Thinking about Getting Window Film for Your Home? 10 FAQs and the Answers that Can Help You Decide
Posted: January 20, 2016 Filed under: Home Improvement | Tags: Film, Home, Window, Window Film Leave a comment
You may have heard enough about window film to wonder if it might be a good choice for your home. That’s a question you’ll ultimately have to answer for yourself, but in the meantime here are some questions about window film we can answer.
#1What is it, exactly?
Window film is a thin, polyester-based transparent overlay that can be applied to the interior of windows or similar flat glass surfaces. Many people believe it makes windows look nice but its primary purpose is indoor climate control.
#2 How does it work?
The surface of the film is highly reflective, of either visual light or ultraviolet light, which helps cut down glare and heat penetration. It also has thermal insulating properties that keep heat from escaping out through windows when the weather is cold.
#3 Is window film expensive?
Prices vary, but it is a product that will pay for itself many times over in reduced indoor heating and cooling costs. It lasts and that is why it is so cost-efficient.
#4 Okay, but how long will it last?
Film manufactured for commercial use generally comes with a 10-15 year warranty, although a life span of up to 25 years is common. Meanwhile film for home use is often warrantied for life.
#5 Is window film appropriate for every type of window or are there some exceptions?
Interior window film will cause the outer surfaces of windows to heat up to some extent. This is usually not a problem, but window film is not recommended for the following types of surfaces in residential settings:
- Double-pane glass sections larger than 40 square feet.
- Triple-pane glass.
- Glass that has been chipped or cracked.
- Tinted glass thicker than a quarter-inch.
- Laminated glass windows.
- Textured, wired, patterned or reflective glass.
#6 Will its tinting effects reduce fabric fading?
In a word, yes. The intensity of visual sunlight is reduced and UV rays are cut off as well, making window film a fabric-friendly product to be sure.
#7 Will it get scratched?
Scratch-free coatings are commonly applied to good-quality window film, which makes it highly scratch-resistant and easy to clean without excessive worry.
#8 Will it kill house plants?
While it is true house plants thrive in sunlight, they still do just fine in homes that use window film. Window film cuts down on glare but it won’t plunge you into darkness.
#9 How is window film different than solar screens?
Solar screens are mounted on the outside, are not nearly as transparent to sunlight as window film and must be taken down and cleaned periodically. Window film blends into the interior surface of a window and quickly blends into the background, to the point where you will forget it’s there after a while.
#10 How is commercial window film different from the residential product?
The former is quite dark and reflective and is often used on large windows where glare and heat penetration can be significant. Residential film is lighter in both weight and shading effect, reducing solar energy infiltration by up to 70 without unduly altering the sunlit nature of any indoor living space.
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Enjoying the Many Benefits of LED Lighting
Posted: December 15, 2015 Filed under: Home | Tags: Add Home Value, BULB, Home, LED, SAVING 2 Comments
Are you ready to make the transition to LED lighting?
You certainly should be. Costs are dropping fast and versatile LED bulbs are now being manufactured that can meet all of your home or office lighting needs.
The Price is Right, Finally
For a long time LED light bulbs were not economically competitive with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights).
But the situation has changed dramatically. LED bulbs for home fixtures are now available for less than $10, and higher-quality LED bulbs for home use won’t cost you much more than $20.
This may still seem like a lot, especially in comparison to old-style incandescent bulbs. But when you factor in cost-savings for long-term electricity consumption LEDs have become a true money-saver.
The Forever Bulb
An LED light bulb won’t actually last forever. But if you put it in a lightly-used fixture you might put on quite a few wrinkles before you have to make a change. The typical LED home bulb will continue to glow at full or nearly full strength for up to 50,000 hours, and if it was kept on for eight hours a day it would last for more than 17 years.
To put this in perspective, you would need five CFLs and at least 25 incandescent bulbs to match this performance. Just based on the price of purchase alone a good-quality LED bulb would cost you less, but when you take electricity consumption into account the cost advantages soar.
