Cleaning your own gutters is never a good option.

The only thing worse than having to clean out your clogged gutters every year, is spending money on a gutter protection system that doesn’t work or doesn’t last. Below, we compare some of the most popular systems and products for your consideration. Leaf Relief is our brand of choice. It stands out from the other choices because it’s durable, guaranteed to work, and looks good.

Plastic Gutter Screens (Waterfall and those sold at big box stores)

-         Falls apart after 2-3 years

-         Weak, flimsy product that becomes brittle with temperature changes

-         Large holes allow debris to fall through and get stuck

Complete Gutter Enclosure System (Gutter Helmet / Gutter Topper)

-         Most expensive option

-         Won’t cave in

-         Bird & squirrel resistant

-         Impossible to clean out small debris

-         Costly to remove and reinstall if your roof needs repairs or replacing

-         Doesn’t fill all roof slopes

-         Sits up high, so it’s visible from the ground

Leaf Relief

-         Fairly-priced option

-         Doesn’t clog

-         100% debris efficiency

-         Fits all roof slopes

-         Virtually invisible from the ground

-         Never caves in

-         Bird & squirrel resistant

-         Easy to install

-         Withstands winds up to 110 mph

-          Prevents costly damage from ice dams and overflowing gutter

-          Backed by 10-year No Clog, No Overflow Warranty

Bottom line, don’t risk cleaning out your own gutters, and don’t risk spending money on a shoddy product.  It’s just a few short months until leaves and debris start falling into your gutters again, so start getting prices now and give yourself enough time to make the right decision for your home and budget.

1. Water Resistance. Water-resistant types of siding will have longer lifespans.

2. Ease of Installation. If you’re installing the siding on your own, make sure it is within your skill set, requires no special tools, and creates no harmful dust when cut. If it’s beyond your skillset, make sure to hire a siding expert.

3. Energy Efficiency. Check the R-Value rating for energy savings and understand what will be needed as far as insulation beneath the cladding.

4. Aesthetics. Your siding will be in full view as you come and go, so make sure it is beautiful to you.

5. Versatility. Make sure the siding has the versatility to meet the varied needs of your specific project. If there are aspects of your home’s exterior that will make using a particular type of siding more challenging than others, make sure you understand what the added costs or necessary adjustments will be.

6. Durability. Does it have the strength to resist temperature shifts present in your climate? How does it stand up to everyday wear and tear?

A:   Many people ask this question. The answer is, “It depends.” Is your siding in good shape and worth repainting, or must it be replaced?  Are you happy with the cost of repainting today and the thought of doing it again in  5-7 years? When you consider how good modern non-wood siding looks and performs, and the fact that it’s less   expensive to replace siding than to paint twice in the next seven years, you might want to consider residing.

Do you associate the term “vinyl” with “cheap” or “fake?” Let me reassure you that today’s high performance products are so beautiful and wood-like, that they’re even approved by most historic districts. Not to mention their ability to stand up to time and retain their good looks. It’s what I have on my home and not only it is a joy to look at, but I’ll never have to deal with repainting or other maintenance again.

We’ll be happy to evaluate your siding and tell you whether it’s a candidate for residing. We can help you select the product that meets your taste and budget. Or, we can reside with wood. The choice is yours.

As a consideration, take a look at the picture above. One of these buildings has wooden shingles, while the other has Cedar Impressions. Can you tell the difference?

Keeping your windows clean helps protect the inner mechanics of the window. Dirt, left too long, can collect and make its way inside the tracks, causing windows to stick. This, in turn, can lead to other problems. So it’s best to give your windows a good cleaning, at least once per year, but preferably twice.

Tips for Streak-Free Windows

• For streak-free windows, use a squeegee.
• For extra shine, buff the windows with a clean cotton rag.
• Wash windows on a cloudy day, to stop the glass cleaner from drying before you’re able to completely polish and shine.
• Start at the top of the window, and work your way down. This helps with drips.
• Be sure to wipe up drips quickly, as window cleansers can damage woodwork, paint, and varnish.
• To help locate those pesky streaks, clean one side of the window with vertical strokes, and the other with horizontal ones.

