Windows play an important role in defining the style of your house; whether it is contemporary and modern or traditional and classic. Windows let in fresh air and keep your rooms filled with natural light during the day. There are a range of window designs and styles to meet your tastes and requirements. Whether you are constructing a new home or remodelling an existing one, window styles can be chosen to improve aesthetics, safety, ventilation or energy efficiency in your homes. Here, we will touch upon the different kinds of window styles that are popular across the world.
Casement windows are used in modern constructions around the world. They have a hinge on the side and open outward just like one would open a door.
In the horizontal sliding window, the sashes slide left to right or vice versa, as against the more traditional hung windows. They come in different types of material, color and sizes to suit your needs.
In the double-hung windows, you have the lower inside sash sliding up while the upper outside sash slides down. This way, the air circulation is much better and also makes full screens a good option.
Looking similar to the double-hung windows, in the single-hung system, the top sash is usually sealed in order to prevent cold air and water.
Tilt and Turn windows are very popular across Europe and Asia. And although they weren’t much in demand in North America in the past, they have definitely seen a rise in popularity in recent times. With energy efficient and impact-tested windows being the need of the hour for modern building designs, there has been a rapid growth in the demand for tilt and turns.
Awning windows have a hinge at the top, allowing the sash to swing outward from the bottom. This way, users can have ventilation in the room even in the event of mild rain.
Looking for new windows for your house and confused how to choose from the wide variety of options available? Well, firstly here is the good news – you’re not alone! And secondly, factors like price, aesthetics, architecture of the adjoining areas and the weather conditions in your locality will help you make the right decision. Most home owners prefer the picture windows due to their attractive styles and large sizes. A picture window, as the name suggests, provides a clear view of your home surroundings – almost acting like a picture frame for the outside scenery!
In case of “direct set” picture windows, the glass is fit into the exterior frame. This results in greater area for viewing since there is more of glass and less of frame.
Direct set windows bring in a more contemporary look and feel to the house and they work well on walls that have fixed windows. One only needs to take care of the fact that direct set windows usually do not look good when paired with operable windows that have sash frames.
A “fixed sash” picture window comes with extra wood frame around the glass, which is known as a sash, giving the window a distinct feel of a picture frame.
The first thing you need to think about is utilities. You need to ensure all your water, gas and electricity suppliers are notified in a timely manner. This will ensure there is no confusion when you finally move.
Services such as the television, telephone, internet, and post office need to be informed. They can then take the appropriate measures to transfer your details and ensure they correspond to your new address.
All your financial institutions will need to be up to date. Be careful not to forget anybody. This will include your bank, your employer, or maybe your insurance company. Make sure to think this through carefully in case you forget someone.
Any health physician who you are in regular contact with through mail needs to be aware you are moving house. Be especially sure to inform people like your doctor who may need to mail you important medical information.
Of course it is important to inform all friends and family as some of them may be trying to reach you at your old address, and could get offended when you don’t respond. A quick group message to your extended family and friends will suffice here. Also, ensure you don’t forget any magazine subscriptions you’re signed up to and inform them in plenty of time so they can change the postal address to that of your new home.
It’s important that you make a list of items you are planning on bringing to your new house. You can’t bring everything so it’s best to consider giving some of your stuff to friends and family, a good will store, or perhaps even throwing stuff away if you know you won’t be using it anymore. A car boot sale might be a good option as well to make some handy cash before you move.
Whatever items you do decide to bring to your new home, make sure each box is clearly labelled. You will be thankful for this because any unlabelled boxes will cause headaches when you are trying to find important items on arrival.
It’s important that you don’t fill these boxes too much as the last thing you want is a sore back to add to the stress of moving home. Be especially careful when packing any cleaning products as they can be hazardous and cause damage to expensive items. Window & Door Guys recommend you pack these in a separate box as unfortunately many of our customers learned the hard way about packing these and caused damage to some expensive items.
It’s always worth considering getting insurance if you have expensive items in transit. You can mull this over and perhaps you should check if you can get a reasonable deal on the moving insurance. It can save you a small fortune if there’s any damage while moving, so keep this mind.
Keep all documents such as deeds of the house in a safe place. A good tip is to put heavy items at the bottom of the box and lighter items at the top. This way lighter items will not be lost below heavy items that are difficult to move.
Generally it is easier to pack one room at a time as it makes the whole process easier for you and enables you to be more methodical. Ensure to think about items that could break in every room and label the box accordingly.
Start at the top of the house and end at the bottom. The most important thing to remember is to get started with your packing with plenty of time to spare. Last minute packing will result in items being lost or potentially broken because you are in such a hurry.
