The Pros and Cons of a Picture Window

Posted by Marie on May 6, 2013 in Uncategorized | 3 comments

Many homeowners fail to recognize the importance of windows when they are building their house. Yes, they make sure that each room of the house has natural light coming in through the windows. However, they don’t really give due consideration to the style of the windows. For them, everything’s fine as long as there are windows all around the house.

The fact is there are a wide variety of options when it comes to choosing windows for your home. Some of the factors worth considering are price, aesthetics, surrounding architecture, surrounding landscape, and most importantly, the weather conditions in your area.

Price plays an important role because obviously, it would affect the size of the window. Bay windows cost more than traditional single-hung windows. Nevertheless, these are aesthetically pleasing. If you live right smack in the city like New York for instance, it’s pointless to choose windows that give you an unobstructed view of your surroundings. Why is that? Well, chances are all you’re going to see are building, high-rises, and rooftops.

image http://hometownexteriordesigns.com/

Of course, if you live somewhere far from the hustle and bustle of the city, then picture windows would be a good idea for your home. A picture window is typically large and is usually fixed. Unlike conventional windows, this one doesn’t have glazing bars. If it does, the glazing bars are placed along the edges of the window. Effectively, a picture window looks like a large transparent wall. It is aptly named since its purpose is to provide you with a clear, unobstructed view of the area surrounding your home. In effect, a picture window is like a picture frame for the view outside your house. Most homeowners install picture windows in their homes to highlight a particular view outside like their landscaped garden. For houses near the beach, a picture window offers a perfect view of the clear waters and shoreline.

Aside from its aesthetic benefits, a picture window illuminates your home with natural light from the sun (or the moon, for that matter). One thing you need to know about picture windows, though, is that these are mostly inoperable. That means you cannot leave the windows open.

If you plan to install a picture window in your home, choose the type that is energy efficient. There are models of picture windows that have high solar gain glazing, which is perfect for areas where the climate is generally cold, and there are models with low solar gain glazing that is just right for warmer climates.

The only downside to having a picture window in your home is the lack of privacy. Even if it offers a picturesque view of the outside and brings in the maximum amount of light into your home, you would still want to preserve your sense of privacy. Fortunately, this is something that blinds can remedy. You can mount vertical blinds outside the window frame that you can shut when you need privacy or draw back when you want natural light to seep in. You can even place a valance in a color that complements the theme of the room.

picture windows are great for reading nooks too

A Prefab Is a Good Option for Home Expansion

Posted by Marie on May 2, 2013 in home comfort zone | 0 comments

Most people make the grave mistake of going all out when building their homes. They do this without considering which option would save them more money – building a big house from the get-go or buying a big lot, building a modest home, and leaving room for additions later on.

At first glance, the first option seems to be the better option especially for a newly married couple. They anticipate the big family they would eventually have, so they build a house that would be big enough to accommodate a growing family. However, due to time and unforeseen occurrences, their plans could go down the drain. Loss of income could impede the construction of the house, among other things.

Nevertheless, if the couple decides to purchase a big lot and build a home that’s big enough to accommodate a small family, they can simply expand the house to make room for more family members later on. In the event that they’re content with a small family, they can use the untouched lot to construct a swimming pool, a patio, or a landscaped garden. Otherwise, prefabs (Prefabricated homes) are a dime a dozen these days. A prefab could be an entire house or a room that is constructed off-site (in a factory) and when a homeowner decides it’s time for an expansion, he can just buy one. The prefab would be transported to the location, assembled there, and affixed to the existing building.

image via http://www.modularandportablebuildings.co.uk/

The cost of hiring a construction team to handle the expansion of your home is relatively high. Moreover, the builders would need to knock down several walls in your house in order to build additional rooms. This complicated process could take weeks or months to complete. On the other hand, attaching a prefab to your home is less time-consuming. In fact, it usually just takes a day or two to attach the prefabricated addition and you’re good to go.

Prefabs are very durable and reliable so you have nothing to worry about. The fact is prefabs go through rigorous tests and quality control. Since prefabs are mostly machine-made, it’s safe to say that these are quite better than a room built from scratch.

Financially, it is a better alternative to constructing additional rooms in your house. Just think; you only pay for the prefab, the cost to have it transported to your place, and the work force. In most cases, builders offer packages for prefabs; thus, you’re bound to save more if you opt for it.

As your family grows, you can have additional rooms attached to the existing house. Opting for prefabricated additions lets you sit down, calculate the expenses, and see where you stand financially, whether you have enough saved to pay for more prefab additions or if you need to save more.

