Most consumers recognize that choosing a roofing contractor can be a confusing and sometimes risky decision. In fact, the Better Business Bureau lists roofing as one of the highest inquiry categories nationwide. As a factory certified Master Elite Contractor, Tittle Brothers Construction has been carefully pre-screened by GAF. Only 3% of the roofing contractors in the country have earned GAF’s Master Elite status—a distinction that truly sets them apart from the rest, and ensures that Tittle Brothers Construction is dedicated to helping every customer make their best and safest roofing decision. As a GAF Master Elite Contractor, Tittle Brothers Construction is also dedicated to continuous improvement and training through access to CARE (the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence). CARE is a non-profit educational institute supported by GAF and dedicated to “changing an industry through excellence in education.”

Greg and Carrie Tittle accepting
Presidents Club award from GAF.

Jack Slauson, Vice President of GAF’s Certified Program and Services division stated, “We at GAF are very proud to have Tittle Brothers Construction as a Master Elite Contractor, and we appreciate their commitment to their customers!”

Tittle Brothers Construction was also given GAF’s most prestigious honor – the President’s Club Steep Slope 2012 Award.  Only four roofing contractors in Michigan have the honor of accepting this award this year.  These winners have distinguished themselves amongst thousands of contactors by meeting the Certified Contractors Programs most stringent requirements.  Tittle Brothers Construction has maintained Master Select Status and their attainment goals for 4 consecutive years.  They have shown commitment to quality commercial roofing installations by earning at least 20 “perfect 10” inspections and winning the highly coveted Triple excellence award.

• Clean, inspect, and perform routine maintenance on your air conditioning unit. Often the easiest and best way to get this step taken care of is to hire a technician. This individual will clean your unit’s coils, check / replace the filter, and perform additional system checks as needed.
• Inspect your roof. Your roof is essential to the integrity of your home. Therefore, it’s important to make sure the shingles appear to be in good shape with no curling, cracks, buckling, missing pieces, etc… If you do find any issues with your Detroit roofing, consult a professional right away to ensure the damage does not progress with our spring rains.
• Clean your gutters. While removing debris, take the opportunity to ensure the gutters aren’t sagging or damaged.
• Clean around and inspect your foundation. In order to protect your foundation, take time to clear away debris and as necessary, add fill dirt. Note any areas of cracking.
• Examine your walkways. If the hard winter weather has taken a toll on your home’s walkway (and driveway) plan to patch it as soon as the temperature extremes associated with winter abate.
• Inspect your trees. Spring storms can wreak havoc with winter damaged trees; therefore, take some time to assess the situation and perform needed maintenance.

By taking the time to perform these steps, you can keep small issues from becoming larger and more costly with which to deal!

To that end, consider performing these five internal home maintenance steps.

• Inspect your home’s foundation from the inside (i.e. basement). If you find cracks, mark or notate them so it is easier to have a professional help you make an assessment of the issue and how to deal with it.
• Examine your attic for water damage and clogged vents.
• Inspect the area around your water heater. While performing other home maintenance, it’s a good opportunity to ensure your water heater isn’t leaking or developing an issue with rust.
• Change your furnace filter. After working hard all winter, your furnace, which will likely be running periodically through spring cold snaps, could use a new filter.
• Note window screens in need of repair. Prior to warm weather and the opening of your home’s windows, determine if you need to patch or replace any of your window screens.

As you complete your annual spring maintenance checks, take the opportunity to evaluate if you home requires any updates or remodeling. As an Ann Arbor remodeling specialist, we can take the sting out of the process and keep your home in top shape.

Review your insulation. One of the first places to start when evaluating how to keep warm interior air from escaping and wreaking havoc on your roof is to determine whether your attic ceiling has adequate insulation. As we share on our website, if your home is over 10 years old, there’s a good chance it does not have enough insulation. If you’re in doubt in this area, a professional can help you make an assessment.

Mitigate air leakage. There are common areas for warm air to escape through your roof. These include:

• Intersection of exterior wall and roof sheath
• Exhaust fans
• Light and plumbing fixtures

Consider all the potential sources for air to escape and determine if there is an appropriate way to seal them.

Remove the snow. If there’s not melting snow on your roof, there isn’t the opportunity for ice formation and potentially destructive water pooling when melting occurs. Removing snow from a roof, however, can be dangerous. Therefore, it can be beneficial to use a tool such as a snow rake for your roof.