If you have children or pets try to get a relative to mind them for the day. It will make the whole process so much easier for you. Make sure all keys that you have given to family, friends and neighbours over the years are returned.
It is generally a good idea to change all the external locks on your new house when you arrive. It is best to arrange this as soon as possible, because as you can imagine, it is hard to know who has the keys of your new home which makes this an important safety consideration for you and your family.
Take a small break, but try to set yourself a deadline for unpacking all the boxes-You will feel better when everything is organized. Try to visit your new neighbours on the day you arrive as first impressions are important and they are sure to appreciate the effort. Last but not least, enjoy your new home, you deserve it!
Multi-family living such as apartments, condos and townhouses are becoming attractive housing options for people in Canada. Many experts predict a rise in the demand of multifamily units in Canada in the future due to the high levels of one person households. The percentage of one person households rose dramatically in Canada between 2001 and 2011: from 25.7% to 27.6%.
The share of condominiums in total housing starts increased from 16% in 2000 to 31% by 2013.Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal, the three largest condominium markets in Canada, condominiums starts accounted for more than half of total starts in 2013.
The changing housing needs of the Baby Boomer generation is set to drive this demand. In 2013, 60% of the baby boomer population lived within single family properties. By 2036, seniors from the baby boomer generation will represent 1/4 of the Canadian population. The latest data also shows that the single population of the country has risen to 28%.
Research conducted by CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) clearly demonstrates the increase in popularity of condominiums among the first-time home buyer age group (25 to 34 years) as well as with seniors (65 plus).
There is often a spike in multi-family-home sales coming out of a recession. This is attributed to the fact that buyers are more attuned to the realities of unemployment and want to protect themselves with another stream of income in case of another worst-case scenario and people are looking for more security.
High wages, low tax rates, excellent quality of life and work opportunities is continuing to make Calgary a popular place to live. With increasing numbers of people moving to Calgary to find work the Calgary Housing market is struggling to keep up. House starts in Calgary are increasing, and multi-family living starts are leading the way to cope with the growing housing demands. In June 2013, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp reported that the multi-family segment in Calgary experienced a 397.2 per cent year-over-year increase to 1,780 units, up from 358.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), multi-family starts decreased by 10 percent in 2013 to approximately 6,200 units. However the expectation is there for it to rebound back up 29 percent to 8000 units in 2014. This amount of multi-family starts is the highest number in the CMA since 1981. Of the 7,000 apartments under construction, more than 4,000 were started this year, meaning those are anywhere from 12 months to two years away from being completed. With the low rental vacancy rate, demand will continue to be high.
Condominium sales for 2014 are up 20 per cent over the same time last year according to the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB). The CREB report also shows more apartment-style condos are being listed than sold and as a result condos are becoming more affordable.
In the first nine months of 2014, single-family housing starts are up by two per cent from the same period in 2013, while all types of multi-family starts show a gain of 110 per cent. The recent increase shows that the age distribution is quite young and likely looking for homes priced below the recent Calgary single-family average price, now well above $500,000, according to the latest figures from the Calgary Real Estate Board.
The rise in activity does not come as a surprise. The consistent job growth in Calgary over the last couple of years and migration reached a record in 2012 and in 2013. Building permits toward the end of 2013 also suggested that more projects were going to be started.
An apartment building is the most common type of multifamily housing. While Duplexes, quadruplexes, and townhomes also qualify as multifamily housing. The Entire Building or structure may be owned by an individual, an entity, or, as is the case with condominiums by individuals who have purchased units.
First-time buyers see this type of housing as an entry point to homeownership because of the price and the convenient location of these buildings. Seniors prefer the care-free lifestyle offered by condominiums as they do not have to take care of home maintenance duties that come with single-detached homes.
The landlord or condominium association often pays for the upkeep of landscaping and amenities. Those who need to move can often do so easily, because they do not have any home to sell. These communities are often places for socialization where friendships can easily develop. In some cases, utilities and garbage service may be included in the rent or association fees.
If you have been shopping for replacement windows for your home or business, you have undoubtedly heard the phrase “energy-efficient windows.” The name makes it obvious that these windows are designed to save energy—and money—but just how do they work? Do they work or is it all marketing hype? Read on to find out.
There are several ways windows today are made to be energy-efficient, and when the various energy efficient components are all combined together, they create an exceptionally energy-efficient window that can substantially decrease your heating and cooling costs.
