Renovate, Don’t Relocate

When the space inside of your home no longer accommodates your family, you may find yourself faced with the difficult task of deciding whether to relocate or renovate. If your home is in a location that you love, renovating may be your preferred option. When you begin pondering what type of renovation projects to pursue, keep in mind that even though you don't want to move right now, there may come a time when you do decide to move. The renovations you do now can impact the value of your home and affect a potential buyer's opinion of your home, so here’s a list of suggestions for home renovations that should keep your family and any potential buyers happy! Adding Square Footage

Statistics indicate that adding square footage to a home can significantly increase the value of a home. If you've outgrown your home, adding a bedroom could make your home more accommodating for your family. If your laundry area is in the basement, adding a laundry room on the first or second level will make your home much more appealing to potential buyers in the future. Adding extra smaller guest bathrooms will both increase your home’s value and provide comfort and convenience for any visitors (or maybe you, if you don’t feel like going upstairs!) and are a good way to expand your home.

Invite Light Inside

As part of your home renovation project, removing old, unattractive and drafty windows and having energy efficient windows installed is a sure way to increase the value of your home. This would be a good time to add more windows to rooms that are dark and dull. You could also replace small windows with larger windows that will allow more light into the room and give you a better view of the outdoors. Whenever possible, choose window treatments that do not interfere with the flow of natural light.

The View Matters

Sure, working on the inside of your home can be great for buyers and visitors, but if you want to increase your curb appeal and home’s value you’ll want the view outside of the home to be appealing too! Privacy fencing can block an unattractive view in case of something unsightly in the neighborhood. Vertical gardens added to the fence or around the edge of the property can liven up your view without a ton of landscaping or renovation. Creating a butterfly garden or a bird feeding station that you can see from the windows will provide you with some beautiful, lively entertainment. Water features, outdoor fireplaces and outdoor structures, such as a gazebo, can be included in your landscape to provide you with an attractive view from the window.

Hopefully these tips will keep your home beautiful and livable without having to pack up and move - and who knows, maybe when the time comes to move your work will help find a buyer that much more easily!

Tips For Keeping Your Home and Family Safe

Whether it’s protecting your family from crime or keeping your friends and loved ones safe from accident, home safety is a major concern for homeowners. There are various ways to help assure that your home and its contents are safe and that you and your family members are protected. Avoid Patch-Up Jobs

Most of us are running in high gear trying to fit in all of the activities and chores that we have planned for the day. When something goes wrong at home it's tempting to try to remedy the situation the quickest and easiest way possible. However, in the long run, that isn't usually the best solution. For example, if your windows not longer fit properly or if your window or door locks don't function effectively, you're putting your home and your family at risk. Scheduling a time to have energy efficient windows put in is a more feasible option than a short-term quick repair. These windows can reduce your utility bills and make your home a safer place for you and your family.

Don’t Just Hide The Problem

Rather than invest in new windows or a proper cleaning and/or painting of their home’s exterior, some people let their shrubs and trees grow up in front of the house to hide the unsightly windows. They also use this technique to hide peeling paint, missing shutters and other exterior flaws. This is not a good idea. Over-grown shrubs provide burglars with a great hiding place. By trimming the shrubs and leaving the windows easily visible, burglars will be less likely to attempt to break in for fear of being seen by neighbors.

Lighten Up Your Landscape

Once you have enhanced your home's exterior with replacement windows, you won't be embarrassed to add some outdoor lighting to your home. Motion sensor lights are a great safety feature for a home. Placing these at your garage, front porch or carport can deter thieves from lurking around your house and allow visitors to your home to navigate your properly more safely without risk of injury or accident.

Don't Entice Burglars

When you make major purchases for your home such as a new television or other electronics, don't leave the empty carton outside where it is visible to people passing by. This could attract the attention of would-be burglars. When you plan to be away for a few days, stop the delivery of your mail and newspaper. Having a neighbor pick them up could signal to anyone watching your home that you are away. It's also best not to place expensive collectibles in front of a window.

With these tips, hopefully your home will remain a safe place for your family, your guests, and your possessions!

Reducing Your Energy Bill After Summertime

Sure, there’s plenty of methods of reducing your energy bills during the warmer months, and while those tips are great for the height of summer, if you want to stay on top of your utility costs you’ll need to adapt some new strategies for those late summer/early fall months. We’ve got some tips here to help you stay comfortable and stay on top of costs through winter! Adjust Your Appliances

Colder weather generally means an increase in appliance and heater usage, but a great deal of energy can be saved through simply adjusting your household appliances. For example, the clothes dryer uses a large amount of energy heating the water. Instead, simply change the setting to cold water. While clothes washers can be stuffed full, the dryer will need at least one-fourth empty for proper movement and drying. When it comes to keeping your house warm, many people believe that closing vents will save energy, but it actually uses more. This is because closed vents will actually restrict the duct system, which causes an increase in air pressure and thus will make the HVAC system work harder to keep the air flow up.

