Have you had your gutters cleaned this fall? With an expected COLD winter, it is critical that you remem-ber to clear all of the debris out of your gutters and to flush your downspouts. Ice and frozen debris in gutters can really weigh them down – causing the gutters to come out of slope, pull away from the fas-cia boards and if given enough ice and snow – the gutters may even buckle or fall off of the house (as seen in this picture). Gutterman offers Spring and Fall maintenance contracts to keep your gutters in top condition . You won’t even have to remember to give us a call during our peak seasons – we’ll have you covered. Our service includes hand cleaning the debris from the gutters, flushing the gutters and

Cold Winter Predicted – Frozen

Gutters are bad for your home!

downspouts and re-securing the gutters to the fascia as best as possible. We also check for minor repairs. And while on your roof we will get a look at any other problems areas (vent pipe collars, skylights etc) and let you know if we find anything wrong. In addition, when you are on a maintenance contract, we also lock in your rate, and offer you up to 15% off of each visit. Fall is the most important time of year to service your gutters – so don’t be left out of our fall season – contact us to-day to get onto our list. We make scheduling simple – you can even enroll online!

Us Out! Today’s social networking pages like Facebook, Twitter and Angie’s List are a popular forum for consumers to submit their impressions on products and services. Gutterman has a great reputation among our clients and would be grateful to you if you could get the word around. So for those of you that yelp – we need your help!! Of course we always enjoy receiving your personalized thank you cards, letter and phone calls….but why not spread the word to the community at large. It helps to Yelp!

10 Steps to Winterizing Your Home

1. Clear Out the gutters - Remove leaves and other debris from your drainpipe and gutters to prevent clogging. If your gutters are full of debris, water can back up against the house and damage roofing, siding and wood trim — plus cause leaks and ice dams. Don’t put yourself in danger; call Gutterman Services to help have this is done correctly and safely.

2. Divert Water - Add extensions to downspouts so that water runs at least 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation.

3.Turn Off Faucets - Water in pipes can freeze, which will cause pipes to burst as the ice expands. Start by disconnecting all garden hoses and draining the water that remains in faucets. If you don’t have frost-proof faucets (homes more than ten to 15 years old typically do not), turn off the shut-off valve inside your home.

4. Before You Burn - Make sure your fireplace (or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal), chimney and vents are clean and in good re-pair. That will prevent chimney fires and pre-vent carbon monoxide from creeping into your home.

5. Hit the Roof - Or at least scan it closely with binoculars. Look for damaged, loose or missing shingles that may leak during winter’s storms or from melting snow.

6. Check the Heating System - Do a survey of your home’s heating vents to make sure they’re not blocked or covered by fur-niture, carpeting, or curtains. Dust vents and clean all filters.

7. Check for Drafts - Stay warm, save energy, and reduce your heating bills this fall by examining windows and doors for cracks and sealing them to prevent drafts.

8. Ready the Water Heater - Prepare for cooler weather by draining the water heater and clearing out any debris that has settled in the tank.

9. Go in Reverse - If your ceiling fan has a reverse switch, use it to run the fan’s blades in a clockwise direction after you turn on your heat. Energy Star says the fan will produce an updraft and push down into the room heated air from the ceiling (remember, hot air rises). This is especially helpful in rooms with high ceilings — and it might even allow you to turn down your thermostat by a degree or two for greater en-ergy savings.

10. Fill the Gaps - If the gaps between siding and window or door frames are bigger than the width of a nickel, you need to reapply exterior caulk. (Check the joints in window and door frames, too.) Silicone caulk is best for exterior use because it won’t shrink and it’s impervious to the elements. Add weather-stripping as needed around doors, making sure you cannot see any daylight from inside your home.

Breathe new life into your old tired deck with Gutter-man’s new Deck Re-Do renovation service (www.deck-re-do.com). As you may know, we have been cleaning and sealing decks for years and we now offer our Deck Re-Do program. We come out and assess the condition of your deck, offer you a range of restoration options from simply staining to deck board and railing replacements. We even have a “rubberized” coating that lets you enjoy going barefoot on your deck again! Under deck systems make use of the unused space under your deck – giving you more outdoor space to enjoy! The best part is that during our off season (January – March) we have significantly reduced pricing on our Deck Re-Do projects. Please look at our recently completed photos on our website. You can even submit an inquiry to get an estimate today to Re-Do your deck!

Re-“Do” Your Deck

Gutterman is NOT just for gutters

Look what else we do...

So many times we hear our long time clients tell us “I didn’t know you offered that service”…. In addition to Installation, replacement and service of gutters – we are also a SELECT Shingle Master for Certainteed – one of the roofing in-dustry’s leading product manufacturers. We have re-placed more than 10,000 roofs in Northern Virginia – both residential and commercial. Many of the Loudoun County schools have metal roofs or gutter systems in-stalled by Gutterman. We also install siding, windows and doors and offer handyman services, power washing services and Deck Re-Do.

Some say this is the most popular song that nobody knows the lyrics to. An old Scottish song, it was popularized by Bandleader Guy Lombardo, who turned it into a New Year's Eve tradition. He first heard the song in his hometown, Lon-don, Ontario, where it was sung by Scottish immigrants. Lombardo first played it at midnight at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York in 1929.

For Auld Lang ‘Syne "Should auld acquaintance be forgot/

And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot/

And days of auld lang syne. "For auld lang syne, my dear,/

For auld lang syne, We'll take a cup of kindness yet,/

For auld lang syne!"

After 10 years as Estimator, this week Ken Killmeyer retired from Gutterman Services. You may recognize him - he sold over 9000 jobs and visited in excess of 15,000 homes in the NOVA area. Ken’s 40+ years of knowledge of roofing, gutter and siding systems provided us an asset that will be sorely missed. Before coming to work at Gutterman Services, Ken owned Accredited Roofing Services – which was located where Gutterman’s building stands today. Chris Pauly (President, Gutterman Services, Inc.) approached Ken and his partner about buying their property back in 2002 when they were winding down ARS. Ken and his partner were both going to retire. They sold the property to Gutterman and construction of our building was finished in 2007. Gutterman was looking for “a few good men” to lead our estimating team. In addition to his roofing expertise, Ken is a veteran. Ken was active duty Seaman from 1967 - 1969 on board the USS Forrestal and in the reserves for 6 years. Ken signed on with Gutterman in May 2004. Ken’s customer feedback consistently applauded his product knowledge, honesty and outstanding customer service. In retirement, Ken plans to enjoy his 3 grandchildren and continue to participate in The USS Forrestal Association where he has served as historian since 1995.

Ken Killmeyer

Retires

Gutterman Services, Inc. 45888 Woodland Road Sterling, Virginia 20166

Gutterman is collecting any gently used winter coats for kids and adults in our community. You may also donate gloves and hats. Please bring your items to our shop – we have a large collection box right in our front foyer. 45888 Woodland Road Sterling, VA 20166 Monday – Friday 8:30-5:30. We truly appreciate your donation!