Those dark and stormy nights may seem fun in a story book or on the big screen. But for the unprepared homeowner, they can mean costly repairs. With storm season upon us, we’ve put together a few quick tips to help you get your home ready for the unexpected. Read on as we discuss how to prepare your home to stand up to the elements.

Clean Out Your Gutters

Your gutters carry rainwater away from the foundation. As such, they play a critical role in protecting your home from water damage. Clogged gutters can lead to water seeping into your basement and crawlspace. What’s more, if they get too heavy, those gutters can collapse. Consider installing a gutter protection system like LEAFAWAY®. You can then check this task off your list forever by keeping your gutters debris free all year long.

Trim Those Trees

If you have a lot of beautiful trees on your property, be sure to take care of them. Now is a good time to call in an arborist to see if any branches need to be removed. That way when the wind picks up, those branches won’t come through your windows or roof.

Get Your Roof in Top Shop

Speaking of roofs, no one wants to find out their roof needs a repair by discovering a leak in the middle of a heavy storm. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends having your roof inspected twice a year. You’ll know if repairs are in order before your roof becomes a problem.

Upgrade Your Siding

Not all siding is created equal. This is especially true when it comes to withstanding high winds, hail damage, and the impact of falling branches. Our United States Seamless® Steel Siding provides superior strength and a finish that’s resistant to harsh weather.

If you’re looking for professional help to prepare your home to stand up to the elements this storm season, call on Spotless & Seamless. We are your top Twin Cities contractor for home exteriors needs. Contact us today for a free estimate!

We have reached that leaf-falling time of year, which is a good reminder to keep up on gutter maintenance. Ideally, you should clean gutters in the spring and again in the fall to prevent water flow problems and other issues. The process can be challenging, but we hope these tips for safe and effective gutter cleaning helps you get the job done.

Get Your Footing

Gutter cleaning likely involves working from a ladder. Be sure the ladder you use is sturdy and extendable and that the ground is stable and level. Remember to practice safety; don’t overextend your reach and stay below the second-to-last rung at the top of the ladder.

Prepare to Get Dirty

Depending on what sort of clutter is in your gutters, the task can be messy. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and durable pants. Additionally, a pair of hardy work gloves will protect your hands from potentially sharp twigs, debris, and metal gutter edges. Gloves also create a barrier between you and rough roofing textures and help prevent callouses from handling work tools.

Have a bucket handy for collecting gutter sediment and sludge or spread out a tarp below your workspace. Gathering the gunk this way will also keep your lawn and landscaping looking neat and natural.

Dig In and Flush

Use your hands to clear out leaves and twigs. To dig out the more packed-down muck, use a gutter scoop or small plastic shovel. Make sure the tool you use doesn’t scratch or otherwise damage the gutter surface.

Once the gutters are clean, flush the channels with a garden hose to remove any remaining debris. This is also a good time to check for leaks, make sure gutters are correctly sloped, and ensure the downspout is free from blockage.

Repair as Needed

Seal up leaks in joints or seams and secure any loose sections or brackets. If you find any standing water, you may need to adjust the pitch. Gutters should slope at least ¼-inch but usually ½-inch for every 10 feet. You can also rely on a home exteriors expert to assist with your gutter needs.

Give Up Gutter Cleaning

Hopefully these gutter cleaning tips will help you safely and effectively finish the task. If you’re tired of digging through the debris and gunk twice a year, we have the solution. The LEAFAWAY® gutter protection system keeps your gutters clear all year round. The professionals at Spotless & Seamless can discuss options for your home. Contact us today.

If you have recently purchased a home, congratulations! Homeownership offers a host of opportunities, with some required maintenance and upkeep. Now that you’re situated in your new place, you’ll want to be sure it’s ready for the changing season. Use these traditional tips to protect your new investment this fall.

Windows and Doors

As the weather turns cooler, keep your home’s warm air from escaping. Check around doors and windows for gaps in caulking and weather stripping. These materials depreciate over time, so perform regular checks to ensure a proper seal.

Repair or replace any gaps with the appropriate materials. Additionally, check the seals around cable, gas, and electrical entry points to be sure they are properly secured.

If you feel your home may need new, high-performance windows or doors, schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced professionals.

Gutters

Safeguard your home’s exterior – and interior! – by keeping the gutters clean. Clogged gutters can lead to water buildup that can damage roofing and siding. Be sure to clear out leaves, branches, nests, and other debris. Also, consider covering your gutters with a LEAFAWAY® gutter protection system and never clean gutters again.

Prevent potential foundation issues by checking downspouts. Keep them free from obstructions and make sure they’re directing water several feet away from your home, sidewalks, and driveways.

