Homeowner Guides
Siding, roofing and window advice written for Long Island homes — permits, rebates, storms and choosing the right materials.
Siding
If your house is more than a few blocks from the water and you want the lowest-maintenance exterior that will last 30 years, choose vinyl. If it sits on the harbor in Northport, faces the bay in Sayville or takes direct…
Windows
There is no federal tax credit for windows installed in 2026. The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, known by its tax-code section as 25C, ended for anything placed in service after December 31, 2025. If you had…
Windows
PSEG Long Island does pay a rebate on replacement windows: $4 per square foot of window at the standard rate and $8 per square foot for income-qualified households, for windows with a U-factor of 0.20 to 0.32. On a…
Homeowner Guides
For most Suffolk County homeowners, replacing siding, re-shingling a roof or swapping windows into the existing openings does not need a building permit. Change the structure, and it does. The Town of Islip says that in…
Storm Damage
If a nor'easter just took siding or shingles off your house, do these three things before anything else: photograph everything before it is touched, stop the water from getting in, and call your insurance company within…
Siding
Siding tells you it is done in a few consistent ways: panels that crack, warp or pop loose every winter, color that has gone chalky and will not clean up, soft spots at the bottom course, and rooms that feel drafty no…
Roofing
On Long Island, architectural shingles are the right answer for almost every house, and the reason is wind. A standard 3-tab shingle is rated for roughly 60 to 70 mph. The architectural lines we install, GAF Timberline…
Roofing
An ice dam is a ridge of ice along the edge of your roof that stops melting snow from draining. The water backs up under the shingles and comes into the house, usually along the top of an exterior wall or around a…