Recent studies show that high-quality, professional looking landscaping can add 5-10% percent to a home’s asking price. Where to start? Best to start simple. Clean up what you have. Here’s a quick guide to a fresh looking home exterior.

1. Weed, Edge and Mulch Beds. Start by weeding existing beds. Then add a three inch layer of mulch to all beds to create a colorful, fresh look. Mulch helps hold in moisture, so your plants and shrubs will than you later. Cut fresh edges where grass meets the mulch for a more professional look.

2. Fertilize Your Lawn. For lush, green grass your neighbors will envy, start regular fertilizer treatments and continue with a regular weed & feed schedule each season.  Try and popular brand like Scott’s that is easy to apply. Spend a little extra money to buy a spreader, which quickly and evenly distributes fertilizer over your lawn.

3. Add a Pop of Color. For about $2 per plant, you add colorful petunias, begonias and impatiens to accent sidewalks and beds.

4. Trim Trees & Shrubs. Cut back dead limbs or old growth to encourage new growth. A clean, trimmed landscape looks much more appealing than out of control trees and shrubs.

5. Improve Your Entry. The first thing your guests see is the entrance to your home. If the door is made of wood and in good shape, then a new coat of paint or refinishing it may be enough. But if you have a steel door and you notice it is dented, replace it with a new inexpensive steel door, a fiberglass door or upgrade to a nice wood grain door. Installing a new door can give you home a secure and updated appearance.

6. Check Your Roof.  Your roof is a major part of your home’s exterior and highly visible when passing by.  If your roof has torn or missing shingles, it might be time for a roof repair or new roof. Most roofs last 15-20 years. Installing a new roof on your Indiana home will not only spruce up your home’s exterior, it’s an important part of weatherproofing and saving energy on utilities.

Consider talking with a professional landscaper or home improvement company for more ways on updating your home’s landscape and exterior and improving the curb appeal. Many of these improvements will also help increase the value of your home and make it easier to sell.

Trim A Seal installs energy efficient home windows and entry doors to improve the appearance of your home. Whether your Indiana home needs new vinyl siding, reroofing, awnings, seamless gutters or more – call the home improvement experts at Trim A Seal. We’ve been providing the best quality products and services for your home throughout Northwest Indiana for over 60 years.

Visit www.trimaseal.com for more information.

FT .WAYNE SHOW – FT WAYNE COLLESIUM
THURS. 3/1 & FRI 3/2 – 11 AM – 9 PM
SAT. 3/3 10 – 9
SUN. 3/4 11 – 5

PORTER CO SHOW – PORTER CO FAIRGROUNDS
FRI 3/9 & SAT. 3/1 – 9 – 7
SUN. 3/11 – 10 -5

MICHIANA SHOW (SOUTH BEND) – CENTURY CENTER
FRI. 3/9 – 5 – 9 / SAT. 3/10 – 10 – 9 / SUN 3/11 – 12 – 5

LAKE COUNTY SHOW – LAKE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS (CROWN POINT)
SAT. 3/24 9 – 6 / SUN 3/25 10 – 5

PLYMOUTH SHOW – FITNESS FORUM SPORTS CENTER – 2855 MILLER DR. – PLYMOUTH, IN.
SAT. 3/31 9 -5
SUN. 4/1 10 – 4

Trim A Seal has been providing the highest quality home improvement products and services for over 50 years. We install vinyl replacement windows, entry doors, vinyl siding, replacement roofs, Sunsetter awnings and more. Call today for a free estimate 800-271-6355 or visit www.trimaseal.com today. Serving all of Lake, Porter, Will and Southern Cook counties.

Castlegate Entry Doors

Need new replacement windows, exterior doors or a new roof installed on your Indiana home? This is your last chance to take advantage of 2011 government tax credits. Install a new roof or new energy efficient windows or doors and receive 10% of the cost, up to $500 now through December 31, 2011.

There’s never been a better time to make energy efficient improvements to your home.  Save onutility and energy bills this winter and reduce heating costs when you install new windows, doors or replacement roofs, PLUS get up to $500 in tax credits. The federal tax credit can also be combined with state and utility incentives. See below for the list of tax credits available to homeowners this year:

• High efficiency furnaces and boilers – $150
• Air Conditioners and heat pumps – $300
• Main air circulating fans – $50
• ENERGY STAR Windows/Doors – $200
• Energy efficient water heaters – $300
• Roofing – $500

Energy Star approved vinyl replacement windows or doors qualify for this tax credit. The incentive has been reduced to the pre-Economic Recovery Act level. Consumers can claim a credit of 10% up to $200 of the purchase price of qualifying windows, and 10% up to $500 for qualifying exterior doors.

Visit the Energy Star website for information on available tax credits for roof replacements, then call the roofing contractor you can trust in Northern Indiana. Trim A Seal has been providing the highest quality home improvement products and services for over 50 year. Call today for a free estimate 800-271-6355 or visit www.trimaseal.comtoday. Serving all of Lake, Porter, Will and Southern Cook counties.

Tax credit limits and deadlines:
• 10% of expenditures, up to $500 for the year, for all energy improvements combined.
• Install a relevant roof by Dec. 31, 2011.
• Save receipts and labels.
• For roofs, installation isn’t covered.

