The Importance of Airing Out the Attic

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If a room is uninhabitable but it’s a room that you never use, does it matter? If that room is your attic, the answer is yes, but the attic is also one of the most commonly neglected parts of a home. Houses are like a small ecosystem, and each room affects all the others, so it’s important that you pay attention to every room, including the top and bottom (attic and basement).

A properly ventilated room is important for the health and safety of your family, which is why many people work to ensure they have great ventilation in the rooms that are inhabited on a regular basis. But homeowners often forget to apply the same rules to rooms that they only enter a few times a month—or only once every few years. Ventilation isn’t just for the benefit of the people within the home; it also ensures the prolonged health of the entire room. In the case of the attic, ventilation helps protect the integrity of the roof above, and the rooms below.

The Air Trap

When an attic remains unventilated it becomes an air trap. The “stuffy” feeling people experience is the trapped air that’s gotten so thick and filled with humidity that it’s may have even begun to pressurize the room – similar to the cabins of airplanes and submarines.

Comfort isn’t the only worry regarding unventilated attics, though. Trapped air can condense into moisture, which will lead to very serious home conditions like mold and weakened roof support structures. Conditions get even more extreme when seasons change, since shifting temperatures can put added stresses on the home and increase wear and tear.

Ventilation is the Answer

The best way to counter these potential problems is to install a simple ventilation system that’s easy to operate and doesn’t break the bank. Fortunately, the gable vent meets all of those needs. These slatted window vents have been installed in homes for centuries, and have worked to keep attics at comfortable and safe levels of humidity and air pressure. They provide the necessary air circulation any room needs, without having to alter the structure of the home in any significant way.

If you have a stuffy attic and want to know more about how to get the proper circulation in that room, contact us today. We have many options for the different needs and specifications of the modern home. We’ll talk and work with you on the best solution that improves both the style and function of the house.

Keeping Your Chimney Protected from Soot, Lightning, and Moisture

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Though your chimney seems solid and strong, factors like weather, age and use will take a toll on even the most well-made chimneys. It is very important that you maintain it on a regular basis and have it checked by a professional to repair any issue quickly.

Soot

The interior of the chimney is often a bigger concern than the exposed side, particularly if the insulation becomes saturated with soot and stops working. Chimneys are supposed to help retain heat on cold nights but with too much soot, there is a risk that they will not keep cold air out and prevent smoke buildup in the home.

Do not wait for soot to narrow the airways. Hire a professional chimney sweep regularly to remove it, as well as any creosote buildup, which is a by-product of incomplete combustion. In very high temperature exceeding 3,000 degrees, it can burst into flames and endanger your property.

Lightning

Many masonry chimneys are grounded to protect against lightning strikes, meaning it can conduct lightning without significant danger to your home. Metal chimneys are also very good conductors of electricity and may carry electric current without damaging the surrounding structure. They will still need grounding, though, so it’s important to talk to a chimney expert and make sure your home is safe.

Moisture

Water from rain and snow can weather and decay many types of chimneys. Masonry chimneys are water absorbent and may expand during cold season, contracting as the weather becomes dry again. When the cement starts to show off erosion, pockmarks, cracks and moss, frozen water can penetrate through these openings and put your home and your roof at risk. Be sure to have an experienced chimney repairman come and fix any potential signs of erosion before it poses a danger to your home.

Metal chimneys or stovepipe may be less prone to water damages, but will always be a threat because of the potential for corrosion. You can prevent rust through paint or other steel coating and regular maintenance and upkeep.

Another way to keep moisture out is by sealing the chimney’s exposed side with a one-way moisture barrier. It also helps to install a metal chimney cap to keep birds and rain from entering through chimney hole.

The chimney is important in many ways and protecting it is crucial. For the safety of your property, have your chimney inspected and get the protection it needs. Contact us for professional chimney cleaning and maintenance. We will be there whenever you need our assistance.

What a Metal Roof Could for Your Home

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If you are in the market for a new roof, choosing metal roofing over other options can provide significant benefits for your home. Unlike shingles and tiles, metal calls for relatively low maintenance but can still stand up to significant weather without falling apart.

