Home upgrades come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small enough to finish in a single weekend while others can take weeks or even months to complete. But the best home improvement projects are those you won’t need to do again and again, allowing you to save a considerable amount of time and money. We list a few of them here:
1. Roof Replacement
An old and failing roof won’t be doing you any favors. For one thing, it leaves your home more susceptible to weather and structural damage. Its appearance can also lower your property’s curb appeal. Since the roof is partly responsible for insulating your home against extreme temperatures, its poor condition can negatively affect indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency as well. That’s why – when your existing roof is already beyond repair or maintenance – the better solution is to have it completely replaced.
Today’s roofing systems come with advanced features that make a huge and positive difference to your home’s look and weather protection. By investing in a complete roof replacement, you get the opportunity to benefit from those features. Not only that but having a sleek new roof system that can elevate your home exterior also doesn’t hurt. Sure, a complete roof replacement can be costly, but it will pay for itself over time. A new roof means you won’t have to invest in expensive and time-consuming repairs multiple times a year. The effective thermal barrier it provides also prevents significant energy loss, allowing you to save on your cooling and heating bills. A roof replacement is basically a one-and-done deal; a much better solution to repairing an old roof that can no longer be saved.
2. Seamless Gutter Installation
Gutter systems are available in two types: sectional and seamless. Sectional gutters are the conventional option; they come in segments that are attached together using adhesives and then strung along your roofline. While readily available and cost-effective, sectional gutters are also held back by their many seams, making them prone to both clogging and leaking. If you currently have sectional gutters installed, then you’ll probably find yourself cleaning them more frequently to prevent congestion – an unnecessary waste of your valuable time. You have the choice to have them cleaned by a professional instead, but the costs of doing so tend to stack up, making you spend dollars that you could have used in another home upgrade.
Investing in seamless gutters, however, is an altogether different story. Using a single and continuous piece of metal, seamless gutters are fabricated to precise measurements through a special machine. This allows them to fit perfectly along your roofline, giving your home a sleeker, more finished look. And since these gutters only have seams at the corners, they reduce the likelihood of leaks or congestion. Of course, seamless gutters are only as good as their installer.
To ensure you get the most out of them, turn to a trusted specialist like Barry Best Seamless Gutters for the job. We use only the highest quality materials for our seamless gutter systems, allowing for durable and long-lasting draining performance. What’s more, they are covered with a 20-year manufacturer’s warranty, plus our own solid 10-year guarantee that covers labor and installation.
3. Window Replacement
Your windows do a lot of things for your home. They increase access to natural light and ventilation while ensuring your indoor environment will remain consistent and comfortable. With the right design considerations, your windows can also do wonders for your home’s curb appeal. But they won’t be able to do all these things if they’re already way past their service life. Window repairs won’t be able to cut it — you’ll just be spending time and money on something that doesn’t work anymore.
You’re better off going for a more permanent solution: window replacement. Just keep in mind that this project, while seemingly straightforward, requires as much careful planning as larger home upgrades. As you go about your window replacement, take into account the window style, framing material and glass. Your choices determine just how well your windows perform and how long they can last, so consider them carefully. You can get started by reading up on all your available options.
4. Gutter Protection
Keeping your gutters clear of leaves and other loose debris should always be included in your home maintenance list. But cleaning them yourself or hiring a professional to do it for you involves too much time and money. Luckily, there’s one simple and effective way to keep your system clean and clog-free throughout the year: fitting a gutter protection system over your seamless gutters. Also called gutter cover, guard or cap, this add-on works to maintain your gutters’ performance by letting in only rainwater and filtering out leaves and debris. Gutter protection is available in several different types. Some come in bottle brush or mesh while others are made of screen or foam.
But you won’t have to choose anything else when Barry Best Seamless Gutters can offer the best of them. Our Gutter Helmet® guards are exactly what your system needs to stay clean and in shape. They take gutter protection to the next level thanks to:
- A patented nose-forward design that allows rainwater to flow smoothly into the system while keeping out leaves, pine needles and other loose debris. By significantly lowering the potential for congestion, Gutter Helmet helps limit the need for both DIY or professional gutter cleaning.
- Heavy-duty mounting brackets made of reinforced aluminum alloy keep your gutter cover remain firmly attached to the roof even in inclement weather.
- A ribbed and textured surface that promotes surface tension, ensures that rainwater will cling to the cover as it runs into the gutter system. Being made of tough but lightweight aluminum, Gutter Helmet’s durable construction also improves tensile strength, making the covers more impervious to high winds, snow loads, and heavy rainfall.
- PermaLife™ Finish is a patented high-performance paint that’s highly resistant to chalking, fading and corrosion caused by saltwater or acid rain. The finish is also available in a range of classic colors, helping Gutter Helmet covers blend more seamlessly with your home’s exterior palette.
5. Smart Thermostat
The thermostat is such a small and flimsy-looking device, but it plays a huge role in meeting your specific heating and air conditioning needs. If you still have an old, manual thermostat from the early 2000s, it’s high time you get that much-needed upgrade. How about a smart thermostat? It helps you lower your energy usage by automatically adjusting your home’s temperature to the exact level of your personal comfort. You can program its operation according to your lifestyle and schedule, saving you the time and effort of manually cranking your heating or cooling system up or down when needed. With a quality smart thermostat in place, you’ll be able to focus on your own comfort without worrying as much about thermal consistency or energy consumption.
6. Ice Reduction System
Snowfall is expected during New York winters. And while that clean blanket of snow makes every home look like a holiday postcard, it does also lead to ice damming. This is an issue you’d like to avoid as much as possible. Ice dams not only clog your gutters but can also pull them away from the roofline, causing them to collapse. Getting rid of ice dams through hot water or rock salt only works to a certain extent. You can hire a snow and ice removal service, but this will take more time and money. What you actually need is something better and more effective, like the heated gutter systems offered by Barry Best Seamless Gutters.
Our Helmet Heat® Ice Reduction System uses an exclusive self-regulating heating cable designed to stop ice and snow from building up around the edges of your roof. By keeping the gutters clear of blockage, Helmet Heat ensures smooth and continuous draining performance for your gutter system. This ice reduction system is also fully compatible with Gutter Helmet gutter protection, so you’ll never have to worry about cleaning your gutters as frequently again.
