Window Replacement: A Step-by-Step Guide to Enhancing Your Home’s Comfort and Energy Efficiency (While Making Fun of Your Old Windows)

February 2, 2023 By windowschicago

Energy Efficient Windows

You know your windows are old when you can hear the wind whistling through the cracks, and your energy bills are higher than the GDP of a small island nation. It’s time to take matters into your own hands and replace those rickety old windows with some brand spanking new ones. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll take you through the process of enhancing your home’s comfort and energy efficiency while making fun of your old windows. Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride, folks!

Step 1: Measure Your Windows

The first step in replacing your windows is to measure the openings for each one. This way, you’ll know exactly how big the replacement windows need to be. To measure your windows, grab a tape measure and start taking some measurements. You’ll want to measure the width and the height of the opening, but don’t forget to measure the depth, too! Otherwise, you’ll end up with windows that are too shallow to open or close properly.

Step 2: Choose Your New Windows

Once you have the measurements, it’s time to choose your new windows. There are several different styles to choose from, including casement, bay, sliding, awning, and double hung. But let’s be real, you’re only going to choose one of two styles: double hung or casement. We recommend casement windows because they look fancy, but double hung windows are a classic for a reason. Choose wisely, my friend.

Step 3: Say Goodbye to Your Old Windows

It’s time to say goodbye to your old windows. This is the part where you get to make fun of your old windows for being so drafty and inefficient. You could say something like, “Goodbye old windows, you won’t be missed. You were like a screen door on a submarine.” Or, “Goodbye old windows, you were more leaky than a sieve. We’ll miss the way you let in more cold air than a meat locker.” Feel free to get creative!

Step 4: Install Your New Windows

It’s finally time to install your new windows! This is the step where you’ll need a professional contractor to help you out. Unless, of course, you’re a handy person who can install windows with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back. In that case, go ahead and skip this step. The rest of us will just sit back and admire your handy work.

Step 5: Enjoy Your New Windows

Finally, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your new windows. You’ll be amazed at how much more comfortable your home is now that the wind isn’t whistling through the cracks. Your energy bills will be lower, too, because your new windows are so energy efficient. You’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the view without feeling like you’re in a freezer. Congratulations, you’ve just made your home a better place!

Replacing your windows is a great way to enhance your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. It’s also a great excuse to make fun of your old windows. With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to replace your windows with ease and enjoy the benefits for years to come. Just remember, it’s important to choose the right style and material, measure your windows accurately, and choose a professional contractor. And most importantly, don’t forget to make fun of your old windows!

Innovative Home Concepts Wins Best of the Fox Best Home Remodeler and Best Roofer for 2019

June 14, 2019 By windowschicago

Best of the Fox 2019 Best home remodeler and Best Roofer

Innovative Home Concepts in Crystal Lake and Romeoville was voted as the Best Home Remodeler and Best Roofer by the readers of the Northwest Herald during their Best of the Fox readers choice voting contest. This is the eighth time Innovative has been voted the best in the past 10 years.

Owner of Innovative, Rhett Wilborn states, “We love this award because it is voted on by our customers and by members of the community, not by industry people. It just means more to us because of that”.

Every year the Northwest Herald sponsors the Best of the Fox readers choice awards. Local businesses in many categories are voted in via write in ballet. Voters are allowed to vote once per day for approximately 21 days. The top vote getter is elected as the Best in the category. The next two vote getters are deemed as one of the best for placing 2nd and 3rd.

Innovative Home Concepts prides itself on being an award winning exterior renovation and restoration contractor. “We don’t specifically look to win awards. We believe the awards are a result of our focus on customer service and making our customers happy.” Says Mr. Wilborn.

Top Reasons Why You Need a Roof Maintenance Agreement on Your Properties

February 5, 2019 By windowschicago

6 Reasons Why You Need a Commercial Maintenance Program on Your Buildings

A commercial roof maintenance agreement is an essential part of having an attractive and functional roof. Such regular maintenance plans produce high returns on invested capital by preventing problems before they arise. In addition, they also maximize the longevity of the roofs and lowers the cost of replacements as wells as repairs.

Safeguarding an asset against damage has inherent value. Below is a list of the best reasons to consider regular roof maintenance plan.

Biannual Visual and Survey Inspections

The contract serves a primary role of updating your inspection reports and checking on a storm. The roofing annex company is well informed on the seasons of years especially in three places namely, Columbus, Cincinnati as well as Dayton. Such seasons include flooding, extreme winds, heavy rains and snowing. These factors can be quite challenging depending on the type of roofs for instance Foam, shingles, steep among many other types.

Our well trained and qualified inspectors have all it takes to handle storm damage. In most cases, the damage is consistent in all types of roofs. However, with the right diagnosis, most property and homeowners will have saved a lot of money which could otherwise be meant for repairs or replacements.
correct

Reduce insurance claim rates

Proper maintenance of your roofing system will greatly affect your insurance rate. If your roof requires more repairs and replacements, then you will be subject to higher rates and the trend continues. Therefore, a good maintenance plan from an expert and qualified company has the potential to reduce your insurance rates. This can also be supported by well-updated inspection reports.