Under the current price structure it would cost you about $60 dollars to cover the operating cost of the LED for 17 years, but $140 to pay for the electricity consumed by the five CFLs. That is a savings of almost five dollars per year, and if you multiply that by a house full of LEDs it adds up to a fairly princely sum.
We won’t even try to calculate your costs savings for LEDs vs. incandescents—those results would be ugly.
Even More Benefits
LED light bulbs don’t generate any heat at all, which is the secret to their long life span and their high energy-efficiency. About 90 and 80 percent of the energy consumed by incandescents and CFLs respectively is lost as heat waste, in contrast to LEDs that generate no waste at all.
Another advantage of LEDs is their durability. Because they have no glass parts LEDs won’t break if dropped, bumped, jostled or exposed to vibrations. This rugged dependability makes LEDs suitable for crowded public venues and all sorts of working environments.
LED bulbs come in a variety of colors and in dimmable form as well. They also come in different shapes and sizes and can be purchased to fit just about any type of fixture you might be using.
LEDs are the Winner
The evidence is conclusive: LEDs bulbs can cut your home operating expenses significantly if installed en masse. They do still cost more to purchase than CFLs or incandescents, but if you make the switch to LEDs you will be compensated for your wise upfront investment many times over.
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The Most Affordable U.S. States For Homes and Remodels
Posted: October 27, 2015 Filed under: Home | Tags: AFfordable US States, Home, home improvement, Home Remodeling Leave a comment
With home prices steadily rising and the economy finally enjoying new life, many people are considering homeownership, yet looking for the most affordable housing options. Finding a home that won’t break the bank is a matter of knowing the most affordable US states to live in.
According to CNBC, the most affordable US states offer low housing costs, lower than average costs for food, utilities and gasoline and a high quality of living. Alabama, Mississippi and Kansas all top the charts in affordability, with residents in these states paying far less than the national average for their living expenses.
Buying a home in one of these cheap states means that you will have more money in your budget for home improvement. Homeowners will enjoy affordable closet renovations, home theaters and children’s playrooms. Whether you want to remodel your kitchen or overhaul your bathroom, you can find high quality contractors that will get the job done right.
Choosing a Remodeling Expert
Home Improvement Partners is the first place to look when you are considering a home remodel. New trends in housing happen every day, and we always keep you up to date on what’s happening in the industry. Want to maximize your bathroom space but not sure how? We offer tips and tricks for making your small space feel larger. Don’t understand the ins and outs of home automation? Let our handy guides break it down for you.
Starting Your Remodeling Project
Whether you want to do a complete gut renovation or simply update your home, it pays to have a plan of action when you start your renovation. Think through your options in terms of budget, space and time to completion. Interview contractors and let Home Improvement Partners be your resource for the best information on finding the right one to manage your home improvement project.
Finding the right affordable home is the goal of many prospective buyers. The most affordable U.S. states offer you the ability to live comfortably without breaking the bank so that you have more money for home remodeling.
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Expert Tips For World Class Home Security
Posted: June 16, 2014 Filed under: Home Improvement | Tags: Home, home design, home security Leave a comment
Securing your home is essential to your peace of mind. You get to feel safe when you are within the walls of your home. You also get to be out in the world with the confidence that your valuables are protected when you are not there. Use the ideas presented within this article to lock down your peace of mind.
Home security systems aren’t just about sounding alarms. Some give offer the option to monitor all entries into the house. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.
Refrain from using candles in your house unless it is absolutely necessary. If you do burn a candle, make sure that you blow it out when you are completed. It is vital that no burning flame is left unattended because one slip can destroy your home and potential hurt your loved ones.
Get to know your neighbors. Your neighbors are a valuable resource that can help keep an eye on your home when you cannot. When neighbors watch out for each other, you can be alerted if anything suspicious is occurring. Keep an ear out for neighborhood gossip too! If you hear about houses in your area being broken into, it might be time to step up security.
Install motion sensing lights. Darkness is a potential thief’s best friend. Make sure all potential entrances to your home are covered by a motion sensing light. These lights will turn on automatically when movement triggers them, making it difficult for anyone to sneak around your property. Thieves will quickly move on to an easier target.
