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Murray Anderson

I learned home repair and maintenance hands on. Over the past 30 years I've built sheds, decks, fences and gates and planted numerous trees and shrubs. Inside I've done all the common jobs like repairing and installing toilets, plumbing and light fixtures plus I've transformed three basements from bare concrete floors and walls into warm , bright family rooms. I write on home maintenance and repair for DoItYourself.com and answer maintenance and repair questions online at MyHomeImprovement.com.

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Gutters (or eavestroughs) aren't just a "nice to have" accessory. Gutters perform an important role in helping keep water out of your basement. Properly installed gutters will catch water coming off your roof and channel it well away from your home's foundation so it can't work it's way in and create a musty smelling (or, even worse, moldy) lower level. While installing long seamless gutters or highly decorative gutters (like copper) is best left to the professionals, sectional gutters (usually made of vinyl or aluminum) can be installed by a handy homeowner (and hopefully a friend or two).

Look at the outside of your home and determine how you would like the gutters to channel the water. You want the gutter to catch the water as it comes off the roof and channel it to an area where it will drain away from your home.

Measure along the edges of your roof. Gutters often come in 10-foot sections, so this will determine how many sections of gutter you need. Add 10 percent to your measurements for wastage (you will need to cut some pieces to fit).

Combine the roof measurement with your gutter layout plan to calculate the number of other gutter components you will need (corners, elbows, end pieces, drop outlets). You will also need mounting brackets for every 24 to 30 inches of run.

Begin at the end of your roof away from the downspout location and measure down 1/2 inch from the edge of your roof and mark it. Move to the downspout end and again measure and mark down 1/2 inch from the roof edge. Use a string level to be sure these marks are level with each other and adjust them if necessary.

Calculate the slope you will need so the water in your gutters will flow towards the downspout. (Gutters should slope down 1/16 inch for every foot of run or 5/8 inch for every 10 feet.) Measure down this distance from the first mark at the downspout end.

Excerpt from:
How to Install Gutters | eHow

Western Insulation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Masco Corporation ( MAS ), will start operating as Masco Contractor Services of California, Inc. effective from Jan 1, 2014.

Masco Contractor Services is a group of subsidiaries of Masco Corporation. With the recent change, Masco Contractor Services will operate 13 offices in California.

Western Insulation offers products and services like fireplace installation, garage door services, gutter installation and gutter protection. Insulation has been one of the underperforming businesses of Masco for the past few quarters.

At its investor conference, Masco management highlighted several strategic initiatives, which included the improvement of underperforming businesses like Installation and Cabinet; solidifying its market position and leveraging its brands, product introductions and product innovation, reducing costs, paying off debt and strengthening the balance sheet.

Masco Corporation sales in the month of November were up in high single-digit; signaling that the fourth-quarter top line could be strong like the past two quarters.

Masco's third-quarter (results announced in late October) sales increased 12.4% year over year and also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate driven by volume growth. Volumes benefited from products/programs launches; increased new home construction activity and improvement in repair/remodel activity in North America; and increased outside U.S. sales. Most encouragingly, the company saw some traction in big ticket remodeling, which has been sluggish for the past few years, especially during the housing downturn. In addition, management stated that the fourth quarter was off to a strong start with October sales up in high single-digits. With the November sales also up equally, Masco could post another strong quarterly performance next month.

We are encouraged by the company's continued focus on product innovation and cost improvements. The company is also divesting its less profitable and underperforming assets to focus more on its core areas. Masco carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Other Stocks to Consider

Investors interested in the building/construction industry can also consider CaesarStone Sdot-Yam Ltd. ( CSTE ), Trex Co. Inc. ( TREX ) and James Hardie Industries plc ( JHX ). While CaesarStone and James Hardie carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Trex carries a Zacks Rank #2.

CAESAR STONE SD (CSTE): Free Stock Analysis Report

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Masco to Operate 13 Offices in Calif - Analyst Blog

home section Interior Design Housekeeping Entertaining Home Improvement Gardening & Plants Landscaping eHow Home & Garden Home Repair & Maintenance Exterior Home Repair How to Install Vinyl Rain Gutters

Robert Gray

Robert Gray has been writing full time since 1995. His first photography book took seven years to research and publish. He specializes in writing on photography and the arts. He's written for Photography Magazine, Large Format Camera Magazine and many online art and photography websites and blogs.

