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This time of year, you can rarely drive down the street without seeing houses adorned in fake spider webs, carved pumpkins, and giant inflatable monsters. If you want to make your house the most festive on the block, make sure you take advantage of these ideas for decorating your home for Halloween.

Hiding Behind the Trees

Buy a few sets of skeleton hands or make some out of clay and molds and attach them to the tree trucks around your home. This way, it will look as if something scary is hiding behind the tree ready to come out and grab you!

DIY Graveyard

Pick up some foam or styrofoam boards from your local craft store, paint them gray, and spray a weatherproof sealant over them to create tombstones. Insert wood rods through them and stick them in the ground to create a spooky graveyard on your lawn.

Floating Witch Hats

Get a few costume witch hats and some battery-pack-operated lights. Attach the lights to the inside of the hats and use fishing line or clear wire to hang the hats from tree limbs.

Monster Door

Vertically attach green, black, purple, and white streamers to the top of your front door to create hair, and tape a streamer horizontally lower down on the door to create a mouth. Color paper plates to make scary eyes and two more pieces of streamers to make angry eyebrows. Ta-da, your front door is a monster waiting to welcome trick-or-treaters.

 

To keep your home’s exterior beautiful year-round, call the experts at JM Roofing & Siding today! The siding our experts install will protect your home, save energy, improve the appearance and enhance the value of your property.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today!

After years and years of coming home to your house every day, you can start to get tired of seeing the same colored siding. When that’s the case, we are often asked what can be done. Well, you typically have two options: you can replace your siding entirely or go the alternate route and paint your siding.

With the right preparation and color choice, you can be well on your way to a brand new look for your home.

Tips for Painting Your Siding

Clean It

Before you paint your vinyl siding, you need to make sure that it’s completely free of dirt, mildew, or other grime. This ensures the paint will stick to your siding. You can clean your siding by either by hand, using a sponge and a mix of one part bleach to 10 parts water, or your can carefully power wash it.

If it’s your first time power-washing, don’t stress! We have some great tips for power washing your siding.

Prime It

This really only needs to be done if you have porous or pitted siding that could absorb the paint rather allow it to sit atop the vinyl. Otherwise, you shouldn’t have to prime your siding.

Choosing Paint

You can’t just use any paint here. In order to ensure the paint sticks to your siding well and last longs, you need to choose good-quality paint that is meant for exterior use on vinyl. You should also take weather into account when choosing the color of your paint.

Heat from sunlight can cause paint to warp if the color is more heat-absorbing. It’s best to speak to a side or paint expert to have them help you decide on the best color for function and style.

 

When it comes to changing up your siding, don’t hesitate to contact JM Roofing & Siding today! The siding our experts install will protect your home, save energy, improve the appearance and enhance the value of your property.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today!

Different kinds of siding need different kinds of maintenance. When you have vinyl siding, you should keep it in good condition by washing the dirt off of it every so often — but what do you use to wash it? In an effort to save a little time and effort, some homeowners try to power wash their siding. However, if that’s the route you plan on taking, you need to make sure you’re doing it the right way in order to keep your siding safe.

Tips for Power Washing Your Siding

Wear the Right Safety Gear

Protect yourself from any dirt or water that can come flying back at you while you’re power washing. Be sure to put on a long sleeved shirt, a face mask, gloves, and safety goggles before powering on the power washing.

Cover All Electrical Areas

Water and electricity don’t mix, so make sure to cover any outdoor outlets, lights, or other electrical items before power washing.

Remove Mold by Hand

If there are smaller spots of mold or mildew clinging to your siding, it’s best to clean it off by hand using a sponge and a mix of warm water and bleach — 10 parts water and one part bleach. This way, your power washer will have an easier time cleaning your siding.

Start on a Low Setting

In order to prevent the power washer from damaging your siding, start out by using  a low pressure setting. If you find that the dirt and grime is not being removed by that spray setting, you can gradually increase the intensity.

Spray Smart

Start at the bottom on your home, and spray the cleaning solution in a side-to-side motion to avoid leaving spray marks. You should also work in small sections so you can more effectively clean your siding. Once you’re done spraying, let the cleaning solution sit on your siding for a few minutes.

Rinse Top to Bottom

Whereas you started at the bottom to spray the cleaning solution onto your home, to rinse your home, start at the top and work your way down. This way, all the dirty water is going to flow down to a spot you’re going to wash away anyway.

 

Don’t hesitate to contact JM Roofing & Siding today! The siding our experts install will help protect your home, save you energy, improve your home’s appearance, and enhance the value of your property.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today!

 

When you picture wood siding on a home, what comes to mind? For some people, it’s the rounded timbers of a log cabin, while others (surprisingly) think of plain plywood boards. We’re happy to say that wood siding doesn’t involve either of those things — although those log cabins are pretty cool.

