Cedar shake roofs are popular for many reasons. They create such a distinct look that asphalt shingles and metal roof manufactures have entire product lines that try to mimic wood. But wood roofs need maintenance and the help of chemicals to keep them healthy.
Concrete repair needs a cool day, good patching material or adhesives and a well prepared area. Make sure your concrete patch does not have its water pulled out by the older concrete, the wind or the sun. Look for the words "acrylic", "vinyl" or "gypsum cement" on your patching material label. They ensure better adhesion to older cement.
Roof algae stains occur on asphalt shingle roofs, usually on the north side. The roof algae starts as dots, then takes a cone shape and can eventually cover your entire roof! Introduce copper or zinc strips to kill roof algae You can also use Oxygen Bleach.
To get rid of termites, you can't repel them - you have to eliminate them. One termite pest control method is to place plastic monitoring stations in the soil around your house. Once termites are detected, toxic food is placed in the containers. Have an exterminator check these periodically.
Chimney caps or crowns can stop damage from happening to your chimney. These chimney caps / crowns are simply roofs for your chimney. Water will be kept from entering the chimney and causing deterioration of the brick and masonry. Chimney flashing must also be installed to stop any water.
High quality vinyl sidings are a better alternative to painting. Painting wood siding usually occurs every four years. Vinyl siding is installed and finished - there are many vinyl siding colors and styles now that look like wood. Vinyl siding manufacturers have color coordinated products to recreate your paint colors.
Pouring concrete in cold weather can be successful if precautions are taken with the weather and the temperature of the ground. Don't pour concrete on frozen soil. Take care with your finishing techniques-- don't let water sit on top of the slab. Use plastic and insulated blankets after the final finish.
Smoke free masonry fireplaces can be achieved. Firebox width, height and depth is now easy enough to calculate. Your builder can determine the needs of your room versus the output of your fireplace.
Splash blocks directly below down spouts do little to pipe water away from your foundation. For heavy downfall regions, a sump pump discharge pipe may not be piping the water far enough way. Invest in plumbing drainage pipe for this job.
Slate is excellent for roofs. It is fireproof, resists hail damage and has a long service life. When it starts to crack or becoming brittle, you may need to do some slate roof repair. The causes of its stress could be loose nails or nature.