Gutter Protection for Indiana Homes

Fall is here and most Hoosiers know these months are known for the vibrant colored leaves that start to fall.

Although the falling of leaves can be a beautiful part of the fall they can also cause your gutters to clog. Clogged gutters can cause serious damage to your home such as:

• Foundation problems – Continued water leakage down the side of your home into your foundation will create cracks in the walls and leaks as well. In climates where the ground freezes and then expands constantly such as Indiana the problem can be even worse.


• Danger Zone – while gutters are designed to keep water away from your home, when they are clogged they can cause water to accumulate around your home including walkways and entryways. In the winter this excess water freezes and can create a slippery danger zone.


• Mold problems


• Siding problems – Water can cause siding to bow or become moldy over time.


• Leaky Roofs- Clogged gutters can result in frozen water in the winter that blocks the flow of unfrozen water from the roof. This will eventually weaken the shingles and wood on the roof, causing leaks into your attic and home


• Erosion of landscape
• Mold and Mildewed walls
  

This is the perfect time to start to think if your gutters are protected and clean and working properly. L.J. Stone's Gutter Roof attaches securely to your gutters and acts as permanent protection. It makes use of surface tension to channel rainwater into the gutter, while leaves, sticks, balls, and other debris are prevented from entering. Check out L.J. Stone, Inc.'s. Whether you plan to clean your gutters yourself or you consider a protection system – now is the time!

Circle Top Window Installation.flv

Ever wonder what a window installation by one of our expert crews looks like? Here is a short video we put together of a vinyl casement installation with a circle top window. Looks beautiful doesn't it? For more information on what we can do for your windows check out our website at www.ljstone.com

Countertop Options for Indiana Homeowners

Here is an interesting video clip from a national network morning talk show. The host is looking at granite countertops and the potential for harmful levels of radiation in the granite material. However you feel about the story, the issue is worth bringing to the surface. Even if you have your heart set on the look of granite, there are materials available that do a fantastic job of mimicking the appearance of the natural stone.

Which countertop material is best for your home depends on your needs. Laminate countertops are a very popular option for the many different styles and textures that are available. There are even high definition laminate countertop options that have the look of natural stone.

Natural stones are higher end alternative for countertops that have been very popular over the last decade. There are limitations to keep in mind. All natural stones need to be sealed when installed and resealed annually. Limestone can be extremely porous and prone to staining. Marble is a very elegant and functional, but can scratch and be stained by acidic foods. As noted above, granite is very stylish, but prone to stains and can even be found with elevated levels of radiation. Natural Stones can turn out to be the most expensive option when considering the countertops will need to be resealed annually.

If you are looking for an all around high performance countertop, take some time to review solid surface. Solid surface is created from a mixture of polyester and acrylic resins with mineral fillers. It provides a more versatile substitute for stone. Solid surface is available in a wide array of colors and styles, many that look and feel like natural stone. While solid surface may not be the most durable material, it can be damaged but excessive heat, it is easily repaired. You can even find manufacturers who offer warranties, when the material is installed by a certified professional.

For more information on countertops and kitchen remodeling in general visit our website at www.ljstone.com.

New Bow Window for Central Indiana Homeowner

Central Indiana Homeowners - Enhance Your Home with a New Bow Window

We recently completed a window remodeling job for a customer in Parker City, Indiana that had on old, worn out bow window in their living room. They wanted to update it with something more energy efficient as well as enhance the appearance of the front of the house.

L.J. Stone, Inc.’s crews removed the old window and installed a new 5 section vinyl bow window that was made to fit the existing opening. We also installed new interior trim to finish off the interior.

If you’d like some information on updating your home with new replacement windows, check out our website at http://www.ljstone.com/

Also, don’t forget that the $1500 Energy Tax Credit expires at the end of this year, so take advantage of new windows for your home and get a tax credit.

There's a Goldmine in Your Attic

Cold winters and hot summers in Indiana mean that homeowners need good attic insulation products to save money on their utility bills.

Do you have trouble keeping certain rooms in your home at a comfortable temperature? If you do, it is likely that a vast amount of energy used to heat and cool your home is escaping right over your head - and the main cause of this energy loss is inadequate insulation.



In fact, government reports show that 45 million homes in the United States lack the proper levels of insulation according to today’s energy standards.

The radiant barrier technology of our products is based on NASA space suit designs used to keep astronauts protected from the hot and cold extremes of space. Now, this same attic foil insulation technology is used to make your home more energy efficient.

Green Energy Barrier may be installed on top of your present insulation or stapled under your rafters or inside your crawl space. The installation of this reflective attic insulation takes less than a day to complete and will even make your current insulation, if you have any, more efficient.

Check out the radiant barrier insulation product we have been installing in homes throughout Central Indiana.

Visit us at http://www.ljstone.com/ for more information about saving money in your attic.

Solid Surface Countertops for Central Indiana Homeowners

We just added a new product to our kitchen offerings. In response to requests from customers over the years we are now offering Corian solid surface countertops. We spent several months researching the right fabricator to handle making the countertops and the results have been great. Take a look at a couple of recently completed jobs. These are solid surface countertops that are beautiful and easy to take care of. We have a wide range of colors and patterns available to fit any decor.

We are installing these beautiful countertops throughout Central Indiana. Visit us at http://www.ljstone.com/

Retractable Awnings for Central Indiana

Its not too late to get that retractable awning for your back porch or patio. Here is a recent job we completed in Muncie for a customer. They needed some shade for their back patio, but didn't want to enclose the porch with a sunroom. A retractable awning was the answer for them.

Our manufacturer of retractable awnings is offering some season ending discounts on all of their products. They are discounting all fabric retractables awnings 6%. L.J. Stone, Inc. is matching that discount with an additional 6% discount for a total of 12% off all fabric awnings. The "Endless Summer" promotion runs until September 30, 2010.

www.ljstone.com

Bathroom Remodeling for Indiana Homeowners

Bathroom Remodeling for Indiana Homeowners

Thought we would post up some pictures from a recent job L.J. Stone Company did for some Central Indiana homeowners.

The tub and tile walls in this home were original to the house. The tub was hard to clean and the finish was actually worn off in several spots making for an unsightly bathtub. The tile wall appearance was o.k. but a closer look showed some soft spots near the bottom. The customers wanted something easy to clean as well as good looking.

When we started prepping the job we noticed the wall was soft and after removing tile we discovered some pretty bad water damage behind the tile wall. This is more common than most people think. Tile walls allow water to seep into the grout lines and without periodic maintenance of the grout it will fall apart and allow water to damage the interior wall. We took care of the damage and installed a brand new acrylic tub over the existing bathtub and installed a new acrylic wall system in place of the old tile.

The job included new corner shelves and grab bars as well as replacing the old plumbing with a new single handle tub and shower unit.

Original Tub and Walls

New Tub and Wall System

Damage Behind Tile

For more information about acrylic bath systems and updating your bathroom visit www.ljstone.com

Patio Shade Covers in Indiana

Patio shade and partial shade covers make great improvements in the backyard for Indiana homeowners. We recently installed a partial shade cover, what we call a pergola over the back patio area of one of our customers in northern Indiana.

This home had a very large concrete patio that was hot under the direct rays of the sun. The owner wanted some shade but didn’t want to block all the light. They also wanted something that would create an “outdoor kitchen” type feel. The solution was a custom designed pergola in our sandstone color.

You can see the dramatic difference from before and after the job was installed.

Before installation

After Pergola was installed

To see more information on patio and porch shade covers you can visit http://www.ljstone.com/