Now that you have read this article, you should have more than one new idea about how to better protect your home. This is wise to do to protect yourself, your loved ones and anything within your home. Even if nothing happens, you at least have peace of mind that your home is safe.
Achieve Gardening Success With These Useful Tips
Posted: May 24, 2014 Filed under: Home | Tags: garden, gardening, Home 2 Comments
Whether you are green fingered or black thumbed, adding a garden to your home can add value to your property, when it comes time to resell. Not only that, the hobby of gardening can be a relaxing stress-buster when required. Below are some ideas on how to turn your back yard into a little green piece of paradise.
Clay soil can be very hard to work with, and you will often find that it sticks to the shovel. Try applying a coat of wax onto your spade prior to working with clay soil, and then buff the spade head with a cloth. The wax prevents the clay from sticking to the shovel, and stops rust from forming.
Keep herb plants trimmed and bushy. By consistently pruning your herb plants you will create a shorter path for nutrients and allow the leaves to grow fuller and quicker. Keep the plants short through trimming as well and increase the density of the leaves. When at all possible do not allow the herbs to flower.
Use a solution made of a combination of alcohol, water, and vinegar to remove the salt deposits that may accrue in clay pots. Spray it on the the pots and scrub away with a brush, preferably plastic. This allows you to continue to reuse those clay pots! Make sure the pots are dry before using them though.
If you are getting very small fruit or flower yields, make sure to check the pH level of the soil. If the pH level is to high or too low, it can affect the amount of nutrients that your plants can absorb. Plants need different nutrients at different stages of their lives to be healthy, successful and to bear fruit.
These hints should have given you an idea on how to begin adding a garden to your property. Always remember that in order for the garden to always look its best, regular care and maintenance is required. However, with a little effort it is easy to produce an area that you can be truly proud of.
Home Is Where The Heart Is. Get The Home You Have Always Dreamed Of
Posted: May 21, 2014 Filed under: Home | Tags: Home, home improvement, home improvment, home improvment tips, oil-based paint Leave a comment
Home improvement jobs are so important because you are taking the time to personalize your house. Money can be lost in home improvement, so plan and do your research! There are some effective ideas in this article to help you start.
Repainting the porch may be necessary in your home improvement efforts. Be sure the paint you use is of the best quality. Choose a paint similar to the old one; do not apply an oil-based paint over a water based-one or the other way around. Oil-based paint is good for trim, as it lasts longer, but it should not be used on a deck or floor outdoors, as it becomes very slippery with snow.
Consider purchasing a combo unit washer/dryer if you reside in a small space. Washer and dryer combos fit almost anywhere a dishwasher will. It is possible to wash and dry clothes in a combo unit.
Prevent creaks and squeaks in wood flooring with construction adhesives. You’ll need to apply the adhesive from the basement below or in a crawlspace. Use a caulk gun, put some glue on each joist of the floor and this will secure your subfloor.
Solar panel additions can be a great home improvement project. The initial outlay can be a little expensive, but over the long term this could be a very worthwhile investment. This saves you money on energy costs due to the use of stored energy. This option is natural and an overall good choice.
Home improvement projects can be laborious yet rewarding. You can build your dream house by learning what you need to do, how to do it and how to stay safe while doing it. So, make sure you take your time to research and apply the tips you just went over so you can be better at doing home improvements.
Home Improvement – Tips You Need To Know!
Posted: May 19, 2014 Filed under: Home Improvement | Tags: Home, home design, home improvment Leave a comment
Are you looking for some knowledge on how to make home improvements? Okay then. It certainly helps to educate yourself about the basics that you might encounter during the process. If this isn’t sufficient, reading the following article will help fill in any gaps in your knowledge.
Aluminum tape is a great way to patch cracks along your roof. To use the tape, simply remove the paper backing from the tape and apply over the crack. This creates a surface that is waterproof covering for those cracks.
You can take a big bite out of the cost of a kitchen remodeling project by opting to give your existing cabinets a new finish, instead of buying all-new cabinetry. It is possible to paint the baseboards and add new doors and pulls in order to transform them. Plus, you can do this for a fraction of the cost it would take to replace them!
