to add on top of my existing insulation. I have now installed it and thanks to Owens Corning, my home is warmer than ever and my heating bills have decreased. Instead of heating my attic, I now heat my living area.

Insulation is the cheapest way to lower your heating costs.

What to look for when determining inadequate insulation:

•  R-38 is 16" thick and is the current building code for new construction. Most older homes only have 3 inches. Adding 16 inches to three inches will increase your R-value beyond industry standards which means even more savings.
• Look for cold drafts and areas of possible heat loss.
• Make sure your original insulation has vapor barrier.(you can check this by making sure the insulation has a paper backing that faces towards your living area.) 
• If you own an older home, Pre. 1940, you probably have wool insulation. Wool insulation was good in its time but very insufficient by todays standards.