Three Problems Installing New Replacement Windows Solves

Along with serving as the personality of a home's design, home windows offer many practical functions. Listed below are three of the most common household issues that replacement windows solve.

Air Leakages Though there are several factors that can contribute to a draft, many times it is due to window damage such as gaps, weathered frames, and cracked glass. When not handled accordingly, air leakages can lead to huge losses in energy and annoying drafts. The addition of new replacement windows with freshly sealed frames will ensure an air-tight home free of leakages.

High Energy Bill Over the years, a home’s windows can become outdated and lessen in insulation performance. If your energy bill has taken a recent spike, faulty windows may be the culprit—it might be time for new windows. You may want to consider Wallside's vinyl replacement windows, which are designed with the latest insulation technologies  in order to provide maximum energy efficiency that will sustain for years to come.

Stagnant Air Circulation Adding a window into a room—such as a casement or double-hung style that can be cranked open—works wonders against cramped, stuffy rooms. These work best in living spaces where unpleasant smells linger or get trapped. Additionally, areas where work is done like the home office require circulation to promote oxygen and clear-thinking; it’s circumstances such as these that a new replacement window would be a perfect fit.

If you have any questions regarding window installation or repair, give Wallside a call to speak to a professional and see what we can do to help.

Make a Backyard Fire Pit in Six Steps

 

With summer on the horizon, it’s an opportune time to unwind outdoors with friends and family. What better way to do this than huddled around the warm glow of a fire?

1. Take Necessary Precautions You’d be pretty disappointed if after going through the whole process to build a fire pit, you find that it’s against the law in your area. Check in with the law authorities near you to prevent this and learn about any specific laws in the region that may deem fire pits illegal or dictate specific rules to have one (it’s common for pits to be a specific distance from a home).

2. Claim a Safe Spot Scout out an area a secure distance from your home. Make sure there are no looming tree branches, brush, or outdoor equipment within proximity. Also, keep a safe distance from property lines and fuel tanks.

3. Gather Materials

• Stones/bricks; avoid using rocks and materials that have been recently exposed to rain or water as these could explode after being heated.
• Shovel
• Rake
• Wheelbarrow
• Durable work gloves
• Concrete mix

4. Dig the Base Dig out the general base of the pit roughly five-to-seven inches deep and about three-to-four feet wide, depending on your preference; rake the dirt so that it it is even and flat. Following this, designate the pit's  center and create another, smaller circle within the base’s circumference, which can be marked with spray paint.

5. Stack the Bricks/Stones Stack the bricks (or stones) you have chosen for your fire pit around the inner ring you have created. Assemble these tightly against one another to form the wall surrounding the fire. There should be at least two firmly-stacked layers; visually, the perimeter of the entrenched base should be lined with these bricks as a protective fortress surrounding the inner ring.

6. Add Concrete Mix the concrete by following the specific directions laid out by the brand you have chosen to use. Once the mix is ready to go, add and spread it around the inner ring; allow the concrete to dry as needed. If unfamiliar with handling concrete mix, watch the video below.

[embed]https://youtu.be/ANkPGzAEAHI[/embed] There you have it! By taking the proper safety precautions and following the rules above, your fire pit should be good to go!

Choosing the Right Type of Paint Finish

Choosing the right kind of paint for your home can be a difficult task. First you have to decide on a color, then once you’ve got a general color scheme planned out, you go to the store and are faced with hundreds of different shades of the color you had in mind.

Once you’ve settled on a color, then you have to choose which type of finish you want. Matte...semi-gloss...satin...what’s the difference between these finishes, anyway? The type of finish that would work for you all depends on the type of room you’re painting and what kind of activity goes on there. Is it a room that doesn’t get used very much or is it a bathroom, where the walls are exposed to a lot of moisture? Let’s take a look at the different types of finishes and what works best in certain areas:

Matte Since matte finishes don’t reflect light, they can be very forgiving on walls with imperfections on them. However, matte finishes are not as durable as glossier finishes, so they’re not recommended for places like kitchens, bathrooms, or rooms where young children play because it’s harder to clean the walls without chipping the paint. Matte finishes also work well on ceilings. Eggshell Eggshell finishes have a little bit more sheen and are a little bit more durable than a matte finish. They’re best used in places like living rooms or dining rooms where the walls aren’t likely to be scuffed up or need to be washed too often.