The implication is that you will have saved enough to even cater for more maintenance plans. An appropriate insurance claim with inspections twice a year from a reputable roofing company is likely to give lower and efficient claims.

Minor repairs are easy to manage unlike water damage

When we talk of commercial roofing, it’s a wide entity and not a single unit. It entails a well-organized system for safeguarding your business as well as preventing any disclosures. Some of the systems include drainage, fastening, flashing, insulation among many others.

They key to a good roof depends on the reliability of a roofing company. With a good roof, your business will be well protected under a safe roof. Therefore timely repairs and maintenance of a roof will prevent any leaks which may otherwise cause myriad damage.

Replacement is a good option

There may be a case of a roof replacement as a result of an inspection report. Here, such replacements come with unseen benefits than you know. The work of a maintenance plan is to document reports and photos concerning the roof and its appropriate maintenance.

Now in case of any misfortune causing damage to your roofing systems, the company is expected to help efficiently. The commercial roofer will initiate emergency repairs, handle your insurance claim, as well as put everything in order. This will save you from falling into a trap of someone with no experience to handle your roofing problems. Nature is the blame factor here provided you have the appropriate documentation. Besides that, you will get your roof repaired or replaced without incurring extra charges.

Protect your property value

Having an expert roofing company to handle your maintenance plans always pays back by protecting your property against damage. Most individuals will consider taking caution in advance when it comes to avoiding a problem. This entails effecting good drainage mechanisms, constructing protective barriers in low altitude areas, replacing corroded outlets among others.

This simple concept will help prevent a problem before it actually happens. You don’t need to wait for signs of something collapsing rather you take preventive measures just in case.

Decreasing the rate of aging

A roof’s lifespan will depend on how you handle the predictable replacement. You, therefore, have a good chance of extended lifespan on your roof if you add value to them. You will also reduce the amount you spend every year thus huge savings. All you need is to slowly invest in maintenance plans and you will actually have saved huge at the end. If you wait for long before you fix a problem, then you will incur huge losses thus no saving.

Innovative Now Accepts Bitcoin!

January 22, 2019 By windowschicago

Bitcoin has relished massive popularity in recent years. This is why Innovative Home Concepts introduces the ability to pay for exterior home improvement services with this popular virtual currency. So, apart from the current payment methods such as PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard, our esteemed clients can also pay with Bitcoin. We have decided to accept Bitcoin as a more convenient, secure and faster payment method. Our clients in Chicago, Northern Illinois, and Southern Wisconsin can now start paying with Bitcoin for the work that we do. “At Innovative we pride ourselves on offering cutting edge products and home improvement technology, that is why Bitcoin as a payment method just makes sense. Peer to peer, trust-less, decentralized payment methods are the future and we want to be a part of it”, says Rhett Wilborn, President of Innovative.

What Is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer “cryptocurrency” system that is not only decentralized but also designed to allow internet users to process their online transactions by using digital units of exchange referred to as Bitcoins. Since its debut in 2009, the virtual currency has generated a lot of interest as an alternative to government fiat currencies such as the Euro, the U.S. dollar or commodity currencies such as gold or silver coins.

When bitcoins users process transactions, the payments are processed through a secluded network that connects different computers sharing a single program. Each Bitcoin transaction is concurrently recorded in a ledger commonly known as “blockchain” on each of the computers in order to update all accounts.

Bitcoins can either be purchased with standard national money currency or be “mined” by a computer through a complex process of solving sophisticated mathematical algorithms. The Bitcoins are then placed in an encrypted “Bitcoin Wallet” and accessed through a computer or smartphone.

Advantages of Paying with Bitcoin

•User Anonymity

Unless you choose to publish your Bitcoin transactions voluntarily, they will all be discrete. Meaning, if you don’t want someone else to know that you paid for home improvement services on a certain property, your best payment method option is paying with Bitcoins. Much like cash-only transactions, it’s not possible to accurately trace Bitcoin transactions to a particular customer.

This is because the unidentified address that is generated for Bitcoin users, whenever they make payments is different in each transaction. Clearly, a contractor that accepts Bitcoin allows you the anonymity that most people would prefer when making online payments.

•Low Transaction Fees

Most payment methods such as wire transfers involve exchange costs and fees. Since Bitcoin doesn’t involve governments or third-party intermediaries, the transaction fee is very low. In addition, Bitcoin transfers are processed very quickly, which eliminates the typical authorization requirements, inconveniences, and wait periods associated with other payment methods.

•No Third-party Interruptions

Banks, financial institutions, and governments cannot freeze Bitcoin accounts or interrupt transactions. This is one of the most publicized benefits of paying with Bitcoin. When you are satisfied with the home improvement services, you can enjoy a greater degree of freedom by paying with Bitcoin as compared to paying with national currencies. Moreover, sales taxes are not added to Bitcoin purchases.

