A.H. Construction

April 30, 2019 by A.H. Construction

SKYLIGHTS: Pros and Cons

If you are pondering the idea of adding roof skylights, now is the season to get serious, and do your research. The right types of skylights can add a lot of beauty and warmth to any room, but before jumping in, identify the pros and cons.

PROS

Can adds about 30% more light into a room than regular windows.
Can lower your energy bill; more natural lighting means less electrical light, lower energy bills.
Can provide better ventilation because skylights draw warm air up to vents.
Can maintain privacy while still providing more light.
Most of the modern and high-quality skylights are much more reliable with fewer leaks.
There are many styles to choose from and those tailored to suit a variety of environments.

CONS

Are costly. When professionally done it can be between $500 and $3000 per skylight.
The project might be more costly and complicated than you think if pipes, wiring or HVAC are in discovered to be in the way.
If not installed properly, there can be major problems with leaks, modern or old style.
You can’t install just any size skylight into any roof. You and your roofing professional should first identify the type of roof you’re working with, truss or a conventionally framed roof. Truss roofs are more limiting concerning the size of window that can be installed into your roof.

Quality skylights, professionally installed into your roofing system can add much beauty to your home. You can work with your roofing specialist today to see what type of roofing system you have and what he/she can best recommend for your home. This is a great time of year to let the sun shine in!

April 23, 2019 by A.H. Construction

Skylight Condensation

If your skylight (roof light) appears to be leaking, this might not be the case. It could be a leak, but then it could be just condensation. If the only time you notice water dripping from your skylight is during extreme temperature changes rather than when it’s raining, then your problem is probably CONDENSATION.

Skylight (roof light) condensation would be the clue that you have excessive moisture in your home. Condensation occurs when there is a big temperature difference between the INSIDE and OUTSIDE of the home (winter time). Simply, the moisture in the air (form of gas), is cooled down when it hits the window and then turns into a liquid (condensation).

Excessive moisture in one area of your home could mean the same thing in other parts. Clear signs of too much condensation (moisture) are:

Paint with excessive blistering or peeling
Structural wood in your walls that is rotting
Walls and window seats with mildew

So excessive moisture means increased speeds of deterioration in and around the home. To stop such a process in its tracks, take some or all of the following steps:

Insulate your home.
Check your furnace to be sure it is allowing in fresh air.
Open your curtains to allow the circulation of air.
Open your windows for an hour or two every day.
Install extractor fans in your bathrooms and kitchens.
Ceiling fans.
Check your appliances to be sure that moist air is being correctly vented (ex. dryers).
Insulate your home.

Now is the time to check your skylights (roof lights) and other areas of your home for excessive moisture and condensation. Catch it early before significant damage occurs. If you have any other questions you can contact AH Construction Professionals in the “Contact” section of this web site.

December 13, 2018 by A.H. Construction

Winter and Your Roof

Except for the winter sport enthusiasts, winter is no one’s friend and that includes our roof and gutter systems. Entering the season with knowledge helps a preparedness of mind and the inclination to look for little problems before they get to be HUGE problems. Paying attention to these 5 tips below could save you much future grief.

Tip #1: Inspect your roof and gutters for signs of ice dams or the formation of icicles. If not before, do so right after any wind or snow storms. Heavy snow and ice can rip gutters away from the home. Act now to save much expense in the spring to come.

Tip #2 Clogged gutters and down spouts can not move water and melted snow away from your home and this means damage. With a roof rake, be sure to remove snow build-up. If you have significant ice, then hammer chisel CAREFULLY and chip away. Then there is always the option to call the professionals. We’re always happy to serve.

Tip #3: Unless your roof structure is damaged or rotted out, most residential roofs, no matter their locations, can usually support 20lbs per square foot of snow before they are stressed. The risky roofs are those flat or slightly pitched ones that cover our porches, carports and hastily built additions. These can be vulnerable when there is significant snow fall. So, a good rule of thumb is to apply some SAFE snow removal to such roofing structures after a significant snow of 5″ or more. SAFE means stay on the ground and use a snow rake with an appropriate extension. Another safe strategy is to call on a professional roofing contractor.

Tip #4: Keeping in mind that most residential roof structures (unless damaged or decayed) can support up to 20lbs per square foot of snow before being stressed, be aware that according to the IBHS (Institute for Business and Home Safety) 1 inch of ice equals 1 FOOT of fresh snow.

Tip #5: Keep a look out for signs of an Overloaded roof:
* After a heavy snow, go into your attic. If you see your rafters are severely bent by weight or you hear cracking and popping, time to call a roofing professional.
* Or take notice of your house frame. If it moved enough to jam shut a door at the front or back of your home, it is time to consult a structural engineer. Your roof construction needs serious strengthening.

Knowing what to look for and then inspecting after every significant snow fall will help prevent little problems from growing into bigger ones. So, enjoy the coming holiday and winter months ahead with confidence because, now, you’ve got this!

November 30, 2018 by A.H. Construction

Ypsilanti Award Program Honors the Achievement

YPSILANTI October 30, 2018 — AH Construction Company has been selected for the 2018 Best of Ypsilanti Award in the Insulation Contractors category by the Ypsilanti Award Program.

Each year, the Ypsilanti Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Ypsilanti area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2018 Ypsilanti Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Ypsilanti Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Ypsilanti Award Program

The Ypsilanti Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Ypsilanti area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Ypsilanti Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Ypsilanti Award Program

AH Co. Receives 2018 Best of Ypsilanti Award

September 18, 2018 by A.H. Construction

Roof Structure and Skylights

Skylights can be a great idea! They bring in more natural light to your home, reducing the need for artificial light and therefore, reducing the lighting bill, but before you do anything, be sure you know your roof! Skylight installation will be different depending on the type of roof structure you have – RAFTERS OR TRUSS. Both RAFTERS and TRUSSES support your roof, and are triangle in shape, but there are differences. Make sure you hire the roofing professional that knows these differences and will apply the best installation technique to protect your investment, your ROOF and home.

Roof RAFTERS consist of sloping outer beams which provide support. These contain 2 main outer beams which do the support work for the entire roof. So, if you decide to install a large skylight, usually the installer can cut one or more rafters to make it work with no difficulty. The rafters on the sides of the rough opening are usually doubled up and headers are added at the top and bottom of the opening. The overall roof support is not interfered with and all is well.

The TRUSS is a different story. Trusses consist of more triangular webs inside the main frame. They provide more support than rafters and the entire weight of the roof is equally shared by the series of triangles inside this main frame. So, the idea of modifying them is a bad idea. In this case it is important that your installer uses skylight units made to fit BETWEEN the roof members or gather several smaller skylights together to create a larger window.

Before seeking to install any skylights, AH Construction recommends that you know your roof, so you have the right questions to ask any roofing professional. Not all companies are equal, so be sure to hire the BEST one for your roof.

PROS

CONS

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