Bad Exterior Painting Decisions (And How To Avoid Them)!

The exterior of your house can be viewed as its skin. Not only does it protect you from the elements outdoors and trap the cool air in during the summer, but it also serves as the single most important cosmetic feature of your dwelling. As time goes by, you may find that your house's skin is not looking so great: it's chipped in spots and faded in others. Some areas of your exterior may be very difficult to clean, as it seems like dirt has just found a permanent home within it. Perhaps that shade of pastel pink that seemed like an awesome idea in 1986 isn’t so appealing anymore. Regardless of your reasoning, you may feel the need to paint your home's exterior.

Painting an exterior is much more complicated than painting a room. First off, there are many things to consider, such as what type of siding you have, what type of colors work well in your neighborhood, the climate of the area that you live in, and many others. Then there's the actual painting of the house, which might seem like an easy task in your head, but upon starting the job you may feel like you've ordered more food than you can stomach. It is for these reasons that we've put together a list of things you should avoid when you approach the painting of your home's exterior.

Choosing the wrong type of paint

As technology continues to advance in computers, cell phones, tablets, etc., it also continues to advance in the field of paint. There are many options available when choosing which paint to use, so consider a few things when choosing it such as its resistance to fading, mold and mildew, and ultra-violet radiation. You should also research how easy the paint is to work with. You may also do your part to be environmentally friends by choosing a paint that is low-VOC and eco-friendly. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, be sure that the paint has a high durability that will keep it looking good for many years regardless of what type of climate you live in.

Choosing the wrong color

You may think that you are a home-renovation fashionista, but more than likely you should still run your color choices by others to be sure you aren’t making a horrible decision that you’ll regret for years-to-come. Talk to professionals, particularly contractors, architects, and realtors to determine which color choices best match your style of house and neighborhood. A bad color choice will leave your home looking tacky until you can afford to paint it again or you’re lucky enough for the color you picked to come into style (it probably won’t).

Bad preparation

Did you know that a thunderstorm can completely undue an entire day’s worth exterior painting work? Do yourself a favor and double check the forecast before you drag your ladder out of the garage- it will save you time, money, and a broken heart. Also, closely inspect the exterior of your home before you begin painting. Be sure you remove every fixture (mailboxes, house numbers, etc.) and cover all of your nearby plants to prevent them from being painted. Don’t forget to put painter’s tape around your windows and other areas that you don’t want the paint to leak on. I would also recommend moving any vehicles away from the house, as sometimes wind can blow bits of paint away from the area that you are working on. Failure to do these things can lead to damaging your property or at least making your painting endeavor more stressful than it needs to be.

Doing a poor job

One of the most important rules of home renovation is to never be impatient. Take things slowly. Watch videos on YouTube that teach proper painting techniques. When you purchase your brushes or paint, be sure to ask the professional if you are buying the correct materials. Always know when you should be using a brush and when you should be using a roller. If you know that you’ve made a mistake, fix it as soon as possible. Don’t leave it for later, as you will probably be tired and make an excuse to just leave the eyesore as is.

Not knowing when to get professional help

Never take on a job that is bigger than what you can handle. It is a waste of materials, time, and money to start a job only to abandon it. Painting the exterior of your home is a long and laborious process. If you don’t have the time, patience, or expertise to take on a project this big, or if your house is large and has a lot of complicated angles, etc. than you should probably hire a professional. There is no reason to throw out your back and drain your bank account only to have a half-painted exterior. Really think about what you are about to take on and get at least a few professional quotes before you dig the overalls out of your dresser drawer.

By carefully planning and doing a small amount of research, you can save yourself a lot of time and money and come out with an awesome, newly-painted exterior that you can be proud of. 

Updating Old Windows

If you have a sunroom or indoor patio built onto your home, you probably have incorporated quite a few windows into its structure. Aside from the siding of your house, windows probably make the most drastic impact on how your home is viewed by others. Typically, a house in constructed with windows that match the house's design and compliment its appearance. However, times change and so do houses. Over the years, you might have replaced the siding on your home, changed the style of paint, or made other renovations that have altered to overall "feel" of your exterior. In these cases, as well as a few others, you should consider choosing new windows for you home.

