What would you do with a Sunroom?

As a homeowner, you have probably looked around your property more than once and asked yourself what you could do to improve functionality and possibly resale value. Many people consider a pool the ultimate home accessory, but quickly find it is actually considered one of the worst investments from a purely financial perspective. Sunrooms on the other hand, provide a way to give your home a unique vibe while increasing the square footage and giving you a beautiful view of the outdoors. The question is, however, should you add one to your home?

Over Improving

Who would think you could over improve your property? Before you begin calling Nashville windows contractors or general contractors about adding a sunroom, you need to do a little reconnaissance. What is the average size of a home in your neighborhood? How does your current square footage compare? If you make your home the most expensive domicile on the block, you run the risk of losing most of your investment in the addition.

Uses
 
What would you do with a sunroom? Do you have a bit of a green thumb or are you rarely home enough to water the one plant you have? This is an important question to ask, would you get any use out of a sunroom? These types of rooms are very versatile and if you choose an insulated four-season sunroom, it can be enjoyed year round. Some possibilities include:

•    Artistic- do you paint? If you need just the right light for your artistic endeavors, this could be the perfect addition for you.
•    Reading Area- are you always searching for a calm, quiet and yet well-lit area to read?
•    Greenhouse- sunrooms are a great place for your indoor plants to flourish year round.
•    Sitting Area- for some people a sunroom is simply a place to sit and enjoy the outdoors and company.

Investment 

How much will your sunroom cost? Without an appraisal by a professional Nashville contractor, it is impossible to give an accurate figure. Pricing depends on a number of variables including, but not limited to:

• Insulation- Do you want a four-season sunroom?
• Current Construction- How difficult will it be to construct the additional room?
• Flooring- What type of flooring will you use?
• Materials- aluminum, wood or vinyl?
• Size- Larger sunrooms, of course, cost more to construct

Final Thoughts

Adding a sunroom to your home can have personal as well as financial benefits, but only a licensed Nashville contractor can give you a complete picture of what it will cost and if it is worth the investment in your area. Many people opt to call in a professional appraiser to get a better idea about potential return on investment. Of course, if you simply want an indoor/outdoor place to call your own, hang the price and call a contractor today!

Nashville Contractors Stress Importance of Gutters

You have heard the old saying, if it ain't broke don’t fix it? This is the prevailing attitude when it comes to gutters on your home. Most people pay little if any attention to them unless they overflow at the front door! This could be a costly mistake for several reasons and your Nashville contractors want you to understand the importance of solid, properly functioning gutters for your home.

Water

Water is a fact of life, and it is the one element you try desperately to protect your home from at all costs. Inside the home, you would never tolerate leaking water pipes, because eventually wood will rot and mold will grow. You should have this same attitude with the gutters on your house, if they leak or do not operate properly, you are not getting the protection from the elements you desperately need.

Gutter Function

Gutters and rainspouts have a specific function and that is to channel rainwater to a safe area away from your home. When installed and maintained properly water will flow around your roof in the gutter system to exit at a predetermined area where the water can further be channeled away from your home. Why is this so important?

•    Attic- leaking gutters can allow water to stand or seep into your attic for days or even months before you notice anything. At this point, your insulation is likely saturated and water could have made its way into your interior walls.

•    Siding- even if water does not make it inside your home, bad gutters can allow rainwater to get behind your siding. This can lead to mold, wood rot, termites and extensive damage to the exterior of your home.

•    Landscaping- do you take particular joy in your yard? Imagine what pounding rain could do to your well thought out landscaping!

•    Basement- have you noticed large amounts of water standing around the perimeter of your hour? Water that is not properly diverted can seep through the soil and into basements, garages and more.

Gutter Replacement

When do you call Nashville contractors to discuss gutter replacement? There are several signs that replacement or repair are in order. The next time it rains, take a tour around your house and look for leaks, separated joints, sagging gutters or water stains on vinyl gutters. Properly maintained gutters can last a long, long time but once they are worn out or damaged there is little option but replacement. Thankfully, in most cases, gutter replacement is one of the cheaper home repairs you can have done.

Conclusion

You should clean your gutters out at least once per year. Leaves, debris and squirrels can pack your gutters full causing water to overflow. Some Nashville contractors may suggest gutter covers, which will cost you more initially but can make your gutters practically maintenance free.

