Popular Exterior Siding Options Chosen by Homeowners

Home Siding Installation 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.

Nine Fun Facts About Wallside Windows

Wallside Windows As a preeminent manufacturer and installer of vinyl replacement windows for Michigan and northern Ohio, Wallside has accrued a number of impressive factoids to its name. Provided below are some fun, interesting facts about the company.

  • Founder and Detroit-native Martin Blanck started the company in 1944 after finishing his service in the army.
  • On average, Wallside handcrafts 800 replacement windows each day in its own factory run out of Taylor, MI. The window styles range from single-hung, double-hung, casement, bay and bow, and many other varieties.
  • As many as half of new Wallside customers are generated from referrals from satisfied customers.
  • Wallside offers it services to an estimated 25,000 residences every year.
  • The Wallside factory is located out of Taylor, MI and is 72,000 square-feet in size.
  • Each window is custom-sized, designed, and shaped by our in-house team of experts.
  • All customers are entitled to a 35-year guarantee.
  • Wallside is the largest home-improvement company in the United States to serve a single geographic market.
  • Folks interested in installing new replacement windows are permitted a free in-home estimate.

Main Culprits of Defective Home Insulation

Energy efficiency is important to any homeowner. No matter where you live, there’s always some form of battle to cultivate the right temperature for your living quarters - and for good reason. Without a properly regulated home climate, it could lead to a gamut of threats concerning your health and general comfort level. In order to conserve your home’s energy, be on your toes for the following major causes of energy loss. Outdated Windows There are many signs that a window is past its prime and in need of a replacement. If you notice a recent spike in your energy bill yet you’ve followed the best practices to conserve energy, the culprit may be your home windows. Give yours an inspection to figure out if they need to be replaced or perhaps just require some upkeep. Drafts, poor ventilation throughout the house, and obvious damages to the frame are all common symptoms of an outdated window. If you’re unsure if your windows are faulty - even after giving them an inspection - speak with a member of the Wallside team to learn how we can help.

Faulty Gaps and Seals When heat or cool air is generated in a room, there are many ways it can possibly escape. Gaps and crevices between doors, windows, floors, and other apertures in the general structure are all opportunities for energy to leak from. Apply caulk to obvious areas of leakage such as gaps in window frames. For doors, use sealant around the jamb or use a door draft stopper - which can be purchased at the store or built yourself.

Worn Attic Insulation Whether it’s due to liquid damage or pests such as unwanted animal guests, it’s not uncommon for attic insulation to need replacing after a certain amount of time. Energy loss from the rooftop is one of the main places energy loss occurs, so it is crucial to routinely check. To avoid possible injury, speak with a professional such as a roofing contractor to examine your attic and decide which aspects of the insulation job need attention or possible replacement.

When it comes to knocking the zeros off of your home energy bill, it takes more than following best insulation practices (although it does help). Follow these tips to help reduce your monthly home expenses and also conserve energy.

Key Features of Home Replacement Windows

Open windows When home replacement windows are brought up in conversation, two main factors are usually mentioned: the price and energy efficiency. Though these are chief indicators of their performance, they’re not the only features to take into consideration when considering the prospect of new windows. Scroll below to read about other factors that determine a window’s quality.

Grade of Glass Beyond the frame, glass is a critical component to the functionality and performance of a window. The glass influences the U-factor, which is a measurement used to assess the amount of heat that a window loses; thus, the lower the U-factor, the better of an insulator it is. Wallside uses low-e coating to insulate either heating or cool air, depending on the current climate.

Type of Frame There is a lot to consider when deciding on the type of window frame to use for your windows. Between each type of frame there’s a large disparity in cost, frequency of upkeep, painting, and general aesthetic. Wallside produces vinyl windows due to their great prices, durable structure, protection against the weather, and various other compelling benefits.

Quality of Sealant Although the sealant technically isn’t an actual part of the window, it’s an indispensable step to insulating them. Properly sealing gaps prevents drafts, fog accumulation, mould, and harsh weather conditions. If you are unsure how to seal your windows, talk to an experienced member of Wallside’s team for advice.

Amount of Window Panes Double and triple pane glass windows are greater at conserving energy than one singular pane. The additional layers are used as extra protection so that less energy is expended and more is kept within the home. Additionally, argon gas is kept between panes to enhance thermal performance. These additional features lead to a smaller energy bill and greater control over your home’s climate.

Insulation Technology Beyond using multiple panes of glass and coating, windows can be imbued with additional types of energy-conserving technologies. For instance, warm-edge spacers are popular for their benefits of bolstering the insulation between panes of glass. They also reduce moisture collection while simultaneously keeping argon in. Wallside includes warm edge stainless steel spacers into each of its windows for maximum energy efficiency.

How to Promote Healthy Indoor Air Quality

Air Conditioner There’s a reason why stepping outside to “get some air” is such a widely used phrase. Although it may not be visible to the naked eye, it’s fairly common for indoor air to be polluted with a plethora of different pollutants. According to a startling figure provided by the Greenguard UL Environment, the air we breathe indoor is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. This is generated by a collection of contributing factors such as molds, gaseous substances from cooking, secondhand smoke, and an overall poor stream of airflow throughout the home. To counteract the composite of indoor pollutants, follow these tips for an overall healthier home environment.

Clean Away The importance of maintaining a clean household at all times cannot be stressed enough. Amongst many other worthwhile reasons, living spaces should be kept tidy in order to keep allergens, dust particles, and multiple other types of grime at bay. Thoroughly vacuum, mop, and dry your carpet in order to most efficiently purge these contaminants. Use a duster to eliminate dirt from other surfaces that these substances may be found atop such as cabinets and other hard-to-reach places.

Incorporate Plants as Air Filters Plants have a built-in biological air filtration system that can be utilized to purify our home’s air. This doesn’t go for all plants, though. The filtration capacities varies with each plant based off of size and species. Position these plants by a garden window that casts a large spread of sunlight so that your plants are healthy and can fully perform their air filtration abilities.

Enact Strict No-Smoke Policy The effects of smoking go beyond impacting just the smoker - it impacts their surrounding environment, too. The secondhand smoke sticks to furniture, clothes, and other areas of the home. Lay down a no-smoke law in the house to foster cleaner air.

Encourage Air Circulation This may be common sense, but the importance of it cannot be understated. Quality outdoor air works wonders for refining and freshening up a room. Likewise, it works great for clearing out congested smells or revitalizing a room with stagnant air.

Sources: http://wellnessmama.com/12209/improve-indoor-air-quality/ http://greenguard.org/en/consumers/consumers_iaq.aspx http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/stories/best-air-filtering-houseplants-according-to-nasa