•Mobile Payments

You can make Bitcoin payments from the comfort of your home or office provided you have stable internet connection on your device. In other words, location and time of making Bitcoin payments are not a limitation. With Bitcoin, you don’t have to visit a bank in your locality to pay for our services.

Transacting through bitcoins has some inherent benefits that users of other currencies do not enjoy. Bitcoin has proven to have some unique possibilities for businesses and their customers. Regardless of the services you need, if you have access to Bitcoins you can simply pay for the services through this reliable payment method.

Ready to Get Started with your Next Exterior Renovation Project? Give us a Call at (815)356-9020 to set up a Free Consultation and Price Quote Today! Get the home of your dreams and pay for it with Bitcoin.

Isn’t It Too Cold to Replace My Windows in the Winter?

November 6, 2018 By windowschicago

winter time replacement window installation

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones you know what “Winter is Coming” means!! And if you have lived in Chicago more than 5 minutes you know that winter is truly coming. Not to start this post on a negative but can’t you just image the dry wind cracking at the skin on your face? Or how about trying to shovel snow while the small flakes get into your jacket and onto your neck? Or my favorite, getting into an un-warmed car with leather seats that makes your butt cheeks feel like two slabs of frozen hamburger meat? Winter!

More relevant to our business is how the cold effects your home, specifically those old windows you have been meaning to replace but just didn’t quite get around to last fall. Of course window replacement is a project that is best planned out. The average time from purchase to manufacturing to installation for a custom replacement window is 4-6 weeks so some forethought is necessary. If you were to order windows as of the date of this blog post, you would be getting your new windows smack dab right in the middle of the winter. You may be asking yourself, “Self (because that is what you call you, right?), is this the best thing to do and is it even possible to install new replacement windows during that time of the year??

Well, you are in luck, because I am here to tell you that it is absolutely possible to install windows and doors in the winter. And in fact, I am going to tell you exactly, “Why Winter is the Perfect Time to Replace Your Old Windows”.

Contrary to popular believe and perhaps even common sense, window replacement is something that can be done all year round. Our guys want to work all year and actually don’t mind working in cold weather. Obviously if it is negative 10 degrees with a 20 degree wind chill they won’t be working. But generally weather above about 20 degrees is workable.

The obvious thing that comes to mind is, “won’t my house be cold when you take out my old window before you put my new ones in?” The answer is simply, “yes”. Taking your old window out will leave a whole in your wall for about 15 minutes until the guys get your new window in. So depending on how many windows you are having replaced, certain rooms in your house will get a little cold. But, “did you die?” Nope, just got a little cold and maybe your furnace runs a little more for a few hours.

So now that you know it is possible, let me explain to you why it may actually be a great idea to replace windows in the dead of the cold.

There are actually three distinct advantages to doing this home improvement when the snow is flying and jack frost is nipping at your nose…

It is easier to discover problems with your old windows in the winter. Because of the temperature difference between the outside and inside of your home you can feel drafts and in many cases can see them when the wind outside blows your curtains on the inside. You can even pinpoint where drafts are coming from by holding a candle by the window. Drafts will make the candle flicker.
You can usually get a better price on windows in the winter. All contractors slow down in the winter. So unless they are smart and are laying on a beach in Florida, they are looking for creative ways of getting more business. Fortunately for homeowners, contractors are not very original and most try to create more work by lowering their prices during slow times. A win for your pocket book!
Window contractors are usually more flexible with installation dates in the winter. Like I mentioned above, contractors slow down in the winter. To be honest, this isn’t usually by choice but because homeowners don’t want the work done during this time or because they don’t know that it can be done in the cold winter months. Contractors of course want to get the work done as soon as possible but are generally very flexible with installation scheduling. And if you ultimately chicken out and decide you really don’t want your windows installed in the winter, contractors are usually open to pushing the installation until the spring. With a deposit, they will store the windows and install them whenever you want. Easy Peasy.

So now that you know that you can get those new windows in the winter and now that you know that there are some pretty cool advantages to doing so, what are you waiting for? Let’s get some new windows!

Commercial Roofing Education: What Voids a Commercial Roofing Warranty

October 12, 2018 By windowschicago

Commercial roofing system warranties are important to safeguard yourself and your structure from pricey repair work and defective items. While a roofing guarantee is a terrific method to safeguard yourself, it is essential to make certain that you keep your roofing system service warranty legitimate, otherwise you might be stuck to the expense.

At Innovative Home Concepts, our group of professionals assist clients with brand-new and existing service warranties every day. What should you do after your initial roofing guarantee ends? In this post, we cover your choices to protect your roofing system and your investment.

We will cover the kinds of business roofing system guarantees and what can trigger your roofing system guarantee to end up being obsolete.

KINDS OF COMMERCIAL ROOFING SYSTEM SERVICE WARRANTIES

You will have a couple of guarantee choices when you set up a brand-new roof system.

