Pearland Friendswood Edition | July 2022

GUIDE

Local businesses oer home improvement tips

HOME IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE

ASK A ROOFER

Prosperity Roong & Construction owner Alex Ruiz has some tips for ensuring the health and integrity of Houston homeowners’ roofs.

COMPILED BY JAKE MAGEE & DANIEL WEEKS

when the granules on the shingles are just being brittle, they’re just coming o. A lot of the times when the shingle is about to end its cycle, when it rains or you have heavy winds, it’s starting to release a lot of granules, and it’s coming down in the gutters or the side of the house. … That’s when you know you’re getting close to the end of the life of the shingle. Look for wind damage, I would say, all the perimeter around the house. … Just anything that looks lifted a little bit. Sometimes the wind drifts in and then just lifts up some shingles or edge metals or even your pipe jacks or bands. Anything that just looks suspicious and lifted. … Sometimes it looks like the shingles might be OK, but because they’re being lifted, they’re breaking under, and now the roof is actually exposed to the next heavy winds.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD A HOMEOWNER INSPECT THEIR ROOF? Around the month of May they should do one inspection. … Homeowners don’t really check their roof until they realize that something is either missing or slapping on the roof. In hurricane season, when you get the high winds and rainy days and stu, I think it should be paid more attention. HOW SHOULD A HOMEOWNER SAFELY INSPECT THEIR ROOF? Well, I don’t recommend homeowners to get on their roof. Basically, just [a] visual inspection walking around the house and just looking at the shingles as close as they can from the ground. WHAT SIGNS SHOW THE NEED FOR REPLACING SHINGLES? By looking at your shingles you can see

ASK A LANDSCAPER

Whether residents want to tidy up their lawns or take on a major landscaping project, Gulf Coast Engineering owner Ben Braxley has tips on how to proceed. HOW CAN RESIDENTS IMPROVE THEIR LAWNS AT HOME?

you’re comfortable with is No. 1—nding somebody that communicates well, that understands that no two customers are the same and are not trying to t you into a one-size-ts-all type of mentality. HOW CAN ONE PREVENT WEEDS FROM SPROUTING IN GARDENS? You can install commercial-grade landscaping fabric that works very well. ... The reason that weeds grow prevalently is because they’re being fed through light and water. So if you add enough mulch, ... a lot of times the light will not be able to reach the roots of the weeds and the seeds.

Watering at the right times, early in the morning … so the grass doesn’t burn once the sun’s been out all day, and it’ll keep a nice healthy root system [is important]. … It helps to have a soil fertilizer installed so the root system will not continue to search for nutrients ... but will be able to dig down within the soil ... and stay rooted down. HOW SHOULD RESIDENTS START A LANDSCAPING PROJECT? I would say … nding somebody that

Alex Ruiz Owner Prosperity Roong & Construction 2837 Miller Ranch Road, Ste. 133, Pearland • 832-831-9945 https://prosperity-roong-and -construction-llc.business.site

Ben Braxley Owner

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Gulf Coast Outdoor Engineering 2800 Broadway St., Pearland 832-710-8830 www.facebook.com/gulfcoastoutdoor

WEATHER READY AT HOME In addition to preparing for disasters by stockpiling food and water, homeowners can prepare themselves and their homes for severe weather events through home maintenance and repairs.

Measures that can be taken:

Renovations: while updating appliances, ooring, walls and windows

Construction: during the design phase of a new home or addition

Now: immediately and are renter friendly

Windows & doors

R C Plants Trees can protect

Walls & oors

Roofs

Insulating pipes with foam sleeves can protect them from extreme temperatures. N R C

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Overhanging roofs can shade windows from the sun while still allowing indirect light in.

Weather stripping can protect doors and windows from rain and external moisture.

sunny sides of buildings. Native trees are best adapted to the home’s climate.

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Using mold-resistant insulation can improve air quality, especially in homes that are humid or prone to ooding.

Solar panel installation can be paired with a smart inverter for optimal energy use.

Thermal curtains can protect against both extreme heat and cold while conserving energy.

SOURCES: HOUSTON ADVANCED RESEARCH CENTER, TEXAS STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICECOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

11555 Magnolia Pkwy., Suite 170 Pearland, TX 77584 713.852.6700 TexasBayCU.org

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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION • JULY 2022