Some of the most common energy-efficient components found in windows today are:
If you have ever held a hot or cold drink in a glass container, you know how poor of an insulating material glass can be. Glass absorbs and transfers heat very easily, which can be a costly problem for any home with a significant number of windows. Low-E glass is designed to help block out the sun’s heat and harmful UV rays. In fact, some low-E glass can block up to 99.9 percent of the sun’s UV-A and UV-B radiation—reducing the fading of interior furnishings and the amount of heat absorbed by your windows.
There are many low-E glass options, including tints, reflective coatings, and multiple glass pane options. Options can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Consult with a window professional to learn more about the best low-E options on the market today.
In the past, windows were only a single pane of glass that separated the interior of your home from the exterior. As we previously mentioned, glass is an excellent conductor of heat, so single paned windows were excellent transmitters of heat into and out of your home.
Today, energy-efficient windows are available with two and three glass pane options with insulating gas-filled airspace to lessen the amount of heat transfer through the window.
Rather than simply using metal framing as a window insulator, today’s windows utilize a thermally-efficient spacer made of low-conductive materials that insulate against cold airflow and condensation. When combined with insulating dual or triple paned windows and low-E coatings, you get exceptionally energy-efficient replacement windows.
Although all varieties of windows can have energy-efficient components and options, some of our windows offer higher energy efficiency than the others. Fiberglass replacement windows, for example, offer superior energy efficiency to all other varieties of windows. Fiberglass is a low-conducting material that has very little expansion or contraction in hot or cold temperatures. This reduces the amount of airflow around the frame of the window—saving you money.
With a number of benefits over traditional window materials, fiberglass windows are quickly becoming a popular choice among homeowners in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. At Quality Window & Door, we carry fiberglass windows from two different manufacturers:
Weather Shield – Weather Shield’s EnduraShield® line offers premium fiberglass and fiberglass clad wood windows and patio doors. Their fiberglass windows offer remarkable strength, durability, and energy efficiency.
Norwood – Norwood’s Permaglass windows are known for their strength, insulation, design flexibility, and low maintenance requirements.
If you’re planning a window replacement job, fiberglass windows might be just what you need. Call Quality Window & Door in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC to get started.
Choosing to replace your old, worn out, inefficient windows today can you save thousands of dollars over the life of the windows. At Quality Window & Door, it is our priority to provide homeowners in the Washington, DC-Baltimore metro areas with high-quality, energy efficient windows installed by high-trained and experienced installation professionals.
When you choose Quality Window & Door, a window replacement professional will come to your home to asses the current state of your windows and help you determine the type of window replacement you need.
The most common types of window replacement projects are:
Sash replacement involves only replacing the movable parts of a window instead of the entire window frame itself. We can remove the top and bottom sashes, tracks, and all opening, closing, and locking mechanisms from the existing window and install new energy efficient window sashes to your existing window frame.
This type of installation, also called insert windows, are simply inserted in to the existing frame of the window being replaced. This allows you to upgrade your window to a more energy efficient model while preserving the existing frame, trim, and casing. This is one of the easiest and most cost-effective way to replace the windows in your home, but it can only be done if your existing window frames are in good condition.
If your existing windows are worn out or loose fitting, they are likely costing you a lot of money in wasted energy. Furthermore, they can be structural unsound and are likely unsightly. Full-frame window replacement is exactly what it sounds like. The full window and its frame are removed and replaced. This is necessary for window replacement projects when the size of the window is being changed or if the existing frame is in poor condition.
Quality Window & Door provides window replacement and window installation throughout the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia area. With more than 20 years of experience and thousands of satisfied customers, Quality Window & Door is a leading provider of window installation services for home and business owners alike.
If you need window installation for your Washington, DC or Baltimore area home, contact us today to set up a no-obligation in-home consultation or visit one of our two convenient window and door showrooms in Maryland and Virginia!
Wondering what is the best time for window replacement? There are several things to consider, but the easiest answer is that there is no definitive best time to replace your windows. All seasons have their pros and cons and it is up to you to ultimately decide what is best for you.
In the sections below, we’ll highlight the pros and cons of installing windows in each of the four seasons.
Many think Spring is the optimal time of year to have new windows installed in their homes. With reasonable temperatures and long days, Spring installations make it likely that your home will not be sweltering hot or freezing cold while the existing windows are removed, letting unconditioned air into your home.
While these make things very attractive to consumers, you must also consider that Spring is one of the busiest seasons for window installation, so you may find yourself in a long queue for installation and/or manufacturing if your windows are being custom made.
Windows play an important role in defining the style of your house; whether it i...
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