Spring will soon be in the air and the trees will bloom.

When the trees in Texas bloom, so do the allergies. Your nose runs and your eyes water and you get the ladder out to clean the gutters. You maybe asking what one has to do with the other. The answer is the amount of leaf bud casings, flower debris, twigs and leafs that will soon fill up and clog your gutters after a spring storm. The pollen from the trees is bad enough, to add insult to injury the trees will shed twigs and all manner of debris onto your roof and this will wash into your gutters every time it rains.


To treat the allergies see your Doctor, to treat your gutters, call us. At Rainy Day Services we offer gutter repair, installation, cleaning and three ways to stop your gutters getting clogged with tree debris. Any of which can be retro-fitted onto your existing gutters, no need to replace your perfectly good gutters just to add leaf protection.


The three ways to stop debris getting into your gutter are:

• Leaf Screens (screens)
• Leaf Guards (solid cap)
• Rapidflow (gutter insert from Owens Corning)

If you have gutters you know how valuable they are at keeping you home and foundation dry. You also know the joys of cleaning them out and that there is no need to have to do that chore anymore with any one of the above products.

But why do I need gutters on my home? You may ask.

1. FOUNDATION PROTECTION – Limits the movement of active north Texas soils underneath the foundation by controlling the amount of water that enters at the foundation base.
2. MOISTURE CONTROL – Keeps crawl spaces and garages, dry and free from conditions that support mold and wood rot.
3. PROTECT BACK-FILL – Top soil around the foundation is the weakest link in the foundation moisture control, preventing soil erosion can prevent foundation shift.
4. SHIELD WINDOWS DOOR AND SIDING – Most durability issues arise from water intrusion though windows, doors and siding. With gutters you can direct water flow away from sensitive areas and protect your home.
5. PROTECT PLANTS AND SHRUBS – Standing water in flower beds can kill your plants and promote plant disease.
6. PROTECTS POOLS – Keeps unwanted debris from entering into the pool.
7. PREVENTS SPLASH BACK – Gutters help keep siding and masonry clean by preventing splash back of dirt and grass or other items that can stain or grow mold. It also keeps the rain water off the siding which can rot or crack.
8. DECORATIVE DETAIL – Gutters come is a wide variety of styles, colors and metals which can add pleasing detail while still being functional.
9. RAINWATER COLLECTION – Collecting rain water is the simplest “Green” way to water you lawn and is easy and inexpensive. Gutters help you to concentrate the water to rain barrels or other storage medium.

The number one reason people call us for a cutter installation, is their foundation company recommends it to help keep the foundation moisture level stable. Thus the doors stop sticking and the cracks do not reappear around doors and windows.

The number two reason is leaf protection, for the gutters they already have.

Some houses have gutters from the builder, but only on the front and back. Sometimes even this is just part of the front and part of the back. We can add only to the parts that do not have gutters and will customize your gutter system to fit your homes needs and budget.

We have 21 colors to choose from and we do copper. We do the standard OG gutters and 1/2 round gutters, we do square downspouts and round downspouts. There are even a number of very nice decorative elements available to make your gutters stand out from the crowd. Call us today for your free gutter estimate, designed by proven professionals. 866-596-2030

It's Been 10 Years for Us Now

Well, it's hard to believe that 10 years ago my wife and I started Rainy Day. When we first began, we offered gutters, home repairs, and home inspection services. Within a year or so we started replacing roofs. As we grew and received more feedback from customers it became clear to me that we were not diversified enough. I felt that most of my customers didn't want to have to make multiple phone calls to unknown companies every time they wanted to start a new project around their home or office. I saw an opportunity to better serve our customers. So I decided to hire capable crews in a variety of specialties.

We now have a very nice portfolio of projects we can complete for our customers. Roofing, gutters, painting, fences, drywall, concrete, remodeling, brick & stone, patio covers, arbors, windows, doors, build-out; the list gets bigger every year. It's important to note, though, that although we have expanded our offerings, we still focus on the core business of providing quality service and keeping our customers happy. We must do a good job at this because we grow consistently every year from referrals as well as repeat business. Last year alone we completed close to 900 projects. We also became an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and have earned an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau.

I read a study recently that said according to the Small Business Administration about 96% of contractors go out of business within the 1st 2 years of starting. The other part said that 80% of the customers who filed complaints regarding home improvement companies had gone with the CHEAPEST BID. These are scary statistics! I wonder if there is a correlation????

Imagine how many people have been laid off recently who are considering starting a home improvement company. All they really need is a truck and hammer right? Sure, they can do the work cheap because they have no overhead (like insurance). They may not be in a position to pay their suppliers and crews on a timely basis (which could result in liens being filed against your property). They can underbid everyone in town because they are working for their survival - not to provide a lasting solution to your problems. They may be thinking that as long as they can bring in some money until they get a "real job" they're fine.

Now, some of these people will have a high quality of skill, no doubt about it. And some will be the nicest folks you'd ever meet.

But here's the critical question: Why make someone's survival your problem?