A final possible consideration is the installation of special rubberized sheets inserted underneath your shingles in locations where water collects on your roof. However, this approach may only help limit damage and not eliminate it like other steps.

Ultimately, if you’re not sure how best to assess your home’s issues which are leading to the formation of ice dams, consult a Detroit roofing specialist.

One area of your home that is easy to overlook, but should be monitored is the area around your ceiling vents. It’s not uncommon for water stains to appear after snowy and particularly cold weather. Because we don’t often look at these areas, it can be easy for an issue to arise and not be aware of it. That’s why we wanted to share some information on this problem and suggest homeowners remain watchful.

Although there can be several causes of this type of water damage, the most common is an ice dam forming on your roof. This dam is caused by the melting of snow and then re-freezing and it’s not uncommon for this snow melt on your roof to be caused by heat loss from your own home.

Therefore, if you find water damage around a bathroom vent, evaluate if home heat loss through one of the following is the cause of the issue.

• Inadequate insulation in your attic
• Air ventilation issues
• Flow of warm air to the attic and roof from items such as light and plumbing fixtures, chimneys, and bathroom exhaust fans.

In our next post, we’ll explore how homeowners can deal with heat loss and other potential factors which can lead to roof ice dams and their damaging consequences.

Ultimately, your roof is an important protective structure for your home; we’re here to help you care for it. No matter your Ann Arbor roofing needs, we can assist you!

• Inspect the chimney structure. Make note of any signs of decay or cracks. Depending on snowfall, you may also be able to use the ground around the chimney to give you clues on the health of it. Often as a chimney starts to decay, you’ll notice flakes from chimney material on the ground. Remember to take a close look at the flashing as well to ensure there is a good seal between your home and the structure.
• Examine the chimney cap. Ensure it has not become clogged with leaves and other materials that will impede air flow. If you have a chimney screen instead of a chimney cap, don’t neglect inspecting it to ensure it hasn’t become loose and ineffective.

Don’t forget to give your fireplace a little TLC too. Remove ashes and clean stains. Often a quick way to perk up this area is with a shop vacuum which can make quick work of these sorts of messes. With these ashes removed, you can also check for cracks and deterioration in the fireplace.

This inspection coupled with a check up on your roof should provide you with a good understanding of immediate and spring time issues to address. Should you have any questions or concerns, we’re always here to help you with all your Canton roofing and chimney issues!

• Deck: This is the surface to which the roofing is applied. It is often plywood or wood boards.
• Dormer: A raised section projecting out from the slope of the larger roof. It often contains a window.
• Flashing: A material, often metal, used to prevent water from entering around a roof intersection or structure, such as a chimney.
• Ridge: The top point where two slopping surfaces intersect.
• Valley: The lower point in which two slopping surfaces meet and create a “v” shape.

As you complete seasonal inspections of your roof, you may make notes about changes, especially where surfaces meet. With some of the key terms above, you’ll be able to quickly explain to a contractor what you’re seeing in a way he/she will understand. If you’d like to learn more roofing terms, there is a great resource on our website entitled “Roofing Terms You Should Know.” Finally, one of the best and easiest ways to learn roofing terms is to ask your Canton roofing contractor to explain any terms which are not familiar to you.

Instead of this trusting approach, it is much better to learn about your roof, its current state, and what you need to monitor. It may seem as though winter is the wrong time to begin your monitoring of the roof, but in fact you should get used to monitoring and checking different aspects of your roof with every season. Therefore, don’t put off today going up to your attic and performing an internal visual inspection of the roof area. Depending upon whether or not your attic is finished, you may be able to inspect less of the area. However, you’re largely looking for any water leaks, no matter how minor. During the winter season, it is also helpful to check for drafts and signs more insulation is needed.

An external visual inspection, from the ground, is also needed. It is helpful to have binoculars available so you can scan your roof and look at areas where snow and debris may be collecting. Make note of these areas and watch them as the weather changes throughout the winter. Further, ensure your eaves are doing their job when not frozen. If you note issues with water flow, consider adding a guard in spring.

Taking time to get to know what occurs with your roof during each season will assist you in watching for issues and noting crucial changes. If you do note any areas of concern with your Birmingham roofing, it’s important to contact us before the issue becomes a serious problem impacting the safety and health of your home.