Roofing

If you notice sand-like particles in your gutters, this may signal a shingle issue. That grit protects the roof’s shingles from sun damage. Inspect the condition of your shingles to make sure they’re still protecting your home from the elements.

Also, look for cracked, missing, loose, or warped shingles and replace them as needed. Check areas around ventilation pipes or chimneys to be sure the flashing is intact and secure. If it’s not, water can seep in and lead to expensive repairs.

Siding

Clean any dirt, mildew, or other debris from siding to protect its durability and keep insects away. Check for any damage, especially in corners and areas where trim boards connect. Any cracks or holes in siding should be addressed and fixed as soon as possible.

Trim tree branches and shrubs, especially if they’re close to the house. This will prevent scratches or other damage during high winds and help keep moisture from potentially seeping in through constant contact with exterior siding.

For better peace of mind, consider installing United States Seamless® Steel Siding. This maintenance-free option provides proven performance and offers a wide range of design and color choices.

Your new home is a big investment. These traditional tips should help you protect that investment this fall. If you have questions or concerns about your home’s windows and doors, roofing, gutters, or siding, the home exteriors experts at Spotless & Seamless are here to help. Contact us today for recommendations or to schedule an estimate or installation.

As a homeowner, you want to do what you can to protect your investment. You have probably planned for everything under the roof, but what about alongside it? Perhaps you haven’t thought about the ways in which a gutter system provides protection. We can help with that and keep you informed with these gutter fundamentals.

The What

Simply put, gutters help safely drain water from your rooftop. Think of it as plumbing for your home’s exterior. The system collects rainwater and channels it to the ground, away from your home and its foundation.

Gutters should be correctly installed, accurately positioned, and free of debris to function properly. Clogged or damaged gutters can cause water to build up or overflow and seep into your home. Check gutters regularly to ensure they are securely fastened and free from leaves, twigs, animal nests, or other debris.

The Why

Minnesota sees its share of spring and summer rains, and we know about those winters. All that melting snow needs to go somewhere. A gutter system helps protect many areas of your home.

• Roof. A roof is designed to shield the structure but not to sustain water buildup. Gutters gather that water and carry it away from the roofline and your home.
• Siding. Rain and roof drainage can take a toll on your siding. Gutters help keep it from becoming saturated, which could lead to issues with mold and rot.
• Basement and foundation. An effective gutter system will direct water away from your home’s foundation to help prevent structural deterioration and damage. Rainwater that drains too close to the home can pool along the foundation and seep into cracks or other openings in the basement. Downspouts should extend six feet from your home.

The Where

Installing a gutter system will help protect the overall investment in your home and help give you peace of mind year-round. Be sure the work is done by a qualified professional, like the experts at Spotless & Seamless.

Go one step further with a LEAFAWAY® Gutter Protection system and eliminate the need to clean your gutters – ever. Ask us about this or any other gutter fundamentals, and contact us today for a free estimate.

The month of April is known for its proverbial showers. Make sure your home’s gutter system is clear and ready for that rainy assignment. Clogged gutters create all sorts of unpleasant situations for homeowners, costing time and money. Continue reading to learn some of the reasons why it’s important to keep your gutters free of debris.

Water Damage

Obstructions such as leaves, dirt, pine needles, and other debris can accumulate in your gutters and prevent them from guiding water safely away from your home. Instead, the water overflows and moisture increases. This can eventually lead to rotting fascia boards and soffits, causing damage to your home’s exterior and potentially triggering damage to your home’s interior.

Foundation Issues and Leaks

Water that cannot properly drain can build up along your home’s foundation. If enough water collects, it likely will find its way into your basement. The excess moisture can damage structural integrity and lead to mold issues.

Large pools of water can also soften the soil around and under your home, resulting in possible cracks in the foundation and expensive structural fixes down the road.

Insects and Pests

Leaf-filled gutters are ideal places for mice and squirrels to take up residence. Once these critters move in, they can cause trouble in and around your home. Likewise, accumulations of moist leaves can attract insects, which can lead to an infestation inside as well as outside. Keep clutter from your gutter to help limit mosquitoes and deter wood-eating insects such as ants and termites from moving in.

An Alternative

Depending on your surroundings, gutters should be cleaned one to four times a year. One simple way to avoid gutter cleaning hassle is to consider a LEAFAWAY® gutter protection system. This one-piece rain-carrying system is structurally designed to let rainwater flow through while keeping leaves and debris out.

