Why does it make sense to make the change now? Two reasons: money and comfort.

By replacing your existing windows with energy efficient ones from Sunrise Windows or Marvin Windows, you will immediately start saving money on your energy bills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inefficient windows account for 30% of the loss of a home’s heating and cooling energy. Can you afford to see almost one-third of what you spend heating your home simply disappear through your old windows? With new windows you’ll see an instant drop in your energy bills.

While you are saving money on your monthly energy bills, you’ll also be staying warm and cozy. Today’s windows are much, much better at keeping the warm air in and the cold air out. Windows installed by Twin Cities Siding Professionals are custom fit to your home, so there are no gaps or cracks to allow frigid air into your home. Our glass packages are so good, the inside panes remain warm to the touch on even the coldest days!

We can install new windows in most homes in a single day, limiting any exposure to the weather.

Twin Cities Siding Professionals would be happy to discuss replacing your windows, roofing or other home improvement projects.  Call us at (651) 967-0894, or visit our web site at www.tcsidingprofessionals.com to schedule a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

The Washington Post recently cited a report issued by the National Association of Home Builders in late January saying that their remodeling market index hit its highest level in five years. In fact, spending on home renovations now exceeds spending on single family home construction.

According to the home builders association, fixing up a home “fits the sentiments and finances of a homeowner more than selling or buying.”

What kind of projects are people tackling? You can forget about huge additions and fancy rooms that were in vogue pre-recession. Homeowners today are interested in more modest and practical renovations, including upgrades that will help them save money on energy costs.

The first choices for renovations fall into the “repair” category. People are fixing or replacing leaky roofs or worn siding. On the interior of the home they are remodeling the bathroom or kitchen, not adding more space.

With fuel costs so high, many people are investing in changes that make their home more energy efficient. Installing new windows is a top choice, along with attic insulation and insulated siding. Any savings realized on monthly heating and cooling bills is almost immediate and continues long after the renovation has been paid off.

Speaking of paying off, the Washington Post says that most homeowners are finding the cash to pay for the work instead of borrowing the money. Those that do obtain financing are going to local banks and credit unions.

Finally, fewer homeowners are as concerned about how a renovation project will affect the value of their home. Instead of doing the work to increase the potential sale price, they are choosing to make renovations that will make their life more comfortable. In today’s real estate market they are likely to remain in their home much longer than anticipated.

Twin Cities Siding Professionals would be happy to discuss replacing your windows, installing insulated siding or making other home improvement.  Call us at (651) 967-0894, or visit our web site at www.tcsidingprofessionals.com to schedule a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

1. Does the contractor have the right experience? – Just because a company has been around for decades does not mean they have gained the experience necessary for your particular home improvement needs. A company that is focused on basement remodeling is not likely to have much experience in roofing. Make sure you get a contractor who can perform the work you need done, not just a general “handyman” who might be learning new skills at your expense.

2. Is the contractor insured? – This is a critical question to ask. The contractor working in or on your home should have both liability coverage and workers’ compensation insurance. Ask to see a current certificate of insurance as proof of their coverage. Otherwise, if an accident or injury occurs on your property, you are the one who may be held liable. Such liability may not be covered by your homeowner’s policy, meaning you would face expensive litigation on your own.

3. Will the contractor provide a written estimate, and then honor it? – If a contractor gives you a “ballpark” estimate and tells you not to worry, run! Insist on a detailed, written and signed proposal that includes specifics on materials, labor costs, scheduling, warranties and provisions for what constitutes “extra work” that may be billed separately. You should also insist on a payment schedule that progresses as the job progresses. Otherwise you may end up being surprised by a much larger invoice at the end of the project.

4. Is the contractor factory-trained by the manufacturers whose products he installs? – The answer may appear to be obvious, but you would be surprised at how many contractors install products and materials without the proper training or certification. This can be a HUGE problem down the road if there is a problem because most manufacturers will not honor a materials warranty unless their product was installed by contractor they have trained or otherwise approved. A guy with a pickup truck who shops for materials at the local home store is very unlikely to be factory-trained, leaving you exposed if there is a problem or product failure.

5. What guarantees and warranties does the contractor provide? – In addition to the manufacturer warranties on products and materials, you should insist on a quality guarantee on the contractor’s workmanship. A minimum of five years is safe, during which time any problems with the work should be corrected at no cost to you by the contractor. Without a written guarantee, you have no recourse if any part of your home improvement should fail to perform as promised.

