Barker Roofing & Sheetmetal, Inc.

How to Properly Repair Your Water Damaged Drywall

2010-06-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

If you see black mold forming on your drywall or you see that your drywall is water damaged, then you may have leaks in your home. It can be plumbing leaks or it can also be roofing leaks. It may not seem like this is a serious problem, but you need to keep in mind that water damage on drywalls is a project that you should take seriously and also take priority on.

If you are looking for water damage on your drywall, look for the tell tale signs, such as bulging, cracks, sagging, and discoloration. You need to remember that water can easily drip and run along interior pipes in your home and it can also run from a leaky roof down to your drywall. This is why you have to look for damage on both the walls and the ceilings and you shouldn’t be surprised to find damage that is further away from the leak.

If you suspect or you are well aware of the fact of water damage in your home, you have to prioritize this kind of problem immediately. Why?

Well, wet drywall will be able to provide an ideal environment for mold and mildew to grow, which can really complicate your drywall repair project.

When you find only small cracks, the water damage can be easy to fix. All you need is a ready mixed spackling compounds which are ideal for this kind of situation. This particular compound can be easily applied with a putty knife. For that structural patch, you can use a strip of fiberglass tape. Use this on to the area where you intent on applying the putty.

However, if you find a larger repair, it will require you to do a lot more structural work.

The first step in repairing large portions of water damaged drywall is to completely remove the affected area. You will need a jigsaw or a drywall handsaw for this. When removing the water damaged drywall patch, be on the lookout for molds and mildew. You need to keep in mind that drywalls that are already affected with mold or mildew cannot be saved and the surrounding areas should be thoroughly cleaned before any repairs begin.

You also need to make sure that before you start patching up your drywall, the drywall should be completely dry. Try using an industrial fan to circulate air in to the area and you may also want to use a dehumidifier. These things will ensure complete drying.

Once the area is completely dry, the next step is to get a drywall patch that you will use to replace the piece of drywall that is removed because of water damage. You will find that there are now water resistant drywalls available for sale. This is basically your best option when you are repairing water damaged drywall. For large holes, you may want to use a plywood backer for support.

After screwing or nailing the replacement patch on the hole, the joint edges of the patch should be taped using a fiberglass drywall tape and it should be covered with drywall mud. After the mud has cured, you need to sand it to smooth out the surface and paint it to get the repaired area to blend in with the rest of the wall.

These are the things that you have to remember when repairing water damaged drywall. With these tips, you can easily get your drywall repaired and you will be able to get it done with a professional look.

Perfect Interior Wood Doors Replacement

2010-06-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

After many years, you have determined the need to replace some of your appliances, your house paint and the interior design of your home. Starting from the entrance towards your bedroom, you realized that your interior wood doors need to be replaced as well. You may have thought about this but knowing that these interior wood doors have been there for ages, what would you consider when you finally decided to change them?

For one, change means development. Improving your interior design would fit greatly if you are to change some of the things that really need to be changed, including your interior wood doors. Other homeowners have PVC or metallic even glass interior doors. Yet after realizing the need to switch to something better and more secured doors, many choose to try using the interior wood doors as replacements. Understand that interior wood doors need not to be just the doors in the house. These can be your closet doors even the interior wood doors for your windows.

That said and with so many things you need to consider for replacement, you may want to check on the following. Saving time and minimizing expenses during the replacement period are still the priorities despite your need to replace these pieces of your house. The following would greatly benefit you:

Look for the quality materials for your interior wood doors replacement
You will need to evaluate the materials used for your doors replacements. Understand that there are good and quality materials used for doors and that means spending quite a time to identify these materials. But to save time and effort, you may want to discuss your options and choices with a trusted professional interior designer.

Quality and price go hand in hand
As soon as you identified the materials for your interior wood replacement, determine the budget you’ll need for these materials. Expect that quality and sturdy materials may require you to cash out more than the usual. Be vigilant however that there are poorly made interior wood doors replacements but are costly at the same time. The possible reason is that you’re purchasing the amount of the materials but the name or the brand of the company so be cautious.

Convenience or Traditional
As you will be doing replacements for your interior wood doors, would you rather keep the traditional style for these replacements or would you try something new? Depends on your style and preference, you may want to check on the varieties of interior wood doors styles. Check the kind of panel types before you order your interior wood doors.

Time and availability
This would be your last consideration after you finished the selection process. Interior wood doors can be ordered online or you could visit a physical store for you to order. If you wish to have your interior wood doors replacements customized, talk this over with your interior designer or visit the store personally.

These four considerations will definitely help you save time and budget when you finally decide to replace your internal wood.

Repairing Windows Vs. Replacing Windows

2010-06-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Replacement window prices are very important when deciding to replace the windows in your home. However, with so many options out there and so many companies available to install them, it is important to have an idea about replacement window prices before starting your replacement window project.
There are many factors that influence the replacement window prices of your personal window package:
1. Number of windows
2. Type of windows - Clad wood, fiberglass, vinyl, casement, double hung, curved shapes etc.
3. Size of windows - Larger units vs. standard units vs. smaller units
4. First or second floor installation
5. Exterior wall finish (brick, stucco, siding)
6. Painting options (prefinished interior, painted trim)
7. Finishing options - custom trim, curved trim
Replacement window prices (product estimates)
This is a tough area to determine pricing simply because there is such a wide quality of product available for replacement windows. We will look at three replacement window options for replacement: vinyl, fiberglass, and clad wood. All of these replacement window prices are based off of the following window details:
1. 3' x 6' rectangular double hung window unit.
2. Standard White color
3. Low E glass
4. Full screen
5. Standard hardware
6. No grilles or divided light patterns
This is one of the largest standard size windows you will find in older homes. Keep in mind when you are looking at these estimates, these numbers will be on the higher end of the range of what you might expect for your replacement window project.
Vinyl
You will quickly find when looking at replacement window prices, there will be hundreds of options available in vinyl windows. What makes it difficult about having so many vinyl options is that the replacement window prices for the products will range all over the spectrum as well. For vinyl windows you should expect to pay replacement window prices from $150 for a no-name window up to over $300 for a higher quality more recognized window brand.
Anything lower than $150 for a vinyl window this size and you should really investigate the quality of the product you are being quoted. Expect for additional features such as grilles, gas filled airspace in between the glass, and simulated divided light windows to push up the price 10-20% higher.

