Does your home need gutter guards? They can be hugely beneficial. Keeping your gutters clean is a lot easier if you have gutter guards.

“Gutter protection systems, also called gutter covers, can increase and maintain the performance of your rain gutters by preventing debris from entering the gutter channels,” writes Summit Gutter Systems at http://summitgutter.net/gutter-guards-and-covers-in-denver/.

“Debris, often in the form of leaves, pine needles, tree fruit, branches, shingles, toys and other items, can clog gutters, preventing them from effectively capturing rainwater and causing them to overflow. Even homes without trees near the roof can benefit from gutter covers, because something as simple as a tennis ball, can clog a downspout if lodged into the top opening.”

Gutter guards will dramatically reduce the amount of work required to keep your gutters in top-notch shape. Routine cleanings will become much easier.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of installing gutter guards.

You’ll Save Time and Money

If you don’t have gutter guards, dirt and debris will clog your system. The mess won’t go away on its own. You’ll have to clean up the gunk yourself or hire a professional.

If you do have gutter guards installed, however, you can avoid the clog. Leaves and debris will collect on top of the guards but they’ll be relatively simple to clean off. You also won’t have to worry about cleaning them as often. Gutter guards require minimal maintenance.

You’ll have to pay money upfront for your gutter guards. However, even though the initial expense will be hefty, you’ll eventually save time and money.

You’ll Prevent Damage

Clogged gutters can cause a lot of damage. If the system becomes too full, the gutters themselves can be ruined. Excess rainwater lodged in your gutters can lead to damage to your walls and foundation.

You can avoid these problems with quality gutter guards.

You’ll Receive Fire Protection

Certain areas are prone to experience bushfires. If your roof is littered with leaves and other flammable debris, it increases the chances that your home will catch on fire. Gutter guards can form a physical barrier between the burning embers and the debris.

Increased Home Value

Gutter guards are an extremely attractive addition to a home. If you ever planning on putting your house on the market, you can recuperate your installation costs in the sale. People want to buy homes that they don’t need to fix up. In fact, some buyers might even deduct the cost of gutter guards from their offer, knowing that they’ll need to install them.

Prevent Rust

Damp leaves and excess rainwater can rust your gutters. A gutter guard spares them from this fate because it prevents the damp material from accumulating in the first place. Your gutters will last longer if they’re not subject to rust and corrosion.

Avoid Infestation

Gutter guards are physical coverings. That means they can prevent animals and bugs from moving into your gutter system. It’s an attractive place for vermin to breed because there are often pools of water sitting in the gutter.

Gutter guards prevent the pools of water from forming and they make it harder for creatures to wriggle into your home.

You’ll Have a Healthier Home

The biomaterial that clogs up gutters provides a breeding ground for mold and spores. This can affect your health, especially if you have allergies. Mold can also weaken your home’s foundation.

Your gutters aren’t probably aren’t the first things that you think of when it’s time for home improvement projects. However, the benefits of installing gutter guards are immense. The main drawback is the cost and that can be recouped over time. You’ll no longer have to pay someone to clean your gutters.

Gutter guards are a great investment for your home. In addition to saving money, you’ll keep your gutters in better condition. Nobody likes cleaning out clogged gutters. You won’t have to do it again if you have gutter guards.

Are you ready to install gutter guards? Speak to a contractor and get a price quote. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start experiencing the myriad of benefits.

The post Should You Invest in Gutter Guards? appeared first on .

The type of front door you choose will depend on a number of factors ranging from security to décor and style.

Of course if your front door leads straight the street, or to an unenclosed yard, then security will be the prime consideration, wherever in the world you live. But style is vital in other ways. Not only will you want a door that matches or blends with the architecture of your house, but you should also aim for it to have some sort of relationship with the interior of your home. For example, while you might be yearning for a sleek, modern chromed metal door, if you have traditional furniture, or if the house is built in a traditional Colonial style, it isn’t going to work.

So before you go shopping for a new front door – whether you are planning to have it custom made or not – be sure you know what you are looking for.

Wooden Entry Doors

There are front doors that are made of wood, and then there are custom-made wooden doors designed to take pride of place at the front of your home. If you’re keen on the latter, then look for well established companies that really do produce good looking, high quality products. And since you’re going custom-made, dare to be a bit different.

The US, West Virginia-based Emerald Doors specializes in both original design and reproduction doors using traditional methods of construction. It is not surprising to find that many of their doors feature stained glass or leaded glass panels, since the business started out as a stained glass company. Having made countless glass panes for other people’s homes and for churches in various parts of the world, the owners wanted their own stained glass front entry door. Unable to find the quality they wanted, they made their own. Now they have a full-on factory and they specialize in doors – not all of which feature stained glass.

YesterYear’s Vintage Doors (www.vintagedoors.com) which is based in Northern New York, also manufactures custom entry doors, all of which are beautifully handcrafted. There is no mass production in their factory. If you have seen a design you like, perhaps in a magazine, they will even build it for you. They are pet lovers too, and will incorporate a wooden pet door in your custom-made solid wood door.

