Mistakes to Avoid when Hiring a Contractor!

Our 2019 season is gearing up for action and every year, I meet dozens of people preparing for renovation projects on their home. If you are planning a home renovation project, it pays to be prepared! Most homeowners have very limited knowledge when it comes to home renovations or improvements. I've met people who are completely overwhelmed trying to make choices. Here are several things you will want to avoid before hiring company to do your home renovation project.

1. Not Doing Sufficient Research

It’s important you look into every company you are considering. Check out the company's website , ask for references of homes you can drive and look at, browse their HomeStars profile and read their reviews. If you look at past work and reviews, this will give you a better idea of the quality of work the company does and the kind of customer service you can expect to receive. 

2. NEVER Pay Cash in advance of the job commencing

NO REPUTABLE COMPANY will ever ask you for a large sum of money in cash before commencing the job. You DO NOT want to fall victim to a contractor fraud. Every year I meet customers who gave someone a large sum of cash never to see that person again. In some cases, contractors used fake names and there will never be a way to track these people down. Offers that seem too good to be true are just that! 

3. Never Hire Based on the Cheapest Quote

There's no doubt, everyone wants a good deal, but when it comes to your home project, you have to ask you self two very important questions: 1. Am I looking for the cheapest price? or 2. Am I looking for the best quality workmanship?   Usually, the answer to each of these are a mile apart! Although the lowest quote might make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, you may be left with a real hangover! Just ask Alex, whose job we completed in January 2019. Alex paid thousands of dollars in cash up front to a company that gave him the cheapest quote. By the time the house was half done, it was evident they had no clue how to install eavestrough, fascia, soffit or siding! He fired them and called us in. We had to strip everything off the house and start all over it was so bad!

On the other hand, you aren't necessarily looking for the company with the highest quote either. You are looking to hire the company you know can do a quality job and make you one happy customer in the end!

NEVER allow the cheapest quote to dictate the company you hire. Ideally, you will hire the company you feel most comfortable working with and have the most confidence in.

4. Paying In Part or in Full and Not Obtaining a Receipt

This is a BIG mistake many homeowners make, especially when it comes to home renovation projects. You should NEVER pay for an entire project in full before it is completed. At The Eavestrough Company, we never ask for a deposit unless the project is very large (over $10,000) or a job that will take us weeks to complete.  A deposit is common, but this should be about a quarter of the overall price. A legitimate company will outline payment terms in their contract and provide you with a receipt. If the company you are dealing with does not provide these items, you should find a new company who will.

No matter how you pay the company, you need to get a receipt for your records. Having proof of payment is essential should anything happen afterwards and you need to prove you paid the company for their services. If you do pay the company in cash ensure you get a receipt or proof the money was accepted. An email confirming payment was exchanged for services is another good option. Keep in mind that a contract does not prove work was done, only proof of payment does. 

Over the course of 12 years in business, I have seen dozens and dozens of contractor frauds. I have seen people ripped off for as much as $20,000! That's a lot of coin! The next point may help you avoid being one of these casualties. 

5. Never Ignore Important Details! 

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when hiring is not looking into credentials of the company they hire. Here are some key points that nearly assure you will not be ripped off by the company you hire:

1. The Company you hire should be licensed and have a GST number. Our Business License number is printed at the bottom of all our estimates!

2. The company you hire MUST have WSIB with the Canadian Government AND Liability Insurance with a private insurance company! A company that does not have WSIB and general liability insurance could end up costing you more than just the renovation fees. If a worker is injured on your property and is not covered, you could end up paying the costs. Without proper insurance, your home insurance policy becomes the primary insurance used to cover all medical expenses and lost wages. If your insurance company finds out that you knowingly hired a company without insurance, they have the right to deny the claim. This means you will have to pay for everything out of your own pocket. Also, without Liability insurance, if the company damages your property, they can walk away and you are left with a legal battle on your hands!

3. The company you hire should be a member of the Better Business Bureau. If they display the BBB symbol, it means they have been investigated by the BBB and are likely a reputable company. The BBB also provides you with an avenue of complaint and resolution should you have any issues with the company you hire. Remember: Look for this symbol!

4. The company you hire should be a Home Stars verified company! Seeing a Verified badge means that the company has passed criminal background checks on the owners and workers, submitted to credit checks, has the proper professional licensing, and is fully insured.  Look for this symbol on the companies Home Stars page:

That's it! Of course, we would love to be the company you hire to do your eavestrough, fascia, soffit or siding AND we will do a spectacular job for you. You can give us a call at 905-966-2564 or you can visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com

What Causes Ice Dams? And how to get rid of them!

Ice dams are the dread of every home owner. In most incidents, they can cause extensive damage to your home.

An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the Ice dam can literally reverse course and leak back under the roof shingles and into your home which can damage walls, ceilings, insulation, electrical outlets, flooring, kitchen cabinets, etc...

What Causes Ice Dams?

For an ice dam to occur, there must be an accumulation of snow on the roof. The heat from inside the home rises through the ceiling into the attic area and is not able to escape quickly enough through vents. This causes the roof to heat up above 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit). This causes the snow to melt and begin to run down the roof. 