Fiberglass
Fiberglass windows command a premium over vinyl windows in pricing due to the improved product performance and limited availability. Replacement window prices for fiberglass windows range from $380 to $450 for a fiberglass window this size. You will have a difficult time finding a wide selection of vendors carrying a fiberglass product today, but as fiberglass gains more popularity and availability in the market, it will be easier to compare replacement window prices for fiberglass windows.
Clad wood/wood windows
Wood windows are the pinnacle of replacement windows for your home. If you are truly concerned about the look of your house or getting the most efficient windows or being environmentally conscious, a wood window should be your choice of replacement window. If you are thinking about wood replacement windows be prepared to pay a premium over an entry level vinyl replacement window. Prices on a wood window will typically run $500 - $600 per window for a window this size. This may seem like a lot for a window, however, when you consider the look, performance, and resale value you gain, it is a wise investment in your home.
When calculating pricing for wood windows, there are also finish costs associated with it that you do not have with a vinyl or fiberglass product: Painting the interior, trimming out around the window opening on the interior, and long term maintenance all add to the bottom line cost of a clad wood window. Window replacement prices on wood windows can range widely due to the number of options available in wood window product lines.
"Other" Costs The information above pertains to the actual costs of the windows themselves. With replacement windows you need to also factor in installation costs. There are a lot of factors that go into determining installation costs so it is often difficult to determine exactly how much the installation will cost. The best way to get a feel for installation costs in your area is to get multiple quotes from different companies and compare.

10 Steps to Algae, Moss, Lichen and Mold

2010-06-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

The process of roof debris accumulation is a gradual one but a damaging one, nonetheless.

1. First, the roofing shingle manufacturer placed crushed limestone in the shingles used a filler, binder to the fiberglass and asphalt shingle matting which made the modern shingle, a natural snack food "pit stop" for the blue -green cyanobacteria GLOEOCAPSA MAGMA algae.

2. Then, Two, the algae was allowed by the homeowner to start growing and then remain on the roof until it was in "full bloom" and covering most of the Northern facing, roofs exposed areas, then later, as the roof continued not to be maintained and properly cleaned, the algae continued its growth as their was never any treatment or biocide or fungicide agent applied (ever) to stop its rapid growth, and soon it covered the entire roof surface.

3. Once the bed was made, i.e. the algae had propagated, sheathed itself by developing its dark colored husk and turning black to protect itself from the sun's rays, it continued to grow and grow, until it built a thick bed of algae, holding in the accumulation of the overnight moisture, roof condensation and dew, which allowed the next phase to occur.

4. This next phase is when their is all the right ingredients for additional growth of OTHER organisms BESIDES the GM algae, such as , LICHEN, MOSS, etc.

5. Once the bed has been made by the HOMEOWNER, neglecting to safely use non pressure roof cleaning methods, like the methods and teaching, here on the ARCA and RCIA, the algae was given all the opportunity it needed to "INVITE" additional "roof dwelling friends" to the party up on the homeowners rooftop.

6. This final stage is when the most damage can occur, when the algae has a thick bedding made and moisture is allowed to soak up into this algae bedding like a sponge, holding many other nutrients that occur by the gradual decomposition of the combination of the dying, re-propagating and shedding of the protective outside layers of the GM algae or husks, in combination with the crushed limestone roof shingle filler "combined" so that the roof now has all the ingredients to grow this moss and lichen.

7. This moss and lichen and algae are like any other plant. They have a root system. Once the roots are firmly planted and embedded in a homeowner’s roof, the roots actually suck or pull nutrients out of the shingle, AND, the roots also tug and pull on the roof shingle GRANULES, thereby dislodging and removing them from the shingle.

8. Granule loss exposes the shingle roof to the repeated day in and day out of the SUN'S brutal and harsh ray's and without the important Ultraviolet Protection, that the granules are designed to provide, the essential oils in the roofing shingle are leeched out of the shingle, causing the shingle to prematurely dry out and become brittle and soon curl and break.

9. Once the roofing shingle has all of these element occurring, the damage is now irreversible and eventually the roof will leak from this massive microscopic attack on the roof that is depended upon to keep all we hold dear and important to us safe and dry.

10. Luckily, much of this can be avoided by proper, regular annual roof maintenance.
Annually, a homeowner can do his /her part to extend and maximize their roofs longevity and life and save themselves thousands in expensive tear-off and re-roofing. Every homeowner should annually get their roof checked for the presence of roof algae, moss, lichen and mold. If any of these are present, the roof should be scheduled for a non pressure roof cleaning by a ARCA or RCIA Certified Roof Cleaning Professional Contractor. Then, once the offending algae, lichen or moss growth is controlled, the homeowner should get set up for annual anti- algae roof treatments to keep their roof looking and performing its very best.

More can be learned by visiting the American Roof Cleaners Association or the Roof Cleaning Institute to find out more helpful information on the subject of Roof Maintenence and Cleaning, Algae Infestation, Lichen, Moss, Mold, growth and treatment on roofs of various types and styles.