Installer’s Craftsmanship Warranty– A professional craftsmanship assurance is provided by the specialist or business that installs the roofing system on your building. Craftsmanship guarantees usually cover the expense of labor and products for the essential repair work and last one to 10 years depending upon the roofer.

Material Warranty from the Manufacturer– A product guarantee offered by the manufacturer that guarantees the products utilized by your professional. These service warranties cover any failures or problems in the products utilized and are just released after the professional sets up the products

Complete Roofing System Warranty from Manufacturer– A complete system guarantee that is supplied by the product maker and covers not just the product utilized, however it will likewise cover the flashings and other devices utilized for the roofing system. The expenses for the labor to change the products is likewise consisted of.

WHAT CAN VOID YOUR COMMERCIAL ROOFING SYSTEM WARRANTY

A voided roofing system service warranty implies that you are accountable for any payments to fix the damage to your roofing system. Compare your roofing system to a cellular phone: If your mobile phone quits working because of a defect, you can get a totally free replacement, however if it quits working since you took it apart or dropped it in water, you do not get the totally free replacement.

Mechanical Roof Equipment

Lots of business structures have mechanical devices or penetrations found on the roofing surface area. These can consist of:

HEATING AND COOLING
Skylights
Vents
Drains
Pipelines
Gas Lines

When setup, elimination or repair work require to be done on these kinds of roofing system penetrations, you need to call your roofing professional to make certain that there is no damage done to the roof. Your specialist might come out to encourage or re-seal the penetration on how to safeguard your roofing throughout the job.

If you have actually mechanical work done on your roofing, without consulting your roofer, and the job triggers damage to your roofing system, then your guarantee will be voided, and you will need to pay of pocket for repair work.

Abuse or Extreme Traffic on Roofing

Lots of roofing systems function as outside area with paths, patio areas and even dining establishments and bars. These roof types are specifically developed to support the use of the roofing system without triggering damage. You can trigger some considerable damage if you utilize your commercial in a method it was not developed for.

When accessing the roofing system and to prevent utilizing the roofing system in methods that it was not created for, this indicates utilizing sidewalks. Damage is not covered by your guarantee when you are misusing your roofing system, and you will need to pay of pocket for repair work.

Products or Work Not Authorized by Service Warranty Company

It’s essential to remain within your service warranty to solve the issue if your roofing system does have damage or a leakage. Your costs might not be covered by the guarantee if your specialist utilizes the incorrect products or techniques.

Something else to bear in mind is who you employ to carry out deal with your roofing system. If a specialist that is not noted on the service warranty makes modifications or repair work to your roofing system, any leakages or damage due to their work will not be covered by your guarantee, and you will need to pay of pocket for repair work.

Trapped Wetness from Walls

It might void your service warranty if there is damage someplace else in your structure that impacts the roofing system. Some examples of this consist of:

A/C dripping into the roofing insulation

Condensation gathering within the walls and mold taking a trip into the roofing system layers
Damage to a chimney or vent that permits water or animals to trigger damage under the roofing system surface area.

This kind of damage can not be anticipated by your roofer, so any damage to the roofing or insulation due to the fact that of other locations of the structure can void your service warranty.

A business roofing system guarantee is just as great as the roofing system setup. At Innovative Home Concepts, we take pride in the brand-new roofing systems we set up and the upkeep we offer our consumers and their industrial and commercial structures.

You’ve Been Told You Need to Do It, But Do You Know Why You Need to Clean Your Gutters Regularly?

September 28, 2018 By windowschicago

Gutter Cleaning, so what’s the big deal?

Is there any more dreaded choir than gutter cleaning? Having to get on a ladder or a roof way up high is scary and dangerous. Then having to bend over the edge to scoop out nasty, stinky, wet, gross gutter muck. Why do leaves smell so bad as they decompose? You can’t even count the number of times you ask yourself, “Is this really necessary?”. Unfortunately it is.

The purpose of a rain gutter is to collect and control the rain water that falls on your roof to protect your roof, walls, foundation and landscape. Homes without gutters often have washed out landscaping, an erosion line that creates a divot in the soil, blacktop, and cement around the home, uneven foundation settling, and often times basement flooding issues.

Homes with clogged gutters can have all of the above issues because the water flows over the front lip of the gutter causing the same damage that not having gutters does. Sometimes the damage can be worse because the water overflows in large quantities in one or two areas instead of an even amount down the entire eve.

In addition, a clogged gutter can also back flow into the house by overflowing the rear of the trough. This can cause the wood that makes up the fascia and soffit to rot, it can let water flow into the wall cavity and cause rotting and potential mold in the walls, and it can flow back into the house and cause water damage to drywall. If you have ever seen a brown spot on the drywall where your wall and ceiling intersect, your gutters may be overflowing into your home.

Clogged gutters also hold water. This stagnant rain water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance but also carrier dangerous diseases like heart worm for dogs and west nile virus for humans.

