Author: oi_admin

Basement leakage is the most common problem found in houses, and over 90% of all basements are found to leak and suffer damage at one time or another. Evidence of moisture penetration can be found in almost every house. A house with water problems does not necessarily mean it was poorly constructed. Water can appear in even the best built home.

When it comes time to sell, it’s important that your home stacks up well against the competition. In order to have it look its best, renovations are sometimes necessary.

The key to generating a decent return on your investment is to renovate in line with other homes in your area. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you’re thinking of renovating:

1. Get Cracking – The kitchen will often yield the greatest return on investment. A welcoming kitchen that’s functional and up-to-date will be very attractive to buyers.

2. Clean Up – The bathroom is the second most important room in the home in terms of valuation so renovating an existing bathroom or installing an additional one pays off.

3. Landscaping – Adding a few perennials is an easy way to improve your home’s curb appeal. A few well-placed trees and shrubs will reduce utility costs by providing shade and shelter.

Homeowners should try to achieve a balance between their individual wants/needs and by making sure they don’t pour money down the drain. Improvements should be an investment, not an expense.

As the roof surface ages, it wears and becomes less and less reliable. Eventually it may leak.

But not only old roofs leak. One of the most common causes of roof failures is poor workmanship during installation. The reason this is not readily apparent is that it often takes a few years for a poor installation to manifest itself in a leak. By this time it is all too easy to point the finger at wear and tear.

A leaking roof can be disruptive and costly, causing damage to interior finishes. In some cases it is easy to determine the cause and in other cases it can be difficult to diagnose. In some cases a roof leak will only occur with specific weather conditions. Let’s try to make some sense of this mystery.

Sloped Roofs Shed Water
Sloped roof systems are designed to shed water from one shingle to the next down to the roof edge. Sloped roof systems are not waterproof. Understanding this concept is the first step to understanding how a roof can leak. Flat roof systems, on the other hand, are designed to be waterproof.

It’s All About the Flashing
Roofs don’t normally leak in the middle of a field of shingles or tiles. They leak where there is a roof penetration such as a skylight, chimney, dormer or roof/wall intersection. These critical areas are kept from leaking with flashing. Flashing is usually made up of pieces of metal that are configured so water will shed across the gap between the roof penetration and the roof surface. In many cases, roof leaks can be traced to poorly installed or worn flashing. If you have a roof that leaks, the flashing is the most likely culprit.

Wind and Rain
Roof systems should be designed and installed to accommodate your local climate. On the other hand, it is possible for a perfectly installed and maintained roof to leak given the right combination of wind and rain. Recall that sloped roof surfaces are not waterproof but shed water down the roof.

Ice
In cold climates, ice can cause a perfectly good roof surface to leak. Ice can block the flow of water to the edge of the roof or to the drain. Water can then back up under the shingles and start to leak into the house.