It’s Your Last Chance - Get Ready for the Leaves

Enjoy the gorgeous foliage while it lasts because before you know it, all those colorful leaves will be clogging up your gutters and covering your lawn. Yes, we all love the picturesque change of seasons, but the clean-up can be a killer. So this weekend, get your house prepped to make the job as easy as possible and save your lower back some pain and suffering.

In the winter months, gutters perform the very important function of carrying melted ice and snow away from the roof. They prevent ice dams and other wet weather issues that can cause leaks in your home. The problem is that if your gutters are clogged up with leaves, the water can’t properly drain, which means it will end up in one of three places. If it’s very cold, the water will freeze into dangerous, heavy icicles which can pull your whole gutter system down. If it’s warm enough for the ice to melt, it will end up seeping into your roof, causing leaks in your attic, ceilings or walls, or it will overflow over the gutters and pour down into the foundation, causing leaks in the basement. None of these scenarios are cheap to fix, but they are all entirely preventable.

If you get a lot of falling leaves on your property, I recommend having gutter shields installed on your home. Gutter shields can be made of metal mesh or plastic and can either work as a filter or a complete gutter cover. The type of guard you choose will depend on your home and needs, and installation can be done by a professional contractor in one day. For those of you who are handy around the house, you can even install them yourself -  provided you have safety equipment and feel comfortable on a roof. It’s important to note that if your gutters are very old or have been not been maintained properly, you may not be able to cover them.

If gutter shields aren’t an option for you, you can also get your gutters cleaned, which should be done at least four times per year.  Many homeowners tackle this job themselves, but it can be both difficult and dangerous. I suggest hiring a professional, who can not only clean the gutters but can also do a quick inspection to ensure your gutters are in good working order and ready for the winter. Whenever I do a gutter cleaning or gutter guard installation, I always look for leakage warning signs and report them back to the homeowner so they are aware of any potential problems before they happen.

Once your gutters are ready for the leaves, you can think about your yard. Raking is one of my least favorite jobs around the house, so I use my sit down mower to go around the yard, sucking up the leaves and chopping them up into mulch that we use in our garden. If you don’t mind doing the job manually, make sure you get a good ergonomic rake to protect your back and don’t fill your bags up to the point where you’re struggling to lift them. An autumn cleanup isn’t worth a trip to the emergency room.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Jobs to Tick Off the List Before Fall

Now is a great time to get working on any home improvement jobs before the cooler weather sets in. Whether it’s taking preventative measures to make sure the ice and snow doesn’t do a number on your home or just routine repairs that you’be been putting off, these next few weeks will be the perfect time to give your house a spruce up.

Probably the most important home maintenance job for this time of year is to take a look at your gutters. Before we know it, tree debris will be falling and the leaves will be clogging up gutters and downspouts. If you’ve ever thought about installing gutter guards on your home, now is the time to do it. They will protect your gutters from the leaves and help you to avoid that cumbersome autumn clean-out.

One of my favorite ways to update a home is to install a new entry door. A lot of houses in our area still have wood doors, which are prime for serious heat leakage. Installing a new door made from fiberglass will help to retain warmth and give you a great, contemporary style. They even come in wood grain or solid color finishes to keep with the look and feel of your current exterior.

Now is also one of the best times to look at vinyl siding, which can dramatically improve the appearance of your home while reducing overall maintenance and upkeep. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one third of new homes in the U.S. are built with vinyl siding, and that number continues to rise every year. Why? Vinyl siding is durable, long lasting and comes in a variety of finishes to suit a homeowner's personal style. My favorite part is that it never has to be painted or stained, and there is no rotting or insect problems that can come with traditional wood cladding.

Finally, with winter on the way, it's time to take a look at your windows. When I visit a house, I will often use a thermal camera to see how much heat is being lost, and old wood sash windows are one of the main culprits. New vinyl windows are great in terms of energy efficiency and heat loss reduction, and at our house, we love the tilt in sashes for easy cleaning.

Being a homeowner requires a lot of maintenance, but the investment is worth it to keep you and your family comfortable all year round. It's also key to ensure you get the best possible price on your home if you ever decide to put it up for sale.

What is your favorite tip for giving your house a facelift? I'd love to hear from you. Happy Labor Day everyone!

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Get Your Gutters Prepped Before Autumn Leaves Fall

It may only be the second week of August, but soon we will be seeing the early signs of autumn. Do you know what that means? Every homeowner’s favorite job, leaf maintenance, is right around the corner.

Over the next two months, leaves, branches, and other debris will begin falling from the trees, onto your roof and down into your gutters, building up over time. As winter approaches, this buildup can lead to the formation of ice dams, a heavy mass of ice that settles on the edge of your roof where the gutters are installed.

The main job of a gutter is to create a pathway for water to move away from your home and through a downspout to deposit in a safe place away from your foundation. This system is vital to a home; it makes sure water can flow freely and not cause leaks in your roof, attic, and walls. But if your gutters are blocked up, the water has nowhere to go and has no choice but to flow over, creeping up into your roof shingles and down through your siding. This kind of damage is costly to repair and entirely preventable. So get your gloves on and let’s get to it.

To give your gutters a good clean you’ll need a ladder, a lawn bag or bucket, a small hand rake and a hose. Don’t be tempted to spray debris down the downspout with water; it’s likely that branches and leaves will get stuck inside, which will then clog it up and leave you with a whole new mess to deal with.  Start at the downspout opening and work your way backward, collecting gunk away from the downspout and disposing it into your bucket. Work in small sections and don’t let your bag get too heavy – it could throw you off balance and land you in the emergency room. While you’re making your way around the house, check for any gutter damage, such as sections coming loose. You want to make sure you get those fixed while the weather is good. Once you’ve finished the cleaning, you can give each section a good spray with the hose to check and make sure the water is running through and you don’t have any hidden build-up in those downspouts.

If gutter cleaning is a job you’d rather not take on, hire a contractor to complete the maintenance and then speak to them about putting gutter guards on your home. These wire or mesh overlays are installed on top of the gutter and prevent debris from entering the channel in the first place. They offer a great solution to a messy job and will provide you with peace of mind for years to come. You’ll want to get them installed now, before the first signs of autumn, to make sure your home is prepared for the onset of the fall leaves.

To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.