Applying Pressure To Achieve A Clean Drain

Home Maintenance | Modern Swabbing The Deck

As we look to the end of winter, if that’s what we are going to call it, we start to look forward to Spring. Flowers gracefully blooming, green crisp grass, and the aroma from the grills that always seem to be cooking. Spring certainly has a lot to offer us. As we eagerly anticipate our fun filled days ahead, a thought slowly dawns on us. Spring cleaning. Fun in the sun will just have to wait for the responsibilities of the real world to be fulfilled.

Before you jump head first into mess that was once a basement, be sure to have an efficient strategy! Take a walk around the home and start taking some notes. Just be an observer, try to notice as much as you can and determine if it is a priority. Once you have compiled a list, you can now organize it. This will avoid re-doing what you have already done. Eliminating unnecessary steps will eliminate time from the work so that it may be re-allocated for fun!

Let It Flow

Now, as your local experts on gutter and drain line systems, we would like to emphasize the importance of allotting some time to check these systems while performing home maintenance. April showers won’t be so gentle and kind if the water can not make it away from your home. Gutters with debris build up or blockages can cause overflow down the side of the home, or even just waterfall over the front. Either way, your sump-pump is going to have to work harder to move this water away from the foundation. So please, take a quick look around.

Drain lines should also be observed for blockages and functionality during home maintenance. If you notice a river running from your riser washing away that expensive landscaping, it is very possible your drains are not open. Water will build up in the lines and shoot out the only opening available. While we would all like a nice water feature, this geyser will certainly cause harm to your foundation. Lets not forget how the Grand Canyon came to be, water erosion.

As always, if you are uncertain of your systems functionality or would simply like an expert to check it out for you, we are here to assist in your home maintenance needs

. Professional Gutter and Drain LTD is always here to serve our community in its drainage needs.

Home maintenance required

No Energy No Problem

Innovation is continuing to be a staple for advancement in our modern society. We are seeing an increasing amount of everyday materials and spaces be better utilized for more efficiency and lower costs. Recently in Boulder, Colorado a team of researchers has developed a new material for keeping homes and buildings cooler in the summer. Hoping to see a reduction in energy consumption from air conditioning and other types of cooling systems.

By utilizing a glass-polymer film to reflect solar energy into the atmosphere we can limit the heat that roofs absorb. This will allow solid surfaces to be cooled via infrared thermal radiation. The glass-polymer contains microspheres  scattered throughout the polymer film and a silver undercoat to optimize spectral reflectance. Initial estimates indicate a 100 to 200 square foot home can be cooled during the summer months with this method.

The implications don’t end there either. Research is continuing on in hopes of utilizing this material with solar panels and solar roofing tiles to help keep the solar system cooler. This will help the solar panels and solar roofing tiles to be more efficient. Despite their refractive properties the glass-polymer can potentially increase the efficiency by 2 percent. While this isn’t a huge gain it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Energy no longer needed to reduce energy

Source

Do You See What I See

When it comes to gutters we never usually never pay them much attention, unless they start having physical defects that are visible of course. We have had more than one call stating ” the gutter is pulled away from the home”. Usually no one knows why. How can this happen? Well often times we find the gutter is secured to the home via the fascia board. The fascia board is the only barrier between your rafter tails and your attic. Using the support structure of the home the fascia board is secured in place. The gutter will then be secured to the fascia board.

That’s A Wrap On Fascia Board

Fascia boards gonna need some TLC

When the gutters pull away there are a couple of issues that it could be however, the most common issues are; the gutters have accumulated enough weight at some point to pull itself away or the fascia boards are bad. Without protection the fascia board can become rotted, swollen, or even just split apart. As the wood begins to deteriorate it will force the screws, spikes, or any object in the wood securing the gutter out. When this happens we see the gutter dip in spots or pull away all together. Your gutters potentially are fine in this case and the support system just needs some attention.

Here at Professional Gutter and Drain we would always recommend checking the fascia board for fascia wrap ( an aluminum wrap that protect the wood from moisture) in order to minimize the repairs needed. Time will claim all but with a little insight and good timing you can stay ahead of the times!

Solar Powered Roofing Tiles

Energy has always been a constant in the development of humanity. From fire to electricity we have utilized these elements as fuel to build and grow. As consumption of energy steadily increases experts and visionaries look for creative and effective solutions to ensure we will be ready to meet the demands of tomorrow. Alternative energy has and will continue to grow in popularity and potential. Promising to deliver the energy we need without any of the harmful by-products the current energy choices produce.

Solar energy is among the most readily available renewable energy we currently know about. Our very own fusion reactor in the sky has been sending us wave after waver of energy. The planet around us has produced and sustained life as a result of this energy. Recognizing this potent energy source scientists have developed ever more efficient ways of harnessing this power. Today we utilize what is known as a Photo-voltaic (PV) for creating shingles! Imagine your whole home covered in small solar panels, potentially decreasing your energy bill by 40 percent to 70 percent.

