Winter Roofing To-Do List

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When winter arrives, there are an array of different things that need to be done throughout your property to make sure it’s all set for the change in climate. From bringing in furniture from the yard to making sure your roof is ready for the winter, doing these things will make your life better in the long run! With thanksgiving coming tomorrow, it already feels like winter here in New England. As a roofing company, we want to make everyone aware of these tips to help your roof stay more comfortable this winter season.

1. Cutback Tree Limbs: Trees are beautiful and they are great to have on your property but they can cause problems if not handled correctly. During the winter, the added pressure from snow and ice leads to tree branches breaking off and crashing down to ground. To help against this, identify any branches that are hanging over your home. Cutting these back can prevent branches falling on your roof.

2. Gutter Cleaning: There are so many benefits of cleaning your gutters but it becomes even more important this time of the year. If your gutters and roof are filled with leaves, and other debris, the entire integrity of your roofing system can become compromised. It’s not something that you think about but, clogged gutters can actually affect your yard and damage your foundation. Downspouts are used to feed water away from your house and are actually extremely important for your house.

3. Roof Repairs: Vulnerabilities in your roof become exposed further during the winter because ice and snow add additional strains on your roof. If you notice a missing shingle or anything else off about your roof, this is the time to make those repairs!

4. Attic Insulation: Whenever you work to cool your house during the summer and warm it up during the winter, insulation is crucial. Go up to your attic and make sure this loose. at your insulation is in tact. Replace or add more insulation if you notice insulation missing, insulation that is wet, insulation that is moldy or insulation that loose.

5. Contact a Roofing Company: Roofing companies work throughout the winter and often have great deals because their work slows down during this period. If you need roofing help, don’t try to fix it yourself, and contact a professional!

For more information about Mario’s Roofing, please feel free to reach out. We can be contacted over the phone at 781-344-2420. Our team is a leading exterior construction company that provides replacements and new installations of all our products.

 

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Main Benefits of Cleaning Your Gutters

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The gutters on your home may look small in comparison to the rest of your house, but they yield so many different uses! To enjoy all of the benefits that come along with properly working gutters, you have to make sure they aren’t clogged and full of leaves, dirt and other debris. Listed below are all the main benefits of making sure you clean your gutters.

1. Preventing Water Damage: 

This may be the most important reason to clean your gutters! A clog can lead to water buildup in your gutters that leaks over and floods your foundation. Gutters are built to flow water off your roof and away from your foundation. Along with foundation damage, roof leaks occur which means potential damage to your ceiling, walls and more!

2. Eliminating Potential Nesting Place For Pests: 

All those leaves, twigs and debris that build up in your gutters is a picture perfect nesting ground for various pests like rats, mice, and birds. Keeping these animals away from your house is the best way to keep them out of your house!

3. Extend the Life of Your Roof: 

Clogged Gutters during the winter-time is just asking for ice dams. That means ice will build up and add a lot of unnecessary weight and stress on your roof.

4. Preventing Landscape Destruction:

People put a lot of hard work into their landscaping to make sure it’s kept up with! But, did you know clogged gutters can actually compromise all the time and effort that you put into your landscaping? Specifically, the water buildup can lead to soil erosion and destruction of flowers, and plants.

Increase the life of your roof, make sure the structure of your house is in-tact and reduce landscape damage all by cleaning your gutters!

If your gutters are damaged, or old and you need new ones, contact Mario’s Roofing. Our team installs customer copper gutters and aluminum gutters & downspouts throughout much of Eastern Massachusetts.

Is It Time To Upgrade The Siding On My Home?

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As a siding company, we install brand new siding and transform homes every single day. We transform homes bringing them back to life and the residents that we work with are always thrilled with their decision. But, for some many homeowners out there, they simply don’t upgrade their siding even when they should.

Siding is an asset of your home that should not be overlooked. For some reason, homeowners forget about it and it carries more weight in terms of curb appeal over any other part of your home. So, being a homeowner, explore the following reasons that it’s time to upgrade the siding on your home.