When the water travels down the roof it passes over the outside wall of the house where the roof is below 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit) and it begins to freeze. As melting snow feeds the ice dam it causes an enormous mound of ice which protrudes over the eavestroughs and can form large icicles up to 6-8 ft in length.

When this happens we are in the stage where it can cause serious and costly damage to your home.

What Damage Will Ice Dams Cause?

Without question, Ice dams can damage your home! Believe me, it has happened to me twice after I bought two different homes. It is a sickening feeling watching water come through drywall, light fixtures, windows, and on to your flooring.  The dripping water can cause your walkways to ice up and create a fall hazard like the one below! 

I've personally seen ice dams cause the following  damage to homes:

• Gutters and downspout damage because the weight of the ice ripped them off the house.
• Extensive drywall damage as water collapsed the ceiling inside the house.  
• Insulation damage as the insulation was completely soaked and soggy.
• Roof and shingle damage.
• Flooring which had to be replaced.

And here's the kicker! Most insurance companies WONT cover the damage as it is not considered an "act of god".

How Do I Prevent Ice Dams? 

There are two common causes of ice dams:

1. Excessive heat loss from the home. If you have inadequate insulation in the ceiling, heat loss can be so rapid, through the ceiling that it can not be vented fast enough. To solve this problem, increase the amount of insulation in your attic but make sure you do not clog the soffit area of the house. Also keep in mind if you have a story and a half style home you can have more than one attic. One house I owned had 5 separate attic areas!
2. The heat loss from the home is not able to escape. This is usually the result of soffits that are inadequately vented and roof vents that are not functioning properly. To solve this problem you will need to remove all the eavestrough, fascia, and soffit from your house, cut holes in the soffit area and then replace all the aluminium. You may also need to add more roof vents to the house.
 How do you remove Ice Dams if you have them? 

Remember removing snow and ice from a roof is extremely dangerous! It is vitally important to use extreme care and use the proper equipment such as a ladder with a ladder stand off. 
Here are some things you can do to address ice dams:

1. Remove snow from your roof using a roof rake. This should be done after snow falls to avoid ice dams. 

2. Fill a pantyhose with calcium chloride and lay it perpendicularly across the ice dam. It can eat its way down to form a channel for the backed up water to get through.

3. You can try chipping or chiseling away icicles and ice dams but I do not recommend this option. I've seen overzealous home owners do extensive damage to their roof and eavestrough! 

4. You can try heat cables to melt the ice dam.

5. The best option is to call a roofing professional to take care of the whole thing. This is likely the best and safest bet to get rid of an ice dam.

Will Gutter Guards Prevent Ice Dams?

I get asked this question A LOT!!!!!! There are companies that will tell you Gutter Protection will solve ice dam issues.  However, the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Gutter Protection WILL NOT prevent ice dams. The eavestroughs are not the cause of the ice dam so placing a cover on the eavestrough certainly won't solve it! If anyone tells you differently, they are simply trying to sell you something to make a buck! 

If you want a very informative article about ice dams, read this article on This Old House: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/how-to/how-to-get-rid-ice-dams

I hope this article has been helpful to you. If you would like a quote from The Eavestrough Company, please contact us at 905-902-9424 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com

Flex Seal, Leak Seal and other Tar sprays.

Nothing cooks my goose more than the number of tar spray sealants that claim to seal everything from leaking boats, foundations, roofs and eavestroughs. There are a variety of products: Flex Seal (with their glitzy infomercials), Leak Seal, Flex Coat, Black Knight, and others.

I can't tell you how many times I do quotes where people tell me they tried one of these products and it failed immediately. The products sell for between $10 to $20 per can. I have never seen it work. I even tried it years ago to see if it would work. Believe me when I say, it doesn't work....at least not on eavestroughs.

Here is a video I shot recently:

To be honest, I'm not sure if this product works on boats, roofs, foundations, cracked planters, and other items. However, I do know it doesn't work on eavestroughs!  If your eavestroughs leak, don't buy these products, don't use these products, don't even think about using these products. If your eavestroughs leak, they likely need replaced.

If you would like The Eavestrough Company to give you a quote to replace your eavestroughs, phone us at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com

OOPSIE! Accidents happen! Are you covered?

We all know accidents happen. It's just part of life. As a homeowner, YOU MUST make sure EVERY company you hire has the proper insurance to work on your home. If you hire a company that does not have Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Insurance (WSIB) AND Liability Insurance, you are playing with fire. WSIB is needed if a worker gets hurt working on your home. Liability Insurance is for damage to property.

If you hire a company who does not carry these insurances, and a worker gets seriously injured, you are responsible for their injuries. These expenses could be staggering! If you hire a company that does not have liability insurance and they damage yours or your neighbours property, they could potentially walk away leaving your with the huge hassle of taking them to small claims court to attempt to recoup the expenses for the damage.

