Three Energy-Saving Household Appliances

 

Beyond practicing energy-efficient behaviors such as washing your clothes in cold water and curbing the time spent in the shower, there are upgrades you can make to worn out home devices that, in the long run, can trim substantial amount of financial fat from your energy bills. If your fuel bill has been rising and you’ve been meaning to take action against it, it may be high time to upgrade to some of these technologies listed below.

Alternatives to Incandescent Light Bulbs In addition to the duration of time you leave your lights on, the amount of energy your household expends is dependent on the light bulbs that you use. If you are currently stocked with incandescent bulbs, you may want to consider making a switch as they are reportedly known for wasteful energy consumption and leaving an adverse environmental imprint. In recent years, LED and CFL models have surfaced and served as successful substitutions with superior efficiency ratings while also meeting eco-friendly standards.

High Performance Replacement Windows According to EnergyStar, “as much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling.” While also considering the major role Windows play in a home’s insulation, it’s clear how high of a priority it is to maintain proper upkeep of your windows. To do so, search for gaps in the frames, cracks, or models that are outdated; you find your windows are weathered or have reached an age they should probably be replaced (15-20 for vinyl), you will want to ensure your next set of replacement windows meets contemporary efficiency standards. Wallside Windows specializes in replacement windows that are designed with low e-glass, have dual panes, and are constructed with warm-edge stainless steel spacers that promote optimal insulation.

Programmable Thermostat The advent of programmable thermostats allows homeowners to control their heating and air conditioning while away at work or while running errands. Some models facilitate built-in alert systems that give you a heads up when it’s time to change your air filter and can also be calibrated with your smartphone. Additionally, some designs are capable of adjusting to fluctuations in humidity and other swings in weather so you can rest easy while your home’s climate is properly regulated.

The Best Window Styles for Each Room

 

Each style of window you choose for your home will naturally vary on the circumstances and preferences of the people living in it. However, there is a general set of styles that tend to work best with the functionality of a home’s main living spaces.

Bathroom Installing a bathroom window in your home is important not only for ventilation of healthy air, but also to bring in sunlight. In a space such as the bathroom where dampness and high moisture collection is prevalent, a single-hung or double-hung window style is always a solid go-to choice. These are great because the sashes are simple to open for airflow and are generally sized in a way that adds sufficient light without sacrificing privacy. Skylights are also popular choices as they lend a natural overview of the sky, which can be a nifty way to check the weather for the forthcoming day. For privacy purposes, aim to install your windows near the top of a wall; you may also want to consider adding blinds or draperies.

Living Room The style of window for your living room will depend on the room’s location in relation to the rest of the house, how much privacy you prefer, and the amount of airflow that you would like to circulate the area. Spaces with elegant, scenic views will benefit by a large arrangement of picture or bay and bow window styles. Though you cannot open picture windows, they make up for this by letting in pleasant sunlight and providing spacious viewpoints to observe what is going on outside. Bay and bow windows promote a similar view as the picture style, but are divided into sections and have the option to provide ventilation.

Kitchen Casement windows are excellent in their ability to control ventilation with the ease of a crank, all from one side. A popular place for casement windows is above the sink, making for a prime source for natural breezes to fill your home and filter out any strong, lingering smells from the kitchen. Other widely-used styles for the kitchen are garden windows, horizontal sliding windows, and the double-hung window (which is probably the most versatile style available).

Bedroom When it comes to humid summer nights or brisk winters, the type of window style you choose is essential. Options such as double-hung and casement are simple yet functional for ventilation and proper lighting. Skylights, if positioned correctly, can be a sleek way to let natural light and airflow pour in.

Storage Guide for New Homeowners

If you have recently moved into a new home, there’s a good chance you have a lot to store. The question is: where? Read this quick guide to get organized and make the adjustment to your new home as smooth as possible.

Appoint a Central Location for a Majority of All Storage First and foremost, a storage room or space should be designated as a place to host all goods and decorations that aren’t used on a year-round basis. It’s important to keep these in one centralized location so that you can always know where to go when it’s time to dig up some holiday decorations or dust off an old yearbook. The attic and basement are the most traditionally used spaces; but if these aren’t available to you, the garage or an unused room can work just as well.

Once you have all seasonal decorations and garage equipment appointed to a main location, you will next want to decide on the type of furniture to use to store your home’s remaining goods. Three other main types of furniture that are essential for efficient storage include:

Armoire Usually placed in the bedroom, armoires serve multiple storage purposes; however, to get the best use out of an armoire you will want to take stock of how you prefer your clothes to be organized. To avoid a clustered singular space for your clothes, an armoire can balance the load and act as a second space so that it’s easier to parse through your outfits as opposed to crawling through a dense heap.

Shelves Applicable to the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and practically any aspect of a home’s interior, shelves are vital storage devices. Built into the wall, floating wall shelves are excellent at utilizing a room’s perimeter and providing an eye-level view of the items placed atop them. Other styles like corner shelves can be used to place cherished family heirlooms and pictures, while wire shelves are more suitable for bulkier objects thus are best utilized in the garage or laundry room.

Bookcases Despite what the name may imply, bookcases can be used to store additional goods other than books alone. Install a bookcase into a home office, study, or even the living room if it can work with the design. Place antiques, bins, recipe books, and other items onto a bookshelf for easy, accessible use.