Satin Satin finishes have a nice, warm look to them, are pretty durable, and can be cleaned pretty easily, so they’re excellent for higher trafficked rooms like family rooms, hallways, and rooms where kids play. However, if you need to do any touch-ups, this finish of paint is less forgiving than matte or eggshell finishes since it will be easy to notice the difference in sheen.

Semi-Gloss Semi-gloss finishes are very durable; perfect for kitchens and bathrooms where walls will be exposed to things like moisture or grease. These finishes are good at resisting stains and won’t flake off during cleaning. They’re also a great choice for chair rails and trim since it won’t get scuffed the way a matte or eggshell finish would.

High Gloss High gloss finishes are extremely durable, but because of their extreme shininess, they aren’t commonly used on walls. Instead, they are more typically used on things like cabinets, doors, and floor or window trim, which are touched and bumped into a lot and can get dirty very easily.

Best Lakefront Home Window Styles

Michigan’s Great Lakes,  ponds, and canals offer wonderful opportunities for beachfront property. Against the water, these homes tend to host a different design style than your traditional inland abode. Because of this, we’ve compiled a list of the best window styles to complement homes placed against the beachy shore of a lakefront.

Bay and Bow Windows These window styles are ideal additions to any property with a scenic or nature-esque view. When it comes to living against the water, however, both bay or bow design work great in a living room. Position them so that the view they provide is an open panorama of the water that is wide enough to showcase backyard happenings such as fishing, swimming, or barbecue.

Picture Windows An open, expansive picture window makes for a realistic aperture that reduces the separation between the home and its beachy outside atmosphere. Similar to bay and bow windows, placing one near the back of the house is generally the best way to capture pleasant scenery at various floors and rooms. Views like watching the sun set over the water while eating dinner with the family makes the picture window a must-have for any lakefront property owner.

Doorwall A doorwall goes hand in hand with any cottage or lakeshore home. They work best in the back end of a living room or basement, making for an accessible in-and-out entryway from the house to the backyard patio (or vice versa). If you love hanging outside and are constantly going back and forth from inside,  add a doorwall to your home!

To learn more information about various styles of replacement windows and the benefits they offer, speak with a professional from Wallside.

Five Ways Home Windows Enhance a Room

From outside to inside, windows play an invaluable role in a home’s liveliness and visual appeal. Although windows have many practical purposes, they can also have a very dramatic impact on a home’s atmosphere. How, exactly, can a window transform your home? Let us count the ways…

1. Picturesque Views Often overlooked, the views windows provide are crucial to staying in tune with the outside world. They can also work as pieces of art. For example, bay windows are used to highlight scenic panoramas such as lakes and cityscapes within a home’s surrounding area.

2. Ventilation and Airflow As good as they might smell before a meal, smells from the kitchen cease to be mouth-watering when they linger well after the meal is finished. Exercise rooms and tight, cramped spaces also tend to trap unwanted fragrances that, with windows, can be avoided. Stagnant aromas can be quickly and easily dealt with—simply by opening a window.

Also, installing energy efficient replacement windows are a terrific way to improve insulation. The option of adding a screen onto a room’s window is also a great way to promote healthy home ventilation, particularly for humid summer days.

3. Natural Lighting Along with the nice feeling of natural light on the skin, there are numerous health benefits of the sun’s natural rays. Windows can be utilized in a variety of fashions to soak up some healthy light. Adding a skylight into a living space can be an effective way to promote calmness and capture the sun’s warm glow, which is especially useful in potentially high-stress environments such as an office or kitchen.

4. Window Decorations Drapes, curtains, blinds, sheers, and multiple other window treatments are excellent decorations to enrich the theme or design of a room. The textures, patterns, and colors increase a room’s character and bring forth a specific atmosphere depending on the style. Additionally, blinds and sheers can serve as an artful way to control a space’s lighting.

5. Custom-Style Aesthetic A window’s size, shape, and placement all influence an area’s mood and personality. Ranging from square or circular to arched, the shape and size of a window can be designed to a customer’s preference. Another approach is incorporating windows with the design of interior doors, creating a unified style.