Metal roofs are known to endure several different types of the most severe weather, including snow, rain, hail and sun. With the right type of coating you won’t need to worry about the color fading over time, and you can have a beautiful roof to protect your home for 50 to 70 years, or perhaps even more.

Even the installation is easy. The new metal roofing can be installed on top of your existing roof, it lightweight and won’t cause problems to your roof support system, which can save you some significant money during the installation phase.

While these are all great benefits of metal roofing, there are even more benefits for homeowners who choose this material. Here are some of the reasons to switch to metal roofing:

1. Energy Efficient

A proper metal roof system will help lower your bills. During the summer, it can reflect solar heat that helps cut cooling costs. During the winter season, it won’t retain snow but instead shed it off the top.

2. Overall Functionality

Most metal roof varieties only weigh 50 to 150 pounds. This is the main reason it can be installed over the top of an old roof. There’s no need for additional structural support as the material’s so light.

3. The Environmentally Sound Choice

Metals are one of the most recyclable materials on the planet. If you decide to get a new one, you can even recycle it when you’re finished so there won’t be any waste at the end of the roof’s useful life.

4. Roof Metals for All

The variety of metal roofing available caters to customers with different preference in price and style. You can choose between zinc, aluminum, copper and galvanized steel. Whichever you choose, you can count on its unmatched longevity.

5. Aesthetically Pleasing

The benefit of making your house more aesthetically pleasing is a good reason to choose metal roofs. With styles that range from the typical metal roof to designs that mimic other materials you can often find exactly what you want.

For more information about metal roofing, contact Cypress Metals today. Our support staff is ready and willing to answer all your questions.

Amplifying Lasers with Air

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The ability to produce lasers powerful enough to cut through metals is one of the most impressive applications of light technology in the current century. It increases the accuracy of metal fabrication to within millimeters of the required specifications. This accuracy helps create parts that fit better with each other, ensuring greater durability and performance.

Laser Inaccuracies

The only thing wrong about current laser technology is that people have little idea of how it actually works. Most observers think that a laser either already has the power necessary to cut through metal coming out of its source, or that it’s amplified by a combination of lenses to reach such power.

The first assumption is completely wrong, as there is no way to channel the laser in the direction the cutter wants without slicing the entire workspace in half. The second assumption is half-right, but stumbles at the method of amplification. There is a lens at the end of the laser to concentrate the power towards a specific point, but this is more for the sake of accuracy than power.

Powerful Gasses

Lasers are not nearly as powerful enough to cut metal on their own; lenses only concentrate the power they already have, but don’t add anything to their original power. Surprisingly, lasers get their amplified power from carbon dioxide, along with some other gases.

The CO2 laser uses a gaseous mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium. Some lasers, however, include xenon and/or hydrogen into their mixture. When a laser passes through the chamber containing these gases, the electrons excite the molecules.

Molecule and Photon Bumping

First, the nitrogen starts vibrating, these molecules the transfer the energy to the CO2 when the two bump into each other. The helium then takes away the heat these molecules generate through their excitement, leaving only the amplified photons to exit the chamber. A lens at the end of the chamber concentrates the excited photons to a single point, giving machinists a powerful and accurate cutting tool.

The benefits of using laser technology can only mean good news for any industry. If your company thinks it can make good use of laser cutting services, contact us today. Our teams can give you all the information regarding how laser cut parts can better serve you and your business.

Reinventing Beauty: Exterior Accessories to Amplify Home Design

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When it comes to home designs most of us tend to look at the big things  from the color of the roof to the surrounding landscape. Sometimes it’s not only the big things that matter; the small things count as well.

Before you decide on major makeovers, you might want to add some of these simple things and see how they amplify your home designs.

Steel Siding to Rock Your Exterior

No other exterior accessory can play such a big a role in your home design as steel siding. With a smooth, untarnished finish, it gives a new definition to modern architectural designs. Dent, insect, moisture, and fire resistant, steel siding can offer ample protection for your home from some of the most common problems. When properly maintained, it can last for as long as 50 years with minimal touch-ups every 20 years or so.