Standby Power

You’re probably going to be using a lot more electronic devices indoors to keep your family entertained through the cold seasons, but it’s still good to watch your electrical usage. Many electrical products must be unplugged in order to be completely turned off. Standby power, also referred to as vampire power, is the energy used by electrical appliances when they are in standby mode. Standby power can consumes up to 10 percent of residential electricity usage. The most energy hungry appliances are entertainment electronics, such as DVRs, DVDs, satellites, and digital cable boxes. Even TVs, computers and cordless answering phones consume steady amounts of electricity when not in use. Always unplug any electronics and lights that are being used.

Replacement Windows

Older windows are notorious sources of air infiltration. Air leaks can be reduced through caulking the windows inside and outside casings. Installing weather stripping to the sash will also reduce air infiltration. Adding a storm window will not only provide extra protection, but also increase thermal insulation. If possible, consider upgrading older windows to energy efficient windows. For example, vinyl windows provide excellent insulation, noise reduction and energy savings. Keep in mind that shades don’t just keep the hot sun out, but they also reduce heat loss during cold weather. Finally, consider applying heavy-duty plastic sheets onto the inside window frame. Light-duty plastic sheets can be sealed with just a hair dryer.

Hopefully with these tips in mind you can keep your house home and your family amused without going over budget! Stay warm everyone, and try to enjoy summer while it lasts!

Preparing Your Home for the Holidays

Summer is slowly (and regretfully!) coming to a close, which means one thing - the holidays will be sneaking up on you sooner than you think! As much as everyone enjoys seeing their loved ones and exchanging presents, there’s a lot of preparation that has to go into your home before the winter holidays arrive - follow our advice, plan ahead, and (hopefully) the process will go smoother than expected! Staying Warm

As the outside temperatures drop, you may find yourself stretching your budget to stay warm. Turning down the heat could lower your energy bills, but if you're expecting guests during the holidays, you'll want them to be comfortable. You can increase the comfort level of your home and lower your heating costs by having energy efficient windows professionally installed before the winter season arrives. This is a home improvement project that will save you money throughout the year and improve the look of your home!

Cleaning and Tidying

Before you begin decorating for the holidays, you may need to do some cleaning - we know, it’s never the most exciting part but you can have some fun with it. The holidays can be a perfect excuse for you to rearrange your furniture or look into any small-scale remodeling projects you’ve been considering, like re-organizing your bookshelves or making room for a Christmas tree! Speaking of holiday decorations...

Decorations

When you begin decorating you might be excited to put out all of your favorite decorations right away, but remember that the more things you use, the more you'll have to pack up. Less is more is a good plan when putting out holiday decorations. Consider using a minimal number of impressive holiday decorations rather than a hodge-podge of numerous holiday trinkets. It's easier for people to focus on individual aspects of your decor when they aren't experiencing visual overload.

The Guest Room?

If your guest room is used infrequently, you might need to freshen up the room before your holiday visitors arrive. New bed coverings and rugs can quickly revive an out-dated or mundane decor. Your new vinyl windows can be enhanced with window treatments, such as thermal blinds, that will help keep the room warm cozy for your guest. A small gift on the bedside table is a great way to make overnight visitors feel special.

We hope our tips help out, and think about this - if you get started now, you may even be done by the holidays! Good luck, and have fun!

3 Things To Consider Before Buying New Windows

Maybe you’re slowly working through your list of ideal home improvements, and it’s finally time to replace those old windows. Maybe you already have an idea in mind of what you want to install - something to protect your home from the elements and keep the heat in, or maybe even just a good investment to maintain your home’s value and improve its looks. Before you settle on the perfect sort of replacement windows, here’s a few things to consider and decide on. Climate - The Biggest Factor

Where you live, and the climate you live in, plays a huge factor in the type of replacement window you purchase and the material they were made from. For instance, if you live in a cold climate, you need to look for windows that have a low unit heat loss, or ‘U-value’. Consequently, if you live in a hot climate, you need to look for windows that have a high U-value. In areas with a mixed temperate climate, you may need to make a determination based on how high your temperature gets. Another less-common factor to consider when picking a window is their solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) capability. The SHGC is, in essence, how much heat the window lets in and how much visible light it transmits, which are both important factors to consider.

Current Frame and Style

This is an important factor to consider for the following reason. Choosing the wrong window style can bring down your home's market value. You need to consider how the window will fix in your current window opening. Does it match the architecture of your home, or does it feel ‘out of place’ when you look at it?

The wrong window could also cause a major issue with heat loss and energy efficiency. You definitely need to consider size and placement of new and existing windows. Wrong placement can mar your home's value, especially if you are considering putting in a new window instead of replacing an old one.

Durability

Durability is essential when choosing windows. Energy efficient windows are not just cost savers, they are also quite durable and will last much longer than older or more ‘traditional’ windows. Vinyl windows, for instance, are both durable with their tough exterior and energy efficient with their honeycomb of chambers. Wood framed windows are proven to be quite durable but can be expensive to repaint and stain. Aluminum frames conduct heat too easily and are prone to condensation, but are also highly durable. This is why you really need to look at the style of your window first before you look at the durability factor.

Once you have this information, you should be able to make an intelligent decision about replacing your windows. As always, if you have any further questions or want some more information about the window products we offer, contact Wallside Windows today!