The Canadian-based Secondwind Timber company also manufactures custom entry doors, but theirs are from wood that has been reclaimed. Some are solid, while others incorporate glass panels of various types. The wood used includes old Douglas Fir, Alaskan Yellow Cedar, and Western Red Cedar.

Metal Entry Doors

Metal front doors may be made of various types of metal, including both iron and steel, and aluminum.

Whilst wrought iron might seem a more obvious option for garden gates than house front doors, an ornamental wrought iron entry door can look absolutely charming. Based in Alabama, Old Iron Doors (www.oldirondoors.com) has been custom-making new iron doors for more than four years. Crafted using a combination of tried and tested engineering techniques and modern technology, the doors are solid, safe and extremely good looking.

Another New York company, Universal Iron Doors (www.iwantthatdoor.com) hand forges steel entry doors and then hand paints them to give them special effects. These doors feature dual-paned glass that is hinged on frame so that it can be opened and cleaned. The doors themselves are filled with polyurethane foam for insulation purposes. Their door jambs have an integrated threshold that won’t wear like wood tends to do.

Synthetic Materials for Entry Doors

Various synthetic materials are also used to make front doors. One of the most popular is fiberglass which can be molded to make it look just as though it has a wood grain.

Launched in Ohio in 1962, Therma-Tru Doors (www.thermatru.com) has been making entry doors from fiberglass for quarter of a century. To prove that their doors are as any other type of door – if not stronger – the company has had the doors impact-rated, tested to make sure water won’t infiltrate them, wind tested and also tested for thermal deflection. They maintain that the fiberglass entry door type is “the only growth area within the door industry”.

The Californian-based Plastpro Inc. (www.plastproinc.com) also manufactures fiberglass entry doors. They haven’t been doing it for as long as Therma-Tru, but like Therma-Tru they also manufacture in Ohio. They boast a wide selection of different door styles and sizes, as well as frames, which include full-length composite designs that can accommodate arch and radius-top doors.

Pay Attention to Style

We don’t all live in houses that have been built in a specific style, but if you do, or if you are building a traditional-style home of some sort, aim for accuracy in terms of front door styles. Here are a few guidelines:

• Late Georgian entry doors were made of solid wood, often with six panels. They were painted a dark color, normally bottle green or black.

• Front doors of Victorian houses were also often painted bottle green or white, and they frequently incorporated stained or etched-glass panels on the sides.

• Panels of Edwardian doors were often painted in a lighter shade to the panels.

• Art Deco entry doors also often feature stained glass, but usually at the top of the door. They often had vertical panels as well.

• The sky’s the limit with contemporary designs, so you can have a lot of fun choosing your custom made front doors.

Pay Attention to Quality

Custom-made should spell well made, so make sure you get what you are paying for.

The post Custom Made Front Doors appeared first on .

When it comes to eco friendly windows, there are several factors to consider. These relate to the material used for the frame as well as insulation and their ability to keep the rays of the sun in or out of the home, depending what is required. It’s got to do with comfort as much as it has to do with reducing our carbon footprint and going green for our planet, because it’s the right thing to do. And there’s another factor too; homes that are energy efficient are cheaper to run.

In addition to all of this, some country’s governments offer incentives to encourage less enthusiastic home builders to think and act green. In the US there are at least eight different financial incentives from tax credits and home loans for replacing old windows with energy efficient windows, to tax rebates for installing a solar hot water heater. There are also local incentives in most US states. Manufacturers and green-savvy builders can earn energy-efficient tax credits as well.

In Canada, the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada offers federal grants and incentives as part of its ecoENERGY Retrofit program – even though this is more relevant to upgrades and refurbishment than new homes.

Because the man (or woman) in the street has not got the technical know-how to judge whether windows – and other products – are eco friendly, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy launched a joint program to improve energy efficiency products and practices. Called ENERGY STAR, it awards products specific ratings. So by using products with an ENERGY STAR rating, you know that they meet the strict energy efficiency guidelines that have been laid down by the EPA and the US Department of Energy.

In 2010 alone, North Americans saved enough energy to avoid greenhouse gases that would have been caused by 33-million cars. According to ENERGY STAR, they also saved close to US$18-billion on combined utility bills.

In addition to ENERGY STAR ratings, Canada has an EnerGuide rating service (the ERS) that determines the level of efficiency in homes according to a scale numbered from zero to 100. The higher the rating the better, indicating that the house is well insulated and airtight, well insulated and doesn’t need the owner to buy any additional energy. It is easy to see how windows will help to boost any house up the ratings. The ideal for a brand new house is a rating of at least 80 – if possible higher.