When working properly, your home’s gutter system is a crucial element to its protection. Be sure to keep your gutters free of debris to avoid the pitfalls of water damage, foundation issues, and pest infestation. To evade gutter maintenance altogether, ask your Minnesota clog-free gutter experts about LEAFAWAY®. The Twin Cities home exteriors professionals at Spotless & Seamless are available to assist with your home exterior needs. Contact us today.

Water is one of the most powerful forces on earth and can cause major damage to your home. We’ve outlined some ways to detect and prevent water damage from roof leaks and flooding.

The Risks

Water damage can cause black mold growth, ruin your insulation, rot wooden framing, and compromise your home’s foundation, all of which can cost thousands in repairs and jeopardize your family’s safety. When water seeps into your home, it can discolor and stain your ceiling, floors, or walls. If you notice these or other signs of water intrusion, you should inspect your home to determine the cause. 

What causes flooding?

Your rain-carrying system is designed to properly channel runoff water away from the foundation of your home to prevent flooding. Downspouts that are installed too close to your house or that drain toward the basement wall can cause water to pool and erode the soil. In the winter, snow and ice can clog gutters so that they overflow and allow runoff to cascade down your home’s siding and puddle near the foundation. If you have a cracked foundation or poor sealing, low-lying areas in your home like basements or cellars can flood.

What causes roof leaks?

Roof leaks are often caused by damaged or worn roofing materials. The sun can melt the tar that seals shingles together, and shingles may become brittle and crack or rip off entirely from high winds. Rusted flashing, the strip of metal designed to seal joints where the roof meets a wall or chimney, may expose your home to moisture. Damaged boots around vent pipes and corroded mortar on brick chimneys are another culprit. Heavy, clogged gutters may damage the eaves of your roof, causing your soffit and fascia boards to rot. Ice dams allow water to pool on the roof and potentially seep into your home.

How can you prevent roof leaks and flooding?

It’s better to prevent roof leaks and flooding than deal with the aftermath of water damage. Spotless & Seamless Exteriors offers clog-free gutters with a Superspout™ that provides 50 percent more drainage than conventional downspouts. This revolutionary rain-carrying system protects your home from ice dams and flooding.

As a Twin Cities roofing contractor, we offer asphalt and metal roofing, so you can replace your old, worn-out roof and protect your home this season. We also provide routine roofing inspection and repair services so you can maintain your roof and avoid costly damage to your home.

We are a top Minnesota steel siding contractor, offering siding replacement and repair to residents throughout the Minneapolis metro. Steel siding is installed in custom-fit boards that eliminate seams. This airtight seal protects your home from moisture intrusion.

Contact us for more home exterior solutions.

As fall approaches, you may be in for some daunting and inconvenient home exterior maintenance. Leaves drop from the trees onto your roof and clog your gutters. With a LEAFAWAY® Gutter Protection System, you won’t have to clean your gutters, and you can experience these other benefits as well:

Avoid injury

Gutter cleaning can be a dangerous task. Never climb up a rickety ladder or crawl along the edge of your roof again. The LEAFAWAY® gutter system does the work for you. Leaf guard gutters strain runoff water so that twigs, leaves, acorns, needles, and pine cones do not fill your gutters.

Save money on home repairs

LEAFAWAY® Gutter Protection keeps your gutters free of ice and prevents leaves from getting into your gutters in the first place so that you can avoid larger messes.

• Fallen gutters – In the winter, ice and snow can build up and prevent water drainage. An obstructed gutter will overflow and form icicles, which can tear the gutter from its place.
• Water leaks – Clogged gutters can cause a leaky roof, ponding, or rotting soffit and fascia boards.
• Insect invasion – The decomposing leaves that accumulate in your gutter are a source of food for insects, which could eventually make their way into your home.

Reduce maintenance

Depending on the number of trees on your property and the type of vegetation in your area, you may have to clean your gutters up to every three months. If your home is surrounded by pine trees that shed pine needles and cones year-round, you could save time and energy by installing LEAFAWAY® gutters.

Update your home exterior

As summer fades away, so does the greenery on the trees. Your landscape may begin to lose its color, but your house doesn’t have to. The LEAFAWAY® gutter system is available in many different colors that will complement your home. LEAFAWAY® gutter protection is manufactured on-site and fitted to your home’s fascia boards for a seamless finish. The one-piece seamless gutter design creates an efficient system that blends in with the contour and siding of your home.

The experts at Spotless & Seamless Exteriors are your Minnesota clog-free gutter professionals. As a Midwest siding company, we know that your home needs to be protected from the elements. That’s why we provide seamless clog-free gutters and steel siding. Spotless & Seamless Exteriors installs the best gutter covers Minneapolis and St. Paul have to offer.
Contact us today to learn how we can save you time, energy, and money with LEAFAWAY® gutter protection installation.