This is the time of the year when we are cleaning up the yard because the leaves have fallen. But sometimes we forget the gutters, and when they are full of leaves and dirt it can be a real mess.

If you dont have gutter guards and you want to have a company install them, hang on to your wallet because its a big ticket item. That happened to me a few years ago. I needed a gutter guard in just a small area, and was shocked at the price for installation. Thats when I found a item that I like to call Not in My Gutter. I know its a silly name but let me tell you its a great gutter guard and is easy to install yourself and talk about reasonable.

This is one of those items that I like to start the year with because you can easily Do This Yourself. The NIMG (not in my gutter) comes in a three-foot piece and one edge just slips under the shingle and the other snaps onto the gutter. The NIMG comes in a white or brown made of high quality rigid PVC and will last for years. The price is less than $3. I cant believe what some companies get for installing their own brand. Another money saving idea that you can do yourself. And 100 foot of gutter guards will cost you just under $100, for a long lasting great gutter guard.

Now to the email ...

Question: I have a stainless steel sink and at the bottom, by the drain the stainless steel is discolored. I dont want to buy a new sink. So is there a paint, or some product that can color this with? Also what is a good cleaner for stainless steel? I have yet to really find a good one. What do you recommend?

Answer: There is a product that will completely cover up that area on the sink. Its called Sinktastic. And its a drain cover and strainer all in one. It comes in a stainless steel look and will blend in with the sink. They also make it in white, and black. To clean the sink use a product called Sheila Shine. It works the best. It will clean off those water marks and polish up the sink.

Question: I have a gas log in my fire place that needs cleaning and some cracks in the mortar between the bricks. Also the outside of the fireplace has some soot on the bricks. I have a hard time cleaning those bricks. What is an easy way to clean?

Answer: Meeco Red Devil makes a gas log cleaner that you just spray on the hot gas logs. The same product will clean the bricks on the inside of the fire box. Just spray on the bricks and use a stiff brush and rinse off. They also make a fire place mortar that comes in a caulking tube. Clean off the area and then fill the crack. To clean the outside of the fireplace ... TSP and hot water is the best cleaner for brick and stone. Use gloves and mix up the TSP granules and scrub the brick or stone and then rinse and dry off.

Question: I can feel cold air coming around the front door. What is the best product to seal it with? There is a larger gap at the top than at the bottom. I need something easy, not complicated.

Answer: Nothing is easier than the V strip from MD. All you need is a pair of scissors. The V strip comes with adhesive on one side so just measure what you need and cut to fit. It will flex up to of a inch and so if the door is 1/8 gap at the bottom and gap at the top the V strip will take care of it. It will last for up to a million door openings and closings. It also works around windows.

Excerpt from:
Happy Handyman: ‘Not in My Gutter’ offers money saving DIY project

By Jackie Pilossoph For Sun-Times Media | @helpsquadjp January 2, 2014 6:24PM

Biegel said he spent the first five years pounding the pavement to establish a client base that includes the owners of this Winnetka home. | Jackie Pilossoph/For Sun-Times Media

storyidforme: 59974732 tmspicid: 21724852 fileheaderid: 10244109

Updated: January 3, 2014 2:43AM

When Jeff Biegel rang in the new year, he wasnt just celebrating the start of 2014. Biegel toasted to the 10-year anniversary of his Northfield-based business, Fish Window Cleaning.

This has worked because I surround myself with amazing people who care, and who are trusted by our clients, who feel comfortable letting them in their homes, said Biegel, who bought the St. Louis-based franchise in 2004.

Biegel, who lives in Highland Park with his wife, Monica, is no stranger to owning a business. In 1977, he bought Irvings in Niles, a restaurant he had for nine years, which he said taught him the value of hiring good employees and keeping them happy.

I learned the importance of customer service and pleasing people, and that starts with the people who work for you, he said.

Biegel sold Irvings in 1986 and spent the next 17 years as a commodities trader. In 2004, he decided to leave the business and search for a franchise to buy.

I got involved with a franchise broker who showed me a bunch of different companies, Biegel said. This seemed perfect for me because it involved my natural born skills being a people person and selling.

Excerpt from:
New year means decade in business for window cleaner

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Posted on: 2:50 pm, December 28, 2013, by Derica Williams, updated on: 06:36pm, December 28, 2013

CEDARBURG (WITI) After the roof of a Franklin apartment complex partially collapsed on Friday, December 27th, homeowners are being reminded to take certain precautions.

The recent warm up in temperatures along with the piles of snow on rooftops can cause damage to homes.

Itfreezes at night, it thaws during the day and goes down, and it freezes down at the end of the gutter and backs up underneath the shingles, said homeowner Robert Zancig.

After encountering leaks in his home years ago, Zancig says he makes a conscious effort for prevention. Experts say cautious roof raking can help combat ice dams.