Wood or tile floors are worth the expense if your budget can afford them. Laminate wood floors may initially have the same look as wood floors but they will not last and long and cannot be refinished. 10 to 20 years down the road, yourself or a new owner will have to replace the floor instead of just having it refinished.
It isn’t hard to connect PVC pipes to each other, you just need PVC primer and cement. You must use these exact products. Other types of products will not work with PVC pipe, and leaking may result. Also, make sure the pipes are dry.
Building material can be stored between floor joists or rafters in the ceiling. Pieces of molding that are long, and materials that are larger than that can be placed in this area with minimal effort. Just put some furring strips on the floor joists so that the materials can be stored.
You now have some great information on how to improve your home. Impressive effort! Hopefully you have become better aware of issues to consider when undertaking your own improvement projects. Utilize the information in this article for all your home improvement projects.
Home Improvement Doesn’t Have To Be A Headache With These Tips
Posted: May 1, 2014 Filed under: Home, Home Improvement, Real Estate | Tags: Air Conditioning Contractor Hoffman Estates, Hoffman Estates Home Improvement, Home, Home Air Conditioning, Home HVAC, home improvement, Home Improvement Tips Leave a comment
With your home being the single most expensive thing any of us will probably ever purchase, making changes, improvements or renovations to it can be a scary proposal. What if it goes wrong? What if we make the wrong choices? This article will help you wade through the rights and wrongs with some great tips and ideas for your home improvement projects.
Make sure you take before and after photos of any work or improvements you do to your home. You may like to look back on all the hard work and changes when it feels like the project as a whole will never be done. Keep pictures on your computer or have them printed for a scrapbook.
Use an old, dirty paint roller to clean the gutters on your house. The old paint roller that you have deemed unusable will quickly and easily clean your dirty gutters. Attach the roller to an extended handle. Then simply remove debris and leaves by sliding it along the gutter.
Weather stripping installed around doors and windows can make your home energy efficient. This very inexpensive fix from the hardware store, will seal out the hot or cold air and make your heating and cooling system much more effective. You will also notice that your temperature in your home is easier to control now.
Drive nail holes in the rim of your paint can! This lip on the paint can will fill with paint, when replacing the lid it can cause the paint to spill over. With a nail, put several holes in paint can’s perimeter, in the bottom of that channel, to avoid a problem.ne
Paint your floor in sections corresponding with the direction of the planking. When you paint the floor of a large room it is easy to paint yourself into a corner or to unintentionally block access to the rest of the house until the paint dries. If you paint in sections you can leave paths that run along specific boards. When you paint the adjoining section everything will match perfectly.
When it comes to home improvement, be sure to have fun with it. This is important because it should be a rewarding experience for you. You will never fully enjoy your home improvement project if it was a burden and brings back bad memories. Consider hiring help if it is expected that you will run into issues completing the project on your own.
Add a bit more swing to your home run swings when playing baseball, by putting a little uppercut into them. When it’s a higher pitch, add a bit of a slight uppercut to your swing to really send that ball flying. That kind of swing relies more on powerful hip and midsection muscles to be successful, so you also get a great workout.
Hopefully the information that you have just read will help you realize that home improvement isn’t as scary as it can seem. There are wrong choices that can be made, but if you stick to these tips, you will have the information you need to make good choices and have a great and valuable home.
And Remember…
The Best Improvement You Can Give Your Home is a Home Air Conditioning Upgrade to a High Efficiency, Energy-Saving HVAC System from Bartlett Heating and Air Conditioning:
Make Your Home The Envy Of Everyone You Know With These Interior Design Tips
Posted: April 14, 2014 Filed under: home design | Tags: Home, home design, Interior Design Leave a comment
Whether you rent your home or own it, there are things you can do to improve the look and feel of the place you call home. Interior design can be done by anyone. It just takes a bit of inspiration and a little work to transform the place where you live into the home you enjoy.
If you want to paint the walls of your house but are unsure of what color to use, painting different color swatches on the walls will help you decide. Make sure the swatches are large enough to be able to compare with one another. Furthermore, make sure you let the paint dry before you decide so you can gauge the correct color of the paint.
