Roof Leaks Don't Stand a Chance with American Classic!

April showers bring May flowers! ….and sometimes they bring roof leaks!

There are some traditional signs of a leaky roof for you to look out for, which include:
Water stains or damp spots on your ceiling.
Blown off shingles around your yard.
Dripping sounds inside of your home.
Water stains on your rafters inside your attic.
Shingle granules in your gutters.
Cracked or damaged shingles.
Mold on the interior OR exterior walls of your home.

If you are experiencing any of those issues, please feel free to call us to get service out to your home. Unfortunately the issue will not get better unless resolved, and the faster it is resolved, the better!! Once water gets into your home, damage happens fast and can lead to extremely costly repairs. We have service crews out 5 days a week for repairs like these, so please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are your exterior experts with 20 years of experience, and we are here for you.

The Importance of Installing a Snow Fence

Welcome to wintertime in Michigan, where the days are short, and the snow piles are high. With the changing seasons, it is important to make sure we are protecting our homes and the people who are inside them.

With their style and durability, metal roofs have become a hit with many homeowners. They are extremely low maintenance and offer the best protection against rain, sleet, and snow. Metal roofs function much like shingle roofs, except for one big difference: sliding ice and snow!

Many people do not think about this when they install a metal roof, but a Snow Guard is a must in snowy weather. Without the guard, it is possible for snow and ice to go flying off your roof, and crash into your porch, landscaping, cars, and even a person. With that much snow and ice coming down at an alarming speed – it could mean very bad news for whatever is under it. To avoid an avalanche of snow and ice, many homeowners install Snow Guards to the metal roofs of their home.

Snow and ice are no match for a Snow Guard, as it acts as a barrier to keep the snow and ice from sliding off the roof all at once. It helps get snow and ice off your house in a slow, predictable way, rather than a sudden frozen flood coming down at you!

Contact us if you think this would be beneficial to you and your home!

This photo shows the snow fence keeping the snow on the roof!

Michigan Winter is Coming!

Michigan’s fall season signals its arrival with dramatic color changing foliage and bountiful harvests.  Michiganders welcome fall with all of its pleasantries.  However, one thing always looms at the end of our fall season…. Winter.    While it’s important to soak up the magic of our fall season, we must also begin to prepare our homes for Old Man Winter’s frosty bite.

If your family is like ours, you’ve already started counting down the days until Christmas. Recently, my children begin to question where Santa might park his sleigh on our roof.  Often we think first to decorate the inside of the house for the holidays.  However, this might be a good time to make sure your roof is ready for Santa and his sleigh.  Keep in mind a wet, heavy snow can weigh even more than Rudolph and his team.

Really though, as we head into Michigan’s winter months, now is a good time to evaluate the state of your exterior.  We have created a list of some common problems our service teams see frequently:

·         Torn, lifted, or missing shingles

·         Damaged Flashing

·         Clogged Gutters

·         Leaks or other signs of water damage

·         Mold in the attic

·         Buckled or sagging roof deck

·         Drafty windows or doors

American Classic is happy to offer a free inspection should you feel your home needs an evaluation.  Contact our office to get on our teams list. 

While on the topic of Christmas, make sure you hang your Christmas lights properly to avoid damaging you exterior.  We have some helpful hint on our website click HERE to be redirected.

Creating a Welcoming Front Porch for the Holidays!

It’s time to start your holiday decorating!  Don’t forget to bring a fun, festive curb appeal to your front porch.  Afterall, what better way to greet your guests than with creative front porch Christmas decorations?  A beautiful front door can be a great statement piece of your home too.  It is also a great base to start with for your holiday décor. Maybe you are even interested in changing up the whole look of your front porch.  A new front door can completely change your homes exterior.  American Classic’s Door Division can help you out with some great door options!

Even if you don’t have much time to decorate for the holiday season, we have found some quick and inexpensive ideas to add a festive touch to your porch in a flash. 

The most important part of Christmas decorating is to have fun with it! Get the kids or grandkids involved by wrapping some mock gifts, making a wreath or painting a festive welcome sign. 

Enjoy decorating and please share a picture with us of your front porch. It will help inspire us and others for next year!

