Creative Window Ideas: How to Add to your Home’s Beauty

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Window Replacement with Timber Windows:

Yes, you can actually have virtually maintenance-free and draught-free wood timber windows! These windows allow you to paint or stain them any color you desire, making your home your own unique refuge.  Modern oak windows are draught-proof with the newest seals, they are the highest in energy-efficiency, and require very little maintenance.  It is best to look for a timber window company that uses wood from sustainable resources. Stanbrook & Nicholson can help you with all of your window needs.

Do you need replacement windows? Consumer Reports gives tips for Choosing the Right Replacement Window

Try Bay Windows or Storm Proof PVC Windows:

If wood windows are not for you, then consider buying one of the multitudes of PVC storm-proof windows that are currently on the market.  With a proper casement and frame, storm proof windows can protect your home from the most severe weather. These windows can also be purchased in wood construction if PVC is not for you.

HGTV gives tips to help you choose windows if you need help.

Creative Window Hardware:

The style of the hardware that you choose for your windows will also dictate the style of your home; therefore look for hardware that matches your homes style or aesthetic when replacing current windows. There are so many choices: Lift handles can be an easy and accessible option, and they tend to look more modern. Lift handles can come in many different finishes such as brushed bronze, silver, brushed nickel, and PVC. There are also options such as crank handles, coupled with cam locks that come in many different colors and finishes as well.

Overall, choosing windows for your home requires some research. You will want to buy windows that are draught-free, safe, and effective. Buying windows that come with a life-time warranty or guarantee is also strongly suggested. Remember, windows for your home are like eyes to your soul; they should reflect your homes character and your tastes or style.

For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Tips for Choosing Curtains and Window Dressing for your Home

The truth is that when done properly, window dressing can really make the room, and is the understated, unappreciated pièce de résistance to any ambitious interior design.

So just how can it be pulled off effectively? Here are a few quick tips.

Make Finding Curtains for your Windows a Priority

Starting with the windows in a room might sound like an unusual strategy, but it provides a number of advantages. Firstly, you can match your window decor to the design of the room, without the distracting clutter of furniture and appliances that have already been installed.

This means that you can think about an overall color scheme, and search for matching shades between your curtains and your sofas, which helps you make some firmer decisions about how you want the room’s overall aesthetic to appear.

Consider Blinds for Smaller Windows

Blinds work better for smaller windows, or multiple windows in succession, but it’s best to leave the ornaments since blinds are quite difficult to maneuver around them.

Determine What Type of Curtain Rods are Needed

Before you jump to installing your curtain rods, you should be certain about your selection of shelf ornaments, if you’re using them. Striking ornaments are best placed in a larger window, where you can frame them with a curtain design of your choosing.

Consider the Window Frame when Choosing Window Dressing

The window frame is more important to a room’s visual assets than you might think. If your window frame is of the typical white-washed variety, it might be worth investing some time in giving it a new paint job for it to feel more of a contribution to the interior. For example, a rustic brown when contrasted with an eggshell white wallpaper is a great choice.

Once you’ve decided on the frame, it’s a good idea to look for a curtain pole of a matching shade and material. That way, the curtains can feel inherent in the window design, rather than an unfortunate mish-mash of ‘whatever looks okay’. It can be done on a tight budget and still look like it came with a towering price tag; all it takes is a well-balanced palette.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

As any homeowner knows, half the fun of moving into a new place is decorating in order to make your living space your own. You want it to reflect your personal style and give you a feeling of familiarity and comfort every time you walk in the door. But even if you have a strong aesthetic sensibility, a highly-developed personal style, and a fair amount of knowledge when it comes to decorating, you might face some problem areas when it comes to selecting appropriate décor. And one of the major issues that many homeowners come up against when adorning their interior space is the conundrum of how to treat the bathroom windows. If you’ve tried metal blinds then you’ve no doubt discovered that moisture can cause them to rust. And most curtains will mold over time from the steam. So what can you do to provide some coverage in the room in your house where you likely want it most? Here are a few tips to help you select the right window treatments for your bathroom.

Image via:  Tidg

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Provide ample coverage

There are generally three main goals when it comes to treating the windows in your bathroom. First, you want to supply ample coverage so that nobody can see in. Second, you want to ensure that you can still enjoy the natural light that filters in. This is especially useful for women who put on their makeup in this room, since it’s always best to apply it under natural illumination (if possible). Finally, you want to find materials that are going to stand up to long-term exposure to heat and moisture, since these elements are common in bathrooms. Luckily, you’re not the first person to face this decorating problem, so you don’t exactly have to reinvent the wheel here. There are several solutions that will meet all of your needs.