Visit the Energy Star website for information on2011 available tax credits. Then call the roofing contractor you can trust in Northern Indiana. Trim A Seal has been providing the highest quality home improvement products and services for over 50 year. Call today for a free estimate 800-271-6355 or visit www.trimaseal.com today. Serving all of Lake, Porter, Will and Southern Cook counties.

Tax credit limits and deadlines:
• 10% of expenditures, up to $500 for the year, for all energy improvements combined.
• Install a relevant roof by Dec. 31, 2011.
• Save receipts and labels.
• For roofs, installation isn’t covered.

For official Energy Star guidelines visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index. It’s your safest bet for information on how to get the credit. Call the roofing contractor you can trust in Northern Indiana. Trim A Seal has been providing the highest quality home improvement products and roofing installation services since 1950. We carry Certainteed and many other top brands of shingles. Call today for a free estimate 800-271-6355 or visit www.trimaseal.com.

Tax credit limits and deadlines:
• 10% of expenditures, up to $500 for the year, for all energy improvements combined.
• Install a relevant roof by Dec. 31, 2011.
• Save receipts and labels.
• For roofs, installation isn’t covered.

By mid-January, the official Energy Star site will be posting new guidelines on what exactly is covered. It’s your safest bet for information on how to get the credit.
Call the roofing contractor you can trust in Northern Indiana. Trim A Seal has been providing the highest quality home improvement products and services for over 50 year. Call today for a free estimate 800-271-6355 or visit www.trimaseal.com today.

Installing new roofing

• Roof shingles wear out and need replacing about every 20 years.
• High energy bills and draft indoors hint at insulation problems. Homes built 20 years ago are underinsulated by today’s standards. Chances are replacing your roof can lower energy bill and improve your home’s insulation.
• Ice dams cause millions of dollars of structural damage every year. If your roof has ice damage, have the roof inspected by a licensed roofing contractor to determine if repair or replacement is necessary.
• Your roof has experienced storm damage from high winds. Missing and torn off shingles make a home susceptible to rot and water damage. Have your roof inspected if you experience roof damage due to high winds.

Trim A Seal of Indiana is a licensed and insured residential roofing contractor specializing in roof replacement and roof repair throughout Northern Indiana and NE Illinois. We work carefully with homeowners to identify problems and replace or repair your existing roof quickly to avoid damage to your home’s interior. We also provide emergency roofing services in the event of storm damage. Call today for a free, no hassle estimate on your next roofing project. Our roofing professionals have been serving the area for over 50 years. Visit us online at www.TrimASeal.com or call 800-217-6355.

In addition to energy savings, a new roof can also help to prevent certain health problems.  Old leaky roofs often cause mold and bacteria growth in your house contributing to allergies and respiratory problems.  A new roof also greatly boosts the value of your property and can prove to be a lucrative investment if you ever decide to relocate.

The best way to figure out if you need a roof replacement is to hire a certified Trim-A-Seal roofing contractor to assess whether you have enough damage to warrant an entire replacement or if repairs will suffice.

Don’t wait until there is major, visible, damage or there is a disaster before replacing your roof!  Contact Trim-A-Seal today at 1-800-217-6355 or visit us online at www.trimaseal.com.

Homeowners in Indiana have been choosing the home improvement specialists at Trim-A-Seal for sixty years.

Trim-A-Seal of Indiana serves: Porter and Lake County Indiana, Merrillville, Gary, Crown Point, Hammond, Valparaiso, Munster, Highland, Griffith, St. John, Portage, Chesterton, Hobart, Schererville, East Chicago and New Chicago.

Some roof leaks are due to simple problems such as a torn shingle in a small hole in the flashing.  These should be able to be repaired with basic tools.  But, if you can’t fix the problem completely, call a professional roofing company immediately!  Water damage is nothing to play around with.  It can cause major problems more quickly than you realize.

Call a licensed Trim-A-Seal professional when:
• A repair you made is not working
• You have multiple leaks
• The leak is wicking across framing members or along walls, making it difficult to find the source
• The leak has already caused significant damage to the roofing surface or flashing areas
• You are sure that the leak is beyond your abilities

Here’s on quick fix tip that might help you out if a bad storm has damaged your roof and you need to protect it from further damage:

Purchase a tube of roofing cement and a piece of aluminum flashing from any hardware or home center.  Cut the flashing about 1 inch narrower than the ripped tab and about 4 inches longer so that it extends under the tabs on either side.  Use a flat pry bar to carefully loosen the damaged tab and the tabs to the left and right.  Next apply two or three thick beads of roofing cement to the surface beneath the shingle.  Slip the flashing underneath.  Apply more roofing cement on top of the flashing.  Press the tab down to adhere the flashing to the roof.

Remember, roof repair can be complicated and dangerous.  Call a Trim-A-Seal professional right away if you get in over your head! 1-800-217-6355 or visit us at www.trimaseal.com for more information. We service all of Northern Indiana and Northeast Illinois.

Trim-A-Seal has been serving the Northern Indiana and Northeast Illinois area with high quality roofing services for over 60 years. Visit us at www.trimaseal.com for more information or call 800-217-6355.