Home Improvement Empire

Repairing A Rotted Soffit

If you don’t even know what a “soffit” IS, then chances are you’re not the best candidate to do repairs on it! Many older houses naturally start rotting at the weakness points, one of them being the soffit – or the underside of an arch, stairwell, cornice or overhang. Often times even newer houses need their soffits replaces because squirrels and birds tend to nest in the eaves, gutters or outer wall space next to the attic. The soffit, typically made of soft plywood, hardwood, or soft panels of vinyl and aluminum, routinely comes into direct contact with rain water, ice and snow from the gutters. If your gutters have been displaced or if a shingle tears, the soffit will rot out over time. Atlanta painting contractors often specialize in solving this external problem for you, thus preventing more serious damage to the interior as well.

To replace the rotted soffit, you would need to pry off the shingle mold running along the top edge of the fascia board and yank out all the nails that held the rotting board in place. Next, replace the board with a pre-measured or trimmed piece of hardwood, vinyl or aluminum. Remove any decorative trim beneath the soffit and remove the rotted soffit. Note that this part of the process is usually rather disgusting, since you never know what kind of dirt, dust, bee nest, squirrel nest, or debris will come off. Now you should be able to see the frame clearly and ascertain where the water damage and decay started. You may need to rip out additional plywood sheathing and use your saw to take out the section of rotted rafter or roofing. You’ll have to cut four or more inches from the decay, to account for stress fractures that may have left room for water to seep in. This is where the tools come in handy: you’ll need a powder-actuated nail gun with a .22 caliber blank to nail in the new section.

You’ll also be attaching a pressure-treated 1×4 or 1×6 onto the newly sawed rafter, fastening it with 2.5” galvanized screws going from the new into the old rafters. Now you can cut a new soffit from a 3/8-inch A/C plywood, first coating the front and back flat surfaces with an exterior primer and the edges with a wax emulsion sealer (like AnchorSeal) to protect from water damage. Apply sealer with a foam or bristle brush. Nail the soffit into place and replace the trim you’ve removed. Cut a new fascia board and replace it. (Warning: This requires careful measuring to get the right size!) Now prime all four surfaces of this board. Seal the end cuts and install it, then nail up the shingle molds along the fascia.

Sound like a LOT of work? IT IS! The process is extremely convoluted for anyone who isn’t a skilled tradesman. What might take a novice several days could be done in an afternoon by an Marietta Georgia painting contractor. Therefore, you may want to track down a contractor to meet your needs. Not only will your home look totally renovated and newer, but more importantly, you will be protecting your home from premature aging as a result of water and rot damage.

Buying your first home is exciting. No more rental payments to a landlord making money for someone else. Instead, you are purchasing your own home and investing in yourself. Money paid to your home mortgage is really investing in your future. It is no wonder that first time home buyers are so excited, sometimes so excited that they make mistakes. There are a few common mistakes of first time home buyers, which with some knowledge and direction can be avoided.

First of all, it is always good to research the housing market and see what is out there. Yes, the very first house you look at may look like its perfect, but there are others out there for sale too. Be sure to at least look at a few before deciding on the one you want to buy.

Watch the cost of the home, do not be swayed into thinking that you can not barter down the cost of the house, you probably can.

Insist on a home inspection by a qualified inspector. There are plenty of people who will provide you with a home warranty when you buy their house and try to sway you from having the house inspected.

Having a home warranty is important and many first time home buyers just don’t know that they should or could get one when they are buying an older home. Home warranties are not a new product; they’ve been around for many years, but many people think that they are for new homes only, not realizing that they can be purchased for older homes as well.

A home warranty makes great sense when you are purchasing an older home – you just don’t know the house very well until you’ve lived in it. A home warranty protects first time home buyers from major expenses for repairs and replacements that could come up.

A first time home buyer can make a major mistake if he or she does not understand that if something goes wrong, they are fully responsible to fix it. There is no landlord to call and the costs are all theirs to bear. This is one of the major reasons it is so important to invest in a home warranty when you purchase an older home. If any major repairs need to happen, most often the home warranty will cover the costs, making owning a home much more feasible.

When looking for a home warranty, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what you are looking for. When you talk to an agent, there are many questions that you need to ask to be sure you know what level of warranty you are getting. Questions to ask include:

What is covered with the home warranty? Most often the electrical system, plumbing system, heating system, cooling system/air conditioning, and major appliances that are covered under the warranty.