Energy efficient factors

Windows are among the growing list of products that qualify for use of the international ENERGY STAR energy efficiency symbol. However different climatic zones have different needs in terms of suitability. What makes a window good for a northern Canadian home will be rather different to one that meets the needs of a home in northern Australia. There are also variations within single countries. For example Canada alone has been divided into four climate zones as explained on the Natural Resources Canada web site: www.newhomes.nrcan.gc.ca. So the most suitable eco friendly window for your home will depend on where you live.

Whether you are buying windows from an outlet like Lowes (www.lowes.ca) or Home Depot (www.homedepot.ca), or directly from one of the manufacturers, there are some other things to look out for as well.

First there is the U-factor which is a measure of how well a window prevents heat from escaping and how well it insulates. Ratings range for 0.20 to 1.20 and the lower the number, the better the U-factor.

Then there is the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) which measures the ability of windows to block out sunlight and maintain a cool interior environment. The lower the SHGC, the better it is able to block the heat.

Another rating is visible transmittance (VT) which is a measure of the amount of visible light that is transmitted through the window. The higher the value the more light you will see, and the less artificial lighting you will need.

The R-value measures resistance to heat loss. Since windows can, according to Natural Resources Canada, account for up to 30% of the heat lost from a house, it is clear how important the R-value factor is. High R-value windows are the most energy efficient.

According to Serious Windows (www.seriouswindows.com), the most cost effective energy saving option is R-5 windows. As their experts point out, windows are one of the biggest sources of heating and cooling energy loss in our homes.

Then there is the air leakage factor. This measures the quantity of air that can escape through the window. While a well made window will be air-tight, a cheap, badly made window may well have gaps and cracks at the joints, and air will pass through these even if the window is shut.

Condensation resistance (CR) is another factor that should be considered. This measures the ability of the window to resist moisture forming on the glazed surface. CR is rated as a number between zero and 100 and the higher the number, the more resistant it will be to condensation.

Lastly there is a design pressure (DP) rating which measures the pressure the window is able to withstand when it is closed and locked. This is an important security factor as well as an issue that relates to air entering and leaving the house, and of course the effect strong winds might have. The higher the DP rating, the more pressure the window will be able to withstand.

Eco friendly materials

Marvin (www.marvin.com and marvincanada.com), is a window manufacturer that has outlets throughout the USA and Canada. The company prides itself on producing energy-efficient products and their windows meet or beat the tax-credit ENERGY STAR guidelines. In addition to this, they also use quality recycled materials and make a point of recycling all their manufacturing by-products.

Window frames are made of lumber or aluminum-clad wood. Products are FSC and/or SFI certified. The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification is, of course one that shows lumber was sourced from a sustainable, well-managed forest. The SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) also certifies that you are buying wood that comes from a certified sustainable source.

So if you are looking for eco friendly windows that are made of wood, make sure you look out for both of these certifications.

The post Eco Friendly Windows – Pros and Cons appeared first on .

The greater choice

We are going to help you identify the benefits of fiberglass doors and door and window frames. But before we even go there, it is a good idea for you to recognize the greater choice. In broad terms the choice incorporates wood, metal (either mild steel which isn’t very popular any more, or aluminum), plastic (including PVC and vinyl) and of course fiberglass. There are also windows that are made with a pre-cast concrete frame that you build into the structure of your house.

All these materials have their own benefits, ranging from eco-friendly factors to price. So how does fiberglass score?

The development of fiberglass as a building material

First off, be aware that building materials all have their own pros and cons. Some are more environmentally friendly than other, some are easier to work with, and some types are simply cheaper. You will also want to consider aesthetics.

Fiberglass is a material that was developed by the British company Fibreglass Ltd. during the 1940s. Known generically as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) in the UK and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) in the US, it was developed for use in aircraft construction. After World War II it became a popular material for boat building. Because it is extraordinarily strong and stable, it was soon being used within many industries, including construction.

Today it is the material of choice for spas and the inner skin of hot tubs, and is used for storage tanks and molded septic tanks. It is also used for relatively lightweight roof sheeting and for both window and over-door canopies and dormer windows. It continues to gain popularity in the door and window trade in the form of window frames, door surrounds and doors.

Fiberglass is basically made from chopped glass fiber that is loosely woven to form fiberglass matting. This, in turn, is saturated with resin pre-mixed with an appropriate catalyst that makes it harden. In some applications, including the construction of irregular shaped fish ponds and for sealing some building elements, fiberglass may be applied in situ. But more often it is either molded in a factory, or pultruded through a heat die to shape and form it.

Benefits of fiberglass as a building material

The main advantages of fiberglass include its:

• high strength
• low maintenance
• non-corrosiveness
• minimal conductivity
• energy efficiency
• eco-friendliness

Well-engineered fiberglass windows and doors will be incredibly strong. For example, a well-made fiberglass window frame will have a sheer strength that is eight times greater than a good quality PVC or vinyl window frame.

Not only is it strong, but fiberglass is also tough, and will withstand extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. It can be easily sprayed or wiped clean.

