Getting Year-Round Use from Your Screened-In Porch

On a summer night, there isn’t anything better than enjoying the breeze while avoiding the mosquitoes from the comfort of a screened-in porch or a three-season room. Unfortunately, these types of rooms often go unused during the cold weather months.  If you live somewhere where cold weather lasts at least 3 months, you may want to consider converting your three-season room or screened-in porch into a fully-functional room that can be used all year long. Here are a few ways you and your family can appreciate that space year-round:

Climate Control

For the hot months, a ceiling fan or two, depending on how big of a room it is, makes a great addition. But for the colder months, there are few options for making the room warm and cozy. No matter which climate control method you employ, you should make sure to insulate the room as much as possible.

First, extend the forced air into the room if it is possible. This may be something that you would hire a professional to do and may cost a bit. It is not a bad idea to consider getting a couple quotes from HVAC companies to see if you can get one that will work for your budget.

Second, an electric radiant heater is another great option. There are many on the market that are very energy efficient and affordable. A few things to remember about installing one of these units:

• Normally, these units are hardwired into the electric for the house and require their own circuit.
• You must leave a designated area free of furniture along one of the walls where the unit will fit and not be obstructed.
• Modern radiant heat units don’t tend to be hot to the touch, but if there are kids present, you may want to consider an alternate way of heating the room for safety purposes.

Third, another way to regulate the temperature is to use space heaters. These are not particularly energy efficient or safe, but in the presence of most adults, should suffice for colder temperatures so you can curl up with a good book and cocoa.

Flooring

If you are converting a front porch into a screened-in porch, then you may want to consider upgrading the flooring. A couple of things to consider when selecting flooring for a space like this:

• Make sure it is all-weather material, something that can withstand both cold and warm conditions without being damaged.
• Also, select flooring that cleans easily and can withstand moisture and other unfavorable conditions.

A couple of affordable options are laminate flooring, marmoleum (a more eco-conscious alternative to linoleum), indoor / outdoor carpet, or porcelain tile. All the above flooring options can handle the conditions that they will be subjected to.

Windows

Usually one of the main features of three-season rooms are the windows. In these types of rooms, it is important that the windows do an exceptional job. Most screened-in porches are full of screen windows, sometimes with glass panes that can replace the screens during the colder months. Sometimes these glass panes do a good job of keeping out the cold, especially if you weatherize your windows with plastic. On older houses, it is difficult to switch out the panes due to settling of the house and how it stresses the window frames. If this is the case for you and it is within your budget, it may be a good idea to switch out those windows for vinyl windows. They will add the versatility to the room to allow to celebrate the breeze when the weather is warm, but also, they will efficiently keep out the weather and retain heat in the house in the colder weather.

With a few modifications, you can add more livable square footage to your house which will help with resale value or give you and your family more space to enjoy.

What You Should Know About Bathtub Liners and Refinishing

If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, one of the best ways to make your home more appealing to potential buyers and get a great return on investment is by fixing up your bathroom. Research has shown that you don’t have to completely remodel your bathroom to impress a potential buyer. The bathtub is a major component of any bathroom, but having your existing tub removed and replaced with a new one isn’t always an affordable option. But if you have a tub that’s worn and damaged, there are affordable ways to fix it.

One very budget-friendly way to fix up your bathroom is by having your bathtub refinished. Also referred to as bathtub reglazing, this process involves completely removing the existing finish from the tub, filling in any scratches or dents, and refinishing the tub with a new paint. Not only does this help get rid of unsightly scratches and dents and make the tub look brand new again, you can even change the color of your bathtub if you like. It’s also very affordable, typically costing just a few hundred dollars on average. The biggest downsides to refinishing a bathtub is that it’s the type of job best left to a professional and you need to be careful not to use abrasive cleaners on it, since they can damage the surface.

Bathtub liners are more expensive than bathtub refinishing, but are still less expensive than completely replacing your tub. Instead of removing the finish of the existing tub, a technician comes out to your home to take exact measurements of your bathtub. The manufacturer then makes a custom acrylic liner based on the specifications of your tub and once the liner is ready to go, it’s simply installed over your existing tub. If your walls could also use some help, the company that makes your bathtub liner can also create a treatment system for your walls, too. Although refinished bathtubs can be damaged by abrasive cleansers, it’s fine to use them on bathtub liners. However, bathtub liners can only be placed over tubs made of some type of metal like iron or steel, not acrylic tubs.

Regardless if you choose bathtub refinishing or a bathtub liner, you have a great way to completely change the look of your bathroom. Just be aware that both of these options are purely cosmetic fixes. If there’s a larger issue with your bathtub, like cracks or problems with water, you’ll either need to fix those problems or, depending on the issue, completely replace the bathtub.

Can Siding Help Make Your Home More Energy Efficient?

