Tips and articles about windows and window design ideas, of interest to homeowners. Get ideas for functional fenestration!
Among the hottest window treatments today, inside or out, are shutters. Most shutters are fixed, and used primarily as decoration, but well-designed shutters can do more than just look good.
A skylight can be a beautiful addition to any home. Some people get depressed without sunlight and, for those who fit that description, a skylight can help to make the home bright and cheery. A skylight is designed to fill your home with sun, but certainly not the rain. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect and even skylights can develop structural problems.
With a surge of new interest in textiles and fabrics, selecting draperies is an invitation to give your windows a beautiful new presentation. Draperies can provide a complete window treatment, or they can be integrated as a design element when combined with other treatments.
Common Drapery Terms:
Here are some definitions of common drapery terms.
Windows of every conceivable size and type have opened up a wide array of decorating possibilities and elevated them to an important status in every room. Window treatments have followed suit, and today there are many options for designer looks.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about window shades and blinds.
Consider a house call: Because projects such as installing new blinds or shades throughout a house are a major investment, both for re-sale value and emotional satisfaction, you may want to make all your decisions yourself.
Q: I have a house that was built in 1992, and has Andersen windows. During the winter and now even in November, some of the windows get moisture in the center of them. Not all the windows have the problem, though. It happens in the living room, kitchen and in the basement, which is finished.
Q: We moved into our newly constructed home 14 months ago. I have a huge problem with our double pane windows sweating all the way around the metal frames during the winter months (we live in Texas).
Also, the builder did not leave weep holes in the brick around the foundation.
Q: We are having condensation problems in our home. We have aluminum single pane windows, which sweat profusely in the winter. We are also seeing water spots on the ceilings and corners of the outside walls and on the inside of the front wooden door. The attic is vented and the soffits are clear. Can you help us?
Q: I bought my house a few months ago. Now with the weather getting colder and the heat running I have found that there is a lot of condensation on the storm windows. The house is a 30-year-old split level. Is there something I can do about the condensation problem short of getting new windows?
There are many different configurations of windows. Here are the most common:
Although windows are most economical when purchased in standard sizes, there are times a homeowner needs a custom window size. This might be to replace windows in an older home built before modern standards were established, for a unique opening or to install a custom made stained glass window. Custom made glass patio doors can also be made to fit most any opening.
Q: This past September I replaced two windows in my son's room. I installed a double hung insulated window, which tilts in for easy cleaning. Yesterday, my 15 year old son and a couple of his friends were tossing around a hard ball and. yes you've guessed it! The ball broke the inner glass of the top window. The outer glass is fine. Is it possible to make the repair without removing the entire window from the house?
Glass is the key to many of a home's best features: natural light, and a clear view of the outdoors. But as the amount of glass used in a house increases, its energy efficiency usually decreases, simply because glass windows and doors are not as effective as walls for insulating. So, a great deal of effort has been made in recent years to improve the energy efficiency of window glazings.
In keeping with today's concerns for saving energy, windows may be standard single glazed, dual glazed or even triple glazed.
"R-values" measure heat loss through glass: the higher the R-value, the higher the glazing's resistance to energy loss. By increasing a window's R value from 2 to 4, you can reduce energy losses by 50 percent.
Window films can improve the effectiveness of glass in your home. Window tint films can reduce the amount of damaging rays that reach you through your windows. Window films can reduce your cooling costs and also increase safety if glass is accidentally broken.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about window hardware repair.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about installing a skylight.
There are two basic window styles: operable and fixed. An operable window has moving parts that can be opened; a fixed window can't be opened. These two basic styles have many variations: Awning windows are operable windows. They are top-hinged so you open them by pushing the bottom of the sash out and up.
Windows, more than almost any other feature, give a modern home its personality. When homebuyers are asked to describe a home they've toured, they often include references to light in their description. Women in particular seem highly attuned to the levels of natural light in a home.
Q: What can I do about moisture building up on my windows?
Q: I would like to replace a window in my house with glass block. It is an arched dual pane glass that has lost its seal. Is this feasible from the perspective of available materials, so I won't have to remodel the entire window opening?
This guide should help you decide whether window replacement makes sense for your home. It explains various window features and can help you select appropriate windows and a professional and competent window contractor.
Q: Can you tell me what I should be looking for in a replacement window? For instance, the space in between the double pane, fully welded, insulation on the frame and in the frame and sash?
I've been shopping and have received a range of prices, even for the same thing. The only thing I know is that I should make sure the window is fully welded. What else should I be looking for to make sure the window is sound and heat efficient?
This checklist should help you decide whether window replacement makes sense for your home.
Even the highest quality screen available will deteriorate over time. When it eventually becomes necessary to replace or repair window screens, call a professional with the tools and experience to do the job properly.
This information can help answer and clarify questions about security storm shutters.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about common skylight problems.
By letting natural light stream in, a skylight gives a room a feeling of spaciousness and light. By reducing the need for electric lighting, it can help trim energy bills.
Stained glass as defined by Webster's Dictionary is: "glass painted with metalic oxides or chlorides ground up with proper fluxes and fused into its surface at moderate heat".
Storm windows are an extra window that cover the inner window. They provide extra protection and some thermal insulation during cold weather and come in two basic styles.
Many homeowners are bombarded with sales pitches about thermal replacement windows. Because the window replacement business is often more profitable than other home service businesses, numerous companies are pushing windows in the marketplace. Window firms, as a group, are among the most aggressive marketers, and are likely to rely on telemarketing and high-pressure sales tactics. As a consumer, you must be careful or you may find yourself fooled by a smooth operator.
Modern windows rely on a wide array of technologies to achieve a level of energy efficiency as high as five times that of traditional windows. All that technology can also be confusing. Terms like "low-E glass" and "argon gas" mean little to the average consumer. Any firm making a presentation to you about windows is likely to use dozens of such terms. Fortunately, there is a simpler way to evaluate different windows.
Many of us are familiar with the ubiquitous advertising "deals" on thermal replacement windows. They tell us that replacement windows will save us money on energy and maintenance. They tell us our home will be cozier. They tell us our home will be more valuable. We wonder whether any of what they say is true. We ask questions and get hi-tech double talk about low-E glass and argon gas. They might as well be speaking a foreign language.
Windows bring the outside world into your home but they shouldn't be the source of high energy bills. Design options provide for noise reduction, high resistance to condensation, and protection from UV rays that can damage and fade furnishings.
Dual pane windows are great to reduce energy loss and to make homes more comfortable by insulating against noise and drafts. But when moisture forms between the panes of glass, homeowners often don't know whether to call a window expert, the local glass company or a general handyman.
The type of window glass you want will likely depend on where it will be used.
Window screens have come a long way in a few years. In addition to keeping insects out and letting air in, they can now protect you and your possessions from sun damage. Here's an overview of what's available.
Applying window film/tinting can reduce potentially harmful UV light, and can also cut a home's heat absorption, saving on cooling costs.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about cleaning windows.
One of the most enjoyable experiences resulting from remodeling your bathroom comes from soaking in the tub when the work is finally completed! And one of the most enjoyable aspects of soaking in the tub is experiencing the natural light and warmth of the sun streaming in from a well placed and creatively designed window system.
Q: I have had moisture build up on the inside single pane windows since I moved into my home. When I called the installer, he said it had to do with excess moisture in the house from the crawl space and walls. I need to know which insulation to install between the floor joists, in the crawl space, and how? Which R-value, and vapor barrier should I install?
Awnings add beauty and charm to your home's exterior.