Unfortunately Solar Panels Don’t Grow On Trees

A bright idea, solar energy

This material is made from thin film solar cells (TFSC) which is comprised of copper indium gallium selenide, a semi-conductor allowing for a conversion rate of 10 percent to 12 percent. There is a more capable product available however, it tends to be a lot more expensive. This product is known as Mono-crystalline silicon (Mono-Si). This is a high demand material and will cost quite a bit more for only a small increase in conversion rates, 15 percent to 20 percent.

As the world moves forward we all will have to become more creative with solutions to our everyday problems. Fortunately for everyone, experts exist. Whether it be solar roofing panels or your homes drainage system, someone is always ready to assist. Allowing us to focus on more important aspects for the future, such as that anniversary you almost forgot!

Source:

Solar Power Authority

Where’d All The Good People Go?

Skilled labor in America has been on a steady decline for a quite some time. Hiring has slowed down drastically. This shouldn’t be news to anyone. As employers in skilled trade industries become more in demand we see labor prices increase due to a very high demand. With a short supply of skilled laborers comes a high demand and in return a hike in what it cost’s to to employ them. There isn’t a lack of jobs either! This makes hiring even more important. A company can not grow without good employees. The price tag of those employees is ever increasing and isn’t projected to level out until around 2020. Overall this is having a negative impact on the construction industry as a whole.

We Want To Hire You!

One reason we want to hire “skilled” laborers

     Here at Professional Gutter and Drain we understand all to well the importance of skilled laborers. Following the words of Sir Richard Branson, ” If you take care of your employees first they will take care of your customers”, we have created opportunities for our staff and look forward to creating even more. As times become harder on everyone we take pride in the knowledge that our staff will continue to thrive! We always look internally first for any promotions available. Understanding that reliance and dedication is a fundamental qualification to success we look for that in all of our staff. Albeit there are time when you have an opportunity to add a valued member to the team and we are always excited to see new potential.

     No one knows what the future holds however, here at Professional Gutter and Drain we can promise you it will involve you. It will need you. America is calling for skilled men and women all around the board. When you decide to answer the call we will be here, through it all.

Pig Skin, Drain lines, and Gutters

Super Bowl LI has certainly given us something to talk about in the best, or worst way, depending on your team. We all watched a dominant lead get destroyed, fast. Without digging to deep we can all see the Falcons became negligent with their lead. Whether it be Football, personal goals, or your responsibilities it is always a good idea to stay ahead!

Super Bowl LI

Spring is just around the corner and that means so is the rain. Just like Tom Brady destroyed the Falcons the rain can bring a similar kind of destruction to your home. During this time of year we would like to emphasize the importance of the drainage systems that protect your home. Gutters may have become clogged with debris. Drain lines can develop issues from the freezing temperatures as well. Here at Professional Gutter and Drain we are dedicated to helping you stay ahead of your drainage problems. Don’t let your home become a Super Bowl LI.

Water Volume Vs. Your Drainage System 

Knowing Is Half The Battle

Knowing the correct size gutter to install or have installed on your home can be beneficial to any homeowner. Customers call us about gutter overflow issues everyday. Sometimes debris simply needs to be removed. Other times we simply need to adjust the pitch. Now while we do everything in we can to determine the issue and use the right crew for the job we have times where the homeowner simply doesn’t know. They are not sure why this is happening. They clean the gutters twice a year and someone has checked the pitch and found it to be correct. So now what? While we like to think every home built has the correct size gutter we live in a world where fact-checking has become a necessity. So let’s check the facts on water volume.

Numbers Never Lie, Says Pi

We can easily determine if our gutters are capable of handling the water volume using a simple formula. First we will need to determine the square footage of your roof, we will refer to his as the “roof drainage area”. If you don’t know this your local county auditor should have this information. Now that we have the roof drainage area we need to determine our roof pitch. You can look for a roof pitch tool online to help if you are unsure. Now your roof pitch will have a “roof pitch factor” that correlates to the pitch. These are as follows:

12/12 pitch is 1.3

9/12 or 11/12 is 1.2

6/12 or 8/12 is 1.1

4/12 or 5/12 is 1.05

3/12 is 1

Now multiply your roof drainage area by your roof pitch factor. Now that you have this number we only have one more step, accounting for the maximum rainfall intensity in your area. This is something you will have to research as it varies city to city. Multiply the answer from the previous equation by the maximum rainfall intensity. This will give you the number you’re looking for.

5″ K-style gutters can hold an average maximum ( depending on pitch and amount of downspouts) of 5,520 square feet. 6″ K-style gutters can hold an average maximum of  7,960 square feet. If you find your number is close to the maximum average and don’t want to upgrade your size you can always look to ensure your pitch is optimal for your gutters to increase the rate of drainage or, you can add additional downspouts for the same effect. Downspouts should be placed at least every forty feet of gutter.

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/how-to-size-gutters-and-downspouts