Improving the energy efficiency of your home can take on many different forms, like installing vinyl replacement windows, adding more insulation to your attic, replacing your exterior doors, or getting a programmable thermostat, just to name a few. Since the siding on your home can last for several decades, especially if properly maintained, it’s generally not high on the list of projects homeowners consider if they’re looking for ways to make their home more energy efficient. But if it’s time to replace your home’s siding, are there energy efficient siding options available?

Cracked or damaged siding not only leaves your home more susceptible to weather damage, it also creates an opportunity for drafts to form. But believe it or not, although the siding on your home helps protect you from the elements, many of the most popular types of siding have a fairly low R-value, which means they don’t offer the highest insulation value by themselves. Instead, most of the insulation value in your home’s walls comes from the insulation in your walls and any extra insulation underneath the siding. However, some types of siding are more energy efficient than others. For example, wood shingles have an R-value of 0.87 and aluminum or vinyl siding has an R-value of 0.61, but fiber cement siding only offers a 0.37 R-value.

While many of the most common types of home siding aren’t particularly good insulators, there are also insulated siding options available which are much better. Insulated vinyl, aluminum, or steel siding comes with a layer of rigid foam insulation attached to it and typically has an R-value of 3 or 4, so it is indeed a much better insulator than regular aluminum or vinyl siding.

Regardless of which type of siding you choose for your home, another way to make the exterior of your home more energy efficient is by having a house wrap installed underneath the siding. Since a house wrap offers another barrier between your home and the elements, it can help improve the energy efficiency of your walls by an R-value of 2.

5 Alternative Window Dressings

Are you looking to add a little flavor to your home or getting ready to put your house on the market? Something to consider is the windows, whether they are new replacement windows or original antiques. Are your window treatments doing their part to brighten up your place? Maybe you could add something different that will diffuse light and a give a fresh feel to a room? Here are five ideas for window treatments that aren’t traditional blinds or drapes:

Shelves

Combining aesthetics with function, this little trick will offer so many uses and serve the main function of allowing privacy and filtering the light that comes into your house. In a kitchen setting, this is an excellent space for glasses to be stored. The sunlight gets a little extra tone as it passes through the glasses and into the room. Also, it is an ideal spot for an arrangement of plants, especially ones that need a lot of sunlight.

Stained Glass

Purchase several rolls of different color contact paper and cut out some geometric shapes. Then arrange the shapes in a pattern or a more random display to allow light to pass through the window, but still obscure the view from the outside. Of course, the colors that cascade into the room is a lovely way to dress up the room.   

Painted Trim

Vibrant colors added to the window frame can really add an accent to a room that it lacked before. This works particularly well with windows that aren’t intended to be covered. A bright color enhances the light as it passes through the window pane and brings visual interest to the room.

Beads

Beaded curtains are a great way to add color and privacy to a room. Usually found in assorted colors, beaded curtains can add an eccentric feel to a room while still obscuring the outside view and filtering incoming light.

Thrift Store Finds

If you enjoy flea market and resale shop treasures, but don’t always know what to do with them, a DIY valance may be the answer. Whether it is a unique carved bit of wood, like a frieze or a vintage sign, these can be fastened to the top of the window well blocking the light from above and still allowing ample light to permeate into your room.

Whatever it is that you want to do to spice up your windows, there are a lot of options for you to choose from. They don’t always have to be the traditional options, you can adapt so many things to dress up your windows, adding personality with simple, inexpensive methods.  

Don’t Overlook Your Floor: Affordable Ways to Have Nice Looking Floors

The first thing most people notice when buying a house is the floor. If you are selling your house, you may want give your floors a makeover to entice buyers and possibly raise your home’s value. If you have carpet and it needs replacing, you may want to see what options there are for other flooring. Hardwood is a heavily sought out type of flooring for prospective home buyers, but it is not cheap. If this is the case for you, there are more affordable alternatives to installing new hardwood flooring.

Refinish Your Floors

If you already have hardwood flooring, but it’s seen better days, refinishing your floors is definitely a great solution. Floor sanders are available to rent at your local hardware store. If you choose to refinish the floors yourself, be sure to sand evenly across the whole surface, because once you go too deep, there is no going back. After sanding the floor, do an extremely detailed cleaning of the floor to remove any dust before applying the polyurethane.   

Paint Your Floor

If your floor is full of deep gouges and other imperfections, painting your floor may be easier, cheaper, and improve its appearance. There is a lot of room for customizing with designs and color patterns.

Vinyl Flooring

For areas that are subjected to moisture like, bathrooms, mudrooms, and kitchen areas, it may be wise to add vinyl flooring. It is easy to apply, clean, and affordable. You can get creative with alternating color tiles or just keep it all one color. The prep time is minimal and if done well, it will last a long time.

Plywood Flooring

This seems to be all the rage in the DIY community and for good reason. There are a couple different ways to do this. Some homeowners choose to cut the plywood into slats that resemble country-style slats (about 8” - 12”), or in other cases, people cut the boards into squares. After you glue and nail the boards down, finish it with polyurethane or paint.

Taking the time to upgrade your floor will make a huge impact on your house whether you are looking to sell it or if you plan on living there for a long time to come.