Spotting a crack on your ceiling can be a harrowing experience. If you aren’t a roofing expert, you may think your whole house may be at risk of collapsing upon you. Fortunately, this is usually not the case – but how can you tell if a crack is a cause for concern, or something minor? At Aastro Roofing, we strive to provide our customers with as much knowledge on the subjects that concern them as possible. Here is our helpful guide on what to do if you notice,”there’s a crack in my ceiling.”

Moisture 

Moisture is the number one cause of cracking in homes. Moisture cracking is caused by an overhead leak, either from a faulty roof, water pipe, drain or another such source. As water seeps into the drywall, it can cause the tape between the joints to loosen, creating cracking and discoloration on the ceiling. When repairing moisture cracks, you must first determine the source of the leak and fix it. After this, you can easily repair the moisture damage with a drywall repair kit, or tape and drywall joint compound.

Spiderweb Cracks and What They Mean  Moisture 

Paint issues

The appearance of spiderweb cracks on the ceiling may indicate paint issues, rather than structural ones. When repeated coats of paint are applied over old ones, cracks may appear over a period of years. This is caused by thermal changes to the paint layers und

er the topcoat, causing them to become brittle and crack. Over time, these cracks work their way to the top coat of paint. This creates the spiderweb cracks which appear on the ceiling.

Drywall issues

When drywall is installed, the joints are sealed first with tape and then with a compound commonly referred to as “drywall mud.” If this mud coating was applied too thick, it can shrink upon drying. This will lead to hairline cracking along the joints. These cracks may also occur if too much water is added to the mud compound to thin it out. In both instances, any cracking is a result of poor workmanship by the drywall installers, not structural damage.

Spiderweb cracking caused by drywall or paint issues are essentially superficial in nature, and many homeowners simply choose to ignore them as they pose no structural danger. However, if you wish to repair, it is a fairly straightforward process of removing the offending paint, tape or drywall compound and reapplying the paint or tape correctly.

House Settling

The appearance of cracking along the edges of walls is usually associated with the house settling. These are normal, so there is no need for alarm. It is recommended that you mark where the cracks begin and end. This is so you can monitor their progress over time – just in case.

Structural Damage

Cracks wider than one-eighth of an inch, or those which run across the length of the ceiling and continue down the walls, are signs of structural damage and should be of great concern. Usually, these cracks are the sign of a wall-stud failure, either through settling, or being jarred loose somehow. Cracks accompanied by bowing in the ceiling should also raise alarm bells, as they are typically the result of too much weight on the ceiling and indicate structural weakness.

If you believe that cracking in your ceiling may be the result of a structural defect, it is essential that you contact a qualified repair company immediately. The roofing experts at Aastro Roofing have over 30 years’ experience repairing, installing and maintaining roofs in South Florida. You can feel secure contacting us today at (561) 409-3280 for a free estimate.

Extremely necessary but seldom thought of, roofs are one of the main health factors of a home. A roof should be regularly treated and maintained with care yet are often neglected until they fall into disrepair. To rectify the disconnect, the National Roofing Week was born.

This week-long event takes place every summer during the first full week of June. Each day features different activities designed to raise awareness and celebrate the roofing industry. Keep reading for more on National Roofing Week 2018 (June 3rd – June 9th.).

The Significance of Your Home’s Roof

The primary focus of National Roofing Week: to increase awareness regarding the significance of your home or business’ roof. The National Roofing Contractors Association organized the celebration as an effort to emphasize roof maintenance around the nation and promote being proactive. Home and business owners will often completely neglect their roof until it is damaged or causing issues. The key to preventing these issues is maintaining your roof’s structure.

The Good Deeds of The Industry

This industry holiday also seeks to recognize the contributions made by the roofing industry. Whether it’s superb customer service, pro bono roof repairs after a devastating storm, or roofing work that is actually done correctly, the NRCA seeks to shine a light on the good deeds done in the roofing industry. There are many roofing companies and many of them being family owned – like ours! When a family works together, good things happen.

Professional Roofing Contractors

The NRCA also sought to establish National Roofing Week to highlight the importance of hiring professional roofing contractors. These professionals are trained to make practical and informed decisions about roof repair, maintenance, and replacement. If you want an opinion you can trust, professional roofing contractors are who to go to.

Social Media Themes

For this year’s National Roofing Week, the NRCA has put together a social media schedule you can either participate in as a contractor or keep track of as a home/business owner.