1. Frequent Repainting: If your home is covered by cedar wood and needs to be frequently repainted, this can be a pain and a hit to your wallet. Paint on cedar siding should last anywhere from 5-10 years. If you’re finding that it needs to be painted at a far more frequent rate than this, it may be time to replace your siding.

2. Bubbling / Blistering Siding: If your siding isn’t of the highest quality, it can start to bubble or blister when getting exposed to high amounts of heat. If the bubbling and blistering are happening at a high rate around your home, it may be time to replace.

3. Interior Paint or Wallpaper Peeling: If the siding on your home is letting moisture in, then it’s pretty clear there is something wrong. One really easy way to tell this is if the paint or wallpaper inside your house starts to peel. If you ignore this, far more widespread issues can arise down the line.

4. Dry Rot: It’s not always visible to the naked eye, but take the back end of a screwdriver and tap different areas of your home’s siding. The top layer of the siding will be intact, you’ll be able to tell fairly quickly if the siding is in trouble.

5. Loose and cracked siding: Walk around your house and inspect the siding. If you’ve noticed your siding is coming off the wall or that cracks are popping up, that is certainly not good! If this is an isolated instance, you should be fine, but if it’s more widespread, you should consider a more long-term solution.

If you are considering new siding, be sure to get the opinion of an expert. Mario’s Roofing provides inspections and free estimates, so there is no reason not to ask for help.

If you live in the South Eastern Massachusetts area, be sure to ask Mario’s Roofing for help. We can be contacted over the phone at (781) 344-2420 or through our online contact form.

Metal Roofing: Pros and Cons

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If you are tired of maintenance issues with your current shingled roof, or are just looking to update your home to a new aesthetic, then you may have looked into metal roofing as an option. Metal roofing has risen to become increasingly more trendy over the pass few years, with homeowners buying into its subtly industrious look and its many benefits. But is it right for you? Check out these 3 pros and cons to find out.

Pro: It’s Lifespan

Metal roofs tend to last for long periods of time, with companies placing warranties on them that last from 20-50 years. With its simple structure and resistance to fire, insects, mildew and rot, metal roofs usually dominate in longevity.

Con: It’s Cost

Metal roofs are a significant investment, and come with a premium price due to it’s longevity. It may be worth it if you plan on owning your home for the long run, but if you are going to leave in the next few years it may not be worth the investment.

Pro: Less Weight

Metal roofs are light, allowing you to offset the cost of the roof itself by saving on the support structure required underneath. This also makes them easier to install, saving you a day or two, provided that you find the right contractor.

Con: Denting

While metal roofs handle snow with ease, hailstorms are another problem. Sufficiently heavy debris that fall on metal roofs can cause dents, leaving a mark that doesn’t necessarily result in structural damage, but is highly visible. Copper and aluminum roofs are more prone to this, whereas steel is more resistant.

Pro: Heat Conduction

Metal radiates heat, reducing heat gain during hot summer months. And while the material itself is low on insulation, rigid foam insulation can easily solve this problem.

Con: Warping

Metal expands and contracts, and responds strongly to temperature. Therefore, if installed improperly, it can bend and change shape overtime, exposing seams and reducing sealage. To avoid this, make sure you install fastening systems that allow for movement.

It is important that when you ultimately make your choice, that you do so with a strong understanding of the positives and negatives of metal roofing. To learn more about whether metal roofing is for you, contact us at Mario’s Roofing Siding and Windows. We have several years of experience with all different types of roofs, and have the knowledge and expertise required to select and install the right roof for you.

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Benefits of Slate Roofing

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Mario’s Roofing provides homeowners with other roofing options outside of asphalt. From rubber and metal to slate roofing, we suggest that homeowners explore all the ways they can remodel there home. Today, we want to go into detail and educate our customers with some of the benefits of slate roofing. What is it? Why is it special? Read below to learn more!

Main Benefits From Having a Slate Roof

The Unique Appearance: One of the main reasons that so many homeowners are drawn to slate roofs is the beauty. There is no other roofing material on the market that has the ability to class up a house like slate. Explore all the sizes and colors that you can use for your slate roofing installation.

Lifespan: The average asphalt roof needs to be replaced every 20 – 30 years. Slate roofs are built to last a century! In fact, you can reasonably expect for your roof to last up to 150 years.

