Fall Jobs Around The Home You Might Have Forgotten

dare to explore behind the fridge

It’s never a fun job to begin with, but it’s certainly important. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum all the coils. Use a broom with a long handle to dust off those bottom coils. 

Deep clean your fridge 

Since you are showing the outside of the fridge some love, why not give the inside a little makeover, too? Right@home gives the most thorough and detailed instructions for how to easily deep clean your fridge and freezer. Go here for info and start defrosting.

Attack grimy blinds

Start by mixing 1 part water and 1 part vinegar in a bowl as suggested by right@home. Find an old, unwanted sock, slip it on your hand, dip into the vinegar mix, and then! Attack those dusty, dirty blinds! We suggest having the vacuum handy to swallow up all those extra dust bunnies that may be floating in the air.

Drain your water heater 

Before it gets cold, go ahead and drain your water heater to remove any sediment buildup that might have started in the holding tank. This article suggests that doing this simple task can improve your water heater’s efficiency by 50 percent.

Inspect your roof 

All these little projects for the inside of your home. What about the outside?

To inspect the health of your roof, carefully climb up on your roof and have a look around. Do you see any worn shingles or spots that might be deteriorating. If you see anything that concerns you, don’t hesitate to give Guy a call to come take a look.

You Can Outsmart Winter

Prep Your Home For A Nice and Cozy Winter

A little prep around the home and yard now will save you trouble in a few weeks when the wind and snow are blowing outside. 

Deal with your dryer

If lint is allowed to build up inside your dryer’s ducts, your dryer is one household machine just waiting to burst into flames. Preventing this is all-too easy—as long as we homeowners remember to do it! Now is a good time to clean out the duct to ensure air can move freely through the duct. If your dryer has a flammable vinyl duct, replace it with a safer metal option.

Clean out your gutters

After the trees in your yard have shed the majority of their leaves for the season, now is the ideal time to clean out your home’s gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters are one of the major causes of ice damns. Taking a few hours now—while the weather is still good—can save you some serious heartache later. If you find your gutters cracking and in need of replacement, give us a call and we’ll head out to your home to give you a free estimate.

Fuel up your snowblower

Remember that dusty snowblower hiding in the back corner of the garage? Well, it’s time to dust that beauty off and get it ready for the first big snowfall. Go to the trouble now of fueling it up so you aren’t caught with a dead snowblower in the middle of this year’s first winter blizzard. 

Have your chimney swept

According to The National Fire Protection Association, they recommend that home chimneys are swept at least once a year—ideally at the beginning of winter—to remove soot and debris. Find yourself a certified chimney sweep in your area on the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

Once you’ve put in a bit of work prepping your home for winter, it’s time to kick your feet up by the fire and relax. Winter’s on its way!

4 Home Maintenance Projects To Check Off Your List This Autumn

Caring for your house this fall 

Labor Day has come and gone, the kids are back in school, the air has a crispness about it, and all of that means that autumn is officially on it’s way. With the coming of fall, every homeowner knows it’s an important time to do some regular home maintenance. 

Here are four important fall maintenance projects for your house that you’ll want to be sure to check off your list. 

1. Clean your AC unit

Switch off your central AC unit and then go outside to take a look at your AC. Clean out any debris like leaves or twigs that may have accumulated over the summer months. If your AC unit has a drip pan, don’t forget to drain the pan. Finally, cover the unit with a fitted cover for winter storage. It’s not a bad idea to secure the cover with an extra bungee cord to make sure it’s nice and secure. By simply performing annual cleanings, the experts say you can knock 10-15% off your summer cooling costs!

2. Inspect your roof for damage or leaks

Is there any homeowner problem that feels more overwhelming than a leaky roof? We encourage our neighbors and past clients to be proactive about their roofs—to stop the problems before they ever start. The best way to inspect your roof is to get up on it and have a look around. Look for curling, missing, or damaged shingles. Take a peek in the gutters. If you find more than a quarter-inch of asphalt grit—you may be in need of a new roof. 

3. Clean sweep your yard

Get out your rake and some yard-waste bags—you’re going to need them. Get started by removing leaves and debris from under your porch and any stairs. Notice any dead or broken limbs hanging from your trees? Help your trees out by giving them a good trim before the cold weather sets in. While you’re at it, it’s a great time to inspect your gutters for leaves and stray twigs. Check out this post for time-saving tips on cleaning your gutters.

