What To Do About Bad Wood on Your Roof

What does bad wood look like anyway?

In this video, Guy takes us up on the roof to see just exactly what bad roofing beams look like.

On this roof, you'll see how the plywood is starting to delaminate. The glue inside is eating away, which means there are three or four different layers of wood that are coming apart. As Guy steps on the roofing planks, you can see how bendy and soft the plywood is.

Sometimes when roof wood is this bad the whole roof will need to be replaced, but not always. Fortunately for this home owner, as you’ll see, only a section of their roof needed to be replaced.

If you have questions about your roof, don't hesitate to give us a call.

What Insurance Companies Look For On Hail-Damaged Roofs

Will my insurance pay for the hail damage on my roof?

After a summer full of rain and hail storms many homeowners are turning to their insurance companies to see just how bad their roof damage is from these hail storms.

In this video, Guy takes you up on a roof with hail damage to show you exactly what inspectors are looking for. Take a look!

If you have questions about the health of your roof, don't hesitate to give us a call. We'd be happy to come by and take a look.

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. 

6-smart-ways-to-keep-cooling-costs-low-this-summer

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.

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.

4-thoughtful-ways-to-increase-your-homes-curb-appeal


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.

Giving Thanks and Counting Our Blessings

How we got our start in the roofing business

amy-and-guy-grussing


With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we’d like to take a few minutes to reflect and give thanks. In particular, how thankful we are to run Grussing Roofing together as a local family-owned business!

Have you ever wondered how Guy and I got into this roofing business? Well, here’s your chance!

Guy learned his committed and honest work ethic from his hard-working dad who was his first teacher of all things roofing. Guy first started working on roofs back in 1985. He was the one who went around and picked up debris at the job sites— the grunt work. When he was in college at Minnesota State University Mankato (back then we called it Mankato State), he spent the summers working on the hot-tar roofs for commercial jobs.

After college, Guy left roofing to explore the world of sales – first selling cars and had a successful career selling Caterpillar forklifts. But after a huge hail storm in 1998 in the Minnetonka area of the Twin Cities, Guy came back to lend a hand with his dad’s roofing company. It’s safe to say, Guy’s been walking around on roofs ever since!

After all these years, Guy has seen just about every aspect of roofing, but one thing has stayed the same. His absolute favorite part of this work is meeting with people and getting to take care of whatever needs their home has!

The vision for our business

Our grounding vision for our business is to take care of our customer’s needs, do an outstanding job, and exceed expectations. We’re really proud of our roofers. They are hard workers and care about the job they do. I always tell people that we have the very best roofers around — we have to remind them to make sure they stop and eat!

Guy and I often remind ourselves that we are working for our Lord Jesus Christ, this is His business, and we want to be the very best stewards we can!

Since we’re a locally-owned roofing company, we’ll be here down the road should you ever need immediate help with any storm damage.

Blessings of being a business owner

As for me, my experience is in business, which means I get to handle the financial aspects of Grussing Roofing. One of the many blessing of being a business owner is the flexibility to set my own schedule. Just this past month, I spent the entire day on a field trip with our daughter's fifth grade class. Kids have a sneaky way of growing up way too fast, so getting to experience the everyday moments is absolutely priceless!

After all of that, I’m still able to find time to volunteer at Bible Study Fellowship in the children’s program as well as leading a Mom’s in Prayer group where we spend time together lifting our kids and schools up in prayer.

Life is full and I am truly grateful!

We are so very thankful for you, our friends and clients. Thanks for trusting us to work on your home and thanks for recommending us to your friends. You’re words of confidence matter so much to us!

From our family to yours, have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

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.

Roofing Inspection: Is It Time To Replace My Roof?

Common roofing inspection questions

When Minnesota folks contact us at Grussing Roofing for a free estimate, the most common question we hear is: Will you take a look at my roof? We’re not sure, but it might be time for my roof to be replaced.

To ensure the greater Twin Cities community receives the best professional and honest roofing advice possible, Guy Grussing, the owner of Grussing Roofing, will personally come to your home, climb up on your roof, and take a look around.

Have you ever wondered what a roofing contractor is looking for as they inspect the roof? Here, Guy will show you! To give you an idea, we persuaded Guy to take a short video of a free roof inspection he did a couple weeks ago.

Take a look!

Here are 5 signs that mean it may be time to replace your roof

  1. Marks or indents in the shingles from removing the snow and ice off your roof with a shovel. Often, when home owners remove the snow and ice themselves, this can leave marks and add to the aging of your roof.

  2. Granules from the shingles are falling off

  3. Darkening of the shingles

  4. Nails popping through the shingles

  5. Stress fractures and cracks in the shingles. Stress fractures are caused by previous contractors using too aggressive of a shingle adhesive. When the house moves, the shingle isn’t able to adjust with the house, so this can lead to the shingles to cracking.

Considering this roof's age and the wear and tare it's taken over the years, the best use for this homeowner's money is to get their full roof replaced. There's no use in repairing or patching up certain areas of this roof because enough of it is already in pretty tough shape.

If you want us to come and take a look at your roof, give us a call today.

Highest Quality Roofing Installation Award: St. Louis Park Commercial Roofing Project

Highest quality roofing installation

After we finish a commercial roofing job, the manufacturer who sells the roofing materials we installed will come by the job location, get up on the roof, and inspect the quality of our work. Since the manufacturer’s roofing materials come with a long and trustworthy guarantee, the manufacturer wants to see if the roofing contractor installed their material correctly.
 
For a St. Louis Park commercial roofing project, we used GAF’s roofing materials. Once we finished up, GAF came by to complete their own inspection of our workmanship. A few days later, they sent us this:


GAF gave our Grussing Roofing team a double thumbs up! This certificate is only presented to roofing contractors who demonstrate the highest quality roof installation.

Whether we're doing commercial or residential roofing projects, we're committed to giving our customers the very best!