Window film ideas

The easiest and cheapest option is to create an etched-glass effect using window film. It comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and levels of opacity, it’s available at most hardware stores (and online), and as window treatments go it is decidedly low on the cost spectrum. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to install. You can trim down sheets to cover your whole window or use pre-made patterns to get a custom look with little effort on your part. Then all you do is peel and stick to obscure the view through your windows. The only real problem is that you can’t exactly pull it aside if you want to let more light in, and this film will dilute the light to some degree. Also, it won’t entirely block the view. Those looking in won’t get an eyeful of your goodies, but they could likely see shapes moving around, especially if there are gaps in the pattern.

Image via: Ed Ritger

Consider blinds

If you want total control over the amount of light and visibility into your bathroom, your best bet is going to be blinds. You can certainly use plastic-coated curtains or cut a small section from a plastic shower curtain to hang in the window, but this isn’t going to look very attractive and frankly, these curtains are a pain in the neck to clean. However, you can order custom blinds online to save some money. And if you opt for plastic options they will resist the rust that affects metal blinds as well as the mold, mildew, and warping that can ruin wooden options, making them an ideal window treatment for your bathroom.

For more bedroom & living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! Now that the season has turned colder, the reality of saving energy and keeping your home warm are important factors to consider. Today, my Guest Blogger will show you tips for keeping your home warm through your windows.

Image via: Bartone Contracting

Watch this You Tube Video on insulating your windows and adding weather stripping. Two ideas that will save energy, keep your family warmer, and will save money!

Guest Blog – Tips for insulating your home windows

The cold of winter has finally reared its icy head, and just in time for the holidays! It’s high time to cozy up your home before hoards of family members come over for dinners, arguments, and drunken carols. There are several ways you can approach keeping a house well heated, many of which can be expensive, involved, or require more time than you’d want to spend to keep your home warm and save a little money. Rather than spending your savings on a rainy (and cold) day, or giving up on it all together, here’s one clear way to keep the heat in your house: insulate your windows!

Your winter windows will not only keep your home warmer by keeping heat in and cold weather out, but you’ll be saving money on your heating bill by using your home heating system less. There’s more than one way to insulate a window, but luckily they’re all pretty simple.

Image via: Home Gallery Design

1. Curtains

Heavy curtains can do more than you think for heat retention. Plus, they look good. Depending on how many windows you’re looking to cover up, though, beefy curtains might end up being more expensive.

2. Window Insulation Film

This method is cost effective and definitely works. Tried and true, shrink-wrapping your windows can cost you a fraction of what you might spend on curtains or new windows, and you can install the film yourself. The downside is the film can be kind of unattractive, unless you’re into that smoky-window kind of look.

3. New windows

Whoa! This choice isn’t necessarily going to be cheap, but it can definitely be worth it in the long run. If you own your home, investing in energy efficient windows can garner you a tax rebate, improve the value of your home, and save you money from month to month, on top of keeping your house warm. Spendy, yes, but you can find estimates today and see if it’s worth it for you.

4. Rubber sealing

External insulation will definitely keep the weather out without drastically affecting the look of your windows, but be wary when you remove the rubber strips after winter, as the adhesive may damage your existing exterior paint.

Image via: Toronto Door sandwindows

Give any of these window tricks a shot and you’ll be clearly on your way to a warmer winter at home. Or you can just get a whole lot of Snuggies. Now, without further ado, a completely unrelated music video by Sea Wolf, coincidentally called “Winter Windows.”

Jim Davenport is a seasoned contractor in the world of HVAC and windows. He recommends taking a look at this heating guide for further winter home-warming tips.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.

Wintertime is coming with the cold winter season and high fuel heating bills.  Whether you heat your home with natural gas or propane, electrical heat or even wood – we all owe it to ourselves to keep our energy use and heating fuel costs to a minimum. Now is the time for fall time – prewinter inspection and preparation of our furnace and heating systems.  Now it’s possible in the more moderate temperatures to do the work easier. Secondly it’s off peak season for heating and air conditioning mechanics and trades people. They are available, easier to book and perhaps less costly and certainly less rushed.  You don’t have to be in the 40 below zero Winnipeg Canada wintertime weather to benefit from proper and full heating systems maintenance.  Why wait for spring – (or cold winter mechanical breakdowns). Take care of it now.

