Avoid These Outdoor Projects in the Winter

Lots of folks think winter is a great time for outdoor upgrades. It feels like a good plan after the holiday hustle and before the contractors get super busy with the warmer weather. But, truth be told, it's not the safest time for big exterior projects like roofing and siding. Here's why:

• When the weather is below 40 degrees, the composition of building materials really changes. As it gets colder, products such as shingles can get brittle and crack or split easily. Materials such as vinyl siding shrink, which can lead to misalignment or potential for leaks when they later expand as the weather warms.

• Another big issue is shingle adherence. Shingle sealant is activated by sun and heat. If there is not enough of either, the hold won’t be as strong as it should be, which could cause problems down the road. If the weather is too cold, we are often forced to hand seal, which can add time and cost to a generally simple process.

• Most contractors use an air nail gun for external remodeling, which works by pressure. If humidity turns to ice in the airline, it can under or overdrive the nails instead of putting them in flush. Compressors face the same potential problem. 

• Being on a roof or ladder in winter is dangerous. Even the most seasoned professionals must take care as black ice can cause serious injury. While we take every precaution, there is a lot that can go wrong during cold conditions. It’s often not worth the risk. 

• Winter weather is unpredictable. When it rains in the warmer months, we tarp a job thoroughly to ensure there aren’t any leaks. Snow is more difficult as it adds both moisture and weight to a job. Imagine having a roof open in February and a foot of snow falls from the sky?

• A cold weather installation could void your warranty. Many products specify a proper installation environment, which is usually above 40 degrees. 

• Winter jobs almost always take longer as roofers need to take extra precautions and more frequent breaks while working in cold conditions. The last thing you want is someone on a roof who can’t feel their toes. There is also less daylight, which will add time to an installation.

Sometimes, a winter repair or replacement is inevitable and leaving the job until spring might make things worse. If this is the case for you, be sure that you’re working with an experienced contractor who has a solid track record in winter conditions and discuss all the precautions and extra steps that will be taken to ensure the job is done correctly. The last thing you want is someone getting injured or a situation where corners have to be cut to accommodate less-than-fair conditions. In the end, is it really worth it? 

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Outdoor Work in Winter That's a No Go

It may seem surprising but I get a lot of calls from homeowners who want to put on a new roof or update their vinyl siding during this quieter time of the year. People often think winter is a good opportunity to make outdoor improvements since it’s past the holiday period and before the busy spring sets in. As much as I hate to disappoint, now is actually a pretty dangerous time of year to do any exterior projects. Here are seven reasons why:

1. When the weather is below 40 degrees, the composition of building materials can really change. As it gets colder, products such as shingles can get brittle and crack or split easily. Materials such as vinyl siding shrink, which can lead to misalignment or potential for leaks when they later expand as the weather warms.

2. Another big issue is shingle adherence. Shingle sealant is activated by sun and heat. If there is not enough of either, the hold won’t be as strong as it should be, which could cause problems down the road. If the weather is too cold, we are often forced to hand seal, which can add time and cost to a generally simple process.

3. Most contractors use an air nail gun for external remodeling, which works by pressure. If humidity turns to ice in the airline, it can under or overdrive the nails instead of putting them in flush. Compressors face the same potential problem. 

4. Being on a roof or ladder in winter is dangerous. Even the most seasoned professionals must take care as black ice can cause serious injury. While we take every precaution, there is a lot that can go wrong during cold conditions. It’s often not worth the risk. 

5. Winter weather is unpredictable. When it rains in the warmer months, we tarp a job thoroughly to ensure there aren’t any leaks. Snow is more difficult as it adds both moisture and weight to a job. Imagine having a roof open in February and a foot of snow falls from the sky?

6. A cold weather installation could void your warranty. Many products specify a proper installation environment, which is usually above 40 degrees. 

7. Winter jobs almost always take longer as roofers need to take extra precautions and more frequent breaks while working in cold conditions. The last thing you want is someone on a roof who can’t feel their toes. There is also less daylight, which will add time to an installation.

Sometimes, a winter repair or replacement is inevitable and leaving the job until spring might make things worse. If this is the case for you, be sure that you’re working with an experienced contractor who has a solid track record in winter conditions and discuss all the precautions and extra steps that will be taken to ensure the job is done correctly. The last thing you want is someone getting injured or a situation where corners have to be cut to accommodate less-than-fair conditions. In the end, is it really worth it? 

Bob O'Donnell is the owner of O'Donnell Bros, Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions for Bob to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro”. All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O'Donnell Bros, Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Attic Stairs Are A Heat Loss Culprit

Most homeowners don’t realize that the pulldown attic stairway is one of the biggest heat loss culprits in the house. Many of us don’t go up into the attic very often other than to get holiday decorations from storage or maybe grab the suitcases for an upcoming vacation. Because we don’t access the attic all that much, we often don’t realize how much the temperature up there fluctuates and how much heat and air conditioning we are losing through the space. 

I can’t tell you the number of times that I have gone into an attic to find frozen water droplets on the tips of the roofing nails. Because homes are underinsulated and underventilated, the attic gets very hot in the summer and below freezing in the winter. Condensation and moisture can become a major problem, causing rot in the wood and mold on soft surfaces. 

But then of course there is the heat loss issue. We all know that heat rises and because most Connecticut homes are majorly underinsulated, we end up losing tons of warm air through the attic hatch. Plenty of people use draft strips and different kinds of sealant on doors and windows, but this entry point is almost always overlooked even though it’s the most important. The same goes for whole-house fans.

One of the common solutions we always recommend is installing an insulated box to cover the attic entryway or a built-in house fan. An insulated box is made from heavy-duty insulation and sealed with expanding foam. The box sits on top of the stairs when they are folded inside the attic, creating a barrier that still allows the homeowner to access the space as they need to. This simple structure reduces the amount of heat loss seeping from the living space of the home, making for a much more comfortable and energy-efficient environment. 

I always recommend that homeowners have their insulation and ventilation checked to keep their homes healthy, reduce their energy bills, and live more comfortably. While insulation is a very cost-efficient and easy home improvement, an insulated box is an excellent solution to achieve some of the goals of an insulation-optimized house for just a few hundred dollars. You’ll be shocked at the difference it makes. 

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.