Happy spring and happy spring cleaning. Now let’s wrap it up and get outside!

A: Dear Anglea, the topic of recycling and reusing old building materials is something we’re very interested in, here at Marshalls. It’s exciting to see all the ways people are reusing materials, such as reclaimed wood, drafty windows, and even old gutters.

Dishfunctional Design, offers several creative uses for reclaimed windows, here. They suggest using them in the garden, in the home as decor, and even turning them into furniture and room dividers (our favorite).

CasaSugar also has great suggestions for decorating with old windows.

A family friend built a backyard greenhouse with his old windows years ago, and enjoys food from his garden all year long. And last summer, my son Andy installed a hanging gutter garden like this one at his home.

Good Home Designs offers directions on how to do your own hanging gutter garden, here. They’re using PVC pipe, but we suggest using old gutters instead.

Here’s one of many examples of a new use for an old door…

We’ve found that possibilities abound for reusing old building materials. Also look to DIY blogs and our Pinterest page for more inspiration.

But what if you don’t know anyone who’s had work done to their homes and you can’t find any referrals? There are great resources online, like Angie’s List (where we maintain an A rating in all categories) and the Better Business Bureau, where people are able to leave feedback about their experiences with contractors. This is likely more trustworthy than reading a company’s reviews on its own website, because those can be fabricated.

We suggest people ask around, look at sites like Angie’s List, check out company websites, and then meet with to 2-3 companies before making a purchase. When meeting with a roofing, siding, or window company, here are a few tips from Consumer Reports to keep you and your wallet safe:

Spotting a questionable contractor…

A warning signal should sound in your head if you encounter any of the following:

• A contractor who makes unsolicited phone calls or visits. Be especially wary of people who offer a bargain price, claiming that they’re doing a job in the neighborhood and have leftover materials.
• A contractor whose address can’t be verified, who uses only a post office box, or who has only an answering service and no separate listing in the telephone book.
• A contractor who isn’t affiliated with any recognized trade association.
• License or insurance information you can’t verify.
• A contractor who can’t (or won’t) provide references for similar jobs in your area.
• The promise of a hefty discount—but no mention of the total cost of the job.
• The promise of a deep discount if the contractor uses your home as a “demo.”
• High-pressure sales tactics or threats to rescind a special price if you don’t sign on the spot.
• A contractor who tries to scare you into signing a contract by claiming that your house puts you at peril (i.e., “Your electrical wiring could start a fire if it isn’t replaced.”)

A:   Dear Phil, Ice dams are caused by two things: The first is insufficient ventilation at the roof peak and in the soffits (the horizontal trim board beneath the edge of your roof that ties back into the vertical wall of your   home). Warm air leaking into your attic heats the underside of the roof, causing ice to form along the edge. Melted water becomes trapped behind it, which seeks any weakness in your shingles, drip edge, underlayment, or flashing if there’s a dormer or other penetration nearby. The second cause is insufficient attic insulation, which allows heat to enter the attic in the first place. Your peace of mind and the integrity of your home depends on addressing both causes:

-   Inspect to ensure that proper attic insulation exists. If not, add soffit and ridge venting to ensure proper air circulation and outward venting of heat.

-  Since water was able to find its way downward, it’s probable that there are weak spots in your shingles, underlayment, drip edge, or flashing. It will be necessary to strip the offending area to find and fix the   problem. Inspect the plywood decking to ensure that it’s sound and not rotted. Replace rotted decking.

-  Install ice and water shield membrane on the plywood decking, install proper drip edges, penetration flashing, and shingles that most closely match the existing shingles. If a match isn’t possible, or too   much of the existing roof has failed, roof replacement is warranted.

A:   Fall is the time of year that people think about replacement windows. That’s why you’re hearing so much   advertising on the radio, and why you’re getting all those Direct Mailers. What’s wrong with this picture? Is   the only reason for choosing a vendor and window because the providers are offering “deals?” If they can sell   windows for 20% off, why isn’t the price 20% lower all year long? Could it be that their window prices are   artificially inflated, and you’re paying 20% more than you should if the windows aren’t on sale? Why sell   windows like used cars?