In reality, wood siding offers a lot of benefits for your home.

The Truth About Wood Siding

Wood Siding Comes in a Lot of Styles

If you want your home to stand out from the neighborhood crowd, wood siding has plenty of styles to help.

• Clapboards: These are long horizontal pieces that slightly overlap each other. The more popular woods used for this style are redwood and cedar.
• Rectangular Planking: This style is typically used for more modern homes and is similar to clapboards, except that the boards here don’t overlap.
• Shingles: Wood shingles are cut uniformly by machines and are applied to your home from the ground up so they overlap with each other.
• Shakes: Similar to shingles, shakes are small and overlap on your home. The main difference is that the pieces used for shakes are hand-split so they vary in size.
• Vertical Planks: This style features non-overlapping wood and is mostly popular with gothic revival-style homes.

Wood Siding is a Good Insulator

Remember those log cabins we mentioned? There’s a reason you see them a lot in cold areas. Wood is a natural insulator so it can help keep heat inside your home during the winter, helping lower your utility bills in the process.

Wood Needs to Be Maintained

It’s the one major catch to wood siding — wood needs a bit of maintenance. Every few years, you should repaint and reseal the wood in order to keep it in good condition. The upside to that is, if it’s maintained properly, wood siding can last a lifetime!

 

To find out if wood siding is a good choice for you and your home, contact JM Roofing & Siding today for a FREE siding estimate!

When it comes to roofing, there’s a lot more going on then just shingles and tiles. Many homeowners aren’t familiar with a lot of roofing terms, but we can help you with that. Being in the know can go a long way when it comes to your home.

10 Roofing Terms You May Not Know

Pitch, Hips, Ridges, and Valleys

These terms refer to the angles and shapes on your roof. A pitch is the angle or slope of your roof. A hip is an outward facing angle, a ridge is the peaks, and the valleys are inward angles.

Flashing and Ridge Vents

Flashings are the metal pieces you can see around chimneys or vents. It prevents water from getting into the seams. Ridge vents are metal or shingles that cover the peaks to release hot air to help with attic ventilation.

Surface Materials

These are the materials that are on the outside of the roof. Shingles, tiles, slate, metal, and many more options are available for surface materials. We offer a variety of options.

Underlayment

This is the waterproof materials between your surface material and sheathing. Its usually treated felt.

Sheathing

Sheathing is the boards that sit on the roof trusses or the rafters. Usually, it is made up of plywood.

Fire Rating

This term is used to show your roofs ability to retard fires. There is a class A, B, C, and unrated.

 

When it comes to repairing or replacing a roof we understand it can be difficult. Terms for your roof shouldn’t make it even harder.

 

As your local roofing company, we provide the services you need to keep a highly functioning roof over your head. Call us today and we can take care of your home’s roofing needs.

 

It is our experience that not every DIY homeowner is the same — not everyone has immediate access to specific information, particularly when it comes to roof repair. What comes naturally to a few DIY homeowners might not come naturally to others. That is why we feel it is only right to present a few, simple roof repair tips to help those who need some help.

Four Simple Roof Repair Jobs

1) Do you see any water stains across your ceiling or down your walls? That is the result of a roof leak somewhere. There is a link that can help you fix the problem with little to no fuss. Click http://bit.ly/2CFwT1x — it takes you step-by-step with pictures and everything!

2) You can do replace your shingles. Do you see some damage or missing pieces? That means the problem is localized to one area. The idea is to find the area and fix it. Patchwork is a common thread with roof repair, but make sure your new patches match the ones you already have. The last thing you want is for your roof to look uneven.

3) You can do a partial re-roofing. In our experience, that job is better left to a DIY homeowner who has experience and knowledge with the work. Those who are new to DIY homeowner repairs should not attempt this.

4) You might need to replace the whole roof. That is a job better left to our staff. If you’re not well-versed in roof repairs, you could actually end up doing more harm than good.

Two Tips To Keep In Mind

1) Wear gloves to protect your hands.

2) Keep a putty knife handy and discard any loose shingles that you find.

If your roof requires a bit more work than you can provide, trust the experts at JM Roofing and Siding to help you affordably make the repairs or replacement you need.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today!

The siding on a home is more important than many people give it credit for. It helps protect your home from outdoor elements, and it even helps with your aesthetic and curb appeal. If you want to learn more about siding, specifically vinyl siding, we have a few facts you may not know about.

4 Vinyl Siding Facts You May Not Know

1. It’s Easy Maintenance

Vinyl siding is one of the easiest siding materials to care for. For instance, siding options like wood require sanding, staining, repairing — the list goes on and on. Vinyl siding doesn’t need anything near the amount of upkeep.

Another plus? It can endure winds of up to 110 miles per hour!

