Trying to find the best siding to put on your home can be tricky. But the best type is one with an admirable style and excellent functional benefits. Instead of worrying about the brand name, you should start thinking about the manufacturing of the siding material before buying.
Vinyl Siding
Many homeowners enjoy vinyl’s look and affordability. Vinyl is a high-quality plastic that’s water resistant, and its color is in the material rather than painted on. For the most part, you can expect to pay a reasonable price for this material.
Vinyl doesn’t require much maintenance, as you can clean it with a hose without worrying about chipping paint. It’s a low-cost choice, but there are other options to consider for different looks.
Stone Veneer
Vinyl may not give tones of personality to a house, but stone veneer might. It doesn’t introduce a pop of color, but stone veneer does have a unique character in some ways. Generally, people have used stone for thousands of years, which shows it doesn’t go out of style. It only needs modifications to appear modern.
You can also go for a veneer that’s actually faux stone if you don’t want to use natural rock. The appeal of stone veneer comes from its sleek appearance. It doesn’t necessarily teleport you back in time, but it creates a timeless impression that lasts a long time.
If you aim to have faux stone veneer, you should know that this material is often cement that the manufacturer dyes another color to make it appear like authentic stone. Overall, both natural and faux stone sidings cost more than vinyl. So talk to a siding contractor in Cumming, GA about this style choice before committing to it.
Traditional Wood
Wood also proudly takes the title of being the most used siding material in the world. Wood’s a great material to use for a homey, natural appearance. If your house is rustic, it will look more appealing with wood cladding.
Like stone, wood’s also versatile in color. You can have it painted or stained. Furthermore, it’s affordable, though you should maintain it by reapplying paint or stains about once every 5 to 10 years. You need to attend to it more often, as it’s prone to warping from moisture and deteriorating due to wood-eating organisms like termites.
Fiber Cement
Fiber cement’s a cladding most common on modern homes. For that reason, you may see it more in and around cities. Cement in this style lasts a long time and doesn’t need much work. However, this cement type isn’t reminiscent of the standard concrete you’re used to—it appears more like a wood’s surface.
Keep yourself informed on the best siding choices that fit your home without worrying about the brand name.
It’s essential to find the best siding professional services near you. Bear Mountain Custom Painting provides the Atlanta metropolitan area and its surroundings with outstanding siding services focusing on the customer’s wants and needs. Contact us today; we can’t wait to collaborate and find the siding that works for you!
A house ages gracefully when it receives proper care and maintenance. If you don’t actively keep things fixed and inspected, then you risk damaging your home. Even though accidents happen, not paying attention to when problems occur leads to more expensive fixes later. If you’ve noticed corrosion in your home, that’s undoubtedly dry rot. If you’ve never heard of decay before, here’s what you and every homeowner should know about dry rot.
What Is Dry Rot?
Dry rot is a reaction that happens to lots of building material, but it mainly inhabits wood. When wood is damp and untreated, it becomes a feast for organisms like fungi. Once these organisms attach themselves to the building material, they break down the cellulose and hemicellulose. These two things help strengthen the wood. Therefore, the wood becomes weaker without them.
Is It Necessary To Check for Dry Rot?
Yes, it’s necessary to look for dry rot in your home, just as it’s essential to get rid of invasive funguses in their early stages. When inspecting a home, look for damp areas. Usually, rot occurs in basements and attics.
How To Know if You Have Dry Rot
You can tell if you have dry rot in your house by looking for damp corners. This fungus likes dark, moist areas. So contact a repair service if you notice the following signs:
Sunken wood
Silver and gray patches
Darkening wood and cracks
Dry Rot Is Treatable
This harmful issue is preventable. And as long as it’s in its early stage, you won’t need to bring in extra help. There are three treatments to perform, starting with epoxy. Epoxy treatments begin by filling the damaged wood with epoxy. The treatment kills the bacteria and renews the wood’s structure.
Another method is to use antifreeze, which kills the fungus and stops decay growth. It’s suitable for later stages. The last approach is to use copper compounds and requires the removal of damaged sections. The affected sections soak in a copper compound mixture to get rid of the rot.
Next Steps for Preventing Rot
Prevention starts with daily inspections. You don’t need to do them once a day, but consistent checks for plumbing problems or problematic roofing areas can help fight future issues. Additionally, you could contact a carpenter in Cumming, GA service to find dry rot and learn the best prevention solutions.
