When designing a new home or refurbishing an older residence, once completing the heavy work of creating the foundation and framing, finishing the walls and adding the various home systems, it becomes time to think about enhancing the look of your home’s exterior surfaces. For example, after selecting paint colors and exterior light fixtures, you might focus your attention on the windows. Enhancing windows has never been easier with window grilles and grates. While window grilles are vinyl or wood decorative pieces that get applied to the glass surfaces and create the look of several separate glass panes, window grates are made of metal and designed for security and ornamental purposes. For three important reasons, many homeowners choose to include window grates in their home construction or remodel.

1. To Accentuate Windows

You can draw attention to one window or a series of windows by utilizing window grates. The grate gets attached to the home’s exterior, protecting the glass window panel behind it. In addition, due to the use of metal in the grates’ construction, grates contrast with the slick and shiny glass behind it, drawing the viewer’s eye to the window.

2. To Emphasize Style

A wide assortment of window grate styles allows homeowners to blend them with the overall design aesthetic of their homes. Made with central detailing featuring beautiful ornate round, curlicue shapes, fillagree styles or simple cross-bar versions, you can find grates that emphasize your home’s design style.

3. To Enhance Security

Although the window grates can provide a hefty dose of ornamentation to any home exterior, their primary purpose rests in providing the extra security you want from your windows. They often get utilized on the home’s lower levels, especially with ground-level basement windows, among other vital spots requiring additional security.

Reaching the point in your home construction or remodel where you get to apply the exterior’s finishing touches helps conclude what often plays out as a long project. Window grates add that decorative touch while adding security to an essential part of your home.

Windows can make or break a home’s energy efficiency and thermal performance. There are different types of windows used in building construction. Each type of window is carefully selected based on various criteria. A window is an opening in a wall covered with glass or timber to allow light into a building. Below are some factors to consider when choosing a glass window for your home.

• Architectural view of the room
• The size of the room
• Climatic conditions 
• Location of the building
• Size of the room

Types of Windows

Below are the types of windows to choose from and make your home a magnificent piece of structural excellence.

Fixed Windows with Stained Glass

They do not have an opening or closing as they are fixed to the wall. Fixed windows let light into the room, not air. On most occasions, fixed windows are found in tall buildings, roofs, or religious buildings. 

Some religious buildings have fixed windows and stained glass that is filled with religious paintings meant to enhance the beauty of the building and to enlighten the mass. However, the stained glass is delicate and can easily damage after prolonged exposure to the elements.

Stained glass restoration Houston TX-based, or your specific location can help you repair and create the delicate building material.

Casement Windows

They have increasingly become popular due to their opening and closing features. Casement windows can be opened and closed like a door, suitable for both small and large buildings.

Louvered Windows

Louvered windows are composed of parallel acrylics, glass, or wood. To open the louvers, you have to tilt and lift the cord. 

Corner Window

Just as the name suggests, corner windows face two perpendicular directions. This type of window allows light or air to enter the room from two different directions.

Bay Windows

Bay windows are projected windows from walls meant to increase the area’s ability to be opened to allow ventilation and light from outside. The bay’s window projection has different shapes, such as rectangular, triangular, or polygonal. In addition, they provide a beautiful appearance to the structure.

Metal Windows

Metal windows use mild steel to make metal windows. This is because they are durable, strong, and affordable. Therefore, they are a popular choice for both private and public buildings.

Other metals like bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, and bronze, can also make windows. However, they are costly compared to mild steel windows. After considering the factors, you can select a window for your house. Choosing a window for your home depends on your preference, style, and architectural structure of the building.

Looking for a creative way to encourage your kids to get up off the couch and get active? Here are three great outdoor upgrades that will help you and your kids get more physical activity, all from the comfort of your own backyard.

1. Install a Putting Green

A putting green in your own backyard? This fun feature is actually easier to add to your own outdoor space than you may think. Find a level area of your lawn that’s free from any landscape obstructions. Replace the turf in this area with quality synthetic lawn products Thousand Oaks. You’ll have a maintenance-free putting green that you can customize with lawn ornaments to create a custom mini-golf area that your kids will love.

2. Add a Swimming Pool

No upgraded backyard is complete without a refreshing place for your family to swim. You don’t have to install a huge in-ground pool to encourage activity – even a small pool will entice your kids to step outside and burn some calories. Above-ground pool options can be installed in a weekend, and they’re a cost-effective alternative to a complicated in-ground pool.

