3 Steps to Finding the Best Window Replacement Contractor

A few months ago my wife and I made the decision to replace the windows in our 20 year old house.

It was time. The windows were starting to leak, several had cracks, and we knew that the windows were providing poor insulation increasing the cost of our heating and cooling bills.

We decided to bite the bullet and begin the process of finding a window replacement contractor.

Before outlining the steps that we went through, we first decided what criteria were important to us. In our case our budget was limited and we knew that neither of us had the time or skills to install the windows ourselves. We decided that cost, durability (quality), and insulation were our most important criteria.

Once that was decided here are the steps that we followed:

1. We started driving our neighborhood looking for homes that recently had their windows replaced. This was easy, especially in older neighborhoods, when it is clear that the windows are newer than the remainder of the construction. We were the nosy neighbors. We knocked on doors and asked about their window replacement experience. We ask questions such as who they used, how much they cost, and whether they would use the same contractor again. Basically, we wanted to know how happy they were with their window replacement experience. We kept notes of the contractors and the cost per window. We also kept notes on whether our neighbor had decided to use vinyl or some other replacement material.

2. We next attended the local home improvement exposition. We had seen them advertised occasionally in our newspaper. They seem to be held every six months or so. Also, they are often part of the local county or state fair. Many window replacement contractors will have booths at these exhibits with experienced sales staff to talk to you about your needs. They will have you fill out a form so that one of their sales representatives can come out to your home to take measurements and give you an estimate. We arranged to have five different contractors come for home to give us estimates. We felt that this would give us a wide range of options and give us a true representation as to the actual costs.

3. Lastly, we made note of the discrepancies in the different bids that we received. We noticed that one bid was much higher than the others and we also noticed that one bid was much lower than the others. We questioned why. In one case it was because they were placing our higher cost per installation then all of the other contractors. In another case it was because they were choosing a lower quality window style in their bid. We decided to go with the second from the least expensive bid. We chose them not only because of the cost but also because they had done one of our neighbors houses and they were …

Tips for Choosing the Best Window Curtains for Your Room

It is often a wonder how window treatments can modify the overall look of a room. Several techniques can be used to modify the room according to your wish. With the abundance of so many kinds, colors and designs of curtains in the market today, the provision of new facade that is desired for the room can be achieved. Aside from that, working on it can be done alone without the help of other people, which makes the act cheaper and quite effortless. There are new approaches to changing the fashion inside the room, according to your taste.

The first approach in varying how the room will look like will be the options of curtains to be used which will give a distinct design to the room. Pricey fabrics always denote classy taste while the stripes, shapes and patterns are common designs that are frequently used. The kind of textile regulates the brightness of the room because light materials offer more sunlight while heavy ones offer darker illumination. Privacy can also be afforded which is what you will mostly crave for. Too much sunlight can also be stopped from getting inside the room with the use of thicker materials and fabrics.

The color affects the level of lightness or darkness of the room. Light-colored textiles can make little rooms appear bigger and roomier. When the room doesn’t look as stylish, it is best to provide it with dark and stunning colors to make it livelier.

Curtains are best hanging all throughout the floor’s length to make it appear nicely-flowing. But when there are other stuff that will hinder the flow such as furniture and other appliances, it is more advisable to just let it hang just below the bottom of the window.…

Choosing a Wood for Fences

Fences are great for protecting your privacy and adding security to your property. A popular building material for fences is wood. Though settling on wood is a big first step in building a new fence, individuals are left with deciding on what kind of wood they want to use.

There are many wood options available. Commonly, individuals use pine, spruce, or fir to build their fences. However, these woods all need to be dried and chemically treated before you can use them for your project. As such, they come with a large carbon footprint

For individuals concerned about environmental friendliness, many fencing experts recommend using Western Red Cedar for fencing projects. Unlike other woods, cedar does not need to be dried or treated; as soon as it is milled, it is ready to be used as a building material.

In addition to its small carbon footprint and environmental friendliness, western red cedar is an aesthetically pleasing wood that has a natural resistance to termites and other pests. Additionally, it is a very sturdy and durable wood, so your fence will continue to look great for years.

Additionally, wood in general is a highly adaptable material, so it can be cut and shaped in a number of ways. As such, using western red cedar for your fence means that you can adapt it for whatever works best for your property.