If you choose Twin Cities Siding Professionals as your contractor you can check off all five of these important concerns! Call us at (651) 967-0894, or visit our web site at www.tcsidingprofessionals.com for a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

The survey results, as reported on the MSN Real Estate website, said: “Replacing exterior siding with upscale fiber cement… pays back a whopping 78%, on average, of the $13,461 average cost. The most cost-effective thing you can do to your home this year is to replace old siding with new, higher-end fiber cement.” The second best home improvement project is replacing an entry door with an upgraded steel door, which pays back 73% and “greatly improves curb appeal.”

Also cited among the top ten projects is new vinyl siding replacement, with foam-backed vinyl siding returning 69.6% of its $14,274 average cost; and midrange vinyl siding, which returns 69.5% of the $11,729 average price. Vinyl replacement windows offer a solid 69.1% payback on the average cost of $14,328 for replacing 10 windows. This does not include long-term energy savings realized by installing efficient glass and insulated frame packages.

The article also offers a caution about the growing pool of “unlicensed and uninsured workers” who are competing for remodeling work. The high rate of unemployment in the construction industry has flooded the market with “a lot of carpenters walking around looking for work,” according to Sal Alfano of Remodeling magazine. Alfano warns that, “A marginal worker may not perform well or may reach the limits of his skill on your job, although he did just fine at your neighbor’s place.” The best quality fiber cement siding is produced by James Hardie, the company that pioneered the material and is now found on over 4 million American homes.

Twin Cities Siding Professionals is the only James Hardie VIP Preferred Remodeler in the upper Midwest. Call us at (651) 967-0894, or visit our web site at www.tcsidingprofessionals.com for a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

But times change, and in the past few years the siding “regulars” have been overtaken by a new, more advanced material – fiber cement.

Fiber cement offers all the advantages of aluminum or vinyl, plus a few more.  Among the most striking? Fiber cement has the beautiful look of wood, without the high maintenance costs and requirements. Fiber cement siding can also have a stucco or smooth finish.

Fiber cement siding is made from a highly engineered mixture of cement, sand and cellulose fiber that has been cured with pressurized steam to increase its strength and dimensional stability. The fiber reinforces the siding and prevents cracking. Fiber cement will protect your home from rot, fire, wind and insects.

Fiber cement siding comes in a variety of colors which are “through and through” the material, or may be painted using water-based acrylic paint, which grips these products very well and doesn’t peel because fiber cement does not expand and contract like wood. Stains may also be applied to fiber cement.

The pioneer in fiber cement siding is James Hardie, an Australian company that is taking the U.S. by storm. Over 4 million American homes are now protected by James Hardie fiber cement siding, making it the fastest growing siding choice in the country.

Twin Cities Siding Professionals is the only James Hardie VIP Preferred Remodeler in the upper Midwest. If this sounds like the kind of beauty and protection you want for your home, call us at (651) 967-0894, or visit our web site at www.tcsidingprofessionals.com for a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

If you are not familiar with the Dodge Center, I hope you will take the time to visit this wonderful community resource soon. Since 1967, over one million local children have learned about our environment and natural surroundings through one of the many Dodge Center programs.

Our team had a lot of fun working together to install new, durable siding onto a building that will now be able to continue educating children in the Twin Cities area in a safe, warm environment for years to come. Teaching the children of our community about the winders of nature is a both noble and necessary cause, and we at Twin Cities Siding Professionals are proud to be able to help provide them with a safe arena to further it in.

Renovating the Dodge schoolhouse was a great way for our Twin Cities Siding Professionals family to give back to our community. But we are not stopping there.

Because we believe so deeply in the work that the Dodge Nature Center does in our community, we have pledged to renovate one building at the Center every year for the foreseeable future. This is a long-term project that will hopefully keep the Dodge Nature Center up and running for years to come.

Educating the children and families of our community on the importance of nature is vital in the protection of our environment. As these children grow, it is the lessons they learn at the Dodge Center that will lead them to live more environmentally friendly lives, which will lead to a brighter future for our community.

What can we do to make your future brighter and more comfortable? Call Twin Cities Siding Professionals at (651) 251-0359, or visit www.tcsidingprofessionals.com for a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

What you might not think about is the cost of installing and maintaining your wood siding. Are you prepared to spend a large sum of money on installing wood siding just to have to constantly power wash and clean it to maintain that clean and traditional look? There is a less expensive and easier-to-maintain way to side your home with that same homey appearance: fiber cement siding.