Here is what they have in store for 2018:

• June 3: National Roofing Week Kick Off/Intro Video
• June 4: Employee Appreciation
• June 5: Employee Training
• June 6: Charity
• June 7: Showcase of signature residential and commercial projects
• June 8: How NRCA Members celebrated/Announcement of Children’s Art Contest winners
• June 9: National Roofing Week Wrap-up

Children’s Art Contest

To celebrate National Roofing Week, the NRCA is hosting an annual Children’s Art Contest. NRCA members and their employees can participate in the competition. Sons, daughters, step-children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren of NRCA members can all enter their artwork into the competition. Children entering the contest are asked to imagine what roofs will look like in the future.

Winners from each age group win gift certificates and other kinds of fun prizes along with having their artwork on display throughout National Roofing Week and other roofing events throughout the year. Additionally, the roofing industry relative of the winner will receive two free tickets to the 2019 International Roofing Expo®.

National Roofing Week is near and dear to our hearts and we hope you are as excited as we are. We can’t stress enough the importance of properly maintaining your roof and treating its system with professional care. The Aastro family is one you can trust for all your roofing needs. Call us today for a free estimate and expert advice. (561) 623-3710

For most Americans, our home and property is our biggest investment. We spend long hours working so we can pay our mortgage, maintain our homes, and pay off other bills. If you spend a couple days a month doing some maintenance around your home, you will have fewer problems all around. To keep your home value high, here is our monthly home maintenance checklist:

Rid Your Home of Moisture

Water impacts the integrity of your home more than any other element. If you don’t have rain gutters on your home, you need to install them as soon as possible. Gutters direct water off of your roof which helps prevent fungus and mold growth. They also direct water away from your home’s foundation. If you already have gutters, make sure to clean out all of the leaves and buildup. Otherwise, your gutters can’t do their job.

Check your roof for leaks every month to prevent serious damages. The quicker you discover a leak, the easier it will be to fix. Going up in your attic is a great way to see entryways for water. It’s also a good idea to sand around your yard in areas where it’s beginning to collect water. This will prolong the life and look of your grass.

Prep Your Pool

Winter has passed! This past winter Florida actually experienced some cool weather. But not for long. Spring is here and summer is on the way. Which means It’s time to prep your pool!! If you have children, you want to check on a monthly basis that the pool and surrounding area is safe for them to use. You’ll need to treat the water, check and replace valves and filters, and inspect all the equipment. This maintenance should be done monthly, whether you are using your pool or not. Keep your pool healthy and happy all year round, and you’ll have less work to do.

Scrub a Dub Dub

It might sound strange to give your house a bath but believe us, it’s not! It’s very beneficial. Cleaning your homes outside walls, windows, and roof prevents heavy soiling from happening. This helps with your home’s appeal and strength. You’ll want to scrub your patio or deck, as well. You can use a pressure cleaner on your driveway and sidewalks.

Replace Filters

You should replace your A/C Filter(s) every one to two months. How often you should replace your A/C Filter depends on a few things:

• the type of air filter you are using
• the overall indoor air quality
• how many pets are in the home
• the number of people occupying the home
• the level of air pollution and construction around the home

Take these factors into consideration so you get the most efficiency out of your A/C filters. Check for any other filters in your home, like your laundry room or kitchen.  

Clean Your Floors

Cleaning your floors should obviously be done more than once a month. But a nice deep cleaning is what I’m talking about. Carpets, especially if you have pets, should be vacuumed and scrubbed with carpet cleaner. You can even throw smaller rugs into your washing machine. If you have hardwood floors, vacuum and then clean them with hardwood floor cleaner. The trick to keeping your hardwood floors shiny is buffing them dry afterward. Otherwise, you’re bound to get streaks.

There you have it! A few tips you can use when creating your monthly home maintenance checklist. In order to keep your home happy and healthy, maintain it properly! You can even gather the family together and take care of everything in one shot. If you have any issues or need help with a roof inspection give Aastro Roofing a call at (561) 409-3280.

Cleaning is not fun, and we get that. But it’s necessary. With the right attitude, though, we can make it a rewarding experience. No one likes wasting a beautiful Sunday washing the floors and making sure the windows are nicely placed on the sofa. Spending endless hours scrubbing the bathroom and doing everything to freshen up the home for Spring can be very exhausting.

But at the end of the day, coming home to a place that is nice and clean can give you a feeling of relaxation and calm unlike any other. After all of your hard work, you will thank yourself for having cleaned your beach house.

This is why we come up with the top cleaning hacks to freshen up your home.

The Kitchen

It is important that the area that you eat is not being overlooked. For example, the cutting board you use to make a fresh salad can get germy. Make sure that you scrub the board, and lightly rinse before putting it back in its place.

