Erie Home Improvement's commitment to superior quality.

Did you know remodelling your home can be one of the most cost effective ways to enhance the look and feel of your favorite spaces? Our craftsmen are skilled, professional workers, who understand the finer points of proper preparation and design.  As a result, most of our jobs can be produced with little or no disruption to your normal routines. We only use superior products and we make sure that our employees take their time and do the job right the first time

• Roofing
• High-Quality, Exterior Painting
• Repair damaged surfaces
• Super-clean work spaces
• Straight lines every time!
• Professional Exterior Painting
• Pressure Washing
• Deck Staining and Sealing
• Rotten Wood Replacement and Light Carpentry
• Drywall Install & Repair

On every job, an Erie Home Improvement professional representative will work with you to define your personal taste, realize your home's potential and stay within your budget.

• Exterior painting / Exterior services
• Power washing exteriors, decks, driveways, stairs, pool surrounds, etc. 
• Deck staining and sealing. 
• Re-glazing and windowpane replacement. 
• Paint stripping including removal of old/peeling oil based paint. 
• Rotten wood replacement to include window seals, doorframes, corner boards, siding and soffits.
• Concrete staining.
• Clear sealants applied to concrete driveways and patios and pavers.
• Gutter cleaning.

General Preparation Information

All companies do things differently; however there are some methods we strongly object to, particularly those that compromise and/or prevent homeowners from receiving a quality paint job. For example, we do not perform a “one ladder set up” operation. Basically this method refers to the process and purpose of setting up tall extension ladders. Once the tall extension ladders are put in place for the painter to access the high parts on the house, the surfaces to be painted are sanded, caulked, maybe primed and then painted all in the same ladder set up. This is a prime example of production paint methods. The caulking and primer could not possibly be dry and ready for paint in a 10 to 15 minute time frame. It might look ok, but this is the fundamental difference between a paint job that last three years or less and one that last seven years or more.

We practice and believe that all preparations MUST be completed on the entire exterior before we put a brush full of finish coat on your house. The prep work is inspected by both jaime and the homeowner along with the crew to ensure that the proper measures have been taken to deliver a very high quality exterior paint job. Please keep in mind that all exterior projects require different levels of preparations and different coating systems. The processes below are meant to give you a general idea of our preparation process on an exterior painting project.

Proper and thorough exterior preparation is critical simply because of its exposure to weather and outdoor elements. The following steps are taken on exterior projects to ensure a quality paint job:
Pressure washing is the first step in preparing an exterior for painting. In 99% of cases an exterior should be pressure washed prior to painting. A thorough cleaning to remove dirt and mildew is essential. Removing all contaminants that are present promotes proper adhesion of the new paint film. Pressure washing surfaces also aides in removing loose/peeling paint. All cleaning products used in pressure washing are environmentally safe and biodegradable. Once pressure washing is complete, the surfaces should be allowed one to two days to dry thoroughly prior to application of primer.

The next step in preparing your exterior for paint is removing all failing caulking and any remaining loose paint. High visibility areas are sanded in such a manner to feather out evidence of peeling paint. These areas are then scuff sanded where needed. Any rotten wood should then be replaced. This new and bare wood is then primed. Gaps between adjoining wood and/or masonry is caulked, along with any other areas that the failing caulking has been removed.

Any metal surfaces such as steel lintels and wrought iron will require special preparation, if they are rusty. All loose rust is removed, and then primed with a rust inhibiting primer.

All exterior hardware, i.e., light fixtures, outdoor furniture, as well as plants are either moved or covered. 
Once preparation is complete, a preparation inspection is preformed before any finish coat painting begins. The preparation inspection is conducted with jaime blanco, the project foreman and homeowner. 

Erie Home Improvement traditionally uses the brush and roll method for exterior and interior painting. We are experienced in spray applications and this method is used only when requested and on a case-by-case basis.

Gutter cleaning and regular maintenance of your gutters is essential to the health of your home! 

Gutters are a "catch-all" and should be cleaned repeatedly during the year. A gutter that is full of water can weigh as much as 370lbs.! This weight will ruin the gutter often causing it to go "off pitch." A gutter that is off pitch is holding water and not draining properly. Believe us, you do not want standing water in your gutters! Not only can water then leak into your home but you will also attract animals to the gutter.
Throughout the course of a calendar year, we recommend that homeowners clean their gutters in March to clear out the branches, dirt and other winter debris so that they are ready for the "April Showers"; in June to clean out all the oak tassels, seed pods, ragweed, "helicopters", and other debris that land all over our properties; in August to remove wind-blown debris caused by Summer thunderstorms; and then three times in the Fall: October, November, and December, to remove all the clogs caused by leaves that come down throughout the Fall season, before the winter freeze. 
  
Call EHI to schedule gutter cleaning service today. We are the experts when 
it comes to a clean gutter. Call today at c. (703) 380-5786 o. (703)504-8264

Benefits of Gutter Cleaning

Cleaning your gutters is one of the most important things you can do to maintain the beauty and value of your home. When gutters are full of leaves and debris they become heavy and get pulled off pitch. This can result in damage to the fascia and soffit areas. As water overflows, it leaks behind the gutter and can travel into your home. Most homeowners get their gutters cleaned only when they notice a problem with their gutters. By that time, your home may have already suffered water damage. Gutters actually provide protection against the harmful effect that the water has on the foundation of your home.

Gutters play a vital role in the maintenance and protection of your home. 
They are part of the rainwater drainage system that helps prevent:

• water penetration into the foundation
• deck and foundation damage
• termite, mosquito and rodent infestations
• landscape destruction
• mold growth

Any of these problems can be costly and time consuming to fix. Consistent maintenance is critical to keep your gutters clean. Let Erie Home Improvement.  Gutter Cleaning professionals give you peace of mind when dealing with your gutters.