Roof Damage After Storm
To check for roof damage after a storm, stay on the ground. Walk around the house once it is safe, look at the roof from every side and from a distance, check the yard and gutters for pieces of roof, and look at the ceilings inside for stains. That tells you most of what you […]
Tile vs Shingle Florida
On the question of tile vs shingle in Florida, neither is simply better. Both are built to the same strict wind code in Broward County, and both can serve a house well. They fail in different ways, though. A tile roof usually leaks because the underlayment beneath the tiles has worn out or a tile […]
Roof Leak Insurance Florida
With roof leak insurance in Florida, the cause of the leak decides most of the outcome. Sudden damage, such as tiles or shingles torn off in a storm, is the kind of loss a homeowner’s policy is usually written to cover. Wear and tear, old underlayment and slow leaks that went on for months usually […]
Drywall After Water Damage
Whether drywall water damage can be patched or has to be cut out comes down to three things: what kind of water it was, how long the board stayed wet, and whether it has lost its strength. A small stain from a clean leak that was stopped and dried quickly can often be sealed and […]
A Practical Hurricane Prep Checklist for the Home
The most useful hurricane prep checklist for a house is the one you work through before the season starts, not during a warning. Once a storm is named and heading your way, roofers, electricians and other trades are booked up, supplies run short, and there is only time for the basics. Repairs to the roof, […]
Handyman vs Contractor
The short answer to handyman vs contractor in Florida: a handyman is the right person for small, cosmetic and non-structural jobs, and a licensed contractor is the right person for anything electrical, plumbing, gas, air conditioning, roofing, structural, or anything that needs a permit. Florida has no state handyman licence. That means a handyman can […]
Ductwork Problems in Older Florida Homes
If some rooms never cool properly, the house feels humid even with the air running, or the system seems louder and weaker than it should, the ducts are often the cause rather than the air conditioner. The most common ductwork problems in older Florida homes are returns that leak and pull in hot attic air, […]
Why AC Sizing Matters More in Florida
A bigger air conditioner is not a better one, and in a humid place it is often a worse one. AC sizing in Florida matters more than in drier states because your system has two jobs: cooling the air and pulling water out of it. An oversized system does the first job too quickly to […]
When to Replace AC
Knowing when to replace AC comes down to three questions: how far through its working life the system is, what kind of failure you are facing, and what it costs you to keep it running each month. A young system with a minor fault is almost always worth repairing. An older system with a major […]
Signs of a Refrigerant Leak
The most common refrigerant leak signs are an air conditioner that blows cool but not cold air, runs much longer than it used to, or grows ice on the copper lines or the indoor coil. Those signs matter because refrigerant is not a fuel the system burns through. It circulates in a sealed loop, so […]