Secrets to Hanging Christmas Lights Without Damaging Your Exterior

Christmas: it’s the most wonderful time of the year!  For many of us it’s time to begin stringing the lights and decorating our homes.  Many Americans enjoy watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation every Christmas season.  In this classic slap stick comedy, Clark Griswold and his family can be oddly relatable in some scenes.  Clark Griswold’s home light display seemed oddly over the top for the time period.  However, today decking the halls has gone to a new extreme in many neighborhoods.  ABC even broadcasts the TV show, The Great Christmas Light Fight, in which, homeowners compete to win cash prizes & a coveted trophy based on their exterior home decorating skills. 

While we must admit we love taking in the beauty of a home well-decorated for Christmas, here at American Classic we also believe we would be amiss to share the important things to consider when decorating your home.  It’s important to use proper safety precautions as well as take the necessary steps to avoid damaging any aspect of your homes exterior. 

Here are our top 4 tips to properly hang Christmas Lights and avoid damaging your home:

1.       Safety Always Comes First!  Santa is the only one who should be climbing your roof.  164,000 people are injured from ladder falls every year.  Also, keep in mind that walking on your roof can be damaging to the shingles causing deterioration of the protective granules.  If you’re not accustom to walking a roof, your chances of falling increase. Please use extreme caution, wear tennis shoes with a good grip, and be sure to have a helper present.   Speaking of helpers, Santa never works alone without an elf. Find a helper to hold your ladder in place, hand up supplies, and possibly offer some reassurance and/or inspiration along the way. 

2.       Save the staples for your office.  Clark Griswold famously stapled over 6,000 lights to his home. Put down the staple gun!  Using staples or any other penetrating fastener to secure your lights to your roof is never a good idea.  Penetrations made through your roofing materials will lead to damaging leaks.  There are many plastic light clips designed to hold lights securely on shingles and gutters.

3.       Watch your weight.  No, we are not talking about watching your waistline as you enjoy your favorite Christmas cookies.  When loading your roof with displays and decorations, pay close attention to how heavy those items are.  Displays hung here, there and everywhere on a roof can quickly overload your roof and begin to stress your shingles, supports, and other structures on your roof.  If you begin second guessing how wise it is to decorate your roof, toss around the idea of decorating your lawn.  The lawn is flat, easier and safer to decorate, and doesn’t pose any risk to your home. 

4.       Have Fun!  Christmas decorating is a fun family activity, creates cherished memories for years to come, and makes your home stand out to passerbys enjoying your beautiful display. 

Should you have any questions please contact us.  We’d love to help you be sure that your homes exterior is secure.  Also, we’d love to see your Christmas light creations! 

Merry Christmas from the American Classic Team to your family!  We wish you a Christmas filled with joy, laughter, and family!

Typical Lifespan of a Traditional Shingled Roof

Technology has improved the capability of manufacturers to improve the life span of today’s shingles with more asphalt, stronger matting, UV protection, algae resistance, better sealant strips, and higher wind resistant ratings. 

The most commonly used shingle in the past was the 3-tabs shingle which roughly have a lifespan of 15-20 years. 

Professional grade shingles are known as architectural shingles which is an industry leading standard today.  These styles of shingles offer a limited lifetime warranty and a one-time transferrable warranty upon the sale of a house. 

From a professional installer standpoint, the lifespan is only as good as the installer is at installing your roof.  That is why it is important to hire a professional contractor that not only is installing a name brand product but is offering an installation warranty as well.  The number one reason the lifespan of a product is voided is due to poor installation.  This will cause a manufacturer warranty to fault. 

There are more options than just the mentioned shingles above.  There are endless upgrades for a more designer look if desired. 

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Signs You Need a New Roof

A roof is more than just a roof. It is the first line of defense for you and your home.  It is one of the most important aspects of your house, protecting your valuables and family 365 days a year. 

The integrity of your roof can be compromised due to the severity of storms.  The obvious things to see are leaks and blown off shingles scattered debris your yard.  The not so obvious things are heavy winds damaging seals on shingles, hail impacting shingles, and granule loss that is collecting in your gutters.  All unseen damages to the untrained eye will cause pre-mature aging of a roof.  These are all things that a professional should be looking for which can be easy for a homeowner to overlook.

We encourage homeowners of two-story homes to call a professional for inspection.  A roof may appear to be easy to walk. However, with varying pitchs it’s important to follow the proper safety rules.  If you are unsure about climbing on your roof please call a professional to have the roof inspected. 

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