The good news for you, as a home owner, is it is not difficult to obtain these! WSIB is public domain. All you have to do is go to theWSIB website and type in the name of the company to see if they have work place safety insurance or not. By the way, if you can't find the company on the WSIB website, they are NOT a registered company! Here is a copy of The Eavestrough Company WSIB Certificate:

Here is the link to the WSIB website: https://eservices.wsib.on.ca/portal/server.pt/community/eservicespublic/eclearance#https://eservices.wsib.on.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_203_650_245_71889_43/eclearance/FBDAShow302675   

Regarding Liability Insurance, you must request it from the company you hire. We recently needed to use a large Boom lift from Sky Jack Rentals in Hamilton. They requested our certificate be sent directly from the Insurance Company. Here is a copy of the certificate The Cooperators (our Insurance Company) sent them.

All you need to do is go to the WSIB search engine and type in the word "eavestrough" or "roofing" and a host of companies will pop up. You will be surprised how many do not have insurance. Remember, if the company you hire does not have insurance, they are your liability if they get hurt or damage your property!

At The Eavestrough Company, we carry all our insurances and make sure they are up to date each year. This way, there is no risk to our customers. To date, we have never had a workplace safety injury. If you would like a quote, please call us at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com .

We are now Home Stars verified!

We are proud to announce The Eavestrough Company is now Home Stars verified. Home Stars is an independent, 3rd party site that allows people to find contractors that are reputable and stay away from companies that are not.

This year Home Stars took a further step and asked companies to become Home Stars verified.  They requested owners and staff members of companies to submit to: 1. A criminal background check; 2. A credit check; 3. Send them their license and government registration; and 4. Provide their HST number.

Of course, we had no problem submitting to this and we passed with flying colours! We now proudly carry the Home Stars badge of honour on our Home Stars page. We will also be adding this to our website in the near future.

At The Eavestrough Company, we run an honest, reputable business. We never ask for money up front, we do great work, and we will always be straight up honest with you, our customers.

If you would like us to provide a quote for you, please contact us at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com

HomeStars Verified

At HomeStars, we take your safety seriously. When you see a profile with a HomeStars Verified badge, you can rest assured knowing you're only inviting the most trustworthy service providers into your home.

Earning a Verified badge means that a service provider has passed our screening process, which includes:

• Criminal background
• Credit
• Licensing
• HST registration

By hiring a HomeStars Verified pro, you're one step closer to having a positive and safe experience during your next home improvement project.

Foam Filter: One of the worst gutter protections ever marketed.

Back when we first started The Eavestrough Company there were numerous companies selling a foam filter for gutter protection. It was trumpeted as the best gutter protection on the market. The product was mostly made by one company, New Dimension Industries, and companies would put their own label on it. Some names for it were Gutter Filter, American Gutter Filter, Gutter Filter Canada, Rain Filter and Gutter Stuff.

The product looks like a triangular sponge. See picture below:

Brand new it looks pristine and the water goes right through it. Give it a couple years and debris cakes on it and the sun beats the plastic to bits and it starts to collapse into the eavestroughs. It is, in my opinion, one of the worst gutter protections ever sold to the public. 

Today,  I went to a house to give a quote to a potential customer. He has 366 lineal feet of eavestrough and someone sold him the foam filter 7 years ago. It was simply a disaster! It was so bad I took pictures and shot a video. He paid $3275 to get this installed in 2010 and we are going to rip it all out and put in in garbage bags. Here is the video I shot followed by some pictures I took:

Convinced this is a bad product? I am. I have taken out thousands of feet for people. The good news is that most of these companies have gone out of business or are bankrupt. If you find the links to their websites they are nearly all dead links now. Even Home Improvement Specialist, Jon Eakes, had an article on his website that touted Gutter Filter as the greatest thing since sliced bread. That link is now removed from his website....presumably because it wasn't the greatest thing since sliced bread! The bad news is customers paid a premium for a "life time" warranty that is now defunct. I guess the life time warranty applied to the life of the company!

These gutter filter companies made a small fortune selling a terrible product. The problem is the consumers of the product become disillusioned with gutter protections when there are actually good ones on the market.

We have been in business for over 10 years. We are not going anywhere, we are not going out of business, and we are not going bankrupt! At The Eavestrough Company, we install seamless aluminium eavestroughs, fascia, soffit, siding and gutter protections that actually work! We would love to provide a quote for you. You can visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com  or you can phone us at 905-966-2564.

When to replace your Eavestroughs

I get asked several times every week, "How can I tell if my eavestroughs need replacing?" It's an honest and legitimate question. After all, how often do you replace your eavestroughs? Once every 30 years, if they are done right? Here are some things to look for to determine the condition of your eavestroughs:

1. Do they leak from the corners and end caps?
2. Do they have visible damage like denting or bending?
3. Are they detaching from the house?
4. Do they have large amounts of water pooling?
5. Are the downpipes broken or split?
6. Are they badly faded and oxidized?

The above is certainly not a comprehensive list but those are the most common things to look for. Here is a video I shot the other day at a home that will show you eavestroughs that are in poor condition and need replaced.

If you need a quote for eavestroughs and want the job done right, contact The Eavestrough Company at 905-966-2564 or visit our website at www.theeavestroughcompany.com