Installing rain gutters my seem like a daunting task but it doesn't have to be. Not if you opt to install vinyl rain gutters. A vinyl system is designed for the do-it-yourself homeowner who'd rather invest a little sweat equity into installing his own gutters than invest money in hiring someone to do it for him. All the pieces snap into place and vinyl is lightweight. Both of these features comes in handy when you're high atop a ladder working with long lengths of gutter. Installing gutters is a two person job. so if you can find someone who has a project that requires two people too, trading labor can be a win-win for you both.

Set up a ladder at one end of the roof line and climb to the edge of the roof with ruler and pencil and a drop downspout. A drop downspout is one of the components of the vinyl gutter system. It's where the water drains through to a downspout. Lay the ruler flat against the roof. Position it so the 6-inch mark is at the bottom edge of the roof line. Hold the downspout against the fascia board--the horizontal board under the roof overhang to which the gutter attaches. Match the end of the ruler with the outside edge of the downspout. Pencil the the top screw hole of the downspout on to the fascia. Go to the opposite end of the roof and repeat. Snap a level chalk line between the two pencil marks. Make sure the line is level before snapping. Hang a small line level on the string. Adjust one end of the chalk line up or down until level.

Back at the original end of the roof line, hook a tape measure on to the end of the fascia and measure out 10 feet along it. Pencil in a mark 1/4 inch below the chalk line. Measure off another 10 feet, but this time make a mark 1/2 inch below the chalk line. Continue, at each consecutive 10 foot mark adding another 1/4 inch to the distance below the chalk line. This establishes the correct slope for the gutters so the water will flow down it. This creates a 1-inch slope in 40 feet. Line up the chalk line along these marks and snap to create a sloping chalk line.

Attach the first gutter hanging bracket 4 inches in from the original end of the roof line. Screw it to the fascia board. Add a bracket every 20 to 24 inches. Attach a gutter connector to the fascia with screws every 10 feet. A gutter connector marries two sections of gutter. Attach a drop outlet at the far end of the roof line.

Snap a gutter end cap to the first 10-foot length of gutter. Rest the gutter on top of the brackets. Starting with the first bracket, snap the gutter into it. Move to the next bracket and do the same. Snap the end of the gutter into the near side of the gutter connector. Lay a second length of gutter across the next set of gutter brackets. Snap the first end of the gutter into the other side of the gutter connector. Continue snapping the gutter into the brackets. A length of gutter will have to be cut to size for the final section. Measure the distance between the gutter connector and the drop outlet.

Turn a gutter section over and mark the length on the back of the gutter. Cut the gutter using a fine-tooth miter saw. Sand off any vinyl burrs. Snap the cut gutter into place.

Cut a 5-inch length of downspout pipe and insert it into the bottom of the drop outlet. To the bottom of that plug in a 45-degree angled elbow positioning the open mouth towards the wall. Put another elbow at the end of a downspout pipe with the mouth facing out. Hold the downspout pipe against the wall and measure the distance from elbow to elbow. Cut that length of downspout pipe and insert each end into the corresponding elbow. Snap a downspout hanging bracket over the face of the downspout pipe and screw it to the wall. Add a bracket every 18 inches. Use downspout couplers between sections of downspout pipe. Cut the downspout off at the top of the foundation. Add another elbow facing out and to that add another section of downspout pipe to drain the rainwater away from the house.

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How to Install Vinyl Rain Gutters | eHow

Lindab gutter installation
Kris installing Lindab gutter on a high end home in Vancouver.

By: PrecisionGutters

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Lindab gutter installation - Video

Here is a copper gutter job I did for a nice couple in Forest Grove. They have been working hard to personally remodel the inside, but got help to do the outside work. This is listed on the Historical Registry, so they needed to make sure the remodeling would be done right.

The aluminum gutters they had were hung from thin aluminum straps nailed on the roof, and some had fallen off after a few years, so they had the painters tear off the rest of the gutters and downspouts. They had paid $23k just to have their house paint removed. And another $13k to have it primed and a 4 tone paint job done. Their house is on the Historical registry, so they were perplexed to figure out how to solve their gutter problems.

They had spent a few years trying to find a gutter contractor to even give them a bid for the work they needed, but were unsuccessful. They were thrilled to finally find our web site and see how we have already done this kind of work on houses that were originally designed not to be able to mount gutters onto.

In our original bid to add the drip edge that the roofers neglected to install, and to build out the eaves of the roof in order to mount the 175' of new aluminum gutters onto, the downspouts, and the No-clog options had come to $4,600 total.

