AsktheBuilder.com News - January 5, 2016
Dear ,
Happy New Year!
I feel 2016 is going to
be a banner year. I say this because of a major epiphany I had about my Defective Shingles book over the Christmas break.
If things go as I feel they might, this book is going to be the pinnacle of my entire working career.
Why is that?
I discovered something two days after Christmas that will provide complete relief for you, and millions of other homeowners, if you have just installed asphalt shingles that are doomed to fail in just a short amount of time.
What I discovered will allow you to double, maybe triple, the
life of your new, or newer, asphalt shingle roof.
I also have news for you if you're going to install a new roof soon. VERY GOOD NEWS!
If all goes well, the book should be ready in about a month. Wait until you see the photographs in the book. Oh my!
Bogus Internet Advice
I want you to be aware that some of the stuff you see on other websites - ones that have to do with home improvement and ones that have a random tip about your home - may be giving you very BAD or SUSPECT
advice.
I can't remember now where I saw the link, but I've had a tab open in my browser now for about a week. I saved it for you.
It was a tip that said, "Don't Skip this Winterizing Task".
It talked about making sure you clean your gutters twice a year. Here's one line from the webpage and video:
"Clogged gutter systems overflow with rainwater and can damage the foundation of your home, costing you thousands in repairs."
There was
NOTHING in the tip or on the webpage explaining exactly how overflowing gutters can damage a foundation.
Let's apply facts to this statement.
Here in New England and I know it to be the case in the Southeast, many houses do NOT have gutters. The soil is sandy. Snow and ice can rip gutters off
houses in heavy snow areas.
Water pours off roofs like it might from a clogged gutter all the time. We don't have damaged foundations here in New England from this.
The same is true in the Southeast and they often have houses with shallow slab foundations!
In the Midwest, the soil is normally a heavy clay. Water just runs off and has a tough time penetrating the dense clay.
What's the water going to do? Is splashing water on the ground going to erode the poured concrete or concrete block? Maybe in a thousand years or so.
Is the water going to erode the soil to the point that the footer under your foundation wall
is undermined? Don't you feel you might do something is you started to see a 4-foot-deep hole caused by rainwater cascading from the roof?
Is a clogged gutter one or two times going to cause your foundation to crack? How? Normal rain falling from the sky is going to wet the soil next to the foundation.
Do you see what I'm trying to do?
I'm trying to get you to THINK when you're presented with a statement. Don't assume it's TRUE. Ask for the proof.
Here's an example.
Let's say I state:
"Water leaks around a chimney flashing can cost you thousands in repairs."
But I go on to say this:
"The water will cause the wood framing and the wood roof sheathing to rot. If the rot advances too far, the damaged roof framing can buckle and collapse. The water will cause mold to grow in your attic which costs lots of money to clean up. You might get sick from the mold and have large medical bills. The water, should it make it indoors, can ruin the drywall and any flooring it gets on."
The point is, connect all the dots and make sure they make sense when you see a statement!
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