If your home is in a historical district, you may not be allowed to alter the size or overall appearance of your windows. However, older windows tend to leak air, not shut correctly, or be made out of energy inefficient types of glass. While you may not be allowed to change the overall appearance of your window to alter its historic integrity, you may be able to update the window to make it more friendly to your family, and your energy bills. By readjusting the frames the window sits in and updating its sash, as well as changing the type of window your are installing, you can save on energy bills while preserving the historic look and feel of the window. This will make both you and your neighborhood association happy.

A home that is not restricted by some of the more strict guidelines in a historical area has many more options when it comes to replacing windows. For example, you may actually move the location of your windows on your exterior or change the shape and/or size of the windows themselves. It is in these cases that you should consult a specialist to decide what types of windows best fit your exterior. It is also important that you make us of a professional when modifying the exterior of your house to prevent serious damage to your home. 

Updating your exterior is not the only reason to replace your windows. As seen in this previous blog entry, there is a vast amount of options when picking which kind of window to use in order to help keep your energy costs low. You would be surpised by how much energy you save just by being able to lock your windows and have them able to shut tightly. So whether it's for a cosmetic reason or just to replace the glass, there are many reasons to update your old windows, all of which are beneficial to both the appearance and energy costs of your home.

Fun In the Sunroom

One would be surprised at the amount of fun and enjoyment that can be had in the sunroom of a house. The sunroom provides one with the atmosphere and beauty of the outdoors, as well as the privacy and comfort of being indoors. It is for these reasons that you should never take your sunroom for granted. The following is a guide on how to make your sunroom a much more enjoyable place for you and your family to spend time.

First of all, don't use your sunroom for clutter or to store excess items. If you're using your sunroom as a storage space, you are basically turning it into a garage or storage shed. When was the last time you had a great deal of fun in your storage shed? By discarding or moving clutter out of your sunroom, you are taking a great step to enhancing its value as a living space.

Did you know that you are allowed to decorate your sunroom? A sunroom isn't just a place you pass through to go outside, it can be decorated and enhanced with furniture or art. Find a good theme or some cohesive artwork for your sunroom. Why not add a few nicer pieces of furniture? I also don't hesitate to recommend a table to be used for playing cards or board games in the sunroom, although some people will opt for a more open space with comfortable seating.

Tired of having kids running around your living room all the time? A sunroom can even be converted into a secondary play room for children. You can outfit it with toy storage bins, a small table for coloring, or even a TV with a couple of bean bag chairs. With a small amount of effort, you can create the perfect hangout for your kids. Also, where else would they rather hang out and watch a movie during a thunderstorm?

Finally, sunrooms are the perfect hangout room for game nights. In the age of Facebook and other forms of social media, we must not forget that it important to have real human contact with our friends and family members in a non-work environment. Socializing is important for humans and the sunroom provides an awesome place to hang out, play boardgames, or just kick back and talk. Committing yourself to more direct contact with your friends and family will make you a happier person, and what better way to do it than in the fun and beautiful atmosphere a sunroom can provide?

If you do not currently have a sunroom and would like to look into having one put in, please don't hesitate to contact us at Patio Systems, Inc.: (302) 644-6540 or (866) 644-6540

Patio Enclosure: Bring The Outdoors In!

We all love spending time in our backyards: barbecuing on the porch, sitting around the fire pit, or maybe just watching the sunset. Although we treasure it in the summer, during the winter our backyards are often neglected and forgotten about. You spent all that money on decks, porches, pools, and spas but can't even enjoy them half the time. Or can you? How do you make the back of your house more accessible year round? The solution may rest in a simple investment: a new patio enclosure.