When considering an interior-design project you should think about starting in the most popular room of the house. Interior design can be both a lot of work and cost a lot as well. If you want to get the most out of your work and money, you should decorate the room that you will enjoy the most first.
Choose your colors carefully when you’re looking at repainting a room. You want to choose colors that go well together and compliment each other. You don’t want colors that clash and fight for attention. You want your colors to blend together and feel natural. Don’t go with too many bright colors, or you risk overwhelming your senses.
If you are thinking about redecorating your kitchen, come up with ideas that are outside the box, especially with the counter tops. Classic granite is always lovely but concrete, wood and cork can also be viable options. Some other options are cheaper, and will make your kitchen unique from others.
Have you ever heard the old saying about taking off one piece of jewelry before you leave your home? The same rule applies to interior design. Once you finish decorating a room, give it a good look and spend some time editing down your design. Even if you love every pillow, plant, or picture in your home, you don’t want a room to look cluttered.
Before you start decorating a room, make sure you think about the room’s purpose. Think about the people who use the room and what the room is used for. For instance, if you are improving your living room you should make sure their is seating for your family and potential visitors, but if you are working on a bedroom, you should make that room more personal.
Clean up. Before starting any interior design, it is a good idea to make sure everything is very clean. Your carpet may look terrible, but it may not need to be replaced. It is possible that it just needs a good cleaning! Gt everything cleaned up before deciding on what to do next, and you may save yourself money and time.
These are just a few ideas about what you can do to change your house into the place you feel at home. Use the ideas you have learned here to begin the transformation. Before you know it, you will have the home that everyone who enters will admire and enjoy.
Bored With Your Home? Tips To Improve Your Home!
Posted: March 24, 2014 Filed under: Home Improvement | Tags: Home, home improvement, Home Improvement Tips 1 Comment
Even the simplest home-improvement project can be quite daunting if you do not have the necessary information about how to accomplish it. This article is full of some great tips to help you get through the home-improvement projects that you decide to take on. Read through the tips carefully and gain the knowledge that you need to succeed.
Displaying books in your living area can be a great sign of intelligence as well as a nice decorating accessory. Make sure when you’re displaying your books to arrange them according to height and color. Not arranging books according to height will make your collection appear messy and unorganized. Arranging your books by color will make your area seem sophisticated.
Before you embark on a home improvement project, consider the impact on your home’s resale value. For example, converting your garage into a living room may make sense for your immediate needs, but many home buyers are turned off by this sort of addition. Even if you don’t plan on selling immediately, circumstances can change, and you may have to spend additional money getting your home back to the way it was.
Childproofing your home can have a lot of great long- term effects. Your child will grow up much healthier if you make sure that your home is safe from harmful gases and contaminating microscopic particles. Such steps to keep your child safe should begin with conception and not after your baby is born.
If you have a luggage rack somewhere, you can easily turn it into a side table for your living room. Simply take out glass from a frame and attach it to the rack. Place a lamp and some magazines on top of it, and you have a beautiful, usable new side table.
Whether you are painting one room, or all of them, take the time to determine the amount of paint you will need. Never simply look at a job and guess. You can waste a lot of money this way. The time you invest on properly assessing the job will be time and money that you save in the end.
Never let extra space in your home go to waste. Reconsider your unused laundry room, hall closet, or walk-in pantry as a home office or mud room. These hidden areas generally already have built-in shelves, so you don’t have to invest in wall units or bookshelves. Keep the area from feeling too enclosed by turning a full-sized door into a pocket door.
Perpetually closed doors can make a hallway or corridor appear uninviting and uncomfortably narrow. Replace your solid door with a French door, which has a series of clear glass panels framed by wood. If you are concerned with privacy, opt for translucent glass or an adhesive to give the glass a “frosted” look. Home Depot and Lowe’s carry adhesive window films for under twenty dollars.
Surely, you found the information that preceded to be helpful for many different projects around your house. A bit of knowledge about home improvement can go a long way in helping you transform your house into your home. Take on the challenge of making the improvements on your home with the help of the included information.
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