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OCTOBER 2025
HALT DRAFTS AND DRIPS
Smart Winterproofing Moves for Homeowners
Clean Those Gutters Gutters often get clogged with wet leaves and sticks this time of year. As rains intensify, this whole mess could freeze over, causing moisture to back up onto your roof and form harmful ice dams, or icy ridges that trap melting snow. In turn, this can cause water to back up and leak under the shingles into your insulation, walls, and ceilings. Another risk is that your gutters will become so overloaded that they break away and fall off your house. Make sure your gutters are ready to handle whatever winter snow, ice, wind, and rain that might hit! For lasting protection, we recommend a gutter system called Klean Guard, a three- layer micromesh screen that blocks out leaves and debris while allowing water to flow freely through your gutter. Caulk Windows The caulking around windows should be checked every year. Depending on the material used, it may last only 2–3 years in bad weather. If you see peeling, gaps, or cracks in your caulking, or notice drafts, leaks, or just higher energy bills than usual, you may need to replace your sealant. Also, make sure the caulking and weatherstripping around your exterior door jambs and frames are in good shape as well. Repair Siding Flashing is the big issue in winterproofing your siding. Make sure
It’s coming!
Average temperatures in our area are forecast to fall 10–12 degrees every month between now and December. Night is arriving earlier each evening. We’ll soon be seeing more rain, sleet, and snow. Winter is almost here. Is your house ready? Mine isn’t. We have been so busy helping homeowners in our region improve and repair their homes that I haven’t had time to winterproof my own house. And like many old Pittsburgh homes, it is drafty, leaky, and chilly. Just like the proverbial physician who fails to heal himself, we contractors have a basic rule: You don’t work on your own house. So, everything I am about to recommend to you, I need to do, too! Check Your Roof Unless you already have mad skills on a ladder, we don’t recommend hopping up on your roof to inspect it yourself. But we would like you to call us for a free roof inspection before winter snow and ice make it next-to-impossible to get up there safely and perform any needed repairs. We want to make sure the flashing around your chimneys and vent pipes is solid, with no damage; those are areas that tend to fail first. We also will inspect your roof for cracked, damaged, or missing shingles exposing your home to leaks.
all the flashing under and around your siding is intact, and that the channels around the bottoms, sides, and tops of the windows and doors aren’t leaking. Around the base of the exterior wall, the flashing should direct water away from the foundation. If your home needs any of these critical repairs, we have a full repair division ready to help. Getting through a Pennsylvania winter is hard enough without battling a leaky roof, clogged gutters, or drafty windows or doors! Call us today for an inspection. We can often perform repairs on the same day we inspect your home. And as you prepare to hunker down at home for the year-end holidays, all of us at Cousins are wishing you a snug, cozy season!
—Sam Milligan
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Small Changes, Big Results A Living Room Refresh Made Simple
to tear the whole thing apart. With a solid plan and one weekend, you can bring new life to your space — no contractor required. Start with what’s working. It could be a sofa worn just right or a wooden table with a storied past. Use those to ground the space. Then, clear the decks: Pull down the shelf clutter, trim back the pillow pile, and give your eyes space to rest. Once the room can breathe again, bring in new touches. Paint if you feel up to it. Even just one wall in a deeper tone can shift the whole feel. If that’s too much, bring in more texture. Think curtains that catch the light, a low-pile rug, or a few new cotton, linen, or velvet pillows.
a lamp near the reading chair can shift the room’s ambiance. Pulling the furniture closer to the windows can also do the same. Rearranging things to make the most of natural light can brighten the entire space and make it feel more open. And don’t forget about the other sensory elements. Simple things like a new scent or potted plants are an easy way to breathe fresh life into your living room. Once you get started, you’ll see it doesn’t take a complete overhaul to make a space feel better. A throw with some heft, a chair turned toward the light, and a clear table surface can bring back a sense of calm. You know it’s working when the room invites you in without trying too hard.