An Open and Shut Casing
Patio enclosures can come in many different shapes and styles, but the best part about them is their versatility. Instead of leaving your porch or deck exposed to the elements, by building a frame around it you now have a little shelter from the storm and sun. But this doesn't mean you're sacrificing the feeling of the outdoors either. During the summer it can act as a screened-in porch, allowing you to enjoy the fresh air without getting eaten alive by bugs. During thunderstorms you can watch the rain while still staying dry. And on hot nights, you can move the family "outside" to get some sleep in a naturally ventilated room. But patio enclosures come with the option to close. In the winter all you have to do is shut the windows and you now have a climate controlled sanctuary that can act as any other room in the house, with a great year-round view of the outdoors.

Total Climate Control
To make it more energy efficient, there are a few simple things you should consider as you erect your patio enclosure. Since you're encased in glass a lot of the time, you don't want your porch to have a greenhouse effect. Make sure you invest in some kind of window glazing or shade screens to stop the sun from heating up the house and raising your energy bills. Also, think about installing a doorway into this room so it can be shut off from the rest of the house if necessary. Also, you may want to put in a fireplace or stove so that during the winter you can enjoy the cozy atmosphere while watching the snow fall. This addition is supposed to allow you to use your deck during all seasons but if it's not inviting and welcoming, you'll never end up using it, so make sure you design it in such a way as to make it comfortable and alluring all year round.



Read more: http://www.homeadvisor.com/article.show.Patio-Enclosure-Bringing-the-Outdoors-Inside.14651.html#ixzz2eRkZXHJI

Could an Awning be Exactly what your Home or Business Needs??

Not sure about adding an awning to your home or business? Here are just a few reasons an awning could really be what your house or commercial establishment needs and some tips on how to choose the right one for you!


* It protects the window frames from the rain, sun and snow. Most window frames and windowpanes are made of wood. We all know how wood responds to environmental changes. Even with sufficient wood coating and polish, wood deteriorates faster when exposed to the harshness of the weather conditions.

* Your house may have a porch or a patio and you have some furniture there, where you relax as you read a book or have a cup of coffee with your friends. Such furniture, regardless of the material, wears out faster when exposed to the sun and rain.

* When it's raining, you normally keep your windows shut, blocking fresh air from coming in through the windows. If your house has awnings, during rain showers, you can keep your windows open and still prevent rainwater from getting in.

* When you are watching TV or using the computer, you usually have the windows shut, or the curtains or blinds down to reduce the glare. If awnings were fitted, you wouldn't need to block natural light from the rest of the room since the awnings will reduce the glare on the monitors positioned near the windows.

* A major effect of having awnings, according to a study, is that it can reduce summer heat increase by 65% for windows facing south, and 77% for windows facing east and west.

So if you are now convinced that you would like your house or your building to have awnings, don't just go out there and get one. There are things that you need to consider.

* Material

The most commonly used materials for awnings are outdoor fabric and aluminum. Those made of outdoor fabric come in a variety of color and shapes; however, these require more maintenance than aluminum ones.

Those made of aluminum are sturdy and require less maintenance. These awnings, however, have limited design and color options.

* Angle

It is recommended that for windows facing east or west, the size of the drop should be 65-75% for the best efficiency. For a window facing south, the drop can just be 45-60% since less coverage is needed, as the sun has a higher angle from this direction.

* Side panels

Side panels may alter the architectural feel of the awnings. Side panels are also beneficial in adding coverage in a different direction.

* Stationary, Retractable or Freestanding

Roll-up and retractable awnings allow you to permit the sun to shine into the house during winter.

Retractable awnings are also good for patios or decks. These awnings have a mechanism that allows it to be extended as far as necessary. 

Retractable awnings can also have motors and switches for ease in retraction. Some also have sun and wind sensors to automate the retraction.

Retractable awnings are not for heavy rains, high winds and snow, though. So make sure these are properly protected from such weather conditions.

Freestanding awnings may also be used for patios, decks or terraces. Business establishments, as these also double as an advertisement, usually use these.

* Size

Small awnings are used for their decorative effect. If you would like to maximize the protective function of awnings, choose the bigger ones.

