Don’t ignore the signs of water damage!

It’s easy to look past signs of water damage to your home; the ripple in the paint by the window or the rotten siding under your deck because it doesn’t seem to be doing anything. But not taking action can only cause more damage to your home. In a matter of days mold growth can begin. Over a month or two of leakage into your wall, you can have thousands of dollars of repairs to your home.

The photos below show some examples of water intrusion we have found during window, door and siding replacement projects. In every case, there is evidence all around the damage that it has been there for a long time, but did not get the attention it deserved.

Make sure your house is watertight. At IHP, we can test moisture levels for an assessment of potential repairs. The sooner you catch it, the smaller the repair will be. Give us a call.


Complete rot-through framing from improper deck flashing

Rotten Rim Joist from improper door flashing.

Wall structure water damage from improper window flashing

The Attic’s Weather Role

Has the recent heat this summer in Minnesota soaked through your attic into your house? The amount of insulation in your attic can drastically affect the temperature in your house and the amount of energy you use in air conditioning. Proper ventilation in your attic also plays a huge role in keeping your attic cool. Winter will be coming again before you know it. Keep in mind that these two things, poor insulation and ventilation are the leading cause of ice damns in the winter. We live in an area of serious weather extremes and your attic plays a key role in how well your house performs in those extremes.

We can give you the information you need to properly maintain an attic helps monitor the ventilation in your home.

Humidity In Your Home

Whew – this week in Minnesota has been hot and very humid. So it seemed like a good time to remind people about that fact that we do need humidity in our homes, although this week it is has been a little bit too much!

What is Humidity?
Humidity is the amount of moisture or water vapor in the air. A comfortable range of relative humidity is between 40 and 60 percent. If the humidity is too low, people may experience having dry nose, throat, lips and skin. Low humidity may also wreak havoc on your home, causing static electricity, cracks in furniture and paint, and peeling wallpaper. High humidity feels stuffy and creates an environment in which biological contaminants can thrive.

Moisture can be added or removed from indoor air to make a room feel more comfortable. Home humidifiers add moisture and there are several kinds:

• Console humidifiers are in cabinets that stand on the floor, and are usually kept in the same position in a home
• Ultrasonic humidifiers, which create a cool mist using ultrasonic sound vibrations
• Impellers, or cool-mist humidifiers, which create a cool mist using a high-speed rotating disk
• Evaporators, which transmit moisture into the air invisibly using a fan to blow air through a moistened absorbent material, such as a belt, wick, filter, or evaporative cartridge.
• Steam, or "warm mist" vaporizers, which create steam by heating water with an electrical heating element, and allow steam to cool before it is released into the room.
• Central humidifiers are built into heating and air-conditioning systems, and are used to increase the humidity level in an entire home.

As always, IHP is here to help you to determine what is best for your home. Give us a call.

Being Sump Pump Prepared.

We have been helping customers with more Basement finishing and remodeling this past year as the economy recovers in the Minneapolis metro area. One thing to think about when finishing or remodeling a basement is the possibility of water problems. This past wet spring has sump pumps running constantly in many basements. If your pump fails or if the power goes you could have several inches of water on your basement floor very quickly.

We strongly recommend the installation of a back-up sump pump for any basement that has an existing sump. We discourage battery back-up pumps due to constant battery monitoring and maintenance. Plus, if you lose power for more than an hour or two the battery will drain, the back-up pump stops and you still have flooding. Installing a Zoeller® Home Guard Max back up pump that is powered by your city water is a great solution. The motor is turned by water flow that is connected to your city water line, which never loses pressure. The water powered pump keeps water out of your basement until you restore your electric pump. It pumps out two gallons of sump water for each gallon of city water used. This is not intended for use as a primary pump, but is the best back-up pump solution hands down. For more information on the pumping system check out: http://www.zoellerpumps.com/ProductBenefit.aspx?ProductID=65.

For all your basement finishing and remodeling needs, give us a call.

Relax and Enjoy a Porch

Building a porch addition can immediately add value and instant curb appeal to any home. Plus it gives you extra living and entertainment space to the front, side or back of your home.

A porch addition can be as simple as replacing an existing pediment with a roof over the entrance or by adding more with a "shed roof" or a gable roof complete with skylights! In addition to placing a roof over an entrance, a combination front porch and screened room is a great option by extending both the roof and the size to make it a large outdoor living space. Keep in mind, the porch style needs to match or complement the home's architecture. The materials used to build the porch determine if feels like a part of the house or an extension of the outdoor area. The new porch should match your existing home or you can design a variation that complements the original house. The columns should be the primary focus of the design to create visually interest and depth as an integral part of the home.

Don’t forget to consider your lighting needs and electrical requirements as well as design features for the columns, railings, doors, and decking for your porch.

Additional Considerations:
Unexpected elements can really add impact to your porch:
- Fireplace
- Built-in Grill
- Ceiling fans
- Speakers
- Built-in bookshelk
- Bench swing or a hammock

Home before Porch Addition













Home after Porch Addition

Deck Living

Summer is almost here in Minnesota. It’s time to enjoy the outdoors and entertain family and friends with grilling and parties. A new or remodeled deck can expand your living space to the outside with comfort, convenience and beauty. There are many decking options to make your outdoor living just right for your home. Here are some ideas:

• Enclose your deck with a roof for shade and a decorative addition.


• Get Creative - rail systems can be made from wood, metal and cable or as a combination of materials


• Add accents around your deck with: Lighting, built in seating, planters and more


• Feature metal accents as pole caps, accessories and other interesting creative ideas


• Build a store closet on your deck to hold and organize items for your deck


• Add Vinyl flooring for decks, a choice that is becoming more popular as an excellent alternative to wood

In addition to the top of the deck, you can add a water drainage system to allow you to comfortably use the space under a high deck. These systems divert water away from the deck to create a dry space below – now having double the outdoor living area.

Hail and Storm Damage

Hail and storm damage to your home can be stressful. It’s a necessary repair from the unexpected that needs to be addressed immediately to restore your home. Sometimes home owners don’t even realize they have damage from hail - small to moderately-sized hail can produce roof damage and result is not always visible. Hail can affect the life expectancy of your roof and you should have it checked out by a professional.

Damage to siding, gutters, roofing and windows from hail or structural damage from wind should be inspected with a contractor that has set processes in place to handle your storm damage insurance claim. We do at Integrity Home Projects.

The first step is a thorough inspection of your home for qualifying damage repair, next is a meeting with your insurance adjuster. At IHP, we handle the meeting and manage the paperwork, supplemental claims, depreciation recovery, and final distribution settlement. We work to make a stressful situation a process that makes it easy for you.