Obviously, you have two distinct options as far as your plans for home expansion go. Use your better judgment to decide which option suits you best. At any rate, it pays a lot to go for the more frugal option.

photo by bluhomes

Relish the Calming Effect of an Aquarium

Posted by Marie on Apr 30, 2013 in home comfort zone | 2 comments

We live in a fast-paced world. Everything seems to go by in a blur and unless you’re quick enough, you’ll be left in the lurch. The hustle and bustle of everyday living is enough to make some people weary and anxious. Some are even high-strung and normally on their toes. While alertness is something that can help you get by in this cutthroat world, there is no denying the fact that it can be dangerous, too. If you’re not careful, the anxieties of life could make your blood pressure shoot up. Aside from hypertension, other illnesses and diseases could get the better of you.

Of course, you can always relax and take things slow. That’s actually the reason why you go home to your family after a grueling day at the office. Nevertheless, there’s no guarantee that you’d get the peace and quiet you want and deserve. If you have young children, chances are they would be too excited to see you and would demand that you play with them. Otherwise, your wife and older children could engage you in small talk, something that’s very common in a household setting.

image via http://www.biorb.co.uk

When it seems that the only alone time you could ever have is those few hours before you retire to bed, you might want to invest on an aquarium. Many people have discovered the calming effect that aquariums provide.

It’s scientifically proven that the movement of water can soothe a person’s mind. Hence, if you are always tightly wound, having an aquarium at home can do wonders for you. Not only does it enhance your home aesthetically but the movement of the water as the fish moves also creates a calm rhythm that can permeate an entire room.

Having an aquarium at home is also a wonderful opportunity to explore your creativity. When you go to a pet store, you’d find plenty of items you can use to make your aquarium even more beautiful than it already is. Make sure you buy a feeder, heater, light, filter, and pump for the aquarium. You can also by environment-friendly decors to make your aquarium even more interesting.

Designing your aquarium to create an entirely new world for your colorful schools of fish is enough of a stress-reliever already. Just make sure to set up your aquarium as far away as possible from a window or any direct source of light. Even fish can be stressed especially if the temperature of the water is disrupted. Make sure that nothing impedes with the cool temperature of the water if you want your fish to thrive.

If you’re unsure how to set up an aquarium properly, consult with a trained fish technician. He can give you valuable pointers and ideas about patterns, colors, types of fish, decors, and anything else you may need in relation to your aquarium. Once your aquarium is ready, you’d find yourself more relaxed and calmer.

image via http://www.utepprintstore.com

Spic and Span Homes for Spring, Summer and the Rest of the Year

Posted by Marie on Apr 20, 2013 in home comfort zone | 0 comments

Spring and summer seasons are perfect for doing general cleaning, home repairs and home improvement projects. The good weather condition allows homemakers to inspect and repair the outer areas of the house or temporarily expose the interiors to facilitate home improvement projects. Most households take advantage of this weather to do some general cleaning and turn their homes inside-out to make sure that everything is in spic and span condition. These tasks are easier said than done which is why there are contractors, carpet cleaning, plumbing and house cleaning services available for those who can’t do everything on their own.

squeaky clean

Giving the whole house a thorough cleansing usually involves de-cluttering every room in the house, removing stubborn dirt and stains, disinfecting sensitive areas, and replacing or removing corroded elements in the house. Bathroom and kitchen areas are often easy to address as they are cleansed and disinfected more often that the other rooms in the house. Carpeted areas like the living room and bedroom need extra work especially for rugs with stubborn stains. These areas may be cleaned or vacuumed on a regular basis but they still require a power clean once in a while. Those who are not so skilled in housekeeping are better off with professional cleaners to get their carpets clean and disinfected without losing their luster. The same goes for upholstery and wall carpets. Affordable carpet cleaning services are easy to find nowadays because of the internet. One can even set a same day appointment with their cleaners which is quite convenient for those who entertain guests frequently.

Cleaning the storage areas, basement, attic, or garage can be a tedious task because they usually get the least attention in terms of maintenance. However, these rooms don’t normally require professional attention unless there are toxic materials or electrical hazards involved. Checking the roof and gutter for leaks can be done by any household member with a bit of handyman skills, repairing them on the other hand requires a certain level of expertise. Handyman services can be availed by those who need to get their roof or gutters fixed. There are also contractors who can help on painting jobs, window sill replacement, wall papering, and other major home projects.

Having a clean and healthy home environment is easy when there are affordable professional home services available. It is up to the homemakers to keep it in spic and span condition as long as they can or at least until the next spring cleaning session.