Why is Vinyl the Most Popular Type of Window Frame?

Vinyl windows are among the most popular selection as far as frames go. According to HGTV, “More vinyl windows are sold than all other types of window construction combined - about 67 percent of the residential window market.” However, the question remains, what is it about them that drives their sales to be the leading choice in the market?

First and foremost, the affordability of vinyl windows compared to other window types is staggering. Even though new windows are a long term investment, the fact that styles such as fiberglass or wood run at such high exceedingly high prices makes vinyl the most attractive candidate to choose.

Piggybacking on the importance of cost, a pressing part of owning a home is supplementing it with maximum insulation technologies so that as much energy is conserved as possible. Vinyl windows, especially Wallside’s which are designed with industry-leading insulation technologies, do a fantastic job at preventing energy loss. With energy efficient windows, homeowners can make great savings year-round.

Even with competitive prices and impressive insulation abilities, these perks lose their weight in value if they call for extensive upkeep. Luckily, with vinyl replacement windows this isn’t the case. They’re known for helming some of the sturdiest material so that dents, abrasions, and other outside threats do little to nothing when it comes to imparting visible damage.

A common woe of homeowners who own other window styles other than vinyl is the recurring need to paint their windows. Doing so can be a drawn-out process with  complications such as possible chippings or mildew (for wood). This brings us to another advantage of vinyl - they rarely, if ever, need to be painted! Often times, manufacturers will pre-paint them so that you can gauge how they will match your home before even purchasing them.

Sources: http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/windows-buying-guide

Tips for Keeping Bugs Out of Your Home

Particularly during the spring and summer seasons, the weather entices people to open up their homes to invite the cool outside breeze in. As a result, insects see this as a prime opportunity to take advantage of the constantly opening and closing doors to nestle up in the safe confines of our homes. Here we examine how to defend your home against these creepy crawlers.

#1. Use Screens As previously mentioned, the nice weather encourages open windows to promote cool airflow and the rich smell of nature. As nice as this is, it also creates an entrance for flies, mosquitoes, and other annoying insects to attempt to take up residence in your home. The first mode of action to take against this is to make sure that all of your windows are equipped with a securely fastened screen. If there are any rips or tears, make sure to either replace or repair them.

#2. Fill and Seal Openings Survey your home for cracks, damages, or gaps in any of the windows, exterior doors, and walls. Check crevices where the wall meets the floor and see if there are any signs of pesky intruders. Apply sealant or caulk to any hole or gap that an insect could possibly crawl through. If you’re windows are damaged and need replacing, browse through Wallside’s replacement windows or visit our contact page to learn how we can help.

#3. Don’t Leave Food Out Bugs, like any other creatures, are attracted to food. The main reasons they’re drawn to our homes is to find protection against adverse weather; however, second to that, they aim to feast on our neglected leftovers. The easy solution to this is to wash our dishes as soon as we finish eating, clean the sink, and vacuum up crumbs throughout the floors and other areas we eat. Lastly, to lessen the chance of a surprise bug during sleep, don’t eat in bed!

#4. Declutter Trash The outside of our windows tend to collect with leaves and other waste. This serves as an appealing safe ground for insects to take up camp and possibly eat away at your window. Enact regular upkeep of the area outside and inside your window to dissuade them from coming around.

#5. Fix Water Leakages Inspect areas of your home’s plumbing that may leak such as under the sink, the bathroom, ceiling, and other spaces that are prone to leakage. Remove these leaks as soon as you can because they are hospitable environments for a variety of insects.

Spruce Up Your Bedroom With These Window Treatments

For years, interior designers have attested to the major influence that a room’s design and color scheme have on people's’ mood and overall well-being. Because of this, it makes sense to give a ample attention to a home’s design and layout. A great way to go about doing so is to garnish the bedroom windows with treatments that complement the existing theme and colors. Get your inspiration flowing with the decorating process by taking heed of the ideas below.

Blinds Adding blinds to your bedroom window provides all-encompassing control over natural lighting to prevent yourself from being awakened by the sun. There are many different types of materials of blinds ranging from wood, plastic, to bamboo. Each of these materials promote a varying degree of light blockage and price range. Additionally, blinds come in horizontal or vertical styles; if you’re worried about cats tampering with them, opt for vertical blinds as cats tend to be less interested in toying with them.

Shades Shades are similar to blinds in their ability to manipulate the inflow of light. With a simple pull of a cord, shades act like a blanket that can scroll up and down. Their sleek appearance is known for exuding a relaxed tone; additionally, they come in a variety of colors and fabrics that can be easily used to match furniture or the color the room is painted in. Bedroom shades are especially useful for accommodating space for a plant to rest window-side while also letting a sufficient amount of light in.