After seeing our bid, the Kistlers then asked us for a price on 16oz copper gutters with the mitered endcapping. This added only $3,200 more to the cost, for a total of $7,800. They put down $3,900 to have us schedule it in, even though we were booked 3 months out. They latter added the heavy gauge 20oz copper gutters to our bid. The final cost was $8,063.10 for everything after we recalculated the cost to reflect only the materials used. So the heavy-duty copper only added $263.10 to the original bid

Click on the photos above to see more clarity and detail. I had taken over 300 photos, so I spaced out this project over 8 separate web pages, with the most detailed info on this web site for gutter fabrication. There is also photos from several years after installation.

To see all 315 photos and read more about this project go here: http://dmr-gutters.com/cg/Kistler1.htm

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DMR's Premium Copper Gutter Work Photopage

In a matter that has proved extraordinarily divisive to Emerald Bay residents since 2011, Laguna Beachs City Council voted 3-1 on Tuesday to approve proposed road improvements at the gated communitys main entry, which do not include a controversial traffic signal as originally envisioned.

The Council approved specific design review and coastal development permits for the project with conditions and stipulated that a new coastal development permit would have to be obtained if a signal is proposed in the future.

Council member Toni Iseman dissented.

Council member Bob Whalen recused himself and left Council chambers since he works for a law firm that represents a governing board within Emerald Bay.

While the proposed improvements at the intersection of Shamrock Road and North Coast Highway are intended to improve safety and efficiency along with siphoning entering cars off Coast Highway, the project initially included a hotly protested Coast Highway traffic signal for the intersection.

City officials and staff began meeting with the Emerald Bay Community Association over the initial project in July 2011. In response to safety concerns raised by citizens, in March 2012 the Council agreed to pay $15,000 to hire an independent traffic engineering firm to review the proposal.

In the wake of the Fehr and Peers report, the council agreed to intersection improvements to relieve the daily traffic backup that occurs outside the gatehouse, but refused to green-light the installation of a traffic signal, which would require a coastal development permit. They also directed staff to work with EBCA to implement new gate procedures, install intersection improvements with no traffic signal, and monitor the intersection for a period of time.

The city holds jurisdiction over the 100-foot-wide right-of-way along Coast Highway that bisects Emerald Bay.

A number of the ECBAs proposed improvements fall outside the citys jurisdiction, such as moving the guardhouse north by 40 feet to improve queuing distance on Shamrock Road, and widening and reconfiguring the road to allow additional lanes, among other measures.

Improvements within city jurisdiction include reconfiguring Coast Highway by lengthening turn-lane pockets and the southbound acceleration lane as well as a adding a median with curb and gutter for the southbound protected left-turn pocket, the most controversial of the improvements. Other improvements include installation of three 33-foot light poles with 12-foot arched mast arms, chosen because they could not accommodate a future traffic signal.

More here:
Emerald Bay Gate Improvements Get Green Light

Precision Gutters has done seamless rain gutter installation and downspouts for both residential and commercial properties throughout the whole state of Florida and across the Caribbean for over 15 years. Precision Gutters is Florida's premier rain gutter installation company offering the largest selection of gutters and downspouts, the best quality, fine craftsmanship, great value, all all residential come with lifetime warranty. Precision Gutters installs every style and size of gutter system, including K style gutters, half round gutters, box gutters and radius gutters in gutter materials, including aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, galvalume, tin-zinc coated copper, lead coated copper, stainless steel and zinc. Quarter round gutters and custom styles available. All styles downspouts, including round, square and decorative downspouts installed from any material. In addition to installing seamless gutters in sizes from 5"-12", downspouts from 3"-6" and any custom sizes, Precision Gutters crews also install architectural copper work such as chimney caps, cupolas, roof finials, copper dome roofs, turret roofs, gazebo roofs, roof vents, soffit vents, gable vents, wall vents, copper railings and all types of custom architectural metal fabrication and copper work, including restorations.

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Gutter Installation - Downspout - Seamless Rain Gutters Florida

As a result of suspected juvenile vandalism events at the site, a topic of weekly jobsite meetings has been increased patrols in the area by Creek County Sheriff and Bristow city police forces.

We had some spray paint going on out there, pretty sure it was kids they misspelled bad words. They broke inside and took the scissor lift for a joyride and scraped the interior walls, County Construction Supervisor Roscoe Thornbury said of events within the past several months.

In discussions Thursday, the increased police patrols in the vicinity were judged effective in alleviating the vandalism issues.

Utility installations are ongoing with gas and electrical hook-ups scheduled. RCI Electric will install electricity use meters and natural gas service meters awaits approval from Bristow municipal authorities.

