February, 2012


28
Feb 12

Benefits Of Buying Replacement Windows For Your Home

Window replacement is an expensive proposition. Hence before undertaking any such activity, it makes sense to understand all about window replacement benefits to decide its cost effectiveness. The basic function of window is to allow light into the room. Besides, these are highly effective for climate control and provide security too. Last but not the least, windows add to the aesthetic appearance of any room.

Windows are an effective means of climate control. In case the old windows were single paned, it is advisable to replace them with tinted or coated panes. This will help to keep the room cool during summers and warm during winters. All this leads to a huge saving in power utility bills. Besides, blocking sun’s rays ensures that your furniture and other prized possessions do not fade and get spoilt. This will help you to determine whether the window replacement benefits outnumber your cost or not.

The innovative window panes as well as window frames must much less maintenance. Besides, other features such as anodized coating makes the frames scratch resistant too. The vinyl as well as fiberglass frames are durable and require less maintenance. Also, aluminium frames do not rot like their old wooden counterparts.

Very few things can enhance the look of a house in the same way that window replacement can. This helps to enhance the saleability of the house. There is a variety of choices available in window panes as well as window frames. You can choose what you want and what will add to the appeal of your house. Besides, enhanced energy efficiency are the other window replacement benefits that will boost the resale value of your house.

Security is a major element in window replacement benefits. Most of the burglaries happening today are after breaking the windows. The older windows were not very strong. Thus they could be easily broken by anybody. On the other hand, the now windows as well as their frames are much stronger. These do not break so easily. Besides, you can always opt for customized features to make your windows break proof and burglar proof.

The other window replacement benefits are that the new window panes are environment friendly. Basically, cutting down on power utility bills means that less power sources are being used. All this indicates that replacing windows helps in protecting the environment too.

Today, there are many types of windows available. These are trendy as well as stylish too. These are made of many different materials. You can choose those that you like and which are energy efficient too. Besides, you need to pick out those that are relatively maintenance free. The wide variety in styles available helps to make sure that you are able to pick the designs that are able to match the look of your house and enhance its appearance too.

Once you consider this vast range of window replacement benefits, you will soon realize that the windows themselves will be able to pay off the cost of replacing them.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Buying-Replacement-Windows-for-Your-Home&id=6897606

As you can see there are many benefits to buying replacement windows for your home, so why not consider it for one of your Spring projects? You will be doing yourself a favor, in more ways than one! If you are looking for a fast, pain-free installation, then why not contact us today? You’ll be glad you did!

3810 Clemmons rd, Clemmons, NC 27012

1-800-913-3873

http://www.crawfordhomeimprovements.net/


27
Feb 12

Five Steps To Make Home Improvement Projects Simpler

 Home renovations can be very scary to undertake without professional advice. Often we hear about people starting a kitchen remodel and five months later the family is still eating off of paper plates and gourmet food from a microwave. Many people don’t attempt remodeling a space within the home in the same manner as a professional would. This is what can lead to many different problem areas.

There are five crucial steps involved in a home remodeling project. The best way to begin a remodeling effort is to look at each step individually and come up with a master plan. The five steps include; the design phase, basic pencil drawing, viewing samples and planning materials, detailed plan of attack including materials, time to be spent and a budget, the final step finding a contractor to bring it all together unless of course you are an adventurous homeowner tackling it on your own.

Let’s look at each step individually. The design phase is the point at which you decide what you are looking to do. Are you interested in more space? If so maybe an addition is the answer. Are you looking for a cozy space to entertain? Perhaps a kitchen remodel is in store. Perhaps you are a homeowner looking for a retreat, a special place all your own to go unwind after a busy day. Maybe a spa bathroom is what you are leaning towards. Whatever you look to achieve it is clear a detailed picture of your goal needs to be the first thing decided upon.

Step two, visualization, is often hard for many homeowners. They can tell a contractor what they want but can’t see it themselves. This is often a huge problem in construction and leads to large projects becoming bigger than originally estimated. It is crucial that the homeowner have a detailed picture of what they are trying to accomplish with in the space of the remodel. A basic pencil drawing that includes the layout and space functionality is a great place to begin.

The third step is where the decisions start to be made. In order to move forward with a project it is important to know what colors you will be using, what materials will be in the room and the style and overall feeling to be projected in the space. This is where you can see how things will start blending and coming together to create harmony.

The fourth step is often the one that people begin to look back and change the plan. When a budget is created and a timeline is put in place many homeowners begin to look at their previous choices. Often the gold faucets seem less important when you will be forgoing the designer tiles to stick within the budget.

Lastly phase five is figuring out if you are hiring a contractor or doing the work yourself. This is a critical decision and will play with both your budget and time line. If you decide to do the work yourself consider taking time off of work to initially get going on the labor. This is especially true in a bathroom remodel or kitchen renovation. These two home remodeling jobs are often the biggest culprits of renovation delays.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Five-Steps-To-Make-Home-Improvement-Projects-Simpler&id=6897425

We all want our home improvement projects simple and problem-free. With these easy tips, hopefully you can make your next project one that you enjoy! And, as always, keep us in mind for all your home improvement needs!

3810 Clemmons, NC 27012

1-800-913-3873

http://www.crawfordhomeimprovements.net/


22
Feb 12

Bathroom Repairs: How To Repair A Cracked Bath Or Basin

Although it’s not impossible to repair a small crack to a bath or basin, repairing a large crack is likely to be a short-term fix with the long-term solution being to remove and replace the damaged item.

Scratches to an Acrylic Bath or Basin

If you’ve accidentally used the wrong type of cleaner on your bath or basin you may have inadvertently been scratching the acrylic every time you’ve cleaned it. Over time these small scratches will start to spoil the appearance and diminish the shine. So long as they are just surface scratches they are easily removed with a scratch repair kit such as Cramer ‘Acryl’ Star.