Eco-Friendly: Roofing waste accounts for nearly 5 percent of all waste that gets put into landfills. With a majority of the waste being thrown into landfills is asphalt, slate is a more eco-friendly choice.

Fire Resistance: While many roofs do a good job against fire, slate is the most fire-resistant option out of all of them. Slate, being a type of rock is actually completely fireproof. There are extra things like this that add another level of protection for your family.

Contact Mario’s Roofing to learn more about how slate roofing can help transform your home. For more information, please feel free to reach out. We can be contacted over the phone at (781) 344-2420 or through our online contact form.

 

Common Reasons Why Roofs Fail

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The bottom line is that every roof that a house has will eventually fail and need to be replaced. However, many roofs fail far earlier than others and there are reasons for that. If you’re wondering why your roof hasn’t lasted as long as your neighbors and they were installed at a similar time explore below:

1. Faulty Installation 

If you’re paying an inexperienced company to save a couple bucks, we hope you understand the serious risk that you are taking. There are bound to be mistakes made during the installations process causing your roof to falter after some period of time.

2. Neglect

Proper maintenance on all facets of your home will ensure that they last for as long as possible. If you don’t take care of your roof it will fail. That means making timely repairs when needed, cleaning your gutters and removing debris and branches that accumulate on your roof.

3. Lacking Ventilation

Adequate ventilation in your roof allows your roof and attic area to stay at a reasonable temperature. With improper ventilation, the temperature can warp and damage your roof over time. A trusted and skilled contractor will ensure that ventilation is set up properly during a roof install.

4. New England Weather

Living in New England, we all know that the weather can be harsh at times. This is one situation that you can do the least about. To reduce the chances of a snowstorm or thunderstorm from damaging your house, make sure you don’t have any branches hanging over your house. A tree limb can cause some serious damage to your roof.

Regular roof inspections, not holding off on roof repairs and making sure a skilled and trusted roofing company similar to Mario’s Roofing is working on your house will all ensure that your roof lasts as long as it can. This will save you money in the long run and will reduce the amount of stress in your life.

For more information about our services, please feel free to reach out. Mario’s Roofing can be contacted over the phone at (781) 344-2420 or through our online contact form.

How Can Hail Affect Roofing Shingles?

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Hail isn’t the most common thing in the North East but when it happens, it’s a sight to see! For a homeowner, after you dodge falling hail, you need to understand that hail can damage your home and in particular, your roof’s shingles.

Hail damage isn’t always noticeable which can be extremely frustrating. It can cause latent damage which over time can result in your shingles to prematurely damage. Without visual damage, there is no real way to tell how much damage has occurred.

In other instances, you can tell if your roof has been damaged because of hail. Damage can be seen as indents on your roof or shingles breaking apart.

Most Common Types of Roof Damage: 

Loss of Granules: Parts of the roof that get hit by hail can see the individual granules start to fall off the shingles.

Cracks: Points of impact may radiate the shingles outward and cracks can be even more noticeable if high winds blow shingles back.

Exposed Fiberglass Mat: When hail shatters an asphalt roof, it could cause it to break away from the fiberglass mat.

Fractured Fiberglass Mat: Similar to exposing the fiberglass matt and creating cracks in the shingles, but the underlayer of fiberglass mat can also break apart due to hail damage.

The quality of roofing install and the level of shingles that are protecting your house both directly impact how any roof handles nature day in and day out. Whether you want to protect your house against hail or are looking for repairs or a replacement, be sure to work with a trusted company.

Within 2017, there was only 1 hail report around the Boston area but it was one that caused damage.

For more information about how hail could have damaged your roof or to talk with us about roofing repairs or replacements, we can be contacted over the phone at 781-344-2420 or through our online contact form.

Why Summer is the Best Time to Install Replacement Windows

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It seems obvious that window replacement should be done during the warmer months. Homes are open to the outside air, and a bulk of the work will be performed outside. In those conditions, houses will maintain a more comfortable temperature if window replacement is performed in the summer. However, there are other reasons that make summer the best time to install replacement windows. Read on to find out more.