* Style

The most popular styles are traditional with closed sides, traditional with open sides, dome style, double bar standard, waterfall, quarter barrel, gable walkway and semi-circular entrance.

To check the most applicable style for your house design and the direction of your windows, consult an architect.

* Color

Apart from considering what color goes well with your house or establishment, if possible, choose a light-colored awning since it does not only block direct sunlight light other awnings, but this also reflects sunlight. By doing so, it lessens the amount of heat that comes in.

Also to minimize the heat that comes into the house, make sure that there is a gap between the side of the house and the top of the awning to prevent the heat on the awning to be transferred to the house.

If you still have questions or are convinced you NEED an awning for your  home or business, give us a call today. 866-644-6540



For more information on this topic, visit the source of this article at http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/32706/home_improvement/how_to_choose_awnings_for_your_home_or_business.html

Smart Windows are the Window of the Future!

WINDOWS OF THE FUTURE

New technologies are producing increasingly energy efficient windows. Already on the market are "super-windows," boasting triple layer designs, with two low-E coatings and spaces filled with mixtures of argon or krypton gases.

A new generation of windows, however, is being called "smart windows" because they adapt to changing conditions.

A few "smart windows" are already commercially available, and others are being developed in research labs. These windows change properties -- like their shading coefficients and visible transmittances -- in response to either an electric charge or an environmental signal such as a change in light level.

Depending on the mechanism that initiates the change in the window, these "switchable glazings" fall into four categories: electrochromic, liquid crystal, thermochromic, and photochromic.

Electrochromic Windows

Flip a switch and an electrochromic window can change from clear to fully darkened or any level of tint in-between.

The technology has been suggested for cars, where with a touch of a switch the driver can tint the mirror or sunroof. In buildings, the changeable windows allow for privacy, to cut down glare, and to ward off increases in solar heat.

The action of an electric field signals the change in the window's optical and thermal properties. Once the field is reversed, the process is also reversed. The windows operate on a very low voltage -- one to three volts -- and only use energy to change their condition, not to maintain any particular state.

To make an electrochromic window, a thin, multi-layer assembly is sandwiched between traditional pieces of glass. The two outside layers of the assembly are transparent electronic conductors. Next is a counter-electrode layer and an electrochromic layer, with an ion conductor layer in-between. When a low voltage is applied across the conductors, moving ions from the counter-electrode to the electrochromic layer cause the assembly to change color. Reversing the voltage moves ions from the electrochromic layer back to the counter-electrode layer, restoring the device to its previous clear state. The glass may be programmed to absorb only part of the light spectrum, such as solar infrared.

Early research indicates that the technology can save substantial amounts of energy in buildings, and electrochromic glazings may eventually replace traditional solar control technology such as tints, reflective films and shading devices.

Liquid Crystal Windows

The first commercially available "smart window," liquid crystal windows are used for privacy control. They do not provide energy savings.

In this window's normal "off" condition, the glazing is a translucent milky white. When an electric current is applied, however, it turns slightly hazy clear. The switch between the two states is nearly instantaneous.

The technology works this way: two layers of film enclose a layer of tiny liquid crystals. This assembly is laminated between two pieces of heat-treated glass. Both faces of the film are covered with a transparent, electrically conductive metal coating. These conductive coatings are wired to a power supply.

When the power is off, the liquid crystals are randomly scattered. Light entering the glazing does not have a clear path out, and the window is a translucent milky white. When an electric current is applied between the two conductive coatings, the liquid crystals align neatly and you can see through the window.

Other than the diffusion of light, the optical properties of the two states are nearly identical -- the window lets in nearly the same amount of light and solar heat whether it's on or off. Because there is little change in performance properties and because it requires constant energy to maintain its clear state, this liquid crystal window provides no energy saving benefits.

Thermochromic Windows

As the prefix thermo- implies, heat causes thermochromic windows to alter their properties. In response to changes in the ambient temperature, clear thermochromic glazings become diffused.

