No one will dispute the value of an inspection before making such a significant investment as a home. But ironically, the subject is seldom mentioned again—despite the fact that routine inspections should be a common practice for every homeowner. Performing periodic checks around your home (generally every season) is smart preventative maintenance, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
Here are a few key areas to pay attention to when conducting routine maintenance checks. Please keep in mind that these procedures will not provide the breadth of information you’ll receive from a professional home inspection. But they can help you identify certain potential problem areas and prevent them from becoming major safety or repair issues.
If you do identify an issue that needs further attention, you should contact a contractor or remodeler for a professional consultation.
Start from the top.
Because your roof system is an important line of defense against the elements, it’s always a good place to start. If your home is roofed with asphalt shingles, you’ll want to make sure that the shingles are still providing an adequate level of protection.
Because your roof system is an important line of defense against the elements, it’s always a good place to start. If your home is roofed with asphalt shingles, you’ll want to make sure that the shingles are still providing an adequate level of protection.
It’s natural for asphalt shingles to show signs of aging, and some physical changes are not reason for alarm. These changes include curling of the shingles’ edges, minor cracks in the surface of the shingles, algae stains and slight granule loss.
However, there are certain things to watch for that could indicate a potentially larger problem. Closed blisters on your shingles (small circular raised areas) could be an indication of underventilated attic space. If so, you may want to consider adding ridge ventilation to take the heat off. ARMA states that one of the best methods is a combination of continuous eaves and ridge vents that together provide uniform natural draft ventilation from the bottom to the top of the attic space.
TAMKO® offers four quality options, Xtractor Vent® XLP Turbo, Roll Vent®, CoolRidge® and Rapid Ridge®, each of which can be easily installed by a contractor. When used in conjunction with proper soffit ventilation, these products can help extend the life of your roof system.
More severe issues, such as open blisters, cracks visible through the fiberglass or organic mat and excessive granule loss are all signs that your asphalt shingles may be failing. If so, you’ll want to seriously consider reroofing. Again, TAMKO offers an extensive selection of products that add lasting beauty and protection.
TAMKO’s roofing options include 3-tab asphalt shingles, Heritage® 30/50 Series shingles, Heritage® XL AR shingles, Heritage® Vintage™ shingles, MetalWorks® steel shingles and Lamarite® composite shingles. The right choice for you will depend upon your individual style, budget and desired warranty protection.
Get a feel for air or water.
A simple way to check the energy efficiency of your home is to hold your hand up to window and door perimeters. If you feel a draft, you’re probably feeling it on your energy bill as well. You should perform a similar hands-on inspection to find any damp areas in your basement. Superior waterproofing is a must, because water damage can lead to even bigger issues such as mold growth.
A simple way to check the energy efficiency of your home is to hold your hand up to window and door perimeters. If you feel a draft, you’re probably feeling it on your energy bill as well. You should perform a similar hands-on inspection to find any damp areas in your basement. Superior waterproofing is a must, because water damage can lead to even bigger issues such as mold growth.
Applying air and water barriers can help enhance your home’s energy efficiency and add waterproofing protection. Naturally, the ideal time to apply these products is during new construction to provide a “whole house” solution. But you should also keep them in mind when remodeling or building a new addition to your existing home.
An air barrier membrane can help block cold air in the winter and hot air in the summer—which in turn will help you use less energy to heat or cool your home. TAMKO offers several products designed to form a tight seal around windows and doors, wall-to-wall tie-ins and other areas susceptible to air infiltration. These products include TW Moisture Wrap, TW Flash-N-Wrap®-40 and TW Flash-N-Wrap®-25.
TAMKO also provides a full line of proven waterproofing products both for above- and below-grade applications. These products are self-adhering to help add application ease and assure consistent coverage.
Next stop: check the deck.
If you own a traditional wood deck, particularly one that’s more than a couple of years old, you’ll want to inspect it closely for splinters, cracks and raised nails or screws—before you have the misfortune of discovering them with your bare feet. While you’re at it, give the railing a sturdy shake to make sure it’s still securely fastened to the deck.
If you own a traditional wood deck, particularly one that’s more than a couple of years old, you’ll want to inspect it closely for splinters, cracks and raised nails or screws—before you have the misfortune of discovering them with your bare feet. While you’re at it, give the railing a sturdy shake to make sure it’s still securely fastened to the deck.
Rotting and splitting are common problems associated with real wood products, and they’ve given way to a better alternative for decking and railing construction: composite products. Composite decking and railing products offer the natural beauty of wood with better durability and less maintenance.
TAMKO offers several outstanding options for composite decking and railing construction. EverGrain® composite decking is a compression molded product that creates a deep lasting grain. Elements® is an extruded composite decking option that also creates natural beauty with low maintenance. Each of these products is available in several colors and comes with a Limited Warranty, including a 5-year Full Start Period.
You can complement the beauty and durability of your deck with a composite railing product from TAMKO. The options include theDesigner Railing System, Traditional Railing System, 2x4 Traditional Railing System and TAM-RAIL™ Railing System.
If you’re tired of significant deck maintenance, consider the lasting beauty, durability and low maintenance of these composite decking and railing products.
Contact TAMKO for additional tips and strategies for conducting routine inspections around your home.
©2010 TAMKO Building Products, Inc. TAMKO, Heritage, METALWORKS, CoolRidge, and TW Flash-N-Wrap are registered trademarks and Tam-Rail is a trademark of TAMKO Building Products, Inc. Lamarite, EverGrain and Elements are registered trademarks of Epoch Composite Products, Inc. Roll Vent and Rapid Ridge are registered trademarks of Benjamin Obdyke Incorporated
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Academy Roofing, Huntsville, AL Call 256.890.8225 or CLICK HERE to request more information.
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