If you are interested in having a western red cedar fence installed on your property, you should speak with a fencing company that specializes in the material. If you are a do it yourself-er, you can also pick up this wood at a wood mill or fencing supply company.…

Tips to Get the Right Blind For You

An effective energy saving window treatment is a window blind. Even though it is really affordable, the flexibility in terms of colours and designs will allow you to mix and match blinds and still not compromise elegance and style.

One cannot always readily decide on the kind of blind that you can use for your window because there are also some considerations to be taken into account. Others though, can choose what blinds they like because they have strong preferences or have already made up their mind earlier. A cheap blind is a pretty flexible add – on to your home which can be used conveniently whatever the season is.

Students make take blinds lightly but they can be very beneficial even for them. If as student needs to sleep or wake up late in the morning because of studying or partying the whole night, black out blinds or temporary blinds can shield off the light of the sun to assure continuous sleep in the morning.

If you are refurbishing your house interior, you can use temporary blinds to cover your windows away from the prying eyes of the neighbours while construction is still going on and you cannot use your curtains yet. Make sure to plan our before hand though, so that you can prevent doing the whole process of installing these add-ons again and again.

Depending on functionality, you may want to consider purchasing wither horizontal or vertical window blinds. Horizontal window blinds are frequently utilised if you are more on wanting ti control the level of lighting, Vertical window blinds on the other hand, are best for giving privacy or total blackout in the room.

If the weather is entering the cold season, insulating blinds are handy add-ons to help keep your house warm. This type of blind is made with a honeycomb pattern which functions as an air-trapper and insulator. If you have window blinds in your home, your house will be additionally heated without paying big amounts.

If you are interested in using blinds in your homes, you need to consider your location and the climate of your place. Hot environments call for window blinds that can keep out light and thereby preventing too much heat. Cold environments call for insulating blinds. There are also different colours available which you must also take into account if you are using the blinds for insulation or cooling function. With these in mind, you can now know what kind of blinds is best suited for you.

Choosing the proper window add-on will indeed get tedious if you do not know what you are looking for beforehand because of the emergence of various selection of products in the market nowadays. The variety of blinds make it possible for you to create a custom look for your windows. From metal, the materials used for blinds have changed, ranging from wood, to plastics and paper materials – depending on your preferences. Because of …

Cheap Window Blinds – Tips For the Right Discount Roman Shades

Sun and light control are the main functions when it comes to roman shades. They are essentially used to block heat and sun from the exterior of the home. They are capable of darkening rooms especially for those who keep late nights and sleep in most or part of the morning. And they are also great for totally blocking out the external natural light in office areas with presentation rooms. The value add is that they provide a high level of privacy as well. Discount roman shades are available at your neighborhood stores and you can easily get quality yet cheap window blinds if you know how and where to choose.

They belong to the category of the most affordable types of window treatment. However, due to their very versatile and multifunctional usages, they are available in almost all drapery shops, be them high end or discount stores. In fact, it is not difficult to find quality discount roman shades at branded specialty furniture stores too. Both physical and online stores do carry a wide range that caters to varied design, fabric and colour preferences.

However, you would need to thoroughly inspect the discount roman shades at the store or at the point of delivery if you should buy online. Check the mechanisms to ensure that they are in good working order. As help for installation whenever possible. Before you make your purchase, check with the sales agent for more decorating ideas as they might eventually help in your decision to buy a certain type of fabric or designs more suited to your purpose. You need to know that fitting them into your existing decor might be as challenging as buying them for your new home.

Alternatively, if you are very well versed with draperies, shades and blinds, you might wish to customise them to suit your specific taste and preferences. You then have the freedom to choose the fabric suited to your budget, you can fully indulge in your very own creation and have something you fully call your own. Online stores will provide you with the relevant information you need and can come with a good discount when you buy by bulk. One disadvantage is that you are not totally assured of the fabric quality until they are finally delivered to your doorstep.

Discount roman shades not only serve well in terms of their key basic functions of sun and heat control, they are also great at creating a sense of cozy and warm homeliness. You can indeed find great quality and cheap window blinds too.…

Aluminum Windows As Replacement Windows

Why is aluminum better than the UPVC window?

The aluminum window has many benefits over traditional double glazed UPVC (plastic) windows. The main reasons for this are the durability, modern look, sleek design and slim line frames. These are the reasons why the aluminum window are slowly becoming the popular choice for modern homes and ghive the buyer a real chance to ‘add value’ to their property.

Why spend the money?

