With all of the tech advancements in the past decade, it shouldn't come as a shock that home design and construction is becoming more advanced. Tesla has just announced that they are in the process of patenting a new type of roofing solar panels. We're  familiar with the random, chunky panels sitting on top of a standard roof to ensure a more efficient way of living...The difference in the new design released by Tesla is that they look like an actual shingle.

Available in four different styles, the main goal with this new shingle design was to eliminate the unsightly solar panels. While the benefits are great with a solar roof (saving on electricity, better for the environment and more durable), the cost is not so beneficial-at first.  According to an article on Business Insider, "A Tesla Solar Roof for a home needing 3,000 square feet of roofing would cost more than $65,000 if 35% of the tiles were solar. According to Consumer Reports, a slate-tile roof for a home the same size would cost about $45,000, and an asphalt roof would be about $20,000."

Elon Musk stated that the overall savings on electricity alone makes the hefty price tag worth it. "It's looking quite promising that a solar roof will actually cost less than a normal roof before you even take the value of electricity into account." 

What do you think? Would you make the leap and invest in the solar tiled roof? Comment your thoughts below. 

IT'S GIVEAWAY WEDNESDAY! (We know, we know-it's Thursday. We are a day late due to perfect roofing weather yesterday and we're just getting caught up again today)!

Head over to our Facebook page and enter for a chance to win TWO TICKETS TO LADY ANTEBELLUM + DARIUS RUCKER on July 20!

There isn't a lot of competition at the moment and we don't announce the winner until Monday, MAY 7 so HEAD ON OVER NOW!

Now that you've finished your spring cleaning and can finally exhale, let's focus on the exterior of your home. If you're on the fence with whether to stay in or sell your home, we would highly encourage you to consider exterior renovation.

Giving your home an exterior renovation will make you feel as if you've gotten a new home and will skyrocket your curb appeal if you do decide to sell. With this in mind, there are endless possibilities to updating your home's exterior, so here are a few ideas we've narrowed down to stew over for classic, modern and unique tastes. As always, we can make all of these beautiful ideas come to life, just give us a call. 



















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All White
We are big fans of the clean, pure appeal of an all-white home. It will always be a classic look that screams welcome and stands out. Make this even more appealing by adding natural wood details, and mixing your materials. An all-white home boasts a minimalist yet modern appeal. This look translates beautifully on the inside, too. 

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Just 72 hours ago, we were basking in 70 degree weather, dusting off our jorts and celebrating that it was finally a nice enough day to get outside and get a head start on our summer farmer's tans.
Fast forward to Monday, everyone here at our corporate office may as well have their own personal rain clouds. We feel blindsided; but sadly a 30-degree temp drop is just another day in Ohio.
While this weather is not only taxing on our sanity...it truly takes a toll on the health of your shingles! Below you'll find the top 5 weather patterns that negatively affect the longevity of your roof. Have a look while we crank up the space heaters. 

I. Hail
Hail damage is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of natural disasters that affect the roof. Hail is exceptionally problematic because of its unpredictability. The diameter of a hail stone can vary throughout the life of any given storm. The velocity at which it hits your roof depends on a number of factors-the main one being something as fickle as the wind. The impact of the hail hitting your roof depends on the steepness of your roof's pitch. As seen below, the steeper the pitch, (House B), the lighter the impact. 













II. Wind
Even a thunderstorm that rolls in without hail can still be detrimental to the life of your roof. Roofs are designed to withstand standard winds, however this doesn't necessarily guarantee it'll withstand the debris that the high winds may be picking up with it. Shingles can become loose and fly away with the wind, which will more easily expose your roof to the elements. 

III. Snow
We really hope to stop talking about this dirty 4-letter word soon but while the temps have dropped again, snow can be extremely taxing on the life of your roof. As may of us know from shoveling driveways for the past 6 months, snow is quite heavy in mass quantities. USA Today calculated that snow can weigh as much as 21 pounds per square foot with ice weighing almost 3x as much.
Since most of us do not take the time to shovel our roofs, it sits, accumulates and melts-a number of time throughout a season, which can cause your doors to jam, ceilings to sag and a whole mess of other issues. 
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IV. Rain
While rain itself may not have an immediate affect on your roof like hail or high winds, it can add moisture which can be harmful to your roof and also be an incubator for dangerous mold spores. 

The bottom line is that all of the above can be unpredictable, so proactively taking the steps to be prepared is key. Make sure you are checking your roof once the clouds clear-no need to get up there-most damage can be seen with a pair of binoculars.