Image courtesy ofArch Inspire

Check your Furnace

Have your oil or gas furnace serviced each and every year.  This can easily save you 10 % on heating fuel consumption. As said if you have it done early – summertime or fall seasons, many servicemen offer off-peak season rates and charges.  While the trades person is at it, have him or her check the combustion efficiency and firing rate of your furnace

Clean or replace filters

Clean or replace filters in the forced draft heating systems once a month during the heating season. Most people and home owners do this only at the start of the season. Your furnace is working during the winter season, day in day out, and it only stands to reason that the filters will fill and clog up. A full filter has impeded flow and needlessly uses more fuel to heat your home. Check your furnace filters monthly  rather than just at the start or end of season

Ventilators

Install attic ventilators to pull superheated air out of attics

Seal Cracks

Use “duct” tape to seal cracks and holes around windows and doors. Duct tape is a marvelous invention so to speak. While it may have had its start for sealing ventilation ducts in the heating trades it has a myriad of uses around the home.

You can easily purchase duct tape at hardware stores, big box stores and of course at heating supply outlet stores.

By following these simple steps of basic heating system and furnace maintenance you will be more comfortable, less drafty have a lower wintertime fuel heating bill and charges and certainly have a lot less stress this wintertime than if you ignored these simple home maintenance tips and steps.

Lastly, power vacuuming of furnace ducts is one way that home owners can reduce winter time fuel heating costs and budgets.

Whether you have a gas or oil fired furnace all homes and office can benefit from regular and routine air ventilation cleaning and suctioning

Written by Bonnie B. Wayne, Winnipeg Power Vac Duct Cleaning and Furnasman  One Hour Winnipeg CBC Heating.

For more energy efficient ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Your window frames of your house are one entity that is forgotten when you prepare the exterior of your home. From moisture, elements, bugs, and time can all take their daily toll on window frames. In order to keep them looking good you should paint them on a regular basis.  Today on DIY Stagetecture, I’ll show you how to paint the window frames of your home.

Depending on your type of window, will help you decide how to paint your window frame. Home Tips.com lends the following information.

Type of Window:

Double-hung windows

If the sashes are removable, lift them out and lay them on a table to paint them. Be prepared to leave the sashes out long enough to dry thoroughly (at least 24 hours). If they are not removable, raise and lower them as needed to reach all the window parts.

Paint the outer, or upper, sash first. If the window has small glass panes, begin with the horizontal muntins and then work on the vertical ones. Next, paint the exposed parts of the stiles, the top rail, and the bottom rail, in that order. Then paint the parts of the inner, or lower, sash, starting with the muntins and finishing with the rails.

When painting the trim, begin with the head casing and then paint down the sides. Next, paint the stool, and then finish by painting the apron.

Casement windows

First paint any vertical muntins and then any horizontal ones. Next, paint the top rails, the bottom rails, and the stiles, in that order. Finish the job by painting the casing.

No matter what type of window you have, do not paint the jamb. This may cause the window to stick. After you paint the window, if the jamb is made of wood, wax it with floor wax. This is unnecessary for a metal jamb.

Use a tapered sash brush, lightly loaded, on the frames. Let the paint lap slightly onto the glass. This will seal the finish to the glass so condensation will not get under the paint and cause it to peel. Then wipe off the excess paint with a rag wrapped around a putty-knife blade.

Steps:

Information supplied from Home Depot

1.) To paint double-hung windows, you’ll want to remove them from their frames. Newer, spring-mounted windows are released by pushing against the frame. If you have an older window, consider painting it in place.

2.) Drill holes and insert two nails into the legs of a wooden stepladder, and mount the window easel-style for easy painting. Or, lay the window flat on a bench or sawhorses. Don’t paint the sides or the bottom of the sashes.

3.) Using a tapered sash brush, begin by painting the wood next to the glass. Use the narrow edge of brush, and overlap paint onto the glass to create a weather tight seal.

4.) Clean any excess paint off the glass with a putty knife wrapped in a clean cloth. Rewrap the knife often so that you always wipe with a clean piece of fabric. Overlap the paint onto the glass about 1/16 of an inch to create a good seal.

5.) Paint the flat portions of the sashes, then the case moldings, the sill and the apron. Use slow, careful brush strokes. If you’re painting with the sash in place, you’ll want to avoid getting paint between the sash and frame. For casement windows, open them up completely before painting.

6.) If you must paint your windows in place, move the painted windows up and down several times during the drying period to keep them from sticking. You can use a putty knife to avoid touching the painted surfaces.

You Tube Video:

How to Paint a Window Frame

Watch Stagetecture’s You Tube Channel for more DIY ideas