The fact that it doesn’t expand or contract means that it won’t split or crack. If you consider the punishing treatment fiberglass boats and bridge structures face in corrosive salt water, you will realize just how non-corrosive fiberglass as a material is. It has a longer lifespan than vinyl, which expands and contracts quite radically (more than eight times more than fiberglass and three times as much as aluminum). Because it is non-corroding, it is also considerable more durable than aluminum.

Fiberglass also has superior insulating qualities because it doesn’t conduct heat or cold. It is said to be a lot less conductive than vinyl, and around 500 times less conductive than aluminum. A solid fiberglass door has about five times the insulating value of a solid wood door.

Its lack of conductivity as a material makes fiberglass energy efficient which, in turn, makes it eco-friendly and cost effective. In fact fiberglass has been heralded as the most environmentally friendly material for doors and windows that is available.

Companies that manufacture fiberglass windows and doors

There are companies all over the world that design and manufacture fiberglass doors and windows.

A fully integrated Canadian window and door manufacturer, Inline Fiberglass (www.inlinefiberglass.com) has been operating for quarter of a century. Not only do they design and produce windows and doors, but they also assemble them.  The company produces a range of ready-glazed window frames including casement, sliders, both single hung and double hung, bay/bow windows, picture windows and those that tilt and turn. Their range of doors is currently limited to sliding, patio and tilting doors, all of which are glazed. The company is a member of both the Canada Green Building Council and the U.S. Green Building Council and they manufacture according to ENERGY STAR standards. Their products are also rated by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC).

The Canadian owned Cascadia Windows & Doors (www.cascadiawindows.com) produces dual-action, outswing and awning, inswing and hopper, fixed and strip, and both vertical slider and horizontal slider windows. They also produce single and double leaf dual action, single and double leaf outswing and slider doors. All these frames are supplied with high-performance glazing and all either meet or exceed ENERGY STAR standards for their ability to save energy and meet LEED criteria. The company tests all its windows and doors to the required US and Canadian standards and is rated by ENERGY STAR and the NFRC. They have also opted to have products additionally rated for resistance to condensation.

Another Canadian company, the family-owned Toronto-based Bella Vista Windows & Doors (www.bellavistawindows.ca), also manufactures glazed products that boast superior fiberglass frames. In addition to casement, awning, fixed, single slider and single hung, double slider and double hung, and bay and bow windows, and sliding patio doors, they manufacture good-looking fiberglass entry doors. Available in a number of sizes and styles, the doors are designed to look like solid wood. There is a choice between a finish that imitates wood grain, and a finish that may be painted or stained. They also manufacture to ENERGY STAR standards.

Yet another Canadian company, Accurate Dorwin Fiberglass Windows and Doors (www.accuratedorwin.com), boasts top ratings from both Natural Resources Canada and the US Department of Energy. Their products are also rated by ENERGY STAR and the NFRC. They produce awning, casement, single hung and double hung, bay and bow, as well as tilt and slide and picture windows. Their range of doors includes single entry, patio, garden and terrace designs which range from solid material to energy efficient glazed frames.

So you will see that windows and doors made from fiberglass are certainly worth considering when you build your home. The choice is enormous and quality generally great.

The post Fiberglass Windows and Doors appeared first on .

So the million dollar question if you are building a new home is: what to look for when buying windows?

While cost is always a factor, you should not be driven by price alone. You also need to consider:

• the material used to make the frames,
• the type of glazing used,
• the style and size of frames,
• and probably most importantly, energy efficiency.

Materials for frames

The range of materials used to manufacture window frames is surprisingly varied and includes various types of wood, metal, plastic-type materials and man-made composites. Within each of these categories there are many choices.  For example you will find frames made from many different types of wood. They may also be made of mild steel (although this material is not common nowadays because the frames are heavy and tend to rust) or aluminum. They may be made of vinyl or uPVC, or they may be made of a combination of materials; a wooden frame clad with vinyl or aluminum for instance.

Vinyl frames are low maintenance and when made from superior materials, durable. Some are made by an extrusion process, which produces a frame with internal air cavities. Others have a reinforced inner structure, usually wood.

Wood, when used on its own can of course be stained or painted, or simply sealed or varnished, while aluminum frames are normally factory coated, which makes them easier and less costly to maintain. Clad frames also require less maintenance than straightforward wooden frames.

Fiberglass is the newest material to be used to make window frames. They are generally light and strong, and remarkably durable – again provided they are well made. They generally don’t expand and contract with heat and cold as much as some other frames, but they are relatively expensive.

While manufacturers often specialize in certain types of windows and window frames, there are numerous suppliers that offer a range of different types. For example, the Calgary-headquartered Gienow Windows and Doors (www.gienow.com) offers metal clad wooden and vinyl windows as well as straightforward wood and just vinyl frames. Concord Windows and Doors (www.concordwindowstore.com) in Toronto sells PVC and wood windows.