As you can see clogged gutters can cause some pretty serious issues. Worst of all is deterioration of your home via wood rotting and mold that can make you and your family sick. Free flowing gutters are essential. Clogged gutters completely defeat the purpose of gutters and can actually be worse than having none at all.

Summary of Issues that can Happen if You Don’t Clean Your Gutters:

landscape damage
soil, cement, and black top erosion
excessive foundation settling
flooding in your basement
fascia and soffit wood rot and deterioration
staining of interior drywall
wood rot in wall cavities
moisture issues and mold
breeding ground for mosquitoes and diseases associated

Things You Will Most Likely Be Cleaning Out of Your Gutters

My family has been in the gutter installation business for over 40 years. In that time we have seen pretty much everything. The most common things you will find in your gutters are leaves, debris, twigs, branches, roof gravel, tennis balls, frisbees, etc. Some of the stranger things we have found are dead animals/birds, live animals, and random garbage that people throw up on the roof that gets caught in the gutter. And even though we have seen some pretty disgusting things in people’s gutters the grossest thing is gutter muck. Organic materials like leaves and twigs decompose and form a stinky, wet, mud on the bottom of the gutter.

One area of the gutter system that clogs the easiest are the downspouts, especially right near the opening which seems to be a common bottle neck area. Branches and large leaves flow down the gutter trough and get lodged in the opening to the downspouts. Once the opening is blocked more and more debris collects behind the obstruction. The actual downspout can clog also. Cleaning a clogged downspout can be difficult because it is a small, long, restrictive tube.

Ok, So Your Gutters are Clogged, What Can You Do About It?

When it comes to cleaning gutters you have basically three options:

You can DIY gutter clean them yourself

Anyone who has ever cleaned a gutter knows it is dangerous, time consuming, and just plain gross and messy. Hundreds of thousands of people are injured in ladder related accidents each year. Out of those hundreds of deaths occur. Your gutters should be free flowing year round. A home that has many trees may have to have the gutters cleaned every week throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall. That can add up to hours and hours of time consuming gutter cleaning. And finally, everyone knows gutter cleaning is a messy choir. One word sums it up… Gutter Muck!

Cons of DIY Gutter Cleaning

Dangerous for You, Your Loved Ones, or Someone You Know.
Time Consuming, There are better ways to spend your time.
Nasty and Dirty Choir that no one enjoys.

You can Hire a Gutter Cleaning Service

When you hire a gutter cleaning company you are at the mercy of that company. Most companies are honest but some are not. How do you know that they are actually doing the work without climbing up there to see for yourself? Most gutter cleaning companies are small mom and pop shops. Unfortunately these types of companies can be unreliable. Along those same lines, gutter cleaning is a pretty low price item. A gutter cleaning company has to do a lot jobs in order to afford important customer protections like worker’s compensation insurance. Most of these companies do not have these insurances which puts you at risk if anyone gets hurt on your property. And the third negative against gutter cleaning is it becomes a re-occurring expense. Every time your gutters need cleaning you need to have them out, year after year. What seems like a relatively inexpensive service adds up pretty quickly when you have to have it done 5-6 times a year for years on end.

Cons of Hiring a Gutter Cleaning Company

Have to rely on the Gutter Cleaner, which most are unreliable
You may be exposing yourself to risk if workers get hurt falling off a ladder or roof
Re-Occurring Expense that adds up over time.

You Can Say Goodbye to Gutter Cleaning Forever by Having a Profession Install a Clog Free Gutter System on Your Home

Although the price of these systems may seem high, over time they will actually save you money and will guarantee that your gutter system is working properly and protecting your home. With these systems you or anyone you care about will never have to get on dangerous ladders to clean gutters. You will also never have to hire an unreliable gutter cleaning service, take the risk of someone getting hurt and suing you, and you will never have to pay over and over again for this service to make sure your gutters are working properly.

Good clog free gutter systems come with a lifetime no clog guarantee. This does not necessarily mean the system will never clog, it actually means that if it does clog, the company will come out and remove the obstruction. A few things you need to be aware of: Screens always clog (no matter what kind), not all clog free gutter systems are created equal (and some actually don’t even work), and in general, you get what you pay for (cheap things are never good and good things are never cheap).

Fortunately for homeowners in the Chicago area there is product called GutterShutter which is offered by Innovative Home Concepts. GutterShutter is the most attractive, highest capacity, strongest clog free gutter system available. It comes in a 5″ residential size and a 6″ commercial size along with the choice of 12 attractive colors.

Advantages of a Clog Free Gutter System

You Never have to subject yourself to the time consuming and dangerous task of gutter cleaning
You Never have to hire a gutter cleaning company and accept the expenses and risks associated
Good ones come with a lifetime no clog warranty
GutterShutter by Innovative Home Concepts is available to all homeowners in Chicagoland and Southern Wisconsin area

Mansard Roof Replacement and Gutter Replacement Cary Illinois

November 14, 2017 By windowschicago

During the winter, in order to keep our guys working, we sometimes take on a house in which we do a total rehab. This rehab house is located on Dublin Ave in Cary Illinois. The rehab took 3 and 1/2 months and entailed the total restoration of the interior as well as a new mansard roof installation, new oversized gutters, exterior painting, and some exterior trim replacement.

