Saturday, November 23, 2013

Your Home's New Roof; Don't Make The "Thomas Jefferson" Mistake!

[caption id="attachment_33" align="alignright" width="300"]roof work For the first time since the 1830s, all new slates are being put on the roofs of the rooms and hotels of the West Range. Slates have been replaced over the years, but its was getting harder to match the older square slates, so the all the roofs have been covered with smaller, rectangular slates.
(Photo: University of Virginia)[/caption]

Did you know? As a founder of the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson helped design a roof back in the 1830's. That roof began to leak and they recently spent a whopping $900,000 replacing it. Thankfully, your home's roof won't cost nearly as much to replace when the time comes!

Rochester area roofing doesn’t have to cost much as long as you rely on professionals like Trinity. This is one way of avoiding costly mistakes when researching your new roof.

How much you spend on new roofing depends on several factors. These include the materials used, the kind of work done (whether your roof can be repaired or needs to be replaced), the type of home you have, its location, and the time of the year.

To get a good idea of the costs involved, it’s best to get two or three estimates from roofing companies you trust. There are different roofing materials, styles and shapes so choose wisely. Take a long hard look at what’s available so you can make the best choice.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Top 10 Home Heating Savings Ideas

watch-thermostat-tip-2-lg_1Depending on the type of heat your home has, your gas or electric bill can easily be the most expensive utility bill you have to pay. Well, perhaps second to your cable and Internet bill!

Here are some quick tips that may help you save money each month (and year!). Some of them are more extreme and other ideas are quite simple. We hope you enjoy.

  1. Insulation In The Attic – Since warm air rises, having sufficient insulation in your attic will do a great job with keeping your house warm for you.

  2. Turn Down The Heat – Even with a programmable thermostat, the more frequently you turn it down when no one is home, the more money you will save to heat your house in the winter. Check out the Internet-connected Nest thermostat which features an "auto away" mode!

  3. Read Your Heating Bill – Read the details of your heating bill; see how much you used last year at the same time to measure your progress in lowering your heating bill.

  4. Downsize – It costs less to heat a smaller home than a larger home.

  5. Educate Your Family – The more a family talks about the cost of heating, the different ways each family member can contribute to lowering the cost, the more successful you will be in lowering your home heating bills.

  6. Drink Hot Beverages – Sounds silly, doesn't it? The more often you drink hot coffee and hot tea throughout a winter’s day, the lower the temperature you can keep your house.

  7. Grab A Snuggie! – The more you use throw blankets and Snuggies, just like the more you use extra layers of clothing, the warmer you will feel and the lower you can set your thermostat.

  8. Blinds Open On Sunny Days – Letting more of the sun and natural outdoor light will inside will help reduce the frequency that your furnace has to run to keep your house sufficiently warm.

  9. Empty Rooms – Keeping the vents and doors closed in rooms which are not being used will help keep the heat flowing to the areas of the home which are used.

  10. Go To Bed Early – The sooner you are under the covers, the sooner you can lower the temperature setting on your thermostat and reduce the amount of your heating bill.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Another Satisifed Customer: Testimonial From Jonathan W.

Angie's List Review - Thank You GraphicWe're always ecstatic when we receive a review from a customer. Good, bad or otherwise...we love the feedback! This review came by way of Angie's List from our customer Jonathan W. of Rochester. Thanks, Jonathan!

Rating: A

Description Of Work:  Full tear off a leaking section and replaced ceiling in room from water damage

Member Comments:  John called me back promptly to provide a time for him to come out for an estimate.  I felt he gave me a very fair assessment of the situation and made me feel comfortable he was providing me the right service to fix our issue.  I met with 5 contractors total and John gave me the best feeling.  His staff showed up exactly when he said they would and completed both jobs in reasonable amount of time.  Our roof looks great and the ceiling replaced looks great.  I would definitely recommend John and Trinity Home Renovations and will use them for any projects for my home going forward.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

First Time Home Buyers: Roof Inspection 101

Home Roofing InspectionWith the rough and volatile Rochester weather, taking a close look at your new home’s roof is critical. Especially as a first time home buyer, you may not have experience with home renovation concerns and certainly not how to tell the lifespan and wear & tear of a roof!

Now that you’ve found your dream home, you undoubtedly have an emotional attachment to it. The next step is to get a full home inspection which will include a roof inspection. You should pray that the roof is in good shape and no major issues are found by the inspector. It will be hard to walk away from the home if issues are uncovered during the inspection.

Having a roof system that is in disrepair can cost you a lot of money and cause damage to other areas of the home.

The first step in evaluating a roof’s condition is a visual inspection. During the visual inspection one should look for the following things:

  • sagging

  • missing shingles

  • damaged shingles

  • holes

  • damaged flashing

  • ponding water

  • gaps


During the interior inspection, if there are water stains on the ceiling or bubbled or blistered paint these could be signs of a roof leak.

If the inspection reveals damage to the roof it is best to call a professional roofer in order to get the cost of roof repair or replacement. Being aware of issues with your roofing system will allow you to negotiate who will pay to repair the damage (you or the seller) prior to you finalizing the purchase of the home.

Finding your dream home can be a long and tedious process. Your home will probably be the largest investment you will ever make so you want to ensure that you do your research and protect yourself during the home buying process.

Trinity takes the time to make sure that customers understand the role roofing systems play in protecting the home, current condition of the roofing system, our plan of action to repair or replace the roof, our processes and our warranties.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Top 5 Tricks To Make Your Small(ish) Room Look Bigger!


  1. 1385879_10151758777069372_1304382411_nFresh paint - choose a lighter color

  2. To make your ceiling appear higher, add stripes

  3. Create more room for storage; reduce clutter

  4. Add multi-use furniture (doubles as storage)

  5. Use mirrors