3. Create an Obstacle Course

If you have the space in your yard, consider creating a custom obstacle course that will get every member of the family running, jumping, climbing and having fun. Customize the course to suit the needs of your kids. Some classic obstacles to include could be a rope swing, climbing wall and even a balance beam. Don’t forget to create a soft surface by using rubber mulch to cushion falls in these areas.

Give your kids, and yourself, an upgraded and inviting outdoor space that will become the site of endless activities. By following these tips and adding these exciting features to your backyard, your kids will ditch the screens and head outdoors for fun and entertainment.

There are lots of reasons why someone might decide to make their next home paint job a DIY affair. Doing things yourself doesn’t just save you money. It gives you the rewarding feeling that comes with personally taking care of your property as well. Here’s how to make sure your DIY paint job looks every bit as good as anything a professional could do.

1. Prep Your Surface

Great paintwork starts with an ideal foundation, so it’s important to fully prep your wall or other surface before you begin. Free the area to be painted of any old paint first, and then follow up with a thorough sanding job. If there is dirt, grime, or grease to be dealt with, you should thoroughly clean the area with soap and water as well. Finish with a coat of a good primer.

2. Use Quality Equipment

It’s not just the quality of your actual paint that counts. Professional paint jobs look as good as they do largely because of the equipment used, so it’s well worth your while to make an investment here. Especially if you plan on handling your own paintwork going forward. Think top-tier brushes, rollers, and paint sprayers. If you’re going to be mixing and filling your own paint containers, you may want to consider professional filling machines and equipment as well.

3. Let the Equipment Do the Job

When it’s time to actually apply your paint, fall back on the quality of the equipment you picked and let it do the job. With good rollers and applicators, very little pressure and effort is needed to get an even application. Paint from top to bottom as you work your way over the area for best results. This will give you a chance to paint over any flaws in your paintwork as you work your way down, just like the professionals do.

At the end of the day, professional-looking DIY paint jobs are a challenge, but they’re not impossible. They just call for some time, effort, and attention to detail.

Many people are choosing to have a home built rather than buying an existing one. For first time home buyers, it is an opportunity to design a home exactly as they want. Everything is brand new, and it helps eliminate the worries of replacing a major appliance in the near future. Additionally, it is often difficult to find a home that has all the amenities wanted and is in a neighborhood that is preferred.

Less Noise and More Privacy

One of the major benefits of choosing to build a home is the ability to decide where it will be built. If privacy and being in a setting that offers peace and tranquility is important, there are many areas available. When choosing an existing home, you may be surrounded by other homes or in areas where there is a lot of traffic. Listening to noisy neighbors is not conducive to relaxation. Choosing the area where you will build also offers the ability to take advantage of gorgeous views from whatever room you want.

Do the Homework on Financing

Whether you are buying a home or building a new home, financing will be part of the process. It is important to find a lender that offers the best interest rates. Another thing you may want to consider is obtaining a construction loan that allows you to pay only the interest while the home is being built. Once it is completed, the loan amount would include the principle and interest just like a regular mortgage.

Custom Design Your Home

One of the reasons most people choose to build a home is the ability to design it exactly as they want. From the number of rooms to the flooring, counter tops, and bath fixtures, the home can be built to suit your needs. One example of new home construction mandarin is Collins Builders.

Building a home can be a good choice if you would rather have a home that meets your specifications. It will be even more special because you have watched the construction from the ground breaking to the finished home.

It’s important to always keep your home in good shape, both for your family’s comfort and safety and for its resale value. This can mean maintaining things such as your roof and siding, but it also means making sure that your foundation is sound. This often gets overlooked in the grand scheme of things since it’s mostly out of sight and out of mind, but contacting someone who specializes in exterior foundation repair on older homes will definitely be in your best interests.

First of all, having a foundation repaired and waterproofed will help keep your basement dry, even if you live in a region that sees a lot of rain. A flooded basement can cause thousands of dollars in damage to the structure of your home and to your belongings, but that can be avoided with the right kind of foundation repair service.

A foundation repair service can also solve some minor problems around your home. Windows and doors that won’t close properly, sloping floors, and cracks in the walls can all be caused by an uneven or damaged foundation. Some of these problems will need to be repaired on their own if they’ve gotten too out of hand, but many of them can actually be solved with some proper foundation repair.

Finally, a good foundation repair service can help you avoid some costly repairs down the road. It may not be exactly cheap to repair a bad foundation, but it will still be more affordable than the repairs that will need to be made if you don’t address the problem quickly. Think of it as a bit of preventive maintenance that will save you a lot of time and money in the future.

While a brand new home might not have any foundation issues, older homes often have problems that are overlooked. If you suspect that your foundation is damaged or uneven, don’t hesitate to contact a foundation repair service near you.