Caulking adheres better in the warmer weather than in the cold: Ideally, caulking should be applied when the temperature ranges from 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If this is not the case, silicone may be used to apply it, but you will need to warm the caulk before applying so it will flow smoothly and evenly. If you are hiring a contractor, all this can add to time and labor costs.

Movement of substrate: Certain materials that are used in window replacement, like vinyl and aluminum, expand in warmer weather and contract in the cold. If caulk is applied to windows when the weather is cold, it could crack and split when the materials expand as temperatures increase.

Keeps Heating Bills Low: If you replace windows during the winter, and allow cold air into your house, it will make your heater work harder, driving up your heating bill.

If you do need window replacement done in the winter, do your best to try and schedule work to be done on a relatively warm day. Try to make sure your contractor is using silicone-based caulking and encourage them to use a sealant with high joint movement capability. This will help with performance as the weather gets cold.

Replacing windows during the summer is a good choice for maintaining comfort in your household and getting the most out of your installation. Aim for this season when you are thinking about window replacement. Here’s to great new windows that provide an updated appearance to your home!

Mario’s Roofing Registered the Most SureStart PLUS Warranty Jobs in 2017!

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Mario’s Roofing is happy to receive some great news from CertainTeed!

Out of all the companies in Massachusetts, we registered the most SureStart PLUS warranty jobs. We also registered the 26th highest amount in North America!

SureStart PLUS™ Coverage Details

In order to qualify for SureStart PLUS extended warranty coverage, the roof system must be installed by a contractor with an up-to-date ShingleMaster™ or SELECT ShingleMaster™ credentials

It’s important that our customers get the warranty they deserve. We are proud to have such a skilled and experienced team that installs the best asphalt roofing in the area!

Click here to learn more about this accomplishment.

Advantages of Fiber Cement Siding

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At Mario’s Roofing, we work with James Hardie for all fiber cement siding projects and customers LOVE IT! James Hardie is the leader in the fiber cement siding industry, but so many people are uneducated about the material as a whole. So… what is fiber cement and what are the advantages of choosing it?

Fiber cement siding is a wonderful alternative to traditional siding, and it’s a great replacement option for siding that is seriously weather-beaten. This kind of siding is applied to the exterior of your home, just like conventional siding. There are a wide range of colors to choose from and a number of styles. The shingles are mostly made from sand, cement, and wood fiber, and sometimes even recycled wood fiber. What you get is an incredibly durable material that can withstand the elements.

Durability: 

Fiber cement costs more than vinyl, but it’s still more affordable than cedar wood. It’s also seriously going to outlast the competition. It puts up a great defense against rain, wind, insects, and even fire. Not only is it durable, but it’s also recommended for all climates. Did you know that no matter how wet it gets, fiber cement siding will never rot? It’s also termite-resistant.

Maintenance Free: 

Thanks to this durability, fiber cement siding lowers your maintenance costs. It’s also a material that does not harm the environment, even though it cannot be recycled. Homeowners are just now opening their eyes to the benefits of fiber cement. But this material has actually been around for almost 100 years or more!

Visual Options: 

The most popular form of fiber cement planks that you’ll find today are either wood-grained or come with a smooth finish. They also come in widths of 4 to 12 inches. Because there is so much variety, it’s possible to match the current siding on your home when building an addition. You can also replace patches of your current siding without noticing the difference. It’s possible to find wall panels with vertical grooves and soffit panels.

Painting Options:

You can choose to either prime and paint your siding on the building site, or it can be done at a factory. That being said, factory-primed and painted siding comes with a warranty of up to 25 years, so that’s a huge bonus. If you’re doing the priming and painting yourself, manufacturers will ask you to use an alkaline-resistant primer, as well as a 100% acrylic top coat.

Another great thing about fiber cement is that you can change the color at a later date. Be sure to choose a water-based acrylic paint. You’re going to find that fiber cement does not contract or expand as much as wood siding, and that means that the paint is just going to endure longer. Lastly, fiber cement is available in a number of different home improvement centers and lumberyards. James Hardie is a great manufacturer to start with.