Let’s look at the Before Pictures of the Mansard Roof

As you can see from these pictures we started this project in the winter. What you can also see is the roof really isn’t very old. We estimate that the roof is only 4 or 5 years old. One glaring problem with the old roof is it was literally falling off of the building. On every elevation of the mansard sections of the roof shingles had come loose and had fallen to the ground. Leaving the roof exposed to the rain and snow.

Installing shingles on a mansard style roof is very different than installing shingles on a regular pitch roof. For one thing you are installing the shingles on a surface that is almost a vertical wall. This poses issues in that gravity is doing more to pull the shingles to the ground than it is pulling the shingles to the roof deck. As you can see from these before pictures, gravity is pulling the shingles down, ripping through the nails, and off of the roof to the ground. There is a very specific way mansard roofs must be installed which we will talk about in a bit.

What About the Gutters?

As you can see these gutters are way under sized for this pitch and size of roof. The existing eaves troughs were standard 5″ aluminum residential gutters with 2″ X 3″ standard downspouts. If you look at the picture of the front valley you can see the inside corner has been through some serious stress. In fact, the inside miter was leaking and was bent down most likely from the weight of ice building up in corner.

You can also see that the paint on the gutters is dirty and faded and just adds an unkempt and unmaintained look to the exterior of the house. The combination of missing shingles on the mansard roof and the old, dirty gutters gave this lovely house a very unappealing curb appeal. One that was not fitting for this nice neighborhood in Cary.

The Correct Way to Install a Mansard Roof

Because of the vertical nature of the roof deck involved in a Mansard Roof installation special attention and techniques must be used to ensure the individual shingles don’t rip free from the field of shingles. A standard asphalt shingle installation involves nailing each shingle with at least 4 nails. On a mansard application, to ensure the shingle does not rip free from the nails due to gravity, at least 6 nails need to be used to secure each individual shingle. But we go further…

On mansard roofing applications we use a special, upgraded shingle made by IKO called Dynasty. The Dynasty line of singles has a feature that makes it perfect for this type of application and almost guarantees the roofing nails will not rip through the shingle. Each Dynasty shingle has a fabric nailing strip interweaved into the shingle that is tear resistant. The band not only strengthens the nail hold on the shingle, it also gives a visible guide and wider nailing area which lessens installation errors such as high nailing or low nailed/exposed nail head situations.
Extra nails combined with the nailing strip feature of the IKO Dynasty shingle ensures our mansard roof installations will not lose shingles like seen on this Cary home.

Let’s Look at the After Pictures of the Roof…

As you can see there is a drastic difference between the before and after pictures of this home.

One thing to note is the color of the roof. A few years back IKO shingles introduced to their Cambridge line of shingles what they called HD colors. These were roughly 8 colors specially designed to give the roof area a deeper more dimensional look. When IKO introduced the Dynasty line they decided to make the HD colors exclusive to this product. So along with the nail strip feature which adds strength and increases the shingle’s wind resistance rating the Dynasty also features special, more dimensional colors, only available in this product line.

How about those New Gutters?

We replaced the standard 5″ aluminum residential gutters with larger, more commercial, 6″ seamless aluminum gutters. This size is good for steep pitched roof and/or large roofs with a lot of water run off. Mansard roofs are a perfect canidate for these larger gutters.

We also replaced the standard 2″X3″ residential downspouts with oversized 3″X4″ downspouts. 3X4’s have twice the flow capacity and gets more water out of the gutter faster to handle heavier rains on larger/steeper roofs. We also extended all of the downspouts 6′ out from the house to make sure water doesn’t flow back into the foundation and into the basement.
Along with the new roof and new gutters, we installed new trim around the window recesses, painted the exterior walls and trim, replaced a small amount of siding on the rear screened in porch, and painted the fascia and soffits.

While we were working on the exterior of this Cary house, many of the neighbors stopped by to tell us how good the work looked and how glad they were that someone was finally fixing up this outdated and unmaintained home. All in all, we feel this project turned out great.

Condensation In The House: What You Need To Know

October 9, 2017 By windowschicago

Condensation on doors, new replacement windows, bathroom walls, and other surfaces in the house is not only annoying but can also cause some significant risks to you and the house as well. Although most signs of condensation are first seen on window panes, it doesn’t mean that the window is at fault. Condensation often occurs when humid air comes into contact with a cold surface (usually below room temperature). As long as you can see condensation on the windows, then chances are, other surfaces have condensation too. Although not visible at first, condensation on walls can cause structural damage to the same, and even attract mold.

If you can spot signs of condensation in the house, then chances are your dehumidifier isn’t working as it should. This is because condensation occurs when the air is saturated with water vapor or humidity. The saturated air is incapable of holding the excess moisture, causing condensation or water droplets on colder surfaces.