Specially formulated for all acrylic surfaces, the cleaning paste is applied using a soft, damp cloth. The paste is rubbed all over the bath, applied in a circular motion, before being rinsed off with hot water. The paste removes lime scale deposits, heavy soiling and the appearance of small scratches.

Chips to a Bath or Basin

It is so easy to drop something into a bath or basin and 99 times out of 100 you’ll be fine, but occasionally you won’t and you’ll end up with a nasty chip. Chips need to be fixed as soon as possible or they’ll discolour and look unsightly.

Most small chips can be fixed with a touch-up kit and there are kits available to repair ceramic, acrylic and enamel baths or basins. These kits are easy to use and look a bit like a nail varnish.

For the most invisible fix, it is recommended that the paint be applied in thin layers, leaving it to dry thoroughly between coats. Once dry the chip should be virtually invisible and resistant to temperatures up to 60°C.

Repairing a Cracked Bath

How successfully you can repair a cracked bath will largely depend on the location of the crack and the size of the crack. If the crack doesn’t leak it can probably be repaired from above using a bath repair kit. These kits are easy to use with the crack first being filled from above. After the filler has hardened it is then sanded smooth and protected with an acrylic paint.

If your bath is leaking it will need to be fixed from beneath but it is worth bearing in mind that cracks in acrylic baths are often caused by the bath being poorly supported. Most acrylic baths have a piece of chipboard glued to the base to stiffen them. If this isn’t supported properly the bath flexes when filled and can crack. Therefore if you are planning to fix a crack in your bath it is also worth making sure the bath is properly supported from beneath otherwise the crack will re-occur should the repair becomes over-stressed.

Cracks in baths are best fixed from beneath so start by removing the bath panel. If the crack is on the bottom of the bath and the chipboard support is wet, the bath might be beyond repair. If your bath is reinforced from beneath with fiberglass, it can be fixed using a fiberglass repair kit. The kits are easy to use and will fix up to three cracks. Once the bath is watertight, any cracks that are still visible from above can be superficially repaired using a touch-up kit.

PLEASE NOTE

- Hairline cracks in ceramic basins cannot be repaired.

- Although it can be expensive to replace a cracked bath, if the bath is very badly cracked a temporary fix might be just that. It’s worth weighing up the cost of replacing the bath now vs dealing with a potential flood later!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Bathroom-Repairs:-How-to-Repair-a-Cracked-Bath-or-Basin&id=6892187

Are you in the market for a new bathroom? Do you have in mind what you want for the perfect bathroom? Well, even if you don’t, we can help you find out what would work best for you! What’s more, we can work with you so that you can afford it as well! Call or come by today to get started!

3810 Clemmons rd, Clemmons, NC 27012

1-800-913-3873

http://www.crawfordhomeimprovements.net/


20
Feb 12

Effictive Ways In Installing Kitchen Countertops

First and foremost, you have to prepare every material presented below:

Pliers
Wrench
Putty knife
Power drill
Jigsaw
Combination square
Safety glasses
New Countertop (with already cut opening for sink)
Caulking gun and caulk
Amber or other sticky substance
Masking Tape

After you are done with the preparation of those things you proceed to the main course and that is how to put up kitchen countertops. The following are the steps you can follow:
Step One: Measure the distance of the new countertop from the tips of the countertops to the tips of the sink trim.

Step Two: Cut off the drain line under your sink. In case the faucet is affixed to the sink or counter, contrary to being wall – affixed, then you should turn off the water supply linings and cut off the water supply too.

Step Three: Get the putty knife and cut the fasten connection around the frames of the older countertops where it adjoins the wall and around the sink. Cut any sticky material, paint seal or caulk under the countertop. When the countertop can be taken off without removing the sink, then you can do it. In another way, cut off the sink clips located under the counter, bring up the sink and leave it behind somewhere safe.

Step Four: Ask for help from your friend to pull up the old countertop. If there are any debris, you can tear it off and clean the whole area and if needed pull the wall covering behind.

Step Five: Put a thick drop of caulk on the edges of the cabinets to put on the new countertops in place. Place the new countertops into the right setting and firmly press for a powerful seal. Affix again the screws which held the old counter to the cabinets to provide the new counter further durability.

Step Six: In case you did not get your sink opening cut in advance, shift the measurements you made a while ago to the new counter.

Step Seven: Make use of the markings to draw a line to the sink’s retaining ring. After you make sure that the ring is in the right place, wrap it to the counter surface and drop around the interior of the ring.

Step Eight: Dig a hole with the use of the drill with the use of a jigsaw blade a little inch inside the lined place with the use of a spade bit. In order to prevent scratching the surface, with masking tape, cover the feet of the blade and wrap the masking tape around the area being cut out so that to avoid breaking the countertops into pieces.

Step Nine: Now, try to fit the sink in the hole. If the sink suits, put a bead of caulk around the opening and install the sink into its position. Affix again the drain and faucet hardware (if only needed), cut off the extra caulk as well as attach again the clips grasping the sink to the counter.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Effective-Ways-In-Installing-Kitchen-Countertops&id=6865404

Countertops are often what the eye is most drawn to in a kitchen so they must make the room feel the way we want it to, which can be a challenge, depending on what the layout is, but with these simple steps, you can make your kitchen into the perfect space for you and your family. If it’s something you just can’t, or don’t wish to handle on your own, though, always feel free to give us a call!

3810 Clemmons rd, Clemmons, NC 27012

1-800-913-3873

http://www.crawfordhomeimprovements.net/