The microwave is also a big one. Make sure that you get rid of all the grease and stains by mixing white vinegar with water, heating it up, and then wetting a towel with this mixture to help remove everything. Also, instead of spending so much time on scrubbing grease from your glassware, simply use foil paper before heating the dirty glass in the oven, so that no scrubbing is necessary later on.

The faucets are one of the most critical areas that need to stay clean. You can get that fresh lemon smell and get the right cleaning done at the same time. Simply sprinkle some baking soda in all areas of your sink, and then use a lemon to scrub everything away. It works like a charm!

Laundry

If you accidentally drop a cup of coffee or another liquid that could stain your shirt, grab a small piece of chalk and dab it on the dirty area. Then, put it in your washing machine, and you will see that the stain is gone.

If you also wish to clean your leather sneakers that are meant to stay white, it is simple. Grab a towel, wet it with some water and dab onto the shoes. Take a toothbrush, put some toothpaste on it, add some water, and start scrubbing the shoe. Within minutes, you will see a big difference.

Disaster Cleanups

If you accidentally spilled difficult liquid to remove such as candle wax on your carpet, we have a special hack for this one. Cut out a squared piece of a recycled paper bag, and place it on the area that was affected (where the wax is stuck). Take an iron, and start ironing the piece. You should slowly start to see wet blotches. You will see that after a few moments of doing this, your carpet will be wax-free.

Roof Cleaning

Although most people don’t think about this one, it is still important. If you do not make sure that your roof is properly maintained and cleaned, you may have major damages over time.

Many things can go wrong when it comes to your roof if you choose to avoid cleaning it. For example, algae can develop easily when there is heavy rainfall. To avoid this, climb unto your roof, and use soft brushes and cleaning solutions to prevent algae growth.

Speaking of rain, your roof’s gutters help make sure that the water is being diverted away from your roof, into other “safer” areas. When debris builds up, and no cleaning is being done, the gutters can become clogged, and may cause leaking or worse damage. Make sure that you clean your gutters at least once every few months.

When doing your roof cleaning, make sure that you are wearing the proper protective gear, and that you are being careful with your ladder.

You now have the top hacks that can simplify your life, and make Spring cleaning a lot easier. If you’re not into roof maintenance, however, and would rather have experts come and do the job for you, we have the solution. Contact us now to schedule your appointment.

Installing skylights can raise the value of your home. In the red hot South Florida housing market, that could mean that difference between closing the deal with a good price, or watching your neighbors pass you by.

Aastro Roofing can install your skylight in Deerfield Beach. As part of our service to you, we want you to understand the benefits of installing skylights.

Skylights make the room look bigger

A skylight will mean that your ceiling looks wider. This makes it easier for sunlight and moonlight to enter the room, and fill the space. Not only does this look far better than a dingy old room, but it means that you will feel more tranquil when you are in that space.

Decrease your dependence on electricity

When you install a skylight, you need fewer artificial light sources. You can throw that old lamp of yours into storage, because the skylights will provide all the light that you need. This can reduce your electricity costs. The skylights will let in heat as well. This means that you need not spend so much money on your electricity bill in the winter.

Skylights are good for your health

As mentioned before, light has a tendency to calm people. That feeling is not just an old wive’s tale. It has been confirmed scientifically that natural light improves mood, performance, psychological health, and behavior. Sunlight can give you a mental boost.

It can also help your physical health. The sun’s ultraviolet light kills germs, bacteria, and other nasty things that cause diseases. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. Bacteria love dark and musty spaces, and they shy away when light is thrown on them. When you have a skylight, you are protecting yourself from a host of illnesses.

Your body needs Vitamin D. Sunlight is one of the many sources of this vital nutrient. The lamp that you have standing in the corner of the room just is not going to cut it. Installing a skylight is your first step to soaking up the energy of the sun.

It might leak

One of the most common problems we hear when it comes to skylights let the water in. This is only true when they are installed poorly. Your local professional roofer will not have these issues, however. If there is one project that you are not going to want to do on your own, this is it.

There are a few different types of skylights

Like with everything concerning your home, you should have options. You should ask about fixed skylights, electric venting skylights, annual venting skylights, and tube skylights. It is a good idea to measure the space where you wish to install these skylights, so you know exactly what kind is best for you. In addition, make sure you know what these different skylights look like, so you can find the best aesthetic fit for your home.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Aastro Roofing can install your skylights in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Deerfield Beach today. Call us at (561) 409-3280.