Here’s what you need to do often:
Check your ventilation system once a month
Reseal your deck every season
Use gutters for better draining
Check in with your local carpentry servicer to learn everything you should know about what dry rot is and prevention tips. These small actions will help significantly.
Bear Mountain Custom Painting wants you to have a livable home that ages well. If you hire us for your carpentry needs, we can perform inspections to ensure that there are no dire problems. And if there are, we’ll help fix them. Give us a call to learn more about our carpentry services in the Atlanta area.
Painting your home is lots of fun, but it comes with many challenges, like frustrating interruptions from weather elements. Here’s a guide on how to properly protect your exterior paint job. From warping to chipped paint, these are fixes you need when taking care of your siding.
Dust and Clean Your Walls
There are many methods to help prep your sides before painting, just as there are things to do after you finish. However, if you plan to clean your walls, you should dust them first. Brushing the siding helps rid the area of cobwebs, dirt, and grime.
The other things you should do before applying any detergent or finisher onto your home include:
Dusting with a broom.
Vacuuming the borders with a long-bristled nozzle.
Wiping off spots with microfiber cloths.
Some products will strip walls of their colors and overall durability. Things like degreasers, bleach, and other products come with an overwhelming number of chemicals that aren’t suitable for your home.
Before using a cleaning product, always perform a spot test. The spot test shows how well the material adheres to the wall’s finish. It’s okay to buy eco-friendly products, but those with recognizable, easy-to-pronounce names will be better to use.
Use a Pressure Washer
The best method for cleaning the corners of borders and walls is using a pressure washer. Pressure washing saves you time cleaning an entire surface while leaving more room to get other things done around the house.
Don’t use a pressure washer until you know water guidelines in your neighborhood. Additionally, to avoid excessive damage to your siding, make sure to stand far away, at least on the sidewalk, before you turn on the hose.
Remove Any Mold
If you’ve noticed other issues that could stress the interior, you’ll probably need extra assistance to remove the problem. Many homeowners don’t know the protocol when removing things like mold.
If your home has any sign of mold issues on the outside, you need to remove it. Also, this could mean replacing your siding. If this happens, bring in extra help to assist in finding and killing the mold before it affects any other part of the structure.
The best way to destroy mold is to follow these steps:
Inspect your siding for existing spores. They normally appear:
Green
Black
Grey
Once you’ve spotted the bacteria, grab a pair of rubber gloves, a mask, and goggles, then start scrubbing what you can with a borax-water mixture.
Wipe up everything that’s come off with a rag and soapy water.
Don’t touch the area—let it dry.
Install new ventilation systems to help control humidity levels.
Document Your Problem Areas
There are likely many problem spots, but you need to be the one to find and record the information. Once you’ve recorded everything you need to know, contact a home exterior painting Cumming, GA company to get information on how to move forward.
Areas you’d want to record and inform your servicer of include the following:
Blistering or cracking walls.
Fading or yellow siding.
Wrinkling siding.
Don’t wait until the last minute to report these problems—you likely will need to do more dire, costly repairs later.
Improve Your Greenery
Although greenery looks great on the sides of a house, they pose a risk to your paint job. To dissipate the risk of any greenery damage, trim your bushes, grass, and vines down so that they don’t scratch or press against the sides.
Additionally, you can move your plants back a few feet to avoid leaves from touching the walls. Moving your plants at least 6 inches away prevents moisture build-up and diminishes the chance of bugs and vermin sneaking in. Also, think about buying planters to hang outside your window if you want your plants to grow down.
Clean the Gutters
Downspouts control water flow when it rains and clear out water after the season’s last snowfall. If you don’t clean your gutters, your foundational levels may deteriorate, and the siding becomes damaged with chipped paint and streaks.
You can eliminate the chance of sacrificing your foundation and siding by either clearing debris yourself or hiring a professional. Whatever you do, make sure to schedule it right away to avoid long-term damages like paint and smudges.
Clear Away Excess Debris From the Yard
Debris often blows into your yard due to high winds and storms. If you don’t clear the clutter away, you risk of damaging your siding. As you accumulate debris in the yard, ensure you go out and pick up everything to maintain curb appeal and protect your exterior paint job.