Glazing

There are different types of glass used for glazing as well as different ways that the glass is installed. For instance tough tempered glass may be used to withstand breakage, or laminated glass which will shatter in such a way that it doesn’t become a risk of injury. National Building Codes all over the world govern minimum standards and specifications of glass including the type of glass and thickness that may be used in any particular sized window, and how it must be fitted. Safety glass is usually specified for patio doors and windows where there is any danger of human impact, either accidental or deliberate.

In Canada, windows are usually either double-glazed (with two layers of glass separated with a spacer) or triple-glazed (either with three layers of glass or two layers with low-emissivity film between them).

Style and size of frames

There is a vast choice when it comes to size and style of window frames, ranging from small fixed windows that do not open, to enormous sliding windows with a single pane of glass, or small cottage windows that are divided by secondary frames known as mullions.

Hinged windows are probably the most common type, although they may be hinged to swing from side to side or at the top, or even at the bottom. Sliding windows are popular because they don’t take up space. Some are made to slide vertically while others slide horizontally. However they are potentially the least energy efficient of all windows types because they are prone to water and air leaks.

Energy efficiency

When we consider the energy efficiency of windows, it is not only their ability to keep out the cold that we need to think of – although in cold winter countries like Canada, this is paramount. We also need to consider the ability of windows to block out heat and the harmful UV rays of the sun. Their ability to transmit visible light is another factor that we need to think about, as is their ability to prevent air from escaping in or out of the window.

As the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/) points out, performance standards and new technologies have changed significantly during the past two decades and so it really is important to know what to look for when buying windows for your home.

Wood frames, being made from a natural material, have high insulating properties, although the frame must be well made otherwise it won’t necessarily be airtight. Clad wood frames have similar natural insulating qualities and need less maintenance than solid wood that isn’t clad.

Aluminum frames are strong and undeniably more durable than wood, but they do conduct heat. For this reason, the National Building Code of Canada insists on them being made with a thermal barrier inside the frame to reduce heat loss and condensation. This should be made from rigid foam, polyurethane or from wood. Like wooden frames, if they are not well made, both water and air can leak through joints – particularly badly mitered corner joints.

Vinyl frames are regarded as being very good when it comes to insulation.

The type of glazing used also affects insulation. For example, air trapped in double-glazed windows aids insulation. Triple-glazed windows, though, are considerably more effective in terms of insulation. They are also effective when it comes to reducing noise from outside. But triple-glazed windows are heavy and more expensive than those that are double-glazed.

The low-emissivity film used for some triple-glazed windows may be used on the inside of double-glazed windows to stop heat from escaping. The advantage of this is that the window is lighter than one that is triple-glazed and not as expensive. This film also reduces condensation on windows and gives some protection from the UV rays of the sun.

A fairly recent innovation in window technology involves replacing the air in double- or triple-glazed windows with some sort of dense, inert gas. The gas has a much higher insulating ability and also lower thermal conductivity. While argon is the most usual gas used, Marvin Windows and Doors (www.marvin.com/windows/new-window-products/) recently introduced a product that uses krypton gas that has even better thermal qualities than argon.

Overall, this is what to look for when buying windows that are energy efficient:

• the U-factor for insulation – the lower the number the better,
• the SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) for blocking out the sun – the lower the SHGC the better,
• the VT (visible transmittance) factor – the higher the value the more visible light you will see,
• the R-value that measures heat  loss – the higher the better, with R-5 being optimum.

Remember that windows can account for as much as 30% of the heat lost from a house. That’s according to Natural Resources Canada (www.newhomes.nrcan.gc.ca) which promotes energy efficient products, including ENERGY STAR windows.

Supreme Windows in Calgary (www.supremewindows.net) is one that promotes added hard coat Low-E glazing options. Meridian Windows & Doors (meridianwindow.net), which operates out of Calgary and Toronto, specializes in ENERGY STAR vinyl products and aluminum windows.

One of the world’s largest window manufacturers, Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors (http://en.jeld-wen.ca) makes wood, vinyl and aluminum clad windows. In 2010 they became the first Canadian door and window manufacturer to promote ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes in the federal government’s energy efficiency program. This program allows homeowners to get grants once energy advisors certified by Natural Resources Canada have done an official assessment.

The post What to Look for when Buying Windows appeared first on .

When selecting hardware for the front door, you can shop at a general hardware store, at an outlet like Lowes or Home Depot (www.homedepot.ca) that also stocks doors. Alternatively you could source the hardware online, for example at www.hardware.ca. Here you will find a good selection of items from a variety of different hardware manufacturers.

What is front door hardware?

Door hardware is basically anything that is used to make it possible to open and shut your doors, and to lock them and make them more secure. Front door hardware includes:

• hinges,
• handles and handle sets,
• lock sets,
• deadbolts,
• door closers,
• door stops,
• a range of other security hardware.

