Share Your Stories from Your Town!

Gutter guidance: Professionals offer advice on when, how to make roof repairs Click Here to Recommend Story View larger image Steve Smith, of D&J Construction, uses a hammer to do some guitar repair in Front Royal. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Smith taps at a gutter in Front Royal as Dave York, owner of D&J Construction in Front Royal, keeps the ladder steady. Dennis Grundman/Daily By M.K. Luther — mkluther@nvdaily.com FRONT ROYAL — As temperatures begin to inch up and the snow begins to melt, David York is beginning to dig out from the remnants of the blizzard — not with a shovel, but with a ladder. York is an independent contractor and owner of D&J Construction based in Front… Continue reading »

BBB gives GutterSupply an A+ Rating!

GutterSupply gets an A+ Rating! Dear Mr. Milliman: As you may know the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois is introducing a new Ratings System (a letter grade from A+ to F) for all Accredited Businesses and non-accredited companies that are in the BBB database. This new ratings system replaces the previous “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” rating. The changeover was mandated by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (the parent BBB organization). The new ratings will be used by all BBBs across the United States and Canada. The letter grade for your business is “A+”. This new letter grade will be available for the public June 1st to view on your BBB Reliability Report at the BBB Web site… Continue reading »

GutterSupply.com – Complaint Free in 2008!

GutterSupply.com just received the Better Business Bureau award for being complaint free for the entire year of 2008! We take pride in our customer service and want to make sure our customers are treated fairly and respectfully. We will continue to strive to be an annual recipient of this meaningful award.

What Does The Stimulus Package Mean For Our Industry?

What does the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act mean to our industry? While many of the expenditure details are still pending, the news overall is pretty good. Here is a summary of the residential construction spending stimulus as well as tax incentives designed to motivate home buying and remodeling. First time homebuyer tax credit $11.5 billion. Maximum value of individual tax credit $8,000. This will stimulate demand among prospective buyers and generate multiplier effect for homeowners seeking to sell existing homes. FHA and GSE loan limits of the greater of $729,750. This reduces housing finance cost and stimulates housing demand. Low income housing tax credit: supplemental resources. Allows state housing agencies to receive a grant equal to 85% of 40%… Continue reading »

Econony Recovering? Copper Seems To Tell Us So!

What does the gutter industry have to do with the economy? If you buy and/or sell Copper Gutters, you may have a pretty good idea. Check out this article on Copper prices and their relation to the world economy… You know, when an economy does start to recover, it’s not widely known at the time. In fact, the news will still be as full of “gloom and doom” as ever even when it starts. So you won’t know when the economy is turning by listening to the nightly news. So what can you look to? Well, here is one widely watched economic barometer that institutional investors have used throughout the years. What is it? Copper. Now you may think, “What… Continue reading »

Protect Your Work Site

I found this cautionary tale on Google News: Easttown, PA police are investigating a theft from a house under construction in the township sometime during the night of Feb. 17. According to police someone took copper rain gutters and related items such as downspouts and a door. The value of the missing items was estimated at $30,000, police said.

The Craziest Downspouts Ever

The Hardware Aisle over at This Old House has a terrific item about these Rube Goldberg-style rain gutters installed on a house in Germany. The rain runs down a water ladder and even flows through trumpets that play a tune. I just wonder what the neighbors think. Read the full story at This Old House.

Preventing Ice Dams

Contrary to popular belief, gutters don’t cause ice dams. While snow and ice can building up in your gutters, the root of the problem is heat loss through your roof. I ran across this nice article by BCI Contractor which explains that by keeping your attic at the same temperature as the outside, you keep snow from melting on the roof and forming an ice dam around your gutters. Good insulation and proper ventilation helps avoid problems. Worth a read.

Why Rain Gutters Attract Icicles

Ever wonder why your gutters act like a magnet for icicles? I ran across a nice little article explaining why: Icicles form when snow or ice melts off a surface or object and runs or drips into an area where it can freeze again. What makes eaves and rain gutters such great places for icicles to form is their proximity to both direct sunshine and interior heat escaping from inside a home or other building. Technorati Profile

Rain Chains and Ice

Dear DW Guttters,Rain Chains are great for northern climates. When frozen, the rain chain forms an interesting ice sculpture. The only area of concern is with the extra weight the ice will add to the gutter, especially with the standard “gutter clip” that is available free with every chain. I would recommend using the rain chain installation kit in place of the clip, for extra strength.