Soffit and Fascia to Protect Your Eaves

If you’re looking for a classic touch to your exterior, upgrading your soffit and fascia can be a great option. These offer additional protection to your eaves, ensuring birds, insect, or rainwater won’t enter the small space between your roof and gutter. Soffit and fascia add more than just a visual accent to your exteriors; they often play a critical role in ventilating your attic and should be kept clear at all times to prevent ventilation difficulties and roof damage.

Covers to Accentuate Your Bay Windows

A little bit of creativity goes a long way when dressing up your bay windows, and covers offer the perfect accent. Bay window steel covers highlight the natural charm of your exteriors and provide a unique personality to your home design. With their smooth finish and matching colors, these accents can revive the old-world beauty of your bay windows.

Who says you need extravagant renovations to make your home stand out? Sometimes, even the smallest details can leave a memorable impression and provide the biggest impact on your home’s aesthetics.

For more information about exterior accessories, contact Cypress Metals. We have the expertise and technology to provide outstanding exterior products for your home.

The X-Factor: Cupolas

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Know More About Cupolas

We do more than just provide roofing solutions. At Cypress Metals, we go out of our way to find things that’ll make houses pop. In an earlier post, we talked about the charm of crown moldings. This time, we’ll talk about the allure of cupolas.

The Cupola

A cupola is a small, often dome-like structure on top of a building. In old structures, it serves as a lookout post or a place to let in light and air. It may not sound like much by reading the description, but it looks impressive once it’s up on the roof. It’s a small addition that makes a big difference.

Cupolas often appear on top of churches as belfries and belvederes; the association immediately sparks interest and makes the roof a focal point in the street – maybe even the neighborhood. Generating interest and standing out are two of the most important things a house can do, apart fro providing safety and shelter. This is because the value of a home depends on demand, and people will only want a house if it’s interesting.

The Architecture Trinity

Few things in architecture generate function, style, and interest all at the same time. This is because people already know about most of the things that are functional and stylish, so they aren’t very interesting. It’s not every day that homeowners find a slightly obscure roofing implement they can apply to their homes. That way, the house becomes unique, and can even become a small landmark.

If you want this kind of positive attention directed at your home, don’t wait another second and call us now. When it comes to superior metal fabrication services, Cypress Metals is the name you can trust. Our teams know all there is to know about roofing and roofing implements.Feel free to ask us anything, and we’ll answer with a smile.

Crown Moldings: The Secret to a Charming Home

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Your home’s architectural features dictate its overall feel and appeal. From the material used on your roof to the types of plants on your lawn, all these things sum up your property’s beauty. But there is one thing that gives it a unique charm: crown moldings.

A Boost in Visual Presence

Crown moldings add an air of vigor and refinement in your property. These additions that go around your fascia possess a unique visual impact no other addition can match. It complements the roof style of your property and ties the overall look together. This is the impact of a crown molding: a boost in visual presence through that upscale feel it provides.

The glamorizing effect leads to better curb appeal – and, by extension, higher property value. When you look at moldings this way, you cannot deny the value of this architectural feature.

Key Considerations for Crown Moldings

When deciding on a crown molding, you have to consider three important factors: dimension, design, and material.

The first one is all about the height, width, and length of your roof and your home. You have to take into account the height of the ceiling and the width the roof encompasses when deciding on a design.

Speaking of design, you have to ensure that the design you are choosing fits your home’s theme appropriately. This means thinking about the form and pattern on the moldings.

Lastly, decide on the material that fits your home and your personality. You might want to consider going for steel or copper, as these two materials look neutral on any color palette and render a unique, dramatic charm.

Let Cypress Metals help you add a vibe of class and energy in your home with the right crown moldings. As one of Utah’s finest metal fabrication companies, we will work with you to design your home’s bespoke crown moldings, chimney caps, range hoods, and everything else made from fabricated metal. Contact us today to know more about the services we provide.