Roofing & Siding
Shingle repair, gutter cleaning, siding maintenance, and leak detection.
10 guides
Medium45 minHow to Repair Vinyl Siding
Cracked, holed, or loose vinyl siding panels let moisture behind the wall sheathing where it causes mold, rot, and insect damage — problems that cost thousands to fix if ignored. Replacing a single damaged panel is a straightforward 45-minute job once you own a $5 zip tool, and patching small holes takes even less time. This guide covers both patch repairs for holes under an inch and full panel replacement, so you can match the fix to the damage.
Medium3 hrsHow to Install Gutter Guards
Cleaning gutters twice a year is the chore gutter guards exist to kill — and the snap-in screen and micro-mesh panels at any home center install with basic tools for $1-3 per linear foot, versus $1,500+ for a professionally installed system. The job is genuinely DIY-able on a single-story home: clean the gutters, fit and fasten the panels, and test with a hose. This guide covers choosing the right guard type, the ladder setup that keeps you safe, and the one installation mistake (tucking guards under shingles) that can void a roof warranty.
Medium2 hrsHow to Seal Roof Flashing Leaks
When a roof leaks, the flashing — not the shingles — is the culprit most of the time: a cracked rubber vent boot, a lifted piece of step flashing, or a failed bead of sealant at the chimney. These are $10-40 fixes if you catch them early, versus thousands once water rots the decking below. This guide shows you how to trace the leak to its flashing, make the right repair with the right sealant (not a smear of roofing tar), and test it — plus the honest line between a walkable one-story repair and a roofer's job.
Easy1h 30mHow to Replace a Downspout
A crushed, leaking, or detached downspout dumps roof water right at your foundation — the single most common cause of wet basements — and replacing one is among the easiest exterior repairs there is. Parts are standard at any home center ($25-60 for a typical run with elbows and straps), the only real tools are a hacksaw and a drill, and the whole swap takes about 90 minutes. The trick that separates a dry wall from a streaky one is assembly order: every upper piece slips INSIDE the piece below it.
Medium4 hrsHow to Repair a Soffit or Fascia Board
Peeling paint and soft, crumbling wood at the roof edge means the fascia (the vertical board behind the gutter) or soffit (the panel under the eave) is rotting — and every season you wait, the rot creeps toward the rafter tails it's nailed to. Swapping a damaged section is honest weekend carpentry: $50-150 in lumber and paint, basic tools, and one golden rule — find and fix the water source that caused the rot, or you'll be back on the ladder in two years.
Medium1h 30mHow to Replace a Damaged Roof Shingle
A cracked, curled, or missing shingle is more than cosmetic — it exposes the underlayment and roof deck to water, leading to leaks, mold, and structural rot that can cost thousands to repair. Replacing a single asphalt shingle takes about 60-90 minutes and under $50 in materials, versus $150-400 for a professional service call. This guide walks you through safe ladder setup, removing the old shingle without damaging surrounding ones, and sealing the replacement so it lasts.
Medium3 hrsHow to Power Wash a House Exterior
A season of pollen, algae, and road film ages a house faster than anything else you can fix in an afternoon — and a rented pressure washer erases it for about the cost of a pizza night, versus $300-600 for a wash crew. The technique is the whole game: the right tip and pressure for your siding, soap from the bottom up, rinse from the top down, and never, ever spray upward under the laps. This guide covers the full wash plus the surfaces you should not blast at all.
Medium2 hrsHow to Patch Cracks in a Concrete Driveway
Every crack in a concrete driveway is a water channel, and every winter that water freezes, expands, and pries the crack wider — which is why a $15 tube of polyurethane sealant today beats a $5,000 replacement in five years. The fix depends entirely on crack width: pourable filler for hairlines, backer rod and flexible caulk for the middle sizes, vinyl patcher for wide or crumbling sections. This guide sorts your cracks into the right bucket and walks each repair start to finish.
Medium2 hrsHow to Clean Gutters Safely
Clogged gutters cause water to overflow against the fascia, soffit, and foundation — leading to thousands of dollars in rot and water damage. Cleaning them twice a year takes about 1-2 hours and costs nothing if you already own a ladder, versus $150-300 for a professional service. This guide focuses on doing the job safely, because gutter cleaning is one of the top causes of ladder-related injuries at home.
Easy1 hrHow to Inspect Your Roof for Damage
Most roof failures announce themselves months in advance — a few lifted shingles, a stripe of missing granules, a rust line on the flashing — to anyone who actually looks. The good news: you can catch nearly all of it from the ground with binoculars and from inside the attic with a flashlight, no roof-walking required. This free 60-minute inspection, done twice a year and after every big storm, is the difference between a $300 repair and a $12,000 replacement.