4. Prep your heating system for winter

Did you have your furnace serviced or inspected last year? Expects suggest having the furnace inspected annually, or at least every other year. Take a few minutes to inspect the windows and doors in your house. Feel any substantial drafts? If you think you might be in need new windows, don’t hesitate to give us a call to schedule a free window-replacement estimate. 

Happy fall everyone!

6 Smart Ways To Keep Cooling Costs Low This Summer

While summer hasn’t treated us too bad yet here in Minnesota, we’re still always looking for smart and easy ways to keep housing costs low. Have you turned your AC on yet this summer? What tried and true household tricks do you have for keeping your home cool during the summer months? We’d love to hear your suggestions. 

Here are a few suggestions we found helpful as we too are doing our best to keep utility bills down during the summer. 

1. Adjust your thermostat

When you and your family are all home and in the house, go ahead and get wild! Lower the temperature to 78 degrees if you want, but before you leave the house, set the temperature to rise a few degrees. The Department of Energy reports that homeowners can save five to 15 percent on air-conditioning bills by raising the temperature settings when you’re away from home. So what are you waiting for? 

2. Open your windows at night

To help your home cool off from the heat of the day, open your windows around dusk to let the cooler air in. The trick is to remember to close the windows up in the morning to lock the cooler air in the house before you leave for the day or it gets too hot outside. 

3. Be smart about your extra appliances

Look around your house for a minute. See an HDTVs, computers, cable boxes, video game systems, coffee makers, toaster ovens, or cell phones chargers? When plugged in and powered on, all of these electronics and appliances generate extra heat. To save on excess electricity consumption, power down or unplug these devices during the day when they aren’t being used or before you go to bed at night. How easy is that?

4. Do a little dusting

Next time you’re in the kitchen, get out your duster or vacuum to attack the excess dust on your refrigerator coils. When the coils underneath or behind your refrigerator are covered in dust, your fridge has to work that much harder - ultimately, driving up your electricity bill. A little dusting from time to time will keep your refrigerator running efficiently. 

5. Give your air conditioner a check up

When was the last time you had your AC unit tuned up? Have you changed the air filters recently? According to Angie’s List experts, a typical air conditioning tuneup should cost you around $70 - $100. Your should have your AC unit checked about once a year to keep it running efficiently. 

6. Plant some greenery

Investing in a few outdoor plants or trees is one great way to help block out summer’s heat from your house. To avoid early and late-day sun, start by planting trees on the east or west of your house. Any vines or other patio vegetation you keep near your home can help to cool the air naturally.

Quick Tips For How To Keep Your Home Safe While You're On Vacation

Summer time is for getting out of town and taking the family on a vacation! Don’t let the safety of your house while you’re away keep you tied down. Protecting your home while your away isn’t too hard, it just takes a bit of planning ahead. Here are a few tips to get you started and off on your way. 

Turn off the main water supply

What are the chances that something will happen to your water main when you’re away? Probably not that high, but it does happen to people. Take five minutes and go turn off your main water supply to avoid any disastrous leaks or water damage to your house. Best to be safe and just turn it off. 

Hold my mail, please

To keep your mail from piling up in the mailbox while your gone, simply contact the United States Postal Service and put your mail on hold. The USPS will hold your mail for three to 30 days. For most locations, all you need to do is go online, enter your travel dates, and submit a stop mail request. Often they will even deliver the bundle to you when you return. How simple! 

Turn up the thermostat, but don’t turn off the AC unit

Before you leave, set the AC temperature in the house to 83 or 85 degrees, just in case the weather gets overly hot while your away.

Unplug all unneeded electronics 

Just in case a power surge happens while you’re away, it’s best to just unplug televisions, computers, gaming systems, stereos, or other electronics. Plus, since no one will be home to be using those electronics, there’s no need to have them plugged in, drawing power. Easy way to save on your electricity bill while you’re out of town.

Light rooms with timers

It’s not a bad idea to try to make your house look like someone is still staying there while you’re away. The simplest way to do this is to put timers on lamps in a few different rooms in the house. The timers will turn lights on and off at different times during the evening. You can pick up a few light timers for about $10 a piece. 