Action mechanical is performing rough-in work. Heritage Concrete company is pouring exterior concrete, curb and gutter work will start when clear weather returns.

Air Comfort Solutions is installing ductwork in the ceilings. Turner Roofing is installing metal wall paneling.

Bennett Cahill has installed sheetrock grid and is scheduled to return in mid December to being sheetrock install. Sweeper Metals has installed the security glazing. Skyco painting covering the grooves on glass stops. Alred Glass has completed windows in the office area and Superior Fire Protection is working on fire fighting systems rough-in.

The project is going well and is on schedule for completion by March, 2014, Thornbury reported in writing to the Trust.

Following the approval of a kitchen equipment supplier bidder earlier by the BOCC Amundsen Food Equipment of Tulsa, has $135,888 worth of commercial food service equipment awaiting review- and installation guidelines by BKL Architects.

Thornbury expressed confidence that the food service equipment will install without modification.

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County discusses detention issues

Seats on the Riverhead and Jamesport board of fire commissioners are being contested in local elections this Tuesday.

In Riverhead, incumbent commissioner and ex-chief Dennis Hamill will face off against Kevin Barty, a member of the department and the Ironman drill team. Nearby, a former Jamesport captain, John Newman, is seeking to take incumbent commissioner Joel Lazarus place on the board.

Incumbents in Flanders and Wading River are running unopposed.

Below is a breakdown of the Dec. 10 fire district elections:

RIVERHEAD

Voting is from 3 to 9 p.m. at Riverhead fire headquarters on Roanoke Avenue.

One seat is open:

Incumbent Dennis Hamill has been with the RFD since 1972. He served as a company officer, chief, and commissioner before leaving the department due to work obligations in 1991. He rejoined as a commissioner in 2008. We just went through a rigorous state audit and we came out pretty good and we definitely stayed under the 2 percent tax cap, he said, adding that the board must weigh the needs of firefighters including replacing aging equipment against raising taxes on the districts taxpayers. At the end of the day its gotta be a perfect balance.

Kevin Barty joined the RFD 15 years ago from Manorville, where he previously served for 12 years as a firefighter. He was captain of the Ever Ready company in Riverhead and joined the Ironman team. He is self-employed as a contractor and runs a gutter installation business. He remains an active member of the department.

Mr. Hamill is a nice guy, he said. From 1972, hes made his mark on the fire department, and I feel now its time for a change, someone with a fresh look. Mr. Barty said his experience as a business owner gives him the ability to help manage the districts finances effectively, explore grant opportunities and keep taxes down.

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Your guide to Riverhead’s 2013 fire district elections

Michael ODonnell removed some of the junk hed spent years stockpiling in his Star Theater/Leonard Block building, but certainly not all of it.

A tour on Wednesday revealed an ample quantity of flea-market-variety items strewn about, in what years ago was the retail-store section of the 142-year-old structure. There was also evidence ODonnell or his associates had been engaged in a haphazard attempt to make serious, structural repairs.

A nonprofit created in 2002 by ODonnell bought the four-story building that year from businessman Jeffrey Antine for $154,400, according to Registry of Deeds records.

The citys law department, on behalf of the fire and building departments, had filed complaints in housing and superior courts to either force ODonnell to make significant structural repairs or hand the building over to the city.

After a nearly four-year court battle, a housing court judge opted for the latter in September, forcing the 50-year-old Roslindale native to relinquish ownership of the building to the city. The judge gave ODonnell until Dec. 2 to remove personal items from the dilapidated building.

By agreeing to the terms of the court, ODonnell avoided having to pay the city nearly $210,000 in back taxes and fees and from a costly, months-long, round-the-clock fire watch previously ordered by the fire department.

The building has three separate entrances. The middle one, at 109 Main St., is a staircase leading to the theater, which is technically located on the second floor. The 107 and 111 Main St. doors open up to what decades ago functioned as retail space.

ODonnell lost his bid to hang onto the building, in large part due to engineering reports noting the necessity for significant structural repairs and improvements. ODonnell could often be seen either by himself or with a small crew making repairs to the buildings exterior.

One of the more dramatic examples of the buildings deterioration, and ODonnells inability to keep up with repairs, can be seen on the fourth floor, directly above the Star Theater near the back-roof deck.

During the tour, Taunton Building Department Superintendent Wayne Walkden pointed out what he said was a feeble, and dangerous, improvised attempt by ODonnell to replace a rotten wooden support beam.

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Taunton officials tour junk-strewn, structurally-compromised Star Theater building