Some reliable hardware suppliers include:

• Canaropa (www.canaropa.com), a homegrown Canadian company that has been in business since 1954.
• Richelieu Hardware (http://www.richelieu.com/ca/en/), that has at least 60 centers across North America,
• Rocky Mountain Hardware (www.rockymountainhardware.com) that specializes in handcrafted architectural hardware,
• Kwikset (www.kwikset.com) that makes solid forged-brass door and decorative hardware.

Hinges

While not all doors are hinged, most front doors are, and so you will need suitable hinges to hang your front door with – that is if it isn’t supplied with hinges. There are various types of hinges, most of which are either made of mild steel or brass. The most suitable for front doors are spring hinges and five knuckle butt hinges.

Handles and lock sets

Handles range from round or tubular knobsets to those made in the form of a lever, known as leversets. Within each of these types there are a variety of styles and finishes, including satin-finish stainless steel, nickel, chrome, antique and polished brass, and bronze finishes. The best types have galvanized mild steel mechanisms and solid brass cylinders. Generally you won’t buy handles and knobs for front doors unless they incorporate some sort of lock. Even so, it is advisable to incorporate additional protection in the form of deadlocks and other devices.

Handlesets with a mortise lock are ideal for front doors, especially those that incorporate a brass deadbolt. Mortise locks are fitted into the door itself and often come ready fitted. Deadlocks can only be opened with a key and they cannot be forced by sliding something between the lock and the plate. Some have the lock and handle on a single plate, while others have a separate lock and handle with a latch. Both sorts are available in a range of styles and finishes.

Single cylinder deadbolts may also be purchased individually and used on their own, or in addition to a handleset for extra security and peace of mind. A particularly neat, elegant design (the Elegance Series manufactured by Dorex Hardware – www.dorex.com) features a brass deadbolt with a steel rod insert that fits into the door like a mortise lock. These have a handle on the inside of the door and a key hole on the outside. There are also one-sided dead bolts that can only be opened from the inside and not with a key on the outside. These are great for added security, specifically when you are in the house.

Another excellent security option is an interconnected lockset that has a deadbolt and a leverset, making it a great panic-proof exit device when you retract the latch and deadbolt at the same time.

Door closers and door stops

These range from chain door stops attached to the door to adjustable power door closers made in a variety of styles.

Good quality door closers are often made from tough, long lasting aluminum. Some may be concealed in the floor beneath the door, or overhead the door.

While security is paramount at your front door, if you have additional security, a gate for example, or carefully controlled access, you may want to keep your front door open in warm weather. For this reason a door stop might be worth considering when selecting hardware for the front door. Apart from good old fashioned wedge door holders, there is a remarkable choice of door stops including quite simple floor stops (that are mounted to the surface of the floor), kick-down door holders and magnetic door stops.

Other security hardware

Apart from vital locks, there are various other front door hardware items to consider. These include:

• a door knocker, which is only necessary if people are able to gain access to the front door unannounced,
• a door bell which may be fitted to the front door or a front gate, or even a garage door; ideally a bell should also have the option of an intercom so that you can talk to the caller,
• a door viewer, which is useful even if people aren’t supposed to gain direct access to the door (if you here noises you might spot a prowler),
• a security chain or latch so that you can open the door and talk to strangers – if you need to – without making it possible for them to gain entry if you don’t want them to,
• sliding door latches and slide bolts, of which there are many options in terms of both type, finish and color.

Can front door hardware be green?

If you are keen to build an eco-friendly home, you might be asking whether door hardware could possibly be green. The short answer is “yes”! But how would you know this fact?

Like all building materials that have a stamp of greenness (some better than others), door hardware does (or can) too. For example, the Idaho-headquartered Rocky Mountain Hardware is certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) which has endorsed the fact that the company’s hardware products contain at least 90% recycled content, 50% of this being post-consumer recycled content and the rest pre-consumer recycled content. This certification qualifies them for up to two LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points.

Another green US hardware manufacturer, that conserves resources and strives to produce less waste, is Truth Hardware (www.truth.com). In 2009 they were awarded winning spot in the Door & Window maker (DWM) Magazine’s first annual Green Awards. They also won a Crystal Achievement Award from the publishers of Window & Door Magazine in a category, Best Product Literature for an interactive, web-based promotional catalog of their products.

Truth Hardware recycles all its scrap materials and corrugated products. They are also striving to be paperless and thoroughly energy efficient.

So when you begin selecting hardware for the front door, you might want to bear these particular manufacturers in mind.

The post Selecting Hardware for the Front Door appeared first on .

If you’re in an older home with single glazing, or if your windows are old and could do with a spruce up, here are a few reasons why you should seriously consider getting your windows replaced this autumn:

Added warmth
The development of double glazing was heralded as a huge step forward in keeping homes warm and preventing the escape of heat. Back when the majority of homes had single glazing, homes were draughty and often cold. Despite the fact that many of these homes lacked gas central heating in addition to their single glazed frames, it was the addition of double glazing which made a more significant difference.

The beauty of double glazing is that between the two panels of glass is a layer of insulation which makes it difficult for heat to escape. The problem is that many homes have had their current double glazing for so long that either this layer or the fittings of the windows have become compromised and therefore no longer as efficient providing this invaluable layer of insulation.

