Different types of siding will show damage in diffent ways.  Metal siding will have dents, vinyl siding will get small cracks or holes and wood siding will get dents also.  Vinyl can be pulled loose by high winds as well.  It is always a good idea to have your home inspected by an experienced contractor to make sure your siding is not going to have leakage that will cause secondary damage that will not be covered by your insurance.

for a free siding inspection call me at 612-328-4336

Dave Otey, President Creative Home Solutions Construction Inc.

CHSconstruction.net

MNHomeRemodeling.Wordpress.com

There are a number of signs of roof damage that you can find after a severe storm moves through. 

1.  High winds can lift the shingles and break their seal that keeps them down.  To check for this I walk the roof and gently lift the edge of the shingles to see if they are loose.  Many times you can see loose shingles that have been lifted from below.

2.  High winds can also throw branches and other debris on the roof that can cause damage on impact.  To look for this I look over the surface of the shingles for signs of impact which include dents, holes and missing granuals from the surface of the shingle.

3.  Hail Damage leaves distinct marks on the shingles and the metal flashings of the roof.  If you have had large hail it is important to have a roof inspection done because many homes have plastic roof vents that could be cracked or even have holes in them that may leak that you will not be able to see from the ground.

For a free no obligation inspection give me a call at 612-328-4336

Sincerely,

David Otey President Creative Home Solutions Construction Inc.

CHSconstruction.net

MNHomeRemodeling.Wordpress.com

Serving: Foreston mn, Milaca mn, Princeton mn, Zimmerman mn, St Francis mn, Crown mn, Oak Grove mn, Isanti mn, East Bethel mn, Ham Lake mn, Andover mn, Coon rapids mn, Otsego mn, Dayton mn, Anoka mn, Champlin mn, Brooklyn Park mn, Blaine mn, lino lakes mn, Circle Pines mn, Hugo mn, Forest Lake mn.

These days its hard to know who toyou can trust.  Insurance companies have been tightening their belt and don’t want to pay out on claims and many contractors are desperate to make a buck because of the condition of the housing market.  The best way to make sure that you get enough money to cover the repairs to your home and the repairs get completed properly and that the contractor doesn’t run away with the money or not pay his vendors leaving you with a lein on your property is this. 

1. Don’t be pressured into signing a contract immediately.

2. Ask for personal references… and deal with the owner of the company so you know the character of the person in charge and use a local company that you can call a year from now if there is a problem.  A lot of “Storm Damage Specialists” operate in multiple states and move their resources to where the work is and there is no guarantee that you would be able to get ahold of someone to come back if you needed them to.

3. Once you find a qualified contractor who is trustworthy,  allow them to negotiate the claim with the insurance company to make sure that they pay out enough to make the repair.

4. Ask for lien wavers from material suppliers and subcontractors before releasing the final payment.

5. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting for your money before starting the project.

If a strong storm has moved through your community it would be a good idea to have your home inspected for damage to make sure that you don’t have further damage from leakage if there is a problem.  Don’t feel like you have to sign the contract of the first guy who comes to your door.  Take your time and research your contractor and choose one who you can trust.  If you only talk to a salesman make sure you research the company he represents and contact the company to see how long that particular salesman has been with that company.  If he/she is a new salesman there is no track record of whether they are accurately representing what he or she is selling.  Working with smaller local companies can sometimes be easier to get results if you have questions or concerns.

If you have other questions regarding inspection of your home or selecting a contractor, contact me at: 612-328-4336

Dave Otey

President, Creative Home Solutions Construction Inc.

Most Storm Damage Repair contractors are actually Exterior companies and do not have the knowledge of structural repair.  If a tree has fallen on your home and broken any of the wood members of the home you need a contractor that is familiar with structural repair.  I work with structural engineers to get code approved engineered repairs to damaged structural members to make sure that the repairs are properly made and their wont be a structural failure from an inadequate repair.  We cover the entire metro and the North West corridor up HWY 169 to Milaca.  This includes Coon Rapids MN, Andover MN, Ramsey MN, Elk River MN, Anoka MN, Zimmerman MN, Princeton MN, Pease MN, Champlin MN Brookly Park MN.

I am always available to answer any questions you might have.

Dave Otey

President, Creative Home Solutions Construction Inc 612-328-4336

Many Contractors not having any work have jumped on to the storm damage repair bandwagon.  The main tactic of these storm chasers is to get in the affected areas right away and get homeowners to sign contracts immediately before they have a chance to learn anything about these contractors.  It is your right as a homeowner to reconsider any contract with in 3 days of signing it.  So if you signed something in the stress of the moment following damage to your house you can nulify that contract if you feel it was to hasty a decision.  I strongly recomend working with a local contractor that has references and has been around for at least 4 years.

Contact me if you have any questions or would like an estimate to repair the damage to your home or property.

Dave Otey

President, Creative Home Solutions Construction Inc.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here we removed an old deck and are building a new 20 x 14 deck.  We are picture framing the deck with 2 row of decking and running our main decking at a 45 degree angle across the deck.  The stairs run the entire length of the deck coming down on to the stamped concrete patio.  We are using the Trex transcends decking with the hidden fasteners for this project.  I really like the hidden fastener system from an installation standpoint for a number of reasons.  First, the standard screws have a back thread that pulls the loose material around the screw down into the hole as it goes in.  The problem with this is that the composite is a very dense material and the treated framing is often wet which makes it very soft which in turn causes the threads in the wood to strip and the head of the screw not to sink flush with the decking.  Second there is half as many fasteners with the hidden fastener system.

I was called to a job where a roofing crew had set a load of shingles on the roof of a manufactured home.  Unfortunately the trusses on the home were not strong enough to carry the weight of the shingles.  The whole pallet of shingles along with the roofer that was standing next to them fell through the roof and landed in the living room of the manufactured home.  When I got the call that this had happened I immediately re arranged my schedule for the day to get down and assess the issue.  I compiled a list of materials and had the roof and ceiling framing reconstructed and the home was shingled by 1:30 the next day.  unfortunately there was still a lot of work to get the home back into livable condition.  When the shingles fell through they tore some electrical wires, destroyed the ceiling/attic insulation, tore the carpet and pad and smashed the floor plywood.  Not to mention the mess that was laying in the family room.  Luckily the roofer that fell through the roof had only a bruised leg and was back to work the next day.  Needless to say I don’t think that roofing crew will set a pallet of shingles on a manufactured home ever again.