Advance Inc. has decided to waive all initial service fee charges now through March for exterior home repairs. This incredible offer will help you prepare your home for the spring by fixing the gutters, siding, broken windows, missing shingles and other repairs that you have been meaning to do. As the song says "Don’t worry be happy", and have us do the work for you while you enjoy your valuable time off from work.

When it comes to asphalt roofing in the winter months their are several things to consider and to be prepared for. The first thing to consider is the type of shingle being used and the application to which that shingle is being installed. In my opinion it is imperative to use six nails per shingle and to use a shingle that has a solid and consistent adhesive on the underside. For a great 30 year shingle I prefer the Owens Corning Duration shingle with Sure Nail Technology. The Owens Corning Duration shingle with Sure Nail Technology gives a nice wide profile on the nail line and is consistent throughout with the adhesive application. Visit the Owens Corning web site at owenscorning.com to find out more about the roofing products they offer.

For lifetime shingles I also like Certainteed and the range of products that they offer. The lifetime shingle that Certainteed offers has a very good wind and tear resistence and although I feel that the Owens Corning Duration shingle is a better quality then anything else on the market for the 30 year class, Certainteed does a great job with their lifetime shingles. You can visit them at certainteed.com to find out more.

At first shingles may not appear to lay flat in freezing conditions whether it is Owens Corning or Certainteed but remember that surface temperature and ambient temperature are two different things. As heat rises up through a home the underside of the sheathing will heat up as well which will increase surface temperature. And just like an asphalt road will heat up and melt snow before your concrete or grass, so will the top side of your shingle. One good day of sunshine and above freezing temperatures and you should notice a considerable difference in appearance as to how the shingle starts to relax and lay.

Many people prefer to have roofs put on in the winter months so that their flower beds and surrounding areas are not disturbed in the spring, summer, or the fall times of the year. Although some company tarp surrounding areas, many homeowners still opt for the winter months as the preferred time for install to minimize the inconvenience caused in their gardening or landscaping.

When considering a company for the install of a new roof, make sure the company has a service division. Take the time to visit the company at their listed place of employment and meet the service and production division when making this important decision.

Remember that roofing companies go out of business at an alarming rate and you do not want to be stuck with a thirty year roof with no warranty. You only have one shot at doing this right so make it a fun and educational experience.

I have had many people express that all vinyl replacement windows look the same so why are some more expensive then others?

Their are many factors that can contribute to the cost of a vinyl replacement window. The quality of the vinyl, the quality of the glass, the construction of the unit, and the install portion of the project are just a few of the determining factors of cost.

When talking about quality of product I am surprised that many home improvement companies do not talk about the Air Infiltration Rate of their vinyl replacement window. Most people are replacing their windows because they are cold and drafty so the air infiltration rate of a window becomes the most crucial factor when determining what product homeowners are going to purchase.

Sales people will talk about glass, solar heat gain co efficiency, u ratings and other things that can be overwhelming to a consumer but yet they fail to talk about the air that their individual companies double hung window will leak. Believe it or not, all vinyl double hung replacement windows leak air. If a sales professional tells you that their vinyl double hung window does not leak air then they are either misleading a consumer or they are under educated in product knowledge. Perhaps you should consider another company who is more concerned with being honest versus getting a sale.

To learn more about air infiltration rates please feel free to e-mail me at: joe@advancemyhome.com

I can never understand why people who are truly trying to make the best buying decisions for their homes and their families do not do the homework with regards to checking into the company to which they are buying. So many companies in home improvement have nothing more to offer then a low price.

Our industry has so many questionable characters and dishonest people. I want so much to expose those people and companies but I fear it will be frowned upon by the customer. Even though facts can be true it is not always looked upon in a favorable way by the customer. The only thing I can say is that when people buy windows, siding, roofing, or doors I would highly recommend visiting the company at it's location to make sure it is a legitimate home improvement business.

To the customer I say, ask yourself whats the most expensive decision you can make. A decision to which you have to do things twice or a decision that is one time and you are finished. Everyone is going to tell the customers that nothing bad will never happen and back it up with useless words on a contract. To truly believe that statement I would advise visiting the company to see what they have in place to support the claim and to lesson the chances that anything bad could happen to you.

Did you hear that Advance Inc. is working with Autism Awareness during the month of October? For every contract signed during this month Advance Inc. will make a donation to help the Autism Awareness cause. Being a solid member of the Delaware Community is important to the members of the Advance family and contributing to worthy charitable causes is just a small way that we can show our appreciation as a company. Please visit Autism Delaware at delautism.org to learn more about the organization.

As a reminder, Advance Inc. is giving away Green Energy Heat Barrier with the purchase of windows, siding, roofing, or doors. Also remember to sign up for the 17,000.00 home makeover.

Thank You,
Joe Bailey
General Manager

Think Advance when you think about home improvement or siding, windows and roofing for new construction! We carry quality materials at an affordable price...

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