New metal roof in Timonium, MD
Just completed a new metal roof project on Smyth Jewelers in Timonium. Call us if your roof has damage or is leaking. 410-666-0452
Just completed a new metal roof project on Smyth Jewelers in Timonium. Call us if your roof has damage or is leaking. 410-666-0452
Heavy winds calls for a new roof in Ellicott City paid for by the insurance company due to wind damage. Give us a call for a free inspection.
Homeowners have long used exterior color and accent details to refresh the style of a lived-in home or to make a new house their own, rightly reasoning that the exterior represents the individual or family living inside.
Color preferences tend to vary geographically, with deeper colors growing in popularity in the Midwest, for example. Within regions, the look and feel of different cities, towns, and streetscapes also influence color choices. No one says all the houses on the block have to look cookie-cutter similar, but it’s wise to consider regional and local color trends before adopting a new palette.
Architectural styles matter too. Take a look around your neighborhood. Craftsman bungalows, New Orleans shotguns, Victorian painted ladies, Cape Cods, Colonials—which style or styles dominate your area? How do you see color being used to reinforce the style of houses like yours?
The first choice, of course, is the color or colors—never more than two—for the siding. Next come the trim color and then a contrasting color for the doors and shutters. Three hues should do it, unless your house has an unusual number of architectural features, like those seen on some Victorian-era gems.
Luckily, your color choices won’t be confined to paint, as a number of building materials now come in a choice of colors. Exterior fiber cement siding and trim manufactured by James Hardie, for example, are available in 20 colors. The company uses a multicoat, baked-on application process called ColorPlus® Technology to create a vibrant, consistent finish.
So, how to choose that first important color? Designers often draw from the color wheel, teaming two or three analogous colors or colors found side by side on the wheel, such as orange and yellow. Another popular approach pairs complementary colors, which sit opposite each other on the wheel, like orange and blue, proving that “opposites” attract. When put together, they bring out the best in each other, making both colors look cleaner and brighter than if either were mixed with, say, a neutral gray or a different shade of the same hue. A neutral can be added to one of these pairings as long as it shares one of the undertones.
For some houses, especially those made with natural materials like stone, monochromatic schemes—two shades of green, for example—work best.
Whatever you decide, ColorPlus® siding has options to choose from. Curated by color professional Leslie Harrington, the palette is designed for easy mixing and matching, opening the door for pleasing, low-risk color schemes.
Beyond aesthetics, ColorPlus® Technology lasts up to two times longer than a new coat of paint and has better fade resistance and improved adhesion. The upshot: less need to repaint over time and thus lower maintenance.
From siding to all the little details, color can make a house a home. To learn more about the James Hardie siding and trim with ColorPlus® Technology, please visit here.
This week’s early snowfall in South Dakota and Canada is a reminder that the rest of us should get ready for what the Farmers’ Almanac predicts will be a rough winter. One of the most vulnerable parts of your house is the roof, which can sustain damage from wind, snow, ice, heavy rains, and fallen trees. Failing to make needed repairs is one reason a roof can fall prey to the elements. Here are some things you should do before the snow flies as well as the best roofing materials from Consumer Reports’ tests.
“Many types of severe weather can put added stress on roofs, from high-speed winds ripping off shingles, heavy debris and ice getting caught in gutters, to the weight of excess snow,” said Jim Gustin, Senior Property Specialist, Risk Control at Travelers Insurance. “As we gear up for fall, there’s no better time to inspect roofs for damage, make any necessary repairs and clean the gutters to help prevent some of the most common causes of damage that occur.”
Travelers recommends taking the following steps to ensure your roof is in good condition and to prevent potential damage:
The best roofing materials from our tests
In Consumer Reports’ roofing tests, we pull and pound shingles for months to simulate the high winds, temperature extremes, hail, and falling branches that a roof is subject to. And we expose them to ultraviolet light to simulate the fading effects of sunlight. Here are the winners from our tests.
Owens Corning Berkshire Collection, $225 per 100 square feet, and CertainTeed Grand Manor, $325, are tied at the top of the roofing Ratings. Both were excellent in our strength and impact tests although the Owens Corning was a bit better than CertainTeed on the weathering test in which the shingles are subject to water spray, heat, and ultraviolet light. Both brands also made our list of CR Best Buys including Owens Corning Oakridge, $68, and CertainTeed Landmark, $70. Both did very well on the strength, impact, and weathering tests.
Shingles from Tamko and Atlas also made our list of top roofing picks. Keep in mind that some installers may push certain brands. But given the wide differences in overall quality that we found, we suggest that you insist on the roofing you want, even if you have to pay extra for a special order or hire a different installer. For more choices see our full roofing Ratings and recommendations.
Windows can be one of your home’s most attractive features. Windows provide views, daylighting, ventilation, and heat from the sun in the winter. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill by letting heat out.
During the summer, your air conditioner must work harder to cool hot air from sunny windows. Install ENERGY STAR®-qualified windows and use curtains and shade to give your air conditioner and energy bill a break.
If your home has single-pane windows, consider replacing them with double-pane windows with high-performance glass—low-e or spectrally selective coatings. In colder climates, select gas-filled windows with low-e coatings to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain.
If you decide not to replace your windows, consider following these tips to improve their performance.
Installing high-performance windows will improve your home’s energy performance. While it may take many years for new windows to pay off in energy savings, the benefits of added comfort, improved aesthetics, and functionality can offset the cost.
Consider windows with impact-resistant glass if you live along a coast or in areas with flying debris from storms.