This often concerns us because decks and porches being built properly is so important to the safety and well-being of you and your family. We want to avoid future problems and potential injuries by building a safe and secure deck that is in line with current Massachusetts building codes.

CAT Exteriors also recommend that homeowners with existing decks have them inspected regularly to make sure that there aren’t any new safety issues arising from age and wear and tear. Many older decks might have been built prior to the current building codes which were written to protect homeowner’s safety. Decks and porches can fail for a variety of reasons. According to the North American Deck and Railing Association website “especially due to old age, poor maintenance, improper building methods or exceeding load capacity. Heavy snow loads during the winter in northern regions can weaken the deck, necessitating an inspection in the spring before high levels of activity return.”

Craig Guido, CS says “Deck failures can be prevented, homeowner’s just need to understand the importance of having existing decks inspected regularly and the importance of hiring a professional contactor. By providing regular maintenance, inspections and knowing the limits of the structure homeowner’s can be sure to protect their families.”

So when you are ready to review all of your options for your deck or porch give Almar Building & CAT Exteriors a call. Our full service remodeling team can help you every step of the way thru any renovation project you are looking to tackle: Addition, Kitchen, Bathroom, Basement, Sunroom, Siding, Windows, Decking, and even roofing.

As a third generation family owned and operate company for over 50 years we have all the benefits of a small company with the options of a larger company including financing. We service the entire South Shore of Massachusetts including: Hanover, Hingham, Pembroke, Norwell, Scituate, Cohassett, Duxbury, Hanson, Abington, Rockland, Holbrook, Braintree, Weymouth, Milton, and many more towns.

What about the Halifax home owner that wants their home to have the classic, traditional look of their own childhood home? You can have the look of classic New England architecture without being committed to a grueling, intense schedule of household maintenance. Halifax Vinyl Siding is available in a wide range of colors and finishes to deliver exactly the look you want – with none of the maintenance you hate.

Let’s face it. Painted clapboard siding can be perfectly lovely. There’s just no getting around the fact that it’s also a lot of work. Even the best paints have a hard time standing up to the extremes of New England weather. Scorching summer heat and frigid winter winds take their toll. To keep your home looking great, every few years, you’re going to have to paint the house.  It’s a big job if you do it yourself – and expensive if you have someone else doing the work.

In Halifax, vinyl siding is a proven winner during even the most extreme weather. The color stays strong and true for years. Today’s high quality vinyl siding doesn’t split or crack easily. The color goes right through: if your siding gets dinged or scratched, it won’t show easily.  You never have to paint the house. An occasional spray with the hose is all you need to keep the house looking great.

“We had vinyl siding installed,” she explained.  “We found a great Holbrook vinyl siding company that explained what our exterior cladding options were, and helped us choose a very high quality vinyl siding. This stuff is amazing. To me, it looks like wooden clapboard – and it’s only a fraction of the price. The siding that was on this place was just terrible – flimsy stuff from the seventies.  Replacing it with new vinyl siding totally transformed the look of the house.”

Another reason why Elayna is so happy about her new vinyl siding is that Holbrook vinyl siding requires no maintenance.  “We never have to paint it! The color goes right on through, so if there’s ever a scratch or ding or whatnot, it won’t even show. In the spring, we can give the house a quick spray with a hose to keep everything looking fresh. But we don’t need to do more than that.”

Vinyl siding in Holbrook is a popular and cost-effective choice. High quality vinyl siding stands up to all four seasons of New England weather, from our scorching summers to the amazingly frigid winters we can have, without splitting, tearing, or cracking.  The color lasts for years and years without fading, and there’s no maintenance required to keep your home looking great.

Having vinyl siding installed in Holbrook is an easy way to radically transform the look of your home.  Many of the older homes in our region have been previously remodeled, and sometimes the siding used in those remodels hasn’t really stood the test of time. Vinyl siding technology has evolved tremendously over the years, and today is a durable, high quality product that any Holbrook homeowner can be proud of.

Many people are finding that they need to help their adult parents find a new living situation as their parents get older.  Changing health conditions and mobility may mean that it’s easier to live in a one-story home, rather than a two story or split level home. Maintenance is also an issue.  Everyone wants to live in a home that’s warm, safe, and attractive, but not everyone is equally prepared to do the work that goes into keeping a house up.