During these tough times the obvious question is, why should i sepnd more money on an alternative. An important fact to consider is that during these hard economic times, an important approach to take is to make home improvements in the mind set to ‘add value’ to your home with the idea to making more of a profit when selling your home in years to come. Why have a modern looking home and include old fashioned, cheaply designed windows? They are a key centre piece to any home and are an important aspect to any new building prokject, or home renovation.

Product information

The aluminum window, often known as a replacement window, double glazed window or sash window offers a real way to add value to your property. Whether it is a replacement window for existing double glazing, or a brand new extension or new build. Using slimline and thin frames the aluminum window can offer a real alternative to the cheap looking UPVC window.

Aluminum Windows – Thermal Efficiency

A true downfall of the aluminum framed window over the years has been its energy efficiency. This is a real reason why the UPVC double glazed window has experienced a constant boom. However, recent years technological advances in design and materials has meant that the aluminum window can noe achieve the highest energy rating possible. It can reach an ‘A’ WER rating, which is the official government body of efficiency ratings in the window and door industry. As of 2011 every double glazed window must reach at least a ‘C’ WER rating. In order to achieve great thermal efficiency the aluminum window now uses a thermal break which helps to keep the cold out and heat in.…

How to Choose Window Treatments For a Patio Door

You can use blinds both vertical and horizontal, however, if you have quite a bit of traffic, the blinds may not hold up to the abuse as well as curtains that can be washed. If you have children, the blinds are certainly not a great idea if the children are always in and out of the backyard.

Curtains may be the best answer, especially if you happen to install remote control curtains. The main reason this is true is that you can purchase curtains made from washable fabric to keep the curtains clean and with the remote, it will save the curtains from being handled all the time for opening and closing.

If you have younger children that enjoying playing in the backyard, the best window treatment will be curtains that can be drawn open completely and then tied to the side. Now, you can keep an eye on your kids while they are outdoors playing instead of jumping up every few minutes to peek out the door since blinds cannot be opened wide enough for you to see the entire backyard.

You can choose from many different styles and colors that will actually enhance the beauty of the room and even bring your entire theme together. The added touch of a remote control system will be just the right addition to provide you with an elegant or even contemporary style according to the curtains or drapes you choose and of course, you will want to purchase ones that are easy to care for such as cotton, polyester, or linen.…

How to Paint Aluminium Window Frames

If you have old aluminium windows that you want to either restore the existing colour or you wish to change the colour, then, you can rest easy. You’ve come to the right place.

The process of aluminium window painting can be broken down into a series of steps with two distinct stages. These are preparation and application. The inexperienced however, will try and skip on the preparation to the detriment of the look and durability of the finished product.

Preparation

The amount of preparation needed mainly depends on the type and condition of the original substrate. For example, if you have old powder coated painted aluminium windows that has chalky paint and rubs off against your fingers, then this will take a lot more preparation than newer powder coated surface that’s not chalking and is being painted for a colour change.

However, anodized aluminium windows will take a lot more preparation than all other substrates regardless of its substrate condition because, the surfaces needs a lot more mechanical abrasion to key the surface up enough to allow the paint to stick.

Protection of adjacent finished surfaces- Whenever you are painting isolated section, it is important that you protect adjacent finished surfaces. When painting the aluminium windows in your home or apartment, you’ll need to think about putting plastic drop sheets down, followed by canvas drop sheets. I suggest applying plastic film and 3M, which you can with a hand dispenser to protect the glass and the walls directly surrounding the window frame.

Cleaning – Make sure all surfaces are clean and free of dirt. Grime and grease are critical in the process of aluminium window painting. If surfaces are dirty then paint adhesion is reduced. Clean the frames on the outside with soapy water and a sponge. However, use a soap that is salt free such as truck wash. Wash off all excess soap with clean fresh water.

Then, alternately clean surfaces down both inside and out with solvent wash such as prepsol.

Use a scour to apply the solvent. The scour will clean and key the surface at the same time. It is important that you carry out a second solvent wash on dirty windows by applying solvent with a clean cloth then wiping off with another clean cloth.

Sanding the substrate – There is no easy way around this process. This can be difficult and monotonous especially getting into the tighter spots such as the upper channel because there is no mechanical sanding equipment that can make the job a lot quicker. Thus, doing the job manually by hand is hard and time consuming.

If you have powder coated surface that is chalking, I would recommend sanding with 120 grit. The sand paper is less likely to clog. If your substrate is powder coated and is not chalking then 240 grit will be enough to key the surface especially if you have scoured it first. However, if your substrate is anodized then …