Fiber cement siding is composed of cement, sand, and cellulose fiber, giving it tremendous strength and dimensional stability.  Along with being less expensive and easier to maintain than wood, here are 5 reasons that fiber cement siding is a good choice for your home:

1. Cold Weather Climates- Fiber cement siding holds up against the effects of temperature swings in cold weather climates. Unlike other siding materials, fiber cement does not become brittle in cold climates. Fiber cement siding can even be installed to withstand hurricane-force winds.
2. Wet, Humid Climates- Fiber cement siding resists rotting and cracking, even in extremely damp climates. Unlike other siding materials, fiber cement siding does not expand and shrink under wet conditions.
3. Resistance to Impact Damage- Fiber cement siding is much thicker than other types of siding. This thickness, along with the inherent strength of its materials, makes fiber cement siding strong enough to resist impact damage caused by rain and hail.
4. Fire Resistant- Fiber cement siding is non-combustible and achieves the highest possible flame spread rating. Fiber cement siding is approved for fire-rated construction.
5. Resistant to Insect Damage- Although it looks like wood it is not, so fiber cement siding resists damage from termites and other wood-eating insects.

If you are ready for siding that looks beautiful but is more durable and easier to maintain than wood, you can’t go wrong with James Hardie® Siding, the country’s leading fiber cement siding. And when it comes to James Hardie Siding, nobody installs it as well as Twin Cities Siding Professionals.

Call Twin Cities Siding Professionals at (651) 967-0894, or visit our web site at http://www.tcsidingprofessionals.com/contact-us/ for a FREE in-home evaluation and estimate.

One of the first things you should do is walk around your home and yard and assess the damage that winter has done, and evaluate what can be repaired and what needs to be replaced; and which projects must be done immediately and which can wait a few weeks.

Start from the top down. Roofs can take a terrible beating through the winter. They are subjected to snow, ice and battering winds. If you can do it safely, climb up and look around for obvious damage. Better yet, have a professional roofer do an inspection. Most will do it for free.

They will look for obvious damage like loose and missing shingles, penetrating holes, sagging gutters, loose chimney bricks, etc. But a roofing contractor can also spot less obvious trouble, such as blocked vents, loose or missing flashing and worn out materials. With spring rains in the forecast roof repairs should be high on the priority list.

Working your way down, examine your home’s siding. If your home has wood clapboard or shingle siding, look for loose or missing boards, cracks or splits, or stains that may indicate moisture. For other siding materials, such as vinyl, aluminum or stucco, look for cracks, dents and gaps that may allow spring rains and wind into your home.

Go around and open windows and doors to make sure the frames have not warped or split during the cold weather. Now is a good time to replace any older windows, particularly if they are single-pane glass or aluminum framed, which are not very energy efficient.

Finally, examine the yard and driveway for debris, gouges, cracks and other winter damage that can be exacerbated when we get heavy spring rains.

Getting spring home repairs out of the way early will leave time later on for more enjoyable pursuits like spending time with friends and family, or taking in a Twins game in the warm sunshine!

Call Twin Cities Siding Professionals at 651-255-2844, or visit our web site at: www.tcsidingprofessionals.com

This desire for time off to relax is driving some key decisions, particularly when it comes to our homes. As Baby Boomers move through middle age and into their retirement years, they are not aging the same way their parents did.

Many of us remember weekends as the time when Dad spent the daylight hours fixing up the house, mowing the lawn, tending the garden, and repairing the car. For him, maintaining a home, lawn and car was a full-time pastime. That’s not true for Baby Boomers. We want time off from the stresses of our jobs, and we are not content to be tied to our homes every Saturday and Sunday.

Americans are responding by buying and building homes that require minimal upkeep. In addition to the desire of Baby Boomers to simplify their lives, younger people, seeking a better work-life balance, are also looking for low-maintenance living.

The desire for a more carefree life leads many to choose low-maintenance home exteriors. Three-quarters of the architects who responded to the AIA Home Design Trend Survey in the third quarter of 2009 report a growing interest in homes with exteriors made of materials that require less time and fewer repairs, like fiber cement and stone.

Previously known for its durability, fiber cement siding has recently become even more popular for its low maintenance requirements. Maybe that is why more than 4 million Americans have selected James Hardie fiber cement siding for their home. No scraping and painting, no staining and easy clean up. That all adds up to a better value.

Call Twin Cities Siding Professionals at 651-967-0894, or visit our web site at: www.tcsidingprofessionals.com