Make sure you have the following to make cleaning your yard easier:
A dumpster
Bags for bigger things
Gloves
Rake and leaf blower
Apply the Right Stuff
Your siding is vulnerable, so you need to have the right tools to help it last a long time. A specific coating can alleviate your chances of damage due to heat, sunlight, and bad weather. Additionally, making sure the surface is dry helps deliver a better outcome after painting.
Applying Painting Coats and Primer
It’s essential to coat your home with at least two layers of finisher after placing the primer onto the surface. Make sure to work on your walls’ sides and bottoms for more protection. By doing it in this order, the chance of damage from weather, rot, or mildew decrease.
Eliminating Damage Risk From Heat and Sunlight
Even when your outer walls face the sun, the heat dries it fast. So, the best time to paint is on days that aren’t too hot. Focus on painting the shady areas of your home since they won’t dry as fast. However, if you need to paint the front of your home, install a shade system with a tarp and poles to hold it in place.
Checking for Damp Surfaces
Before applying any paint, wait for surfaces to dry on their own after a rainstorm. After it rains, walls become damp and paint won’t stick well, resulting in color dripping off and creating streaks. Wait at least a week before starting, especially if there are more than two days of rainfall.
Hire a Professional Painter
As you complete your shopping list for the project, it’s always good to hire a professional painter who can precisely assist in priming and painting. It never hurts to ask for extra help on a painting job.
Every painting task comes with ups and downs. Bear Mountain Custom Painting promises many advantages. We always encourage Atlanta homeowners to request a painter to come by and ensure their work comes out the way they expect. Contact us for more information on our expert painting amenities.
You grew up learning a lot about your style and often wondered what it would look like on the inside of your dream house. You probably know many interior design styles. But today, you’re going to discover so much more about your house style, starting with learning how you can transform your home into a modern farmhouse.
Paint the Walls With Neutral Tones
The starting point is the walls. The walls can tell visitors about your style—everything from the wall art to the colors. You should first go to the store to find sample swatches, then place them against your wall.
However, you want to avoid bright colors to achieve the farmhouse aesthetic. As much as you may love a bright kitchen, it will throw the entire theme off. Instead, stick with soft tones like beige, cream, gray, or lavender. If the color doesn’t go, then you need to try another.
Light tones brighten up a room without overwhelming others. Keep the colors simple, and see how quickly the farmhouse theme appears.
Add Dimension to Your Walls
You could paint or put up wall coverings. Whatever you choose, ensure that it fits the style, such as shiplap or beadboard. Beadboard and shiplap are two wood styles that add rustic charm due to their two-dimensional appearance.
Additionally, they work in every room of the house. However, if you desire only one room with one of the materials, consider placing beadboard in the bathroom and shiplap in the living room. Planks add a personal touch to every farmhouse-inspired home.
Have a Little Old Sprinkled With New
Rustic-style homes mean you have many ways to customize with old, vintage items and new appealing stuff. For example, a small wooden table can be perfect for adding to your kitchen, but one with a pop of color can send the rustic appeal into the modern age.
Also, get crafty with your windows. Many farmhouses have double-hung windows to pour in more natural light. For your dream farmhouse, hire an Cumming, GA window replacement contractor to put in your dream windows. Sprinkle your home with new amenities to enhance your home’s rustic style.
Hang Up Wire Baskets
In every craft store that you go to, you have seen many aisles filled with wire basket wall hangs—and they’re not even seasonal (most of the time)! Hang up black wicker baskets to make your home feel more rustic.
They’re convenient for increasing storage, and they become addictive. Moreover, wire baskets add a touch of southern charm even without a ton of decorative pieces. There’s so much you can add as you seek to achieve this aesthetic you never knew could be modern. The farmhouse style is one to try in your home.
At Bear Mountain Custom Painting, we can help you achieve anything. We love the farmhouse aesthetic as much as the next designer. Team up with our painting and window installation teams to design your version of the farmhouse aesthetic.
Summer is the time to inspect your home for any problems. Things like the roof, windows, and doors should go through an annual inspection—other areas like the draining system, foundation, and landscaping are worth examining often. Since we’re focusing on draining systems, let’s look at the five common culprits of gutter damage in Georgia.