Lowering bills
Once the homeowner has prevented hot air from escaping and being replaced with cold air from outside, they may find that they have less use for artificial heating such as gas or electricity. If you can naturally keep your house warmer for longer without cranking the heating up to ‘Saraha setting’ 24 hours a day, you can reap significant savings on heating bills, particularly over the winter months.

Environmentally friendly
With less electricity being used to heat your home, you can significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home and reduce your carbon footprint.

Further benefits
Aside from the warmth and energy related benefits, having good quality double glazing can increase both the value and aesthetics of your home. If you live in a busy urban environment, having double glazing can also help to dull out the noise of a bustling city and help you sleep more peacefully. Even homeowners who live near busy roads can notice the difference and the increased peace they get from having double glazing.

The post Why Invest in Double Glazed Windows appeared first on .

Without a doubt you are going to pay more for solid doors, whether they are made from solid wood or some sort of “solid” board. But in many instances you may want solid doors, particularly in small homes where noise between rooms can be an irritating factor. While many people leave their bedroom doors open at night, if you close your door to eliminate noise, then you are going to be looking for a suitable door that helps you do this.

So, how do you make the choice between solid or hollow core doors for the bedrooms in your new home? Apart from look and price, there is another very important factor to consider, and that is your own personal needs. This includes, of course, how the door will perform in terms of sound-proofing and privacy.

Hollow Core Doors

While you can get a good idea of the wide selection of hollow cores available from stores like Lowes, Home Depot (www. homedepot.ca) and Door Crazy Ltd, you won’t see from photographs or by even looking at the door in a store, how they are manufactured. In fact if you put a paneled hollow core door next to a paneled solid core door they could look exactly the same. The price tag however will be a dead giveaway. And if you knock the two doors, you might realize that the one is solid and the other is hollow (or not solid) inside.

However not all hollow core doors are exactly what they sound like – hollow in the middle. Certainly the simplest and cheapest type is made with a straightforward inexpensive lumber or medium density fiberboard (MDF) framework to which some sort of plywood (often veneered) is attached. A thin strip of ply or lumber is then attached top and bottom to seal the door. While often manufactured specifically for internal use (so they should come into contact with rain or snow), if for any reason you need to plane the top of bottom of the door, you can end up exposing the hollow centre.

There are, of course, exceptions and some companies do make hollow core doors that can be used both internally and externally, allowing access to the garden or a patio. Check with the manufacturer before you buy and install.

Many companies, like CraftMaster (www.craftmasterdoors.com), use some sort of material inbetween the two faces of the door, for example a lightweight corrugated honeycomb core material, standard corrugated paper blocking or even expanded polystyrene or styrofoam. This negates the need for a solid frame and the method of manufacture is loosely termed “sandwich technology” because the two strong face sheets are glued to the lightweight core.

All hollow core doors are made in such a way that solid material is incorporated where hinges, striker plates, handles and so on will be attached. They are generally hinged so that they can support either an inward or outward swing to open and close the door.

A survey carried out in Canada in 2008 showed that close to 99% of people buying wooden doors for their homes chose lightweight hollow core doors. Not only are they cheaper, but because they use relatively small quantities of wood, they are green too. Because they are light, they are also easier to move about and to hang.

Just be wary that while hollow core doors are cheaper than solid core doors, cheaper than average hollow core doors are likely to be inferior in quality.

Solid Core Doors

Solid core doors are considerably heavier than hollow core doors and they deaden noise much more effectively. As an example, a hollow core door measuring 24 inches x 96 inches will weigh about 30 lbs, while a solid core door the same size is likely to weigh about double this. This could be a pro or a con when deciding whether to opt for solid or hollow core doors for the bedrooms of your home.

Cheaper than solid wood doors, solid core doors offer considerably better dimensional stability and support, and are a lot more durable and long lasting than the average hollow core door. They are sometimes rated with a sound transmission coefficient (STC) which will tell you how well it acts as a sound barrier. The higher the rating number, the better it will muffle sound. According to CraftMaster, the STC values for their 1⅜ inch thick doors ranges from 27 for their (not so) hollow core doors to 29 for their solid core doors.

Like hollow core doors, there are different methods of construction, and some are more solid than others.

CraftMaster also makes a semi-solid core door (which could also be considered a semi-hollow core door). For these they use pieces of wood blocking or particleboard instead of corrugated paper in the hollow. While they are heavier than hollow core doors, they cost nearly as much as solid core doors, and for this reason are not very popular.

Solid Doors

When we talk about doors being solid (and not “solid core”) we mean that they are made of solid wood. So if you decide on “solid” consider carefully why you have made this choice. Generally, the benefit is that you will actually see the wood and its grain. While wood may both be stained and painted, it seems a bit of a waste to spend a lot of money on solid wood if you plan to do the latter. After all both hollow core and solid core doors will look pretty much the same when painted.