What is excluded from coverage with the home warranty? Most often this includes outdoor water, including the sprinkler system, faucet repairs, hot tubs, pools, spas and costs of hauling away debris and old appliances.

What are the rates/premiums? How much will you have to pay for the home warranty?

What is the deductible on the home warranty? The deductible is how much you will have to pay when you make a claim. Most often the deductible is $50, this amount will be deducted from the overall cost of the reparations paid by the warranty company.

How long is the warranty active for? Most often home warranties are offered in one year terms.

Is the warranty renewable at the end of the term? If you’ve purchased it yourself as the buyer, it is likely renewable. However, if the seller purchased the home warranty, it will not be renewable.

What are the terms of the warranty? When will the warranty be void? Most often if you’ve misused the item, or if it is not up to code or not installed properly, your warranty will be void and will not cover any reparations.

How are claims handled?

How do I make a claim?

With the above information, first time home buyers can avoid some of the serious mistakes that are usually made, and then go through with their home purchase knowledgeable and safe from the fall out of a potentially serious mistake. Mistakes such as the ones listed above can land a first time home owner in serious debt paying for repairs they were not prepared for financially. Owning a home of your own is very exciting, especially a first home, but make sure you go into it with your eyes open, your finances secure and a plan for the future should a problem rise with one of the major components of the home.

Home remodeling is, without doubt, an exciting prospect for many homeowners. The advances made in materials, techniques and the increasing number of companies presenting such services has caused an upsurge in this field. Nowadays, if you are interested in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, there are plenty of companies to choose from. And what’s even more fascinating is that they can all be found online. With just a few clicks on the mouse and several keystrokes, you can find yourself a home remodeling company.

Let’s think about it for a moment. Home remodeling requires time and effort you cannot afford to give. Improving your home is a must, especially if you want to keep up with the latest tendencies in furniture and utilities. With the aid of experts in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, you can transform something old into something new. And this goes for other rooms in your house. Home remodeling can be applied to your dining room, living room and even your closet. It’s amazing what these guys can do with very little space, you can be sure! A home remodeling company is the first step towards a new, dream-like home.

If you need to be up-to-date, then you better head to the great World Wide Web and search for someone to help you with home remodeling. The kitchen is the room you want to look nice, if not fabulous. Many people have become interested in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, thanks to the newly introduced materials. Granite countertops are amongst the most popular choices, offering an elegant look to the kitchen while revealing their durability. There are no other countertops more attractive than those made from granite. Sure, you’ll need a team of experts (home remodeling company) to install them in your kitchen!

Continuing with the home remodeling concept, we stop once again in the kitchen. After all, this is the place where you eat three meals a day and enjoy quality time with your family. When it comes to kitchen and bathroom remodeling, custom cabinets are often preferred by most people. Why? Because there are hundreds of choices out there and all of them equally attractive. Having the right team to work on your home remodeling project means you will also be offered important advice whereas custom cabinets are concerned. Apart from installing them, they can show the best finish options along with trims and configurations. You will definitely understand why their help is invaluable.

Flooring is a very important part of any home remodeling project. Depending on your budget and personal preferences, you can choose between several types of flooring. The most popular is wood flooring, being quite easy to install and durable on long term. However, if you are on a tight budget, you had better consider other types of flooring. The team of experts will put forward several suggestions and you can select any you decide. Home remodeling is a complex term and you will have to discuss all aspects involved, including those related to decoration and various architectural elements.

The bathroom is probably one of the very first rooms you think about redecorating. Now, you should start by searching for a company specialized in kitchen and bathroom remodeling. Then, draw up a project with a specialist. Discuss about the things you want to replace and the new fixture you plan on installing. For example, you can choose brass bathroom fixtures, combining them with those made from nickel or chrome. Make sure that ask the specialists to repair or change everything that is broken, taking care to listen to their recommendations for the project. Perhaps you want a jetted tub or underneath floor heating (maintaining the room temperature, especially during the winter time).

Add fresh colors, change the arrangement of everything and choose new accessories. Bathroom remodeling is fun once you have a team of specialists ready to help you out. They can make each and every room of your house look fantastic! Haven’t you started to search for a home remodeling company yet? It’s high time you did!