Drapes In all aspects of a home, the drapery renders the most creative freedom to experiment with patterns, fabrics, and color styles. Ranging from lush velvety linens to simple yet firm cottons, there are endless opportunities for beautifying your room with draperies. When using thick, weighty curtains that cover the entire window, exterior sounds - in addition to light - can be cut out to a significant extent.

Red Flags to Watch Out for While House Hunting

Purchasing a home for the first time is a milestone in any person’s life. It’s a landmark step that signals the progress you have made both mentally and financially. But this doesn’t change the fact that it’s something you’ve never done before. Similar to up-taking any other new venture, it’s best to know the pitfalls to look out for before beginning. It’s for this reason that we’ve assembled a list of red flags to keep an eye out for during your home search. Noticing any of these doesn’t mean you should immediately cease to consider the home you’re looking at - yet they are still very important to be aware of for many reasons. Read below to learn more.

Insufficient Space How much space do you need to aptly accommodate all of your goods? Is there an adequate number of rooms for additional people to live there in the future - like a baby? Without enough room to store your essentials in a comfortable, accessible way, it could mean you’ll have to either sacrifice some personal belongings or live in relatively cramped quarters.

Weathered Windows The quality of a home’s windows are directly correlated to curb appeal, insulation technologies, and energy bill. Upon inspecting a house, be sure to give the windows a thorough examination. Check to see if the slider works, the weatherstripping is in decent shape, search for any cracks in the glass and any signs of a draft. For best window functionality, these factors need to be in top shape.

Beat-Up, Faulty Roofing The roof is a primary agent of defense against rain, winds, and other types of external threats. If possible, ask about the state of the roofing and see if the present homeowners have had any recent problems with it.

Poor Ventilation With stuffy pockets of stagnant airflow, it could be difficult to breathe and just overall uncomfortable for guests and inhabitants alike. If you have any questions about the way windows impact a home’s airflow, speak with a professional at Wallside today for expert advice.

Foundation Damages The foundation is the backbone that supports the rest of the home. Possible issues with home foundation could be cracking in floor or walls, sticky appliances, and various other defective instances of the home’s infrastructure. Damages to a home foundation can be a serious safety hazard and result in serious issues if not properly dealt with.

Popular Exterior Siding Options Chosen by Homeowners

Along with replacement windows, a home’s siding is a definitive component to its visual appeal, structural integrity, protection against exterior elements, and insulation capacities. This said, each type of material proffers its own pros and cons. Listed below we’ve ranked today’s most sought-after siding materials.

Vinyl Among the most widely used materials for siding is vinyl, which is renowned as an attractive option due to the small amount of maintenance required and affordable price. Vinyl siding comes in an eclectic variety of colors that most of the time won’t need to be re-painted for over a decade, on average.

Stone There are multiple options to choose from when it comes to stone siding, such as:

• Natural stones: Display an earthy, durable outer surface and are grouped together in large collections.
• Faux stone: Designed to provide a stone-like look yet are noticeably different enough in appearance to natural stone; they’re also relatively light in weight, require a straightforward installation, and have boundless styles to experiment with.
• Stone Veneer: Like faux stone, stone veneer is used to recreate the look of actual stone material and is celebrated for the diverse variety of surfaces, color schemes, and patterns they come in. Moreover, stone veneer tends to be rather light compared to its natural stone counterparts but still provides strong insulation abilities and a resilient defense against weather.

Brick Another popular option, there is a wealth of advantages to adding brick siding to your home. Traditionally sealed with cement, brick requires very little upkeep and - with the right color - can exude a sharp, attractive contrast to other elements of your home. It provides a reliable defense against external damages, reduces outside sounds (like raining and noisy neighbors), and does a great job at preventing water damage.

Wood Although definitely not as economical as vinyl, there certainly are a large number of advantages to wood siding. The possibilities for customization outweigh the creative freedom that many other siding options allow. With so many aspects such as the grade of wood, the finish applied, and style of siding (horizontal or vertical, and placement), you’ll surely be able to meet the vision you have for your home’s exterior appearance.

Mix it Up Installing a singular type of siding for your home is usually the most cost effective and timely way of getting the job done. However, to really enhance your curb appeal, many homeowners will implement a couple of different siding options to their home. For example, a strategically-executed balance of stone veneer with vinyl siding can really make exterior elements such as the replacement windows and landscape pop.

Even though each siding option varies in price, the overall cost will waver based off quality and amount of material used. If you hire a professional, they will help you assess the cost and give you an approximation as to the budget required for the job. On the other hand, taking the job on yourself is a sizable project to handle; it can take a whole weekend, require expensive equipment, patience, and reading if you have never done it before.