Sometimes, your home needs more than a quick-fix cleaning. It needs a reset, and the living room is a good place to start because people gather, settle in, and spend time there with each other. But over the years, even a cozy, relaxing space can lose shape. Maybe you’ve had one too many attempts at rearranging your furniture or a mix of styles that never quite clicked. That doesn’t mean you need
Light also does more than people think. Swapping a fixture or adding
BUILT TO LAST The Value Behind Our Workmanship Guarantee
There’s an old joke about warranties in the home improvement industry: Most contractors provide customers a “headlight warranty”: They stand behind their work until they drive away. After they turn the corner and their headlights disappear — well, there goes your warranty! We go to the other extreme. We offer our customers a lifetime workmanship guarantee on all our work, on every project. That means we stand by everything we do. If we did something wrong in installing materials or making a repair, we will always come out and fix it. If you damaged the area somehow, obviously that is a different situation. But if we forgot a screw, installed flashing wrong, or made some other mistake, we will always come out and fix it free of charge. That sets us apart from other home-improvement
contractors, who typically offer a one- year warranty or none at all. We also match the product warranties on our building supplies and help our customers take action on them if needed. For example, our high-quality TimberTech decks come with warranties of 25–30 years. A customer called us earlier this year with a highly unusual complaint about some chipping in a deck we had built for him a year earlier. This homeowner’s problem was something I had never seen before. I contacted our TimberTech representative immediately and he placed a rush order for replacement boards. We were able to restore our customer’s deck to its original high quality, at no cost to him. In a further reassurance to our customers, we have been designated
by some of the nation’s top building supply manufacturers as preferred installers because of our experience and the quality of our workmanship. For example, GAF, America’s biggest shingle producer, has certified us as “Master Elite Installers,” which allows us to offer an enhanced warranty on every GAF roof we install. We are also certified installers of James Hardie siding, which has a stellar reputation among homeowners and offers a 30- year warranty on its boards and soffits. If you need work done and are nervous about trusting a contractor, or perhaps have been disappointed by others in the past, contact us today for a free consultation. You can rest assured you will receive honest advice from us, plus the highest quality workmanship, materials, and customer service in the industry!
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@CousinsRoofingSidingDecks
The Good Book
Protect Your Family With a Safe, Sturdy Deck More Than Curb Appeal
“For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name …” Hebrews 6:10
Deckbuilders are seeing strong demand amid a trend among homeowners toward expanding their outdoor living and entertainment spaces. A well-built deck is both visually appealing and highly useful, and can significantly increase the value of your home. We often walk our customers through an inspection of their deck to help them track its condition. Here are a few of the elements we check. Beneath the Deck A strong frame supports the deck. One component is the ledger board, which connects the deck to the house. The connecting bolts should be placed evenly, with a minimum of two bolts in every joist bay. Support beams should be set squarely atop the support posts so the weight is borne by the footings. The deck joists run horizontally under the entire deck surface, supporting the deck boards. They should be placed close enough together, typically at a distance of no more than 16 inches, to prevent any bowing or movement of the surface boards when people walk across them. Finally, the rim joist runs along the outer edge of the deck and ties the ends of the joists together. All joists should be free from moisture damage and decay. Visible Surface The decking boards are what users see and feel, lending the deck its visual appeal. If your deck is made of wood, monitor the boards for insects, water damage, and splintering. The decking boards on some older structures are installed end-to-end, with joints visible on the surface of the deck. We achieve a cleaner, more finished look by running continuous boards all the way around, with a picture frame border around the outer edge. Safety Features Secure railings of wood, metal, vinyl, or composite materials provide safety and a finished appearance. Railings should be sturdy and supported by 4x4 posts securely anchored to the beams. We have seen some railings built like a picket fence along a continuous railing, posing a major safety hazard if any of the nails holding those pickets pop out. If you have any doubts about the safety of your deck, don’t hesitate to call us for an inspection. We will be glad to check it for safety and soundness, to ensure it meets your family’s needs!
Testimonials
“This company did such a fantastic job on my home. I was always so embarrassed by the horrible job the previous seller did, out of laziness. Cousins Roofing and Siding made my house look 1,000% better. The siding is sturdy and beautiful, the trim on the windows makes the house stand out more, and it’s timeless! The workers only took about a day and a half, and they cleaned up super well. They were nice and personable, and Samantha was also great and followed up with me after the job was done. … I highly recommend this company! … They added value to my home and eased my anxiety … I will forever be thankful for this company. And they also had financing! … 10 stars from me!” –Emilee W.
OUR SERVICES:
• Roofing • Siding • Gutters, Soffit, and Fascia • Decks • Roof Construction • James Hardie Siding • Windows and Doors
• Design and Build • Architectural Drawings • Concrete • Stamped Patios • Outdoor Kitchens • Outdoor Living Spaces • Repairs
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2681 Sidney St. Pittsburgh, PA 15203
@CousinsRoofingSidingDecks
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INSIDE 1
Shield, Seal, and Stay Cozy: A Homeowner’s Guide to Winterproofing
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Weekend Living Room Refresh Tips Workmanship You Can Trust, Protection You Deserve
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Anatomy of a Deck: How We Inspect for Safety CNS Testimonials
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Create a Gallery Wall Without the Guesswork
EASY TIPS FOR CREATING A GALLERY WALL
From Blank Space to Showpiece
You don’t need an interior design degree to create an eye-catching gallery wall; you just need to know what you like and have a plan to pull
it all together. Photos, sketches, fabric scraps, and even a postcard or two can all work if you have intention behind the mix. Start by laying everything on the floor and rearranging the layout until it feels right. You’re aiming for balance, not symmetry. Try to keep the space between each piece consistent. That alone can tie the piece together. Still unsure? Cut paper to match each frame, tape them to the wall, and step back and adjust as needed. It’s a simple trick that keeps you from filling your wall with holes. Once it’s up, your wall should feel well-balanced and purposeful, but not perfect. What matters is that it draws the eye and makes the space feel more alive and personal.
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