Typically you want to just keep the gutter area itself clean but the problem is the farther you go up with the roof raking a note with that some manufacturers, if you roof rake your roof, or shoveling your roof off, they can null and void your warranty on the shingle. If you do it I would recommend you basically leave some of that snow up there let the natural melting occur, said Paul Clemins, owner of Grafton Roofing and Home Improvement.

Ice dams form when there is improper pitching, clogged gutters or improper ventilation combined with fluctuating temperatures.

As the snow builds up, the water or snow underneath tends to melt. Water drips down or drains down to the gutter line so you have heat loss and heat down in the mid part of the roof area when it gets down to the gutter line, its what we call outside air temperature, so it begins to freeze, Clemins explained.

One more tip Clemins offers is to keep an eye on icicles in places that can be detrimental.

You can have water leak out into your soffit vents. You can form the icicles underneath there to the water backing up inside your attic area leading to drywall damage. The extreme would be water pooling up inside there, creating a big enough puddle of water and ceilings collapsing, said Clemins.

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Tips for protecting your home against ice dams

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Pressure washing, gutter cleaning
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Middleburg, FL (PRWEB) December 27, 2013

Black Creek Gutters is advising homeowners to start off 2014 by installing new gutters.

As the wettest months in the greater Jacksonville Metropolitan Area often take place between June and September, homeowners certainly dont want to be dealing with their gutter issues then. Also, leaves and other debris that collect over time in gutters can cause leaking corners, and even damage a homes wood fascia. If gutters are improperly installed or maintained, they will undoubtedly fail in their purpose of diverting water away from a home or commercial building.

Black Creek Gutters provides both commercial and residential seamless aluminum gutter installation, gutter guards, gutter repair and gutter cleaning. They service all of Clay County Florida, as well as the surrounding areas, including Orange Park, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Mandarin and some of Jacksonville. They have been family-owned and operated for more than 25 years.

The staff of Black Creek Gutters has more than 45 years of combined experience, and is committed to providing customers with quality rain gutters that will last a lifetime. They offer affordable gutter leaf guards as well. If customers have any questions whatsoever regarding which products and services are best for their needs, the staff will sit down and go over the options with them.

Black Creek Gutters offers discounts for senior citizens and active or former members of the military. To schedule a free consultation, please call them at 904-282-7592.

About the company: Whether homeowners need to repair a leaky gutter or have new gutters installed, Black Creek Gutters is here to help. Only a phone call away at 904-282-7592, Black Creek Gutters can answer any questions regarding their products or services. If a question involves which product is best, they will go over every option and evaluate which would work best for their customers home or business. They are fully licensed and insured. For more information, please visit their website: http://www.rainguttersclaycounty.com/.

Link:
Black Creek Gutters Recommends Starting the Year Off with New Gutters

Even county residents that live miles from Humboldt Bay may be polluting bay waters without knowing it. Before pouring anything into the street, gutter or down the drain, think about this: On rainy days in Humboldt County, storm drain contents flow directly into creeks, through the sloughs and marshes, and empty into Humboldt Bay.

The storm drain system is separate from the sewer system, and rainwater and other fluids flowing into storm drains are not treated by the sewage treatment system. Motor oil and antifreeze from driveways, pet waste, pesticides and fertilizers from yards, and muddy runoff from construction sites wash into the streets and storm drains, impacting the water quality of streams, creeks and Humboldt Bay.

The bay is one of the most ecologically diverse bays on the West Coast, but it is large and shallow and has a very small mouth. Because of this, it does not flush well with the tides, and pollutants build up over time.

Just one quart of motor oil dumped into a storm drain can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water, harm the fish and birds living in and around the creeks and Humboldt Bay, and pose a hazard for anyone who uses the bay, including those who rely on it for their livelihoods.

To keep bay waters clean, remember that only rain should go down the storm drain. Park cars on a lawn or gravel driveway for washing, and pour any soapy washing water down a drain connected to the sewer.

Pick up and properly dispose of pet waste in a garbage can. Use pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers sparingly, if at all, and do not apply them if rain is in the forecast.

When possible, use non-toxic alternatives, and do the same for household cleaning products. Take unwanted, toxic household cleaners, paint thinners and used motor oil to the Humboldt Waste Management Authority's Household Hazardous Waste Facility on West Hawthorne Street in Eureka. Used motor oil can also be recycled in Arcata at Franklin's Service, 1903 Heindon Road, or at the Arcata Resource Recovery Center, 1445 10th St.

For a wealth of stormwater pollution prevention information for homes and businesses, visit http://www.CityofArcata.org and search for stormwater, or call Arcata's Environmental Services Department at 822-8184.

Originally posted here:
Only rain should go down the storm drains