A difficult winter has prompted many questions about roof repairs at the Western Massachusetts home and Garden Show
WEST SPRINGFIELD - Sandra L. Rudnick of Palmer, left, and Beryl J. Chapman of West Springfield listen to Rick Pallotti of Kloter Farms of Ellington, Ct. in one of their gazebos at the Western Massachusetts Home and Garden Show this weekend.
WEST SPRINGFIELD – When asked what people attending the Western Massachusetts Home and Garden Show are looking for, Ed Wagner paused for a second and answered: “Help.”
A higher-than-average snowfall followed by several rain storms has meant people have had problems with roofs leaking and basements flooding resulting in mold, drywall damage and other issues.
Wagner, of Easthampton, works for Sherwood Inspections Services which is based in East Windsor. His company provides inspection services for new home buyers but will also will come in and evaluate a problem in a home and figure out why the basement is flooding or ice dams are building on the roof and help find a solution.
“We tell them what we see, what we don’t see and what you can do about it,” Wagner said.
For the home show, which will end Sunday, the company set up a white board and Wagner and other co-workers were helping homeowners draw their problems so they could help them.
During this year’s four-day show at the Eastern States Exposition, many of the about 10,000 people who attended Saturday wanted information on how to make repairs to their homes, said Bradford L. Campbell, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Western Massachusetts, which sponsored the show.
“Roofing seems to be a hot item after the rough winter,” he said. “A lot of people had significant damages and are looking for help.”
But it wasn’t just roofing companies filling several buildings at the exposition. The about 350 exhibitors included companies selling spas, showing custom kitchen cabinets, promoting new lighting or flooring and landscapers ready to clean up lawns.
Daniel McCarey, a carpenter with Lukasik Construction of Chicopee, said residents are now getting checks from insurance claims and are looking for contractors.
“Mainly everyone I’ve been talking to has roof damage and drywall damage,” he said.
Edward Losacano, owner of All Star Insulation and Siding Co., Inc. of Easthampton, said his company already went out to measure for a job after talking to a homeowner on the first day of the show.
“I would say it is more about what the weather produced this year,” he said.
Many people are looking for information about replacing roofs and gutters. Because ice dams are mostly caused by a lack of insulation in the attic, that was a big topic of inquiries as well, Losacano said.
Alain Beaulieu, an employee of Phil Beaulieu Home Improvements of Chicopee, agreed the majority of people were asking about making repairs caused by leaks or preventing future ice dams.
“There is more roofing questions this year. There are fewer window replacements because the tax credits are gone,” he said.