Do you really want to allow someone into your home (or business) who is still going through the learning curve? A major reason businesses fail within the 1st 2 years is because of the huge "learning curve" that they go through. Issues like forgetting to include materials or labor charges in estimates, under-estimating taxes, not knowing what to do if an unforeseen circumstance arises, figuring out how to do a particular type of project, etc. Sometimes it takes time to work out the kinks. Do you really want your home (or business) to be the guinea pig?

And even if everything goes smoothly, what happens when the owner of the company finds a "real job" and you begin to have questions or problems. It may take a while to get someone out to your property because they can only come after they get off work. Or worse yet, consider the possibility that you can't get in touch with them. Now you're stuck.

We've all read stories about homeowners who paid money to have work done that either didn't get done or was done incorrectly, and we've all said at one time or another, "I'd never let that happen to me." As 2009 progresses and you are inundated with enticements from "part-time contractors" I hope you will remember that price alone should not be your only consideration. There is great value in working with companies that take care of their businesses, their employees, and most importantly their customers.

I hope you have a great 2009 and I look forward to helping you solve your problems.

Josh Hopewell

Quick summary of a few recent jobs

I hope you've found the projects we have posted to be informative and interesting. We have been in business for 10 years but have only been blogging for a few months so if you have a particular need for something like an outdoor kitchen installation in Dallas, Texas or replacement windows, or a commercial roof repair, but don't see it listed on our site, don't fret! We can still help you.

Here's a quick summary of some of the jobs we've performed within the past month or so but haven't posted yet:

We replaced a pine fence along the back of a client's house in Cypress, TX. (Cypress is just north of Houston). One of the challenges was maintaining a level top even though the ground had a definite slope. We used pressure-treated wood posts and pine pickets. We also replaced this particular client's roof because sustained damage when Hurricane Ike came in last fall. This home is approximately 2,500 square feet.

Another project we recently completed was in Seabrook, Texas (south of Houston). This client's home flooded when the Hurricane hit. We replaced about 30 sheets of drywall, textured, and painted the entire house - walls and ceilings. This home is approximately 2,000 square feet.

We replaced the roof on a 25 year old rental property. The house is about 1,400 square feet.

We have a customer in Fairview, Texas (just outside Allen) that had a unique project for us. She asked us to build a decorative cover to fit over her vent-a-hood (above the stove). We will post pictures of this later so you can see the finished product.

We installed several hundred feet of wrought iron fencing on a property in Fairview.

We have replaced a lot of missing shingles due to the severe storms we have encountered over the past few months.

We repaired multiple leaks on a 5,000 square foot Pre-School in Richardson, Texas (between Plano and Dallas). We added roof drains to this flat roof and patched it up with hot asphalt and commercial roll roofing.

We have repaired holes in roofs and fascias where squirrels have chewed through.

We installed a metal roof on a barn for a family in McKinney, TX. They liked it so much they had us come back six months later and install a metal roof on their other barn. Before we could do that, though, we had to rebrace a major portion of the attic framing.

We are currently in the process of renovating the storefront of a commercial building in Downtown Plano. We removed the front windows, performed some framing repairs, and brought our electricians in to rewire a significant part of the lighting. We just finished the exterior siding and are in the process of installing stucco to part of the exterior. This project is looking good and we will post the pictures soon.

We have a customer in Fort Worth who has a very steep shingle roof. We replaced all the ridge shingles and installed ridge venting on the entire house (the house is about 6,000 square feet). We also repaired and cleaned out the gutters. Inside the home, we repaired two bathroom ceilings and the laundry room ceiling where the roof had leaked previously.

We installed heavy duty screening to some chimney caps for a customer. He was tired of squirrels and birds using his chimney caps for a home. The screen will keep those animals out for a long time!

We installed storm doors, weather stripping, chair rail molding, leaf screens, and gutters.

We have repaired numerous roof leaks too.

We have repaired a few ceilings where service people from other companies have stepped through the ceiling when they were in the attic. Although, this is not fun for the company that stepped through the ceiling or the customer, we have been able to solve their problem quickly and professionally.

We have also provided proposals for a wide variety of projects. Here are a few just to give you an idea of other work we can do:

Replacing approximately 5,500' (that's over a mile!) of wood split rail fencing with vinyl split rail fencing around a large subdivision in Parker, Texas.

Installing lighting to several monument signs at a subdivision entrance.

Building a new access driveway.

Installing roof windows with automatic blinds.

Replacing a wood shingle roof on a 7,000 square foot home in Plano. The customer wants to install Radiant Barrier Plywood Decking and 30 year composition shingles. This is a very lovely home and the finished product will look great.

Paint the interior of a 6,000 square foot home in Plano. Many of the rooms have wallpaper and it will need to be removed and new texture applied before that painting can be started. There is also water damage in several of the bathrooms. We anticipate having to repair sheetrock and the subfloor.

Install new tile in several bathrooms and kitchen.

Extend a concrete patio, build an arbor, and relocate and air conditioner.


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As you can see, we work on a wide variety of projects. And we can handle both residential and commercial. If your building or home needs some attention, please give us a call at (866) 596-2030.