Ask a neighbor to keep an eye out

You’ve stopped your mail and your newspaper, you have your lights set on timers, now what? How about walking over to the neighbor’s house to ask if they would mind keeping an eye on the place while you’re gone. If they see any fliers left on your doorknob, will they take them down? While they’re there, maybe they could water your tomato plants, too. Never hurts to ask! 

The Easiest Way To Recycle Your Asphalt Roofing Shingles in Minnesota

Your asphalt roofing shingles Belong in the recycling

Photo from Dem-Con in Shakopee, MN.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, asphalt roofing shingles, for both new homes and roof replacements, make up almost two-thirds of the roofing market in the United States. One report from the EPA estimates that each year in the US the tear-off shingle waste and installation scraps weigh in around seven to ten tons. That’s the same weight as male elephant! 

If asphalt shingle waste isn’t recycled properly, you can almost always guarantee it’s headed straight in the nearest landfill.

The encouraging news is asphalt shingles hold a great potential for recycling. Since asphalt roofing shingles are generally kept separate from other kinds of waste, they are easy to isolate and bring to the correct recycling plant.

the easiest way to recycle asphalt roofing shingles in Minnesota

At Grussing Roofing, when we replace an asphalt shingle roof on a home or commercial property, we take care of bringing all the asphalt shingle waste directly to the recycling plant. We choose to work with the guys at Dem-Con Companies—a locally owned and family operated recycling and waste processor in Shakopee, MN. 

We trust Dem-Con Companies because we know they are committed to meeting the strict quality demands for recycling asphalt roofing shingles. Plus, they are just great to work with!

If you have more questions about how we take care of recycling your old roof shingles, be sure to ask us over the phone or in-person during a project estimate.

4 Thoughtful Ways To Increase Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Spring has come early for us this year here in Minnesota. All the sunshine and warm temperatures are the ideal excuse to get outside and get busy on that list of housing projects. If one of your goals is to increase your home’s curb appeal with a few simple projects around the house, we’ve gathered some great ideas for you from the housing pros.

Give your front door a splash of color

The experts over at Houzz.com say that choosing a bright, bold color for your front door can really make your home feel extra cheery. They believe so strongly in this aspect of house design that they have a whole blog post dedicated to helping home owners know when and how to pick the right color for your front door.

Replace old, worn-down hardware

Can you clearly see your house numbers from the road? Is your mailbox standing up straight and tall? Is your house well lit at night? Better Homes and Gardens recommends that by investing a few dollars to make these outdoor elements of your home work together as a whole, it can help convey the aesthetic of your home.

Repair your roofing and gutters

Your roof is your first line of defense against water damage. Cracking and missing shingles make your home look extra distressed, plus they can be serious warning signs to home buyers for more serious (and expensive!) problems inside your home. HomeAdvisor suggests that if your gutters aren’t able to effectively move water away from your home’s foundation, it’s a good idea to have a professional roofing contractor swing by for a formal inspection of your roof.

Plant a few flowers out front

All the pros say planting some flowers in the front of your home is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to increase your home’s curb appeal. Check with your local nursery to see what plants and flowers are native to your area. Choose to go with perennials so they keep coming up year after year, that will spare you the work of replanting every spring. Whether you decide on potted plants, hanging flowers, or shrubs to decorate your front path, your home has everything to gain.

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via photopin photo credit.

What You Can Do About Stress Cracks In Your Roofing Shingles

What causes stress cracks in shingles?

Stress cracks and fractures to the roof's shingles are caused by previous contractors using too aggressive of a shingle adhesive. When the house moves over time, the shingles aren't able to adjust with the house. This can lead to shingles cracking and breaking.

To show you exactly what a stress crack looks like, Guy took a short video when he was inspecting a customer's roof this fall. You can get a good understanding of what to look for by the examples in this video.

If your shingles have stress fractures and you are looking to replace your roof, there are different options to keep in mind. Depending on if you are the original owner of the house's roof, you might be eligible for a manufacturer's rebate on your shingles. Guy shares a couple of other options homeowners should consider, too. Be sure to take a look!

If your roof has stress fractures and you are looking to replace your roof, there are different options for you to keep in mind. Depending on if you are the original owner of the house's roof, you might be eligible for a manufacturer's rebate on these shingles. Guy shares a couple of other options homeowners should consider, too.

We're always happy to answer any roofing question you might have. We offer free estimates on any job, roofing, siding, window replacements, gutters, or snow removal. Just give us a call at 952.935.0557! We look forward to hearing from you.