Vinyl Siding Isn’t What it used to Be

Your home is your castle and for many people the single largest investment they will ever make. This means keeping your home in good repair is usually at the top of your to do list, and it might be time to reconsider vinyl siding. If you had sworn off the possibility of vinyl because of the many horror stories you have heard, you will be happy to know there is a new insulated vinyl siding that offers better performance and can match nearly any architectural design.

Insulated Difference

Traditional vinyl siding, or what is known in professional circles as hollow back siding, became very popular thanks to affordability and easy maintenance. Across the country, homeowners began updating their home exteriors with vinyl. It was not long before the negative side of vinyl siding reared its head, buckling, warping and more.

Insulated vinyl siding is the new kid on the block, so to speak, and takes the versatility of vinyl and adds a layer of firm insulation boarding. In a side-by-side comparison, you will quickly see a major difference between the two products in rigidity. When held out in front of your traditional vinyl will bend easily while insulated products remain stiff. Other benefits over traditional vinyl:

• Added insulation
• Covers irregularities in your wall
• Increased sound barrier to outside noise
• Impact resistant
• Less risk of dents or bending
• Better wood like appearance
• Wide variety of styles and colors

Choosing a Contractor

Do you need to find a good Tennessee contractor to install your insulated vinyl siding, or give you more information about your options? What are some basic criteria for choosing a Nashville or Knoxville contractor? The first thing you want to examine is their experience, how long have they been in business overall and how long have they worked with this particular product? The Better Business Bureau and references are your best source of information on both these accounts.

Talk to references and if possible drive by and view the finished project. (This will not always be an option, especially in large urban areas where people value privacy)When you talk to previous customers, ask pointed questions about the quality of the work, adherence to budget and schedule and whether they would recommend them to others.

Never succumb to high-pressure sales tactics that demand an answer, Today! Reputable contractors have secured their product lines and pricing which means a one-time only special price should be subject to suspicion.

Conclusion

Insulated vinyl siding offers a number of benefits when compared to traditional vinyl. Couple a better product with a good Tennessee contractor and you have a recipe for a beautifully finished home. By taking care of your home, you ensure it functionality and potential resale value, so it might be time to give vinyl a second glance.

Upkeep Tips From Your Knoxville Contractor For Wooden Decking

The wooden deck is a beautiful addition to any home. But your deck is only as strong and long-lived as the quality of the upkeep that it receives. Starting with quality materials is a great base, as your Knoxville contractor will tell you. If you don't take care of those materials, they will succumb to the elements. Rot can set in during a single bad rain storm through a simple crack in the wood, so you must be prepared.


As your Knoxville contractor, have seen some pretty beat up decks in our day. When you start with a wooden building material, you must remember to take proper care of it. Failure to do so will result in cracking and splintering, creating dangerous situations to walk on or to use for everyday situations. As your Nashville windows and roofing provider, we have to stress that the same maintenance that goes in to other parts of your home must be taken for your wooden decking.


Even if your wood is weather treated, you should take steps to give it extra protection. A solid weather sealant is the best option for your weather abused wooden decking. This should be applied promptly after the deck is constructed, and kept in good condition thereafter. This sealant will protect the wood of your decks against the majority of the weathering that it will encounter.


Once the wood has begun to splinter and crack it is generally too late to try and save it. Home owners try various methods, such as applying thick coats of paint to try to cover the cracks, but the water damage has already begun at this point. The only thing the paint will do is make the decking too hot to walk on in the sun, and visibly hide damage until the board is so weak and rotted from within that it falls apart beneath you.


As your Knoxville contractor, we urge protecting the wooden components of your decking properly from the beginning. Even if you only stain the wood with traditional wood stains, you are still giving it more of a chance against the elements than it would have otherwise. It is this protection that will make your investment last and give your family an area that they can enjoy for years to come.


When your deck has simply had too much stress on it, and needs to be replaced, we suggest doing so as promptly as possible. Once those boards start cracking and rotting, there is little that you can do except replace the porch. For your own family's safety, have the deck or patio fixed as soon as is possible. Letting the wood continue to warp and rot away under your feet is only asking for a disaster. Avoid potential lawsuits and accidents on your property by inspecting the wooden planks of your existing deck or patio today.