“We chose vinyl siding for Mom and Dad’s new place because there’s literally no maintenance.  There’s no need to worry about painting the place – Dad used to do it himself every few years, you know? After his stroke, Mom looked into having the painters come, but you would not believe how much that costs! Having vinyl siding installed in Quincy was the much more cost-effective solution.”

There was another reason why Dylan’s mother was excited about Quincy vinyl siding.  “She’d apparently always wanted a blue house,” Dylan said.  “It’s the first I ever heard about it, but when we were talking to the Quincy vinyl siding company, and Mom got to see the wide range of colors available, she got so excited.  ‘After forty years of a white house, I’m ready for something different’ she said. It’s a little thing, but it made a big difference for Mom.”

If you’re helping your parents with their home, talk to them about Quincy vinyl siding.  Many seniors report feelings of tremendous relief when they learn they don’t have to worry about painting the house anymore. Ready to learn more? Contact us today!

There are two aspects to consider: one is the physical nature of vinyl siding, which, like any solid material, expand slightly during warm weather and contract slightly during cold weather.  This can cause some noise, but rarely does it disturb the homeowner. The second aspect has to do with the way your vinyl siding was installed.

It’s really important that your Pembroke vinyl siding is installed properly. Nailing the siding too tightly to the wall, as Peter Hotton suggested in his piece, can certainly result in noisy vinyl siding. When the nails are too tight, it’s impossible for the vinyl siding to move naturally with temperature changes.To avoid this situation, you want to work with a Pembroke vinyl installation team that knows how to do the job right – and prides themselves on high quality vinyl siding installation.

One of the most frustrating things we see is when homeowners, who obviously love and care about their homes, make the decision to invest in high quality vinyl siding – only to have it installed by someone who just didn’t know what they were doing. Hammering the nails too tightly is one problem, but it’s hardly the only mistake that can be made by amateur vinyl siding installers.  Your home is your largest investment.  You should trust it to someone who knows what they’re doing!

CAT Exteriors has been around since 1959! This means they’re one of the  most experienced and professional vinyl installation companies on the South Shore.  As a full-service construction company, we do more than install vinyl siding. We replace windows and doors, add decks and patios, do roof repair and replacement, and anything else you need to transform the house you have into the home you want! Considering vinyl siding? Not sure if the people who installed your siding did the job properly? Call us: you deserve a beautiful, comfortable, and quiet home!

We can tell you, with absolute confidence, that all vinyl siding will fade with time.  Sun exposure reduces the brightness and intensity of the color in a natural, slow and gradual process.  How quickly will vinyl siding fade? The answer to that question depends directly on the quality of the vinyl siding.  Low-quality, inferior grades of vinyl siding fade faster and more significantly than better, thicker grades of vinyl siding that offer more colorfastness. Quality matters! Low-grade vinyl can fade in less than ten years, while today’s best quality vinyl siding comes with a lifetime guarantee.  Sometimes the old proverb is true: you get what you pay for! Your home is your largest investment. Choose high quality vinyl siding for protection that looks good and lasts!

Bridgewater Vinyl Siding: What Are The Options?

We proudly use and recommend Alside Siding and CertainTeed Siding. Sustainable building is a top concern for Bridgewater homeowners. If you’re interested in LEED certification for your home, making the right vinyl siding choices can move you closer to that goal.  Like to learn more? Contact us.  We’re your Bridgewater Vinyl Siding Installation specialists.

Once upon a time, homeowners were told to choose lighter hues of vinyl siding to reduce the impact of sun fade.  Today, you don’t have to limit yourself. Vinyl siding comes in a number of finishes, including smooth, rough cedar, brushed, and woodgrain. Choose dark colors with confidence: whether you choose chocolate brown or cranberry red, you’ll be able to enjoy color that lasts.

Massachusetts Building Codes are designed to require that at least one window in each room is large enough to act as an escape route if necessary. In addition window manufactures now design replacement windows to open easily, and so that screens an be removed without any special tools or knowledge if you need to utilize it as an escape route.

According to the National Safety Council’s 2011 Media Kit National Safety Week is important because, “Windows are one of the few things we enjoy both inside and outside our homes and business. Windows serve an important role in our lives by letting in natural light and soothing fresh air as we open them and by keeping out the elements when they’re closed. Some windows ─ larger units called egress or emergency escape and rescue windows ─ can take on an even greater role if we need to escape quickly in the event of a fire or other emergency, or if rescue workers need to enter through them in emergency situations.”

