What Is a Storm Chaser and How Do I Spot One?
In recent years, the term “storm chaser” has gained notoriety, especially in regions prone to severe weather phenomena. These individuals or groups are often quick to appear in the aftermath of a destructive storm, offering services and assistance to affected communities. But who exactly are these storm chasers, and what signs should you be aware of to spot them?
Unveiling the Storm Chaser Phenomenon
Who Are Storm Chasers?
Storm chasers, as the name suggests, are individuals or teams who actively pursue severe weather events, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or hailstorms. While some operate independently, others are affiliated with specific companies, either from out of state or newly established within the affected area.
Signs of a Storm Chaser
One telltale sign of a storm chaser is their license plates, often from states far from the impacted region. Are plates from Florida or California popping up in Minnesota post-storm? It’s a red flag worth noting. These individuals might approach homeowners, offering to repair storm damage, particularly residential roofs, without a local license plate, a practice that should raise caution.
Cautionary Tales: Beware of Impostors
Spotting the Red Flags
Imagine a contractor showing up at your doorstep, offering to fix your storm-damaged roof, but their license plate doesn’t match your state. This scenario screams “storm chaser alert.” Exercise extreme caution when dealing with such entities, as their promises may not hold weight in the long run.
The Risks of Dealing with Storm Chasers
Newly formed companies, often springing up in the wake of a severe storm, might lack the stability and longevity needed to honor the warranties and guarantees they offer. It’s a common practice for these fly-by-night operations to vanish within a year or two, leaving homeowners stranded with subpar workmanship and unmet assurances.
Steering Clear of Storm Chasers: Tips for Homeowners
Do Your Due Diligence
Before engaging with any contractor offering storm-related services, conduct thorough research. Check their credentials, verify their local presence, and inquire about their experience and track record. Reputable companies will have a solid reputation within the community and will readily provide references upon request.
Seek Local Expertise
Opting for local contractors not only ensures accountability but also facilitates easier communication and follow-up in case of any issues down the line. Local businesses have a vested interest in maintaining their reputation within the community, making them a safer bet for quality workmanship and reliable service.
Don’t Rush Into Decisions
In the aftermath of a storm, emotions can run high, and the urgency to repair damages may lead to hasty decisions. Take your time to assess your options, gather multiple quotes, and weigh the pros and cons before committing to any contractor. Remember, a reputable company will never pressure you into making a snap decision.
Stay Informed and Vigilant
Educating yourself about common storm chaser tactics and warning signs is key to protecting yourself from potential scams and shoddy workmanship. By staying informed and remaining vigilant, you can safeguard your home and finances from unscrupulous individuals seeking to capitalize on disaster.
Conclusion
In the wake of a severe storm, amidst the chaos and destruction, opportunistic individuals may attempt to exploit vulnerable homeowners in need of repairs. By familiarizing yourself with the signs of a storm chaser and exercising caution when selecting contractors, you can safeguard your home and avoid falling victim to potential scams. Remember, when it comes to storm-related repairs, it pays to be vigilant and discerning. For professional help, reach out and contact A to Z Construction today.
The Advantages of Using Wood Siding Over Other Materials
Looking for a classy and durable look and feel for the exterior of your home? Then installing wood siding could be the best option to choose.
Choosing the right siding type and material is an important decision to make as it defines the overall appeal and feel of your home. This is the reason, you should consider the available options prudently and choose the siding material that suits the overall look of your home, aesthetic, maintenance, and most important your budget. If you want to give your home a rustic, sleek, and modern look, you can explore the infinite colors and finishes of wood siding available. It can also tie into your interior design if you have have a custom live edge dining table or other natural wood features inside of your home.
Since wood siding is known for requiring more attention, maintenance, and painting to protect it from damages, the benefits of choosing wood siding over other materials are myriad. Here is how the beauty of the real wood adds more value and character to your home while protecting your home from extreme weather conditions.
Enhanced Beauty with Sustainability
As sustainability is very much important in daily living, people look for more sustainable remodeling options for their personal properties. And wood is a highly sustainable and renewable source to make it the best and most environment-friendly siding material. For instance, cedar siding is one of the most commonly used types of siding and doesn’t require much treatment, processing, and maintenance. It is more durable than other woods like pine and is totally recyclable. Wood is an environmentally conscious material that gives your home a natural look. Whether you are about to get storm restoration work done or just want to give your home a new classy look, choosing wood as a siding material makes sense.
Make the Exterior of Your Home Stand Out
From modern to rustic, wooden siding can add more character and value to any home style. You can explore a variety of colors, styles, textures, and finishes to choose the best option that suits the overall layout and style of your home. Furthermore, you can also paint or stain wood siding every couple of years to change the look of your home without spending much. As you can buy high-quality wood material for your home siding, it can significantly increase the value of your home.
An Environmentally-friendly Option
If you want an environment-friendly siding material for your home, then nothing is better than wood. Installing wooden siding poses no hard or damage to the houses and properties around. Wood is also very easy to decompose. It spoils in nature automatically and then can be used in manure and fertilization. As there are different materials available for siding installation like vinyl, they are not so environment friendly. And if you are about to choose wood siding, then you are taking your part in doing good for nature and the environment.
Easy to Repair
Wood siding is always easy to repair. It is made of wooden blocks and if a hole is found in any block or any part, it can be fixed with putty in a matter of moments. Wooden siding is also installed using screws that one can easily tighten to keep it in good condition. If there is a problem with one block or a part of the siding is spoiled due to storm damage MN, the woodblock can easily be replaced. This makes repairing wood siding easier and more effective than other types of siding materials.
Excellent Insulation
Wood comes with great insulative features to help you a lot in energy saving. Wooden siding stops heated air from escaping to keep the interior of your home warm in winters. Similarly, conditioned air is also remained cooler for hours in summer. Wood like cedar also helps you protect the structure of a home from heat, cold, and dryness. Siding made of wood can last longer for many decades if maintained properly.
Durability for Wooden Siding
The durability and longevity of wood siding are undeniable. You can find high-quality wood in the market for your home siding to keep it strong and sturdy for many years. If you maintain and take care of your siding once every five years, the life and durability of the siding can be doubled. The durability of the siding also depends on the material to be used, so always choose high-quality material and hire a reliable siding contractor to get the siding installation work done effectively without compromising the quality. By doing so, you can keep the siding in tip-top condition for more than 30 years.
Best Wood for Siding?
As it is great to have a wide variety of options to choose from, choosing the right option can also be overwhelming and difficult. When it comes to choosing the best wood as a siding material for your home, pine, cedar, mahogany, and redwood are some popular options around the world. While all of them are widely used for siding across the globe, the original mahogany is the best one according to experts. its resistance to atmospheric changes and moisture makes it a perfect choice for home siding. Furthermore, a variety of stylish options also give your home a classy and modern look while maintaining a classic touch. It is the right fit for any home style.
Versatility
Siding material in the form of wood comes in a wide range of styles and colors. Homeowners can choose wood siding between shingles, woold lap, and clapboards to give the home exterior an excellent and durable look. Whether you want to give the siding of your home a boost in protecting extreme weather conditions or just want to add a charming feel, you can have endless options to choose from.
Conclusion
As siding installation can be an expensive home renovation or restoration project, you should always choose high-quality material and professional siding contractors to get the wood siding installed properly. You can schedule a call with the AtoZ construction team to get an expert opinion and assistance regarding siding installation or any other home renovation and restoration projects.