2. It’s Affordable

Vinyl siding also just so happens to be the more affordable option as well. Wood siding, brick, and fiber cement all tend to run a little higher due to installation costs and maintenance upkeep.

3. It has Polyvinyl Chloride

One thing many homeowners don’t realize is that vinyl siding is engineered with polyvinyl chloride — hence the name vinyl. Polyvinyl chloride was made in the 1950’s as a competitor for aluminum siding, and today it’s the third most popular synthetic plastic polymer!

4. It’s Durable and Versatile

We experience a wide array of different weather changes here in Connecticut. And because of that, we need material that’s going to last — and vinyl siding definitely will! Vinyl siding expands and contracts in order to accommodate the changing temperatures each season.

If any of these facts enticed you to consider installing vinyl siding, don’t hesitate to contact JM Roofing & Siding today! Our local siding company can protect your home, save energy, improve the appearance and enhance the value of your property.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today!

A new roof gives you a chance to completely revamp your home. And although it’s an exciting time, it’s also a big decision — one you will live with for quite some time. So where do you start? Once you’ve figured out the roofing material and style you’re interested in, it’s time to choose a color.

Ways To Help You Choose The Right Roof Color

1. Consider your architectural style.

Every home has a style — is your home Spanish, Mediterranean, Colonial, or Contemporary? Depending on the style of your home, different colors will match better. For instance, tile roofing may look better on Spanish and Mediterranean homes while a simple grey roof better suits a traditional home.

2. Match your exterior features.

Take a good look at the exterior of your home and consider all of the colors and tones when choosing your roof color — the siding color, shutters, and flower boxes all come into play.

3. Remember that sunlight can play a factor.

Different locations and times of the day can also affect the way your roof looks. The sunlight in northern states has more of a bluish tone; southern states receive more red sunlight.

4. Dark roofs absorb more heat.

It’s important to know that homes with darker shingles are 10 to 20 degrees warmer than homes that have light shingles. So, if you live in an area with high temperatures year round, it may be best to opt for a more light color.

If you are in the market to update your roof, contact JM Roofing & Siding. We will help you with a wide variety of residential roofing services, including new roof installation, roof replacement, roof repair, and general roofing services.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today for a FREE roof installation estimate!

We love living on the East Coast, but it’s sunny and beautiful one day and rainy the next — and sometimes our homes just can’t keep up.

The frequent weather changes we experience also means a long list of home repairs. Here’s how to show your home’s siding some TLC throughout the year.

1. Keep it clean.

One deep cleaning a year is all it takes. If you forget to schedule a cleaning, things like dirt, mildew, and mold can build up and downgrade your home’s curb appeal.

2. Use a power washer.

Using a power washer can help make the cleaning process a breeze. Keep the stream at eye level and point it directly at the siding (not at an angle). Also, be careful of your windows, doors, and plumbing fixtures.

3. Avoid using certain products.

Products that contain organic solvents, undiluted chlorine bleach, furniture polish, or anything else not made for siding is off limits. Also, don’t use any abrasive scrubbers.

4. Inspect your siding.

Your siding is outside 24/7 — it’s bound to get damaged by mother nature at least once or twice during its lifespan. This is why it’s important to check your siding for any chipped paint, caulking, or moisture. If you happen to find any damage, leave the repairs and replacement to a professional.

Adding siding to your house is one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make. A new installation immediately increases the curb appeal of your home. Protecting your house from the elements reduces the time and money you’ll spend on maintenance due to the effects of harsh weather.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today for a FREE siding estimate!

Thinking about adding vinyl siding to your home? Good choice. It’s weather-resistant, rot-resistant, and comes in a wide variety of colors.

All the positive features aside, you still need a trustworthy and reputable contractor to install it properly. Trust us, you’ll know if your vinyl siding was incorrectly placed — you can spot the issues from a mile away.

Signs To Watch Out For

Warping

Vinyl siding must be hung from fasteners in order to allow room for expansion. If a contractor installs the fasteners too tightly, it can warp and buckle.

In order to see if your siding is warping, go outside and check to see if the individual pieces are able to wiggle about half an inch from one another. If they aren’t, then it was installed too tightly.

Moisture

Vinyl siding is not supposed to be tightly secured against your home, which means it will never be completely waterproof. That is, unless, you discuss with your contractor to install a moisture barrier under the siding!

If no moisture barrier was installed, water can easily build up and damage the exterior of your home.

Mold

If you end up with moisture you’ll end up with mold eventually as well. A good siding installer can help advise you of your options under this circumstance.

Whether your siding was installed improperly or not, issues can still arise that require a professional hand. The siding our fully licensed and insured technicians install will protect your home, save energy, improve the appearance and enhance the value of your property.

Contact JM Roofing & Siding today for a FREE siding estimate!