Several thermochromic technologies are being explored, but gel-based coatings seem to be the most promising. "Cloud Gel, " a product now on the market, is a thin plastic film that can be incorporated into almost any window assembly. The response temperatures of "Cloud Gel" can be adjusted depending on need and location.

In addition to automatically changing from clear to diffused in response to heat, the glazings also turn white and reflective, reducing the transmission of solar heat. That can reduce air conditioning costs significantly when it's hot outside. Because you can no longer see through the window once it loses its transparency, this glazing is probably best suited for skylights rather than view windows.

Photochromic Windows

Still in the development stage, photochromic windows respond to changes in light, much like sunglasses that darken when you move from a dim light to a bright one.

While this type of technology may seem like a good idea, it has its drawbacks for saving energy. Photochromic windows work well to reduce glare from the sun, but they don't control heat gain. That's because the amount of light that strikes a window doesn't necessarily correspond to the amount of solar heat it absorbs. Because the sun is lower in the sky during the winter months, for example, its rays may strike a window more intensely in the cold season than in the summer, when the sun is higher in the sky. In this case, a photochromic window would darken more in the winter than in the summer, although winter is the time when solar heat would be beneficial.

Another problem is that, while this technology works fine on small, eyeglass-sized pieces of glass, it has yet do be done successfully on a large-scale, commercial level for window-sized pieces.

Despite some problems, "smart windows" hold the promise of reducing energy demand and cutting air conditioning and heating loads in the future. They offer the next major step in windows that are increasingly sophisticated and energy efficient.

For more information on this topic, visit the source of this article at http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/windows/windows_future.html

Tips on Picking a Gazebo Design

Gazebos have been an integral part of garden designs and apart of patio enclosures since ages. The royal gardens were particularly known for their shocking gazebos, where the kings & queens spent free time. Since then, a lot has changed in the garden designs, but gazebos still stand strong ( though with a makeover look ).

A gazebo brings you the exhilaration of getting welcomed with nature from all sides, while you sit and get a room-like comfort in the outdoor.

Gazebos come in numerous shapes, designs and sizes. The gazebo material also varies widely. With such a massive number of options to choose from, selecting the most suited one can be a large amount of exercise. Nonetheless knowing about some basic things can turn out to be of good help.

You need to have a fair enough notion of the space available in your garden for setting up a gazebo. Whether the available space allows you to set up the size you are planning for or not- is a vital point to think about.

Another decision that has to be taken is regarding the gazebo material. Markets give you a multitude of materials to choose from – red cedar, pinewood, redwood, bamboo , metals such as wrought iron, steel for example. Be sure to pick the one that goes well with the weather conditions of the location where gazebo is to be set up. Unless you’re looking for a strong gazebo which can stand for around 20-30 years, avoid going for permanent materials like concrete.

Coming to shapes and designs, one the option is going for classic shapes with 4, 6, eight or even 12 sides. You’ll also consider shapes such as square or round. You are presented with several interesting and innovative shapes in the market these days. Square shaped gazebos come in 3 well-liked designs – Montpellier, Japanese and French.

Montpellier gazebo could be a good choice for a pool side setup in the garden. The Japanese design could be chosen in case of huge garden spaces. French design does not demand much space and so can be easily homed in smaller gardens, keeping the look easy yet sweet.

Leading edge folding designs are also among the choices now. Relying upon your need, you can go for portable and compressable gazebos. Netting can also be included as a side of design. Choose whether you would need your gazebo to be covered with net or not, while finalizing on the look. If bugs often make their presence felt in your garden, it’s better to go for a netted gazebo.

Always bear in mind that the best gazebo and any covered patio idea is one which suits your pocket best! If your position allows, go for the best possible option available. But in case budget is an inhibition, it’s miles better that you build your own gazebo. This would not only protect you from spending heavily, but would also give you the opportunity to design a gazebo with your own creativity.

For more information on this topic, visit the source of this article at http://patiodieas.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/how-to-pick-a-gazebo-design/