Six Tips to Upgrade Your Kitchen Decor

The kitchen is the central part of any home. It’s where we cook, eat, and enjoy conversation. Because of this, it deserves to be a place of comfort and joy. Equally important, it should reflect who we are. Take a look through these six kitchen renovation tips to feed your inspiration, get the creative juices flowing, and assist you in your kitchen makeover.

Remodel the Flooring Day and night, the kitchen is the hub of constant hustle and bustle. This is why it’s crucial to pick a durable material that can sustain the recurring hullabaloo. Limestone and granite, though expensive, offer a firm yet sophisticated veneer that is easy to pair with other decor. Alternative materials such as ceramics are more traditionally used as they are known for being reasonably priced and come in a wide selection of styles. Another classic but still elegant option is wood flooring, which exudes a rich warmth that can serve as a beautiful contrast to its neighboring fittings.

Try Out Some Backsplash Tile If you’re looking for a way to make your kitchen really pop on an eye-level perspective, installing stylish backsplash tile in your kitchen - especially around the sink and stove -  is one of the surest ways to go about it. There are hundreds of surfaces with beautiful patterns to select from, so you may want to flip through a catalog and work with a designer to inform yourself of the most suitable options and prices that are available in your area.

Balance the Light Eating breakfast with your eyes uncomfortably scrunched because of bad lighting is something all of us can do without. Counter this by getting a dimmer installed. To up the ante, consider an arrangement of recessed lighting or rows of track lighting positioned around the kitchen’s perimeter to reduce intense glares. This way, daily activities can be happily accomplished without the discomfort of an unavoidably bright, centralized source of light. Lastly, installing a skylight or a casement window above the kitchen sink is a great way to bring in natural light and air ventilation; if interested about window installation opportunities, feel free to contact Wallside either by phone or email for any window-replacement questions you may have.

Activate Your Green Thumb Who doesn’t like plants? Being a place of recurring activity, the decision to introduce a few of these calming, oxygen-producing machines to your home could only help matters. With the right placement and lighting, household plants bring a subtle, earthy tone to your home’s atmosphere that can be used to offset our technology-dominated dwellings.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Over the past couple decades, engineers have made significant improvements to the functionality and design of sinks. From luxuriously crafted basins, multipurpose mixer faucets, to nifty add-ons, the design aesthetic and usability of sinks have dramatically risen over the past couple of decades. Browse through home remodeling websites or catalogs to gain inspiration for ideas and discern the type of upgrade you’re looking for.

Personalize with a Theme Although it is common for a kitchen to have a matching color scheme, a less-opted method is creating a theme. If done subtly, it can be a great way to bring some character to a room. Homes located on a lakefront or beach coast, for example, are often adorned with a sailboat or fishing theme. One idea is to tailor the theme’s concept to a family interest; a family interested in Hollywood movies, for example, could spruce the kitchen with film-related novelties.

Simple Ways to Improve Your Curb Appeal

Your home’s exterior is the first impression a passerby has of it. The display of the landscape, shrubbery, lighting display, and numerous other additions have a significant impact on a home’s value. Commonly deemed “curb appeal,” the importance in performing regular upkeep of a house’s outward appearance cannot be overstated; it is a major component to what prospective buyers take into account when searching for a new residence. Keeping this in mind, you may want to consider these additions to sharpen your curb appeal:

Build a Pathway Nothing says “inviting” like a smoothly paved walkway leading up to a front door. Capitalize on this by installing one at your home, too. Consult a guide online to find the right materials and build one yourself -- or, hire a professional for projects with heavy materials or a yard with complex conditions to work around.

Groom Your Lawn A lawn with a trimmed, vibrant sea of grass will always benefit a home’s look. Be sure to maintain regular maintenance so that it is properly mowed, fertilized, edged, watered, and free of any invasive weeds.

Install Replacement Windows In addition to the energy savings to be had, replacing dated windows can make a huge difference on your home’s exterior appearance. Installing new, energy efficient windows will greatly improve your home’s value and add a polished touch to its curb appeal.

A Little Mulch Never Hurt Anybody In addition to the rich look it offers, mulch is extremely helpful to the health of a yard’s plants, soil, and shrubbery. It prevents weeds from sprouting and encapsulates essential rain and precipitation so that the surrounding environment has a balanced amount of moisture to sustain itself. Additionally, there is a wide array of textures that mulch comes in, each of which fosters a unique aesthetic and set of functions with bark chips, grass clippings, and shredded wood known to be traditional favorites.

Dapper up Your Garage Door Depending on its location in relation to the street view, the garage door can play a crucial role in your home’s curb appeal. Though it usually isn’t the first item on the renovations to-do list, there’s no reason it should be left unnoticed. To revamp your garage doors, your best bet will be to work with a contractor who specializes in the craft; work with the professional so that the remodeled look complements the theme and design of your home. The price of a garage makeover varies depending on the extent of the restoration (materials used and sophistication of design), but it’s safe to say that an average job will most likely have you spending a few hundred dollars.

Other Ideas to Consider: - Add a reading bench (placed under a tree for shade, if possible) - Plant shrubbery and flowers with vibrant colors