OCTOBER 18, 2017 • Volume 12 • Issue 42
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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• AREA DEVELOPMENT • FARM • COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE 317 5th Street, Ames State of Iowa 515-233-3299 • ® licensed in the
RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL 515-233-3299 • AREA DEVELOPMENT • 317
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GUTTER GUARDS Are they worth the cost? By Laura Firszt More Content Now
O
ne of the least popular homeowner “honeydo” tasks — right up there with toilet scrubbing or cat litter emptying — is (yuck!) gutter cleaning. You could install gutter guards as a way to simplify this annoying chore, but are they really worth the cost? Let’s take a look at what gutter guards are, exactly, and what they can do for your home. First, what’s a gutter for? And why does it need cleaning? A gutter is a trough made of metal or vinyl, which edges the bottom of your roof. Often called “rain gutters,” these devices collect rain and melted snow running off your roof and channel them safely away from your home’s foundation, via a type of tube known as a “downspout.” Unfortunately, rain gutters also tend to collect what we scientifically refer to as “gunk.” Here are some unwanted items that often end up in gutters:
fallen leaves tree branches and twigs pine needles seeds (which, left alone, may eventually sprout into baby plants right there in the gutter) moss dust and dirt pollen nests – home to birds, wasps, or small rodents animal droppings tennis balls and other toys Without regular gutter cleaning, all these things can block your gutters and eventually prevent water from draining off through the downspout system as intended. Instead, it will end up soaking into your fascia boards, walls, and/or foundation, where it may do thousands of dollars’ worth of damage and even threaten the structural integrity of your home. In winter, water backup will freeze, resulting in ice dams which can tear off the gutter installation, downspout, fascia, etc. What are gutter guards? Designed to minimize gutter
cleaning, gutter guards are covers which keep out debris and allow rainwater and snowmelt to flow freely through your gutters. They can be included in the gutter installation or retrofitted at a later date. There are five basic types of gutter guards: • Screen gutter guards are the commonest and cheapest type, which are uncomplicated to install as a DIY project. Just cut PVC or aluminum screening to the dimensions you need and drop or slide it into place. However, standard screen gutter guards don’t filter out smallish items like pine needles. • Foam gutter guards are extremely porous foam strips that are inserted in the gutter. Water passes readily through the foam, but solids are trapped on top. These are super simple for the home handyperson to put in place. • Brush gutter guards work similarly to foam. Place them inside the gutter and they’ll allow water to pass through, yet trap any solid particles in their bristles. This is another excellent do-it-yourself choice. • Micromesh gutter guards have tiny holes, capable of filtering
out almost every size of debris. They should be installed by an experienced roofing pro, either mounted under your roof shingles or attached to your fascia and to your gutter. For durability, choose surgical stainless steel mesh. • Surface tension gutter guards are curved covers that guide water into the rain gutters, while solids slide harmlessly off the guards and onto the ground. Once again, find a professional roofer to install these. Do gutter guards eliminate gutter cleaning completely? The good news is that gutter guards can cut down significantly on Micromesh
LEAFBLASTER
Foam
Screen
Brush LYNCH ALUMINUM
Surface tension GUTTERBRUSH
GUTTERSTUFF K-STYLE
MOONWORKS
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gutter cleaning work … and the clogs that result when cleaning is neglected. The bad news is that they are unlikely to eliminate this job completely from your home maintenance checklist. You will have to budget a certain
amount of time to remove rubbish from the gutter guards themselves. This is a lot less trouble than oldschool gutter cleaning, though, and only needs to be done every couple of years ... as opposed to at least twice
annually without gutter guards. The average cost to install 200 running feet of mid-range gutter guards is $1,500-2,000. (Cheap gutter guards tend to be poor quality, which may need frequent repair or
replacement.) Do the math and decide whether you feel the added convenience is worth it to you personally. Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
TIPS OF THE WEEK PUMPKINS
PETS
Creative alternatives to carving pumpkins
Amazing home renovations for your furry friends
Pumpkins are the quintessential home decor piece during the autumn season. There are many other ways to enhance your pumpkin that don’t involve carving. Here are a few ideas from everythingmom.com: Crayons: If you use a hair dryer on the hot setting, you can hold different colors at the top and watch the wax melt and drip down the sides for a lovely look. String art: Hammer small nails into your pumpkin, leaving about a half inch revealed. Then take string FLICKR and wrap around the nails to create a beautiful spiderweb of designs. Pushpins: Use tacks with colorful heads to create any design of your choosing. You could spell out your family name or simply add an array of polka dots.
Your pets are part of the family, but have you ever considered making them part of your next home renovation? If you’re looking for inspiration, consider these projects from Realtor.com. Built-in feeding station. This customized space looks like any other cabinet drawer but keeps pet bowls out of the way and pet food off the floor. Specialized shower. Consider making a custom pet shower part of your master bathroom renovation. Make sure it comes with a long hose to make rinsing easy. A place to gather. Add a personal pet space underneath the center of your kitchen island. This way your pet can be part of what’s going on without getting in the way. — Brandpoint
DEAR MONTY
Tips for selecting a house sitter full-time house sitter a good idea? Monty’s answer: The internet has allowed the advance of this business model. Many options impact the service. The popularity of your location, the size of your home, your expectations, your budget and more. RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: We have a chance to take a sixmonth trip to Australia. We have always cared for our home ourselves. We have several pets, yard work, maintenance items and other responsibilities. Is a
8 important considerations • Vetting the individual or individuals is the No. 1 factor. Homesitters are often a couple that comes as a package. Personal habits such as allowing visitors, automobile usage, groceries for them and the pets, the care of your pets, routines, food portions, variety and timing of meals,
exercise, and other house rules need to be communicated and understood. • Insurance is a critical component. Remember to includes coverage if operating your vehicle is part of the agreement. • Remember to include responsibilities around the exterior and interior maintenance such as lawn care, snow removal, changing filters, floor care, and more, in the house rules. • List the contractors you use should a need arise outside ordinary wear and tear. • Communication between you and the house sitter are necessary. A method that works for both of you should be established
and honored by both parties during the engagement. • Pre-plan execution of financial matters you normally handle at home. What will come in the mail? How will the utility bills be handled? Can we pay them in advance? • Security and oversight are also available today with realtime cameras that can be operated remotely from around the world. • Secure a written agreement to describe and deal with all the terms and conditions of the engagement. Send Richard Montgomery questions at DearMonty.com.
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