What makes the air humid inside the house? You may ask.

Some of the factors that increase humidity in the house include:

1. Perspiration and breathing normally, (four people) can add up to half a pint of water on the hour.
2. Cooking adds up to 5 pints of water per day
3. Washing machines, dishwashers, and dryers release several pints of water in the air
4. Humidifiers
5. Poorly insulated crawl spaces.
6. New homes that haven’t dried out completely. Humidity levels from the same should reduce as the house dries.

To combat condensation, the source of humidity needs to be determined and addressed in time. It’s by keeping humidity levels in check that condensation can be taken care of. Establishing how much water air can handle can also help you solve the problem for good. For instance, warm air holds more moisture than cold air. This can be demonstrated on a hot, humid summer day by placing a chilled glass on the table. Water droplets will start appearing on the surface of the glass.

Air loses its capacity to hold more moisture as it gets cold. This forces excess moisture to condense on colder surfaces. What is the ideal humidity percentage in the house? This primarily depends on relative indoor temperature and outdoor temperature. Keeping indoor temperature at a constant 70° F, then the relationship should be:

-20° F temperature outdoors should have 15% relative humidity indoors
At 0° outside, the relative humidity indoors should be at 30% maximum
20° F can only hold 40% relative humidity indoors.

If humidity levels in the house are way above this, then chances are there’s condensation in your home. Have the house inspected for possible causes of the same to prevent possible damage to the house’s structure.

Condensation in Newer Houses Vs. Older Ones

In most cases, older homes are not only weather stripped, but also insulated to help keep cold air out. Such factors help the house to ‘breathe,’ allowing dry air inside the house particularly during hot and humid days. Windows in older homes aren’t airtight, meaning they do let cold air into the house. Such makes the window surface cold, hence making condensation possible.

New houses, on the other hand, are designed to be energy efficient. This means more energy efficient windows and air-tight ones for that matter. Air-tight windows increase chances of condensation for it traps warm, humid air in the house.

How to Take Care of Condensation in the House

Reducing the number of cold surfaces in the house is the first step to creating a condensation-free environment. You also need to check humidity levels in the house or have the same regularly monitored to even the odds. Investing in a hygrometer ( a device used to measure humidity) can help you determine this easily. You can either order one online or buy from a local store.

Effective Ways of Controlling Humidity in Your Home

1. Invest in a good quality humidifier. Take the necessary measures to ensure it remains in an excellent working condition.
2. Ensure all appliances are vented to the outside.
3. Have a vapor barrier installed in the crawl space.
4. Install exhaust fans in the bathroom and the kitchen. Ensure they are turned on whenever using the bathroom or kitchen as well.
5. Take measures to ensure your home is properly ventilated.
6. Quit keeping firewood inside the house.
7. Invest in energy-efficient windows and doors.
8. Consider opening windows for a few minutes each day to allow the exchange of cold and warm air.

How Energy-Efficient Windows Can Help

Windows, skylights, and doors have become an integral part of making homes more energy efficient. These work by keeping the house airtight, thus preventing cold air from getting into the house. Spacers in double and triple-glazed windows help isolate freezing temperatures outside, meaning the inner pane doesn’t get cold at all. This reduces chances of lowering air temperature, hence no condensation.

Some of the best window manufacturers in the industry use a special metallic coating on window panes and glass as well. The film reduces heat radiation, which helps keep heat inside during winter, and reflect heat outside in summer. Investing in energy-efficient windows, therefore, helps keep the house warmer. This translates to lesser cold surfaces in the home.

Conclusion on Home Condensation Issues

Ensuring your house is adequately ventilated, installing exhaust fans, vapor barriers, and energy efficient windows are some of the best measures that not only help control humidity but take care of condensation as well. While temporary condensation (in unusual circumstances) is a possibility, taking these precautionary and preventive measures should help keep humidity levels down. Having a hygrometer installed in the house can also help you ensure humidity levels do not soar up again.

Hail Damage to Townhouse Complex Leads to New Siding and Gutters

June 21, 2017 By windowschicago

Many people don’t realized that Innovative Home Concepts has a special division that strictly handles large insurance loss claims. We help HOA’s, apartment owners, commercial property owners and property managers make repairs and replace damaged roofs, siding, gutters, and more after hail and wind storms. We offer a Free Townhouse hail inspection and insurance policy review to communities in the Chicago area, Southern Wisconsin, and Northwest Indiana.

Recently we were able to help a homeowners association in Sleepy Hollow Illinois make repairs after a hail storm. And this is how it happened…

The property manager for the Sleepy Hollow Homeowners Association called our office to have someone come out to the complex to look at one of the units that was experiencing a leak between one of the windows and the siding. During the inspection Innovative’s representative noticed that the aluminum siding on the building had hail damage. After inspecting several of the other buildings on the property, our representative asked the property manager if he could meet the president of the HOA. Fortunately she was home at the time.

After presenting his findings and explaining how we handle these situations, the rep proceeded to help the HOA president with the beginning steps of the insurance restoration process.