The National Safety Council also recommends reviewing the following tips about window safety:

1. Doors serve as the primary exits. Windows provide a secondary means of escape from a  burning home or for other emergencies. Determine your family’s emergency escape plan and practice it. Remember that children may have to rely on a window to escape in a fire. Help them learn to safely use a window under these circumstances.

2. When performing spring repairs, take care to make sure that your windows are not painted or nailed shut. You must be able to open them to escape in an emergency.

3. Keep your windows closed and locked when children are around. When opening windows for ventilation, open windows that a child cannot reach, or in the case of a double-hung window, open the top sash only.

4. Set and enforce rules about keeping children’s play away from windows or patio doors. Falling through an insect screen, open window or glass can be fatal or cause serious injury.

5. Keep furniture – or anything children can climb – away from windows. Children may
use such objects as a climbing aid.

6. If you have young children in your home and are considering installing window guards or window fall prevention devices, be aware that the window guards or devices you install must have a release mechanism so that they can be opened for escape in case of a fire or other emergency. Consult your local fire department or building code official to determine proper placement for window guards and window fall prevention devices.

7. Some homes may have window guards, security bars, grilles or grates already covering  their windows. Those windows are useless in an emergency if the devices on them do not have a functioning release mechanism. Time is critical when escaping a fire. Take time to update these devices to make sure they comply with industry standards and have appropriate release mechanisms.

***

About the Window Safety Task Force
The Window Safety Task Force of the National Safety Council was formed in 1997 to promote greater awareness of window safety. This group is composed of members representing the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) and the Screen Manufacturers Association (SMA), in cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and other organizations, as well as leading manufacturers of windows, doors and screens. More information can be
found at nsc.org/windowsafetytaskforce.

Nationally, vinyl siding is the exterior of choice for over one-third of all homeowners.  Vinyl siding is particularly popular in the Northeast, in towns like Abington.  Vinyl siding commands 84 percent of the market here, a fact that’s completely understandable when you consider the frigid winters and sweltering summers we experience. Vinyl siding has the durability and color-fastness to look great year after year after year.

Vinyl siding is the top exterior cladding choice for homes valued up to half a million dollars. (After that, stucco takes over – but vinyl is a strong second choice, preferred by 30% of the homeowners who have residences in the $500 K-$750 K range)

Abington Vinyl Siding: Right For Your Home?

Are you thinking about vinyl siding for your Abington home? We all want to live on a healthy planet. Many people are surprised to find out that vinyl siding is a green building choice.  Sustainability is important. Using vinyl siding can help a home quality for LEED certification. Vinyl siding adds to your home’s R-value – that means your home will be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. If you’re interested in learning more about how vinyl siding can help you save energy and money, talk to your Abington vinyl siding contractors.

For sixteen years, vinyl siding has been the top choice of home owners in our region. See what vinyl can do for your home.

The next task you have is to locate your Braintree Vinyl Siding Installers. Installing vinyl siding is not a do-it-yourself job! The quality of the installation determines how well the vinyl siding will work on your home. Well installed vinyl siding is attractive, and protects your home from the elements. Improperly installed vinyl siding doesn’t look great, and it doesn’t work well, either. Unless you’re extremely capable and confident in your do-it-yourself skills, find a Braintree vinyl siding installer.

Here are three questions you should ask your prospective Braintree vinyl siding installer:

Are You Experienced?

Everyone has a first day on the job, but you don’t want your home – the largest investment you’ll ever make! – to be the learning curve. Ask your prospective Braintree vinyl siding installer about their experience and training. You want to know they can do the job right!

Can We See References?

Any reliable Braintree vinyl siding installer will be happy to provide you with a list of satisfied customers. If a contractor you’re considering balks at the request, run – don’t walk!- away! When you’re given a list of customers, call some of them, and ask about their experience with the Braintree vinyl siding installer you’re considering. Were they pleased with the experience? Would they hire that team again?

Are You Licensed and Insured?

When you’re choosing a Braintree vinyl siding installer, you want one who is fully licensed by the state of Massachusetts and insured. This is non-negotiable: working with a licensed, insured contractor protects YOU as the homeowner!