Hopefully that’s a bit of food for thought for anyone trying to decide whether to use solid or hollow core door for the bedrooms of the house they are about to build or renovate.

The post Solid or Hollow core Doors for the Bedrooms appeared first on .

1. design and style
2. the material used to make the windows
3. quality
4. cost

However you may find that the availability of a particular design and style will limit your materials choice. Quality may also be affected by the material used to make the windows.

Essentially there are three basic (generic) materials used for windows and window frames: wood, metal (including both mild steel and aluminum) and various synthetic materials including PVC, vinyl and fiberglass. When we look at wood versus vinyl windows, the major difference is look and cost. But vinyl adds another factor to the four already mentioned – performance. They don’t warp like some wooden windows do when they get wet, and you don’t have to paint or varnish them. This means they don’t peel or flake and are therefore easier and more effortless to maintain.

However vinyl windows were originally made as “replacement windows”, to fit over an existing frame, filling an important gap in the market. They are also generally considered inferior to wood, and it is true that they don’t generally last as long, particularly in areas that experience major temperature swings. For this reason it is rare to find an architect-designed home that features vinyl windows. Styles are relatively limited and vinyl somehow looks a less sturdy than wood (when viewed up close). However if cost is a primary factor, then these windows are certainly worth looking at.

If you are actively involved in the specification of materials for your new house, then it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with all the possible window options in your region.

Wood windows

Wooden windows come in all sorts of sizes and guises, and they open and shut in different ways. Some examples include:

• casement windows that are hinged on one side,
• awning windows that are hinged at the top and open outwards,
• double-hung or sash windows that have two section that both slide vertically,
• gliding windows that slide horizontally,
• picture and transom windows that don’t open but are included to match double-hung and casement windows,
• bow and bay windows that are designed so that they project outwards from the wall, increasing space in the room.

There are, of course, many companies that manufacture wooden windows, and you will find variations within all the product ranges. A well known North American window manufacturer, Marvin (www.marvin.com andmarvincanada.com), has outlets throughout the USA and Canada. The company prides itself on producing energy-efficient products and their windows meet or beat the tax-credit ENERGY STAR guidelines. These features relate largely to glazing and include the:

• U-factor which measures insulation and the rate of heat loss. The lower the number the better the U-factor.
• Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) which measures how efficiently the glass in windows block heat from the sun. The lower the number the better the block factor – although in cold climates you might not want to keep the sun out.
• R-value which measures resistance to heat loss and is therefore also important in terms of insulation.

The other factor is the design pressure (DP) rating which measures the pressure the window will withstand when it is closed and locked tight. This is important in terms of air entering and leaving the house as well as structural pressure. It also has an important bearing when it comes to forced entry. The higher the DP numbers, the better the performance you can expect from the windows. Generally you will find that wooden windows have a higher rating than those made from vinyl.

Independent consumer comments about the quality of this company’s windows are generally good. But there are many companies around that do not produce high quality designs. Joints should all be tight and well finished. The finish of the wood should also be well done. It should feel smooth and look good. At the end of the day, discerning customers believe that quality vinyl windows are a preferable option to cheap, badly made wooden windows.

Vinyl windows

While vinyl windows were originally hatched as replacement windows, they are now widely manufactured as “new construction” windows. They are also manufactured in some superior designs and styles. For example, at Window City (www.windowcity.net), which is one of Canada’s largest vinyl window manufacturers, you will find a range – albeit small – of styles that suit houses of all sizes fitting the typical Canadian heritage look.

Then there’s Vinyl Window Designs (www. vinylwindowdesigns.com) founded in Ontario 25 years ago. The company, which now also manufactures aluminum windows, prides itself on producing top quality vinyl windows. Evidence of this is in the form of the Canadian ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year award they received in 2006.

Like wooden windows, vinyl windows are made in a range of sizes and guises, including casement, awning, double hung and various sliders.

Type and style of windows

The type and style of your windows should match the type and style of your house. For instance if yours is to be a cottage-style dwelling, you will probably want windows with small cottage panes. But if the design of the house calls for large sliding windows that open up to the garden, cottage-paned windows will not be at all appropriate. This is another good reason to explore the product ranges of all your local manufacturers.

If you are using the services of a professional designer or architect, that person ought to be in a position to make some suitable suggestions. Nevertheless, it’s a really good idea to do some research of your own. Look at current magazines and search the Internet using key words that are likely to take you to useful sites. For instance if you want to know more about wood versus vinyl windows, type this phrase into Google and see what pops up. If you are simply getting ideas, you don’t even have to assess quality. Just concentrate on type and style.

If you are still in the design phase, take a look at the Andersen Windows (www.andersenwindows.com) web site. They have a natty design guide that you can use to see what different types of windows look like on a wall. It is an illustrative program that will help you make an educated choice which you can then discuss with your architect or designer.

The post Vinyl vs Wooden Windows appeared first on .