Our philosophy is to make the process as easy as possible for the property owner or, as in the case of a town home community, the property owners. Once we have the authorization, we take over the entire claim process. From making the initial claim to sweeping up the sidewalk after the installation, we handle every part of the insurance restoration process.

The long and the short of it is this, we helped this townhouse association get new siding and gutters because their property had sustained hail damage. The savings to them was just shy of $500,000. All they had to pay was their insurance deductible.

How exactly did we help them?

We discovered the damage during a repair inspection
We helped them file the claim
We prepared documentation for their insurance company
We met with their insurance company adjuster and made sure what was damaged was covered
We supplemented the claim to make sure their was enough money to correctly make the repairs
We coordinated and performed the replacement of all of the aluminum siding and gutters on the 7 building in the community
We communicated with the residents of the community to prepare them for the installations
We worked with their management company and was able to procure a management fee for them on top of the work being done
We made improvements to the community that increased everyone’s property values
And finally we did all of the necessary paperwork, phone calls, communications, and leg work necessary for a large loss claim.

We love working with customers like this because it is a true win-win-win situation. We get to do the work, the homeowners got new siding and gutters without having to raise fees or take out a loan, and the manager from the management company ended up looking like a hero to the homeowners and her boss who collected a nice management fee on the project.

Transcript of Interview: Townhouse HOA Hail Damage Restoration Project Sleepy Hollow Illinois

Julie Jacks: My name is Julie Jacks. I am the treasurer of the Sleepy Hollow Condominium Board.

Speaker 2: Wonderful!

Julie Jacks: The Sleepy Hollow Homeowners Association.

Speaker 2: How did you hear about Innovative Home Concepts?

Julie Jacks: We heard about Innovative Home Concepts through our management company, Heather is our point of contact at our management company and when we had the insurance claim for the siding to be done, she was the one who recommended Innovative Home Concepts to us.

Speaker 2: How was your sales experience with the company?

Julie Jacks: Well, I met John early on in the project. I think I met him actually at my front door when he came by to introduce himself and let me know that my building was the one they were going to start with first. So very personable, very customer focused and very approachable, easy to talk to, and when I did have interactions with him throughout the course of the project, it was all very positive.

Speaker 2: Tell us about the project that Innovative did for you?

Julie Jacks: Oh gosh, it was a big job. It was seven buildings, four units in each building, and it was mostly the…It was siding as well as gutters and I think that was it.

Speaker 2: How was the insurance claim process?

Julie Jacks: As far as I know, it was pretty darn easy, because we didn’t have to do anything. That was handled through Innovative Home Concepts which really freed us up to not have to worry about it.

Speaker 2: Tell us about the installation crews that worked on the project?

Julie Jacks: They were phenomenal. There were two guys. Mariusz was the one that I knew his name and just the work ethic alone and the way they cleaned up after themselves every single day. Very meticulous, very detailed driven. I remember speaking with John at one point and he said, “these are our best guys that are on the job.” And they certainly were. I never had to worry about anything to be cleaned up or mess left behind. Very cordial, very, very strong work ethic and I mean those guys were here for some long days. You know, from 7:30 in the morning till sometimes 6:30, 7 o’clock at night. So that was impressive.

Speaker 2: How did the workers do as far as clean up?

Julie Jacks: Well, I would…Once again I would talk about the work ethic, and about how hard they worked, and the attention to detail in terms of them cleaning up after themselves. So it wasn’t like others that we’ve had. You know, people that have worked on the townhouses that have left behind a mess or left stuff, you know, on palettes. It just wasn’t like that. It was great.

Speaker 2: Tell us about your experience with the office staff?

Julie Banks: They were. I think…I don’t think I ever had to call, but I know that Sue, our President, she did call from time to time, to get updates. But I really relied on her as the president to coordinate the communication.

Speaker 2: If you were, would you recommend Innovative Home Concepts to any townhouse, community, Property Management Company that you know?

Jule Banks: I absolutely would. I absolutely would. We were really proud and impressed with the work and they just put up our garage door numbers, so we’ve got that. The only thing we are still waiting for are the shutters and we haven’t finalized the decision on which one we are going to get yet, so, all in all, yes, I would recommend them.

Speaker 2: Anything else that you would like to add?

Julie Jacks: I really enjoyed working with the team and responsiveness. I mean anytime we had a question, we got answers. There was no passing the buck or so many people to deal with that we didn’t know who to talk to. John was the one who I talked to and he’s the one I shared when I chose and picked up the new garage door number and address numbers, just, just overall a real positive experience for us.

The video above is the treasurer of the Sleepy Hollow homeowners association. She was kind enough to be interviewed about the project. It is worth watching, especially if you are on a HOA board or are a property manager who helps manage a townhouse association.

If you are the president of a homeowners association, a board member, or a property manager that manages a HOA and you suspect hail damage to the roof, siding, or gutters on the buildings in your community, give us a call for a free hail damage inspection and property insurance review today!

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