Bad Insulation
When construction teams install a gutter, they must screw it in well to prevent water leaks. When perspiration leaks, it builds up on the roof and eventually leaks into the home’s interior. Bring in a specialist to look at the setup before mounting the spouts to your home.
Clogged Gutters
Crumbled-up leaves, makeshift nests, and dirt or grime can cause severe clogging, resulting in water overflow. Since the water can’t travel out from the top of your home, it spills out on the sides, eventually flooding the sides of your home. When the sides flood, the excess moisture creates foundation issues.
Meet with a gutter specialist or a roofer with experience in unclogging drains to unclog the pipes so that you have a way to drain excess water again.
Uneven Gutter Slopes
If you find your gutters still clog after routine cleaning, it’s possible that they’re uneven. The best way to check is by contacting a gutter specialist. The pros utilize the tools necessary to test the slope’s ability to run water. If the slopes have a slant, the expert can fix them for you.
Bad Installation
When installing your downspouts, you need to consider the size of your home. If your pipes don’t curve once they meet the bottom, or they don’t reach down at all, you will have severe flooding problems.
Bad installation even occurs with a dislodged or crooked joint. A crooked pipe can trap water and lead to draining issues.
Bad Weather
The weather’s unpredictable. You need to ensure the gutter system is secure when you’re anticipating a storm. Before installing the gutters, hire a professional to do the mounting. Ask questions so that you can learn how to clean and maintain your spouts properly between each heavy rain or snowstorm.
If you’re unsure how to properly install your gutter system, it’s OK to ask a professional Cumming, GA gutter installation contractor to come in and ensure the system looks right.
A homeowner needs to install a gutter correctly to ensure there aren’t further problems with draining. Keep these things that cause drain problems in your downspouts in mind when scheduling a gutter inspection and cleanout.
Trying to fix your gutters on your own can get messy. When you work with Bear Mountain Custom Painting, you’re in the best of hands. We diligently check the gutters and assist homeowners with installation. Keep us in mind for your next gutter maintenance check. We’re happy to help make your home a better place with fewer drainage problems.
The wallpaper adorning your walls has come to its end. You’ve spent hours searching for ways to update your walls, and you may be wondering whether it’s OK to paint over wallpaper. The answer is as long as you’ve cleaned, repaired, and primed the area, you can go ahead and paint over the wallpaper. Some wallpaper is harder to peel off. If that’s the case for you, it’s better to learn how to paint over it instead of removing it.
Prep With the Right Gear
Grab the right gear before you start prepping. You’re going to work around different things, so it’s best to have the right tools to help protect yourself and your home. While at the store, make sure to pick up goggles to avoid getting paint into your eyes, and get a pack of good-quality face masks to prevent inhaling fumes. Make sure to wear long sleeves.
Find the Correct Primer
Shopping for the primer will be tricky, so inspect the wallpaper first to get an idea of what primer to buy. If you notice that the wallpaper is older, there may be a dangerous chemical hidden underneath called “sizing.”
Contractors used the sizing compound to block moisture from adhesives that touched the plaster. Once contractors used the sizing compound with the paint, it created creases, and the wallpaper fell off. If you paint right away, keep in mind that the glue shows through the paint. When glue shows through the wallpaper, this indicates that you need an oil or shellac-based primer.
Prepare the Walls
When prepping any space, ensure that you don’t get water on the surface, as it can create more problems later. Instead, use a damp cloth to remove dust and dirt from the wallpaper. Don’t forget to clear away cobwebs when working on corners.
Fix the Walls
If you find holes, cracks, or anything else wrong with the walls, get them fixed. By repairing things before painting, you avoid the home looking destroyed. If there are any loose pieces of wallpaper, trim them away to prevent them from looking like peeled paint.
Always Prime Before Painting
Now, you can prime your walls—or sit back and hire an interior house painting contractor Cumming, GA to prime everything for you. If you want to learn more about when to paint over wallpaper, contact your local painting servicer—they’re enthusiastic about every renovation project and want to team up with you. Questions like these are always welcome, and you should never shy away from asking.
It’s hard to believe, but you can paint over wallpaper, as long as you prime it correctly first. For additional help on painting your walls, hire Bear Mountain Custom Painting. Our painting team is a gold mine of knowledge waiting for your questions. Contact us and learn if you can paint over your wallpaper.
