Wet June and Hot July

What and odd past couple of months we have had. We exceeded normal rainfall amounts in June by more that we care to talk about, and our statistically wettest month has been virtually dry. Mother Nature likes to keep us on our toes.
Many people suffered the wrath of Mother Nature with basement problems caused by overflowing gutters and interior damaged caused by leaky roofs. Most people by now have had those problems resolved or are awaiting the problem to be resolved.
Believe it or not we are headed the other way now (towards winter). With that being said I would ask that any of you that have been waiting to deal with those outdoor issues to go ahead and get them taken care of. The cost of all materials is beginning to go up substantially. Any of you that read this email and are considering getting your projects done should go ahead and do so. Getting it done now will ensure that you don’t have to spend to much more than your original estimate and that you can get it done before Old Man Winter strikes.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Well with May flowers comes a plugged gutter. I apologize for the late letter this month, but I was waiting for the spring foliage to come down. Most of it around here seems to be down. By the end of this month it will be. For most of us this means plugged gutters and downspouts. We have unplugged several gutters and many more need to be done. Plugged gutters can lead to severe basement flooding, foundation problems, and flower bed erosion. A plugged gutter above a roof can even cause a leak.

Twice a year gutter clean outs are needed. We do them in early June and again in late November or early December.

Why have us do them you ask? When we do them we check over your roof for any other problems you may have. So you get a gutter clean and a roof inspection all in one shot. Sure you could have a neighbor kid up and do it or friend even. The problem with that is, is there is a risk of them falling and getting hurt. We carry insurance and worker’s compensation for situation like this. Having Mickey’s Roofing clean your gutters is much cheaper in the long run unless you like to take chances.

While the guys are there cleaning your gutters feel free to ask them about our Handyman Services. We can do small and large projects. For list of our services please click on the following link.

http://www.mickeysroofing.com/handyman_services.html

We look forward to helping you with your gutter and roofing projects. Just give us a call. 740-587-2645

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

I know that the sun has not been shining much since early November but let’s look on the bright side. At least we are not in a drought. Our ponds, creeks, lakes, and rivers are finally filling up again. The ground is saturated. All this rain and “saturation” makes me think about one thing; LEAKING CHIMNEYS!

I receive several phone calls a week about chimney leaks. While many of these leaks are the result of poor flashing work, many people have those weird leaks that show up in some rains, but not in all rains. Sometimes the chimney leaks during a slow misty rain and not during a big thunderstorm. It may leak during one rain and then not leak again for several months. Ice and snow may build up around the chimney but the wood in you attic remains dry. How do you explain all that? How can you make sense of it? That is my job.

As I stated earlier we have had very wet weather since November. Sure we have had a few sunny days but we have had more cloudy, snowy, and rainy days than sunny days. What is happening to chimneys in this type of weather is they are absorbing water much like a sponge. Brick and stone are very porous objects. Without proper sealant they just keep taking in the water and when they have absorbed too much, they let it go. When this happens the water travels down through the chimney and comes out through the block in the house below. This has nothing to do with flashing as the water has gone behind the flashings and often never contacts them. The thing is you don’t know where the water will come back through at. It may come through in the attic or it may travel down a story or two before it makes its mark again.

Now fixing a problem like this is really very simple. Even if you have no leak around your chimney this is considered very cheap preventive maintenance. Your local brick supplier should carry some higher grade water sealers. Just ask. Don’t be too cheap on you sealer. A gallon of good sealer should cost about $60. It can be applied with a paint brush, or more simply with a yard sprayer. A couple of good coats and a few days over 50 degrees is all you need. During the next rain storm check to see if the water seems to be beading up on your chimney. If it is you have done your job correctly. If not you may want to consult us about it. If the water beads up and you still have a leak you should also call us. Do not attempt to water seal your chimney if it is moss covered or it the mortar of the cap is falling off or it is coming out the joints.

For more information on water sealing or for pricing give us a call.

Well enjoy the nicer weather until the next newsletter. Please be careful if you attempt to do the sealing yourself.

Well March has been a month so far with great variety in weather. We have seen temps as low as 0 and as high as 75. We have seen high winds, torrential rains, and 13″ of snow. Hard to believe it is only the middle of the month.

As you all know we have a warm up coming this week. With the amount of snow that you have on your roof combined the coming rain and thaw, many people will be subjected to ice dam leaks. The bottom edge of the roof can be raked off to help prevent some of the damming. Those of you who have had ice dams in the past know the potential areas of your home for the problems to occur. Give us a call for help with removal of the snow. This is a cheap way to avoid costly interior damages. We can provide you with same day estimates and in many cases same day removal of the ice dams. We have staff on hand ready to remove these dams for you. Please see the attachment for and explanation of what and ice dam is and how it forms.

After the snow has melted you should have and inspection done of your roof to ensure that you have not lost shingles in the recent wind storms. At this time we can also provide estimate for roof replacements and repairs.

We are close to spring. Many of you are starting to think about the outside projects you need to do including your roof. Just remember to give us a call.

Well once again the windy cold winter has set in on central Ohio. This can be a rough time of year for your shingles. The cold weather can loosen the seals on shingles as the winds begin to pickup shingles can be blown off. There is not much preventive maintenance that can be done to prevent this from happening. A solid roof starts with proper installation. Shingles that are nailed on correctly will have a better chance at not being blown off. Are shingles nailed on correctly? Have you recently lost shingles in a wind storm? Do you have places on your roof that you can not see that need checked out? Give us a call.

Spring is finally here. Plants are blooming and wildlife is one move. The days are warm and the nights are cool. This is the perfect scenario for condensation in your attics. When the attic warms up during the heat of day and then we have the rapid cool downs in the evening the moist air in the attics turns to water. This creates mold and mildew on the sheathing and rafters. Mildew can lead to rotting of wood within the attic and may even cause staining on the drywall of the seiling that may look like a leak. It can also lead to sickness for members of the household, especially those with athsma. Proper ventalation can help avoid this problem. Air needs to be able to flow from the soffit at the bottom of roof to louvers or a ridge vent at the top of the roof. The air movement keeps the air fresher and prevents it from condensating. Please contact us for a free estimate on ventalation if you think you may have little or none in your attic.

Also, heavy wind storms and a bad winter has led to many roof problems that you may not be aware of. As you are outside on these warm days, please look up and to see if you notice any roofing problems. Please call us if you would like an inspection of your roof to insure that you can have a safe dry summer inside.

What a horrible winter we had here in central Ohio. With the combonation of snow and ice, many roofs and gutters suffered damage. Ice dams formed at the bottom edges of roof, around roof protrusion, and in valleys. Many gutters were ripped off by ice sliding down the roofs or from the weight of the ice. With gutters missing, the house is subject to water entering the house via the basement. Check you home over or give us a call to inspect your roof for wind damage and to insure that your gutters are still tight to the fascia after this brutal winter.