Posts Tagged ‘upvc windows’

How to Pick the Best Colour for Your Doors and Windows

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

One of the very first things visitors or a potential buyer will see when they arrive at your home is your front door. This makes getting its colour and style absolutely crucial. This is because as with most things, first impressions count and your door can either convey the delightful character and warm feel of your home proudly, or it can give off all the impression that your home is shabby, cheap, tasteless or even ugly. One idea to consider when getting started is whether you are looking to replace your door or windows. Double Glazing Prices are competitive at the moment and are worth considering if you are going to the extent of making alterations.

First things first, walk around your house and get a feel for how it looks to people as they walk up to it. Then use this impression to address each of the following points…

Style

When choosing the style of your front door or windows, you need to think about what will fit in with the building as a whole, what will fit in with your street and what will work with the interior of your property. Present someone with a vintage country cottage front door before guiding them into a modern clean lined hi-spec decorated home and they will notice the awkward difference. Go for something that fits neatly with its surroundings but don’t be afraid to be creative as long as it doesn’t look out of place.

Matching Colours

The next thing to consider after you have picked a style, or the first thing if you are just painting existing windows or doors, is to choose colours. While you were looking at your property you will have noticed the colours on and around your home. Maybe you have a lot of greenery around your building or maybe you have a distinct red brick house. Try to go for a colour scheme that goes with your home and not just one that matches the colour of your car.

Testers

A good way to make a decision on colours is to get a set of testers made up. Either ask your supplier or go to your local paint supplier and get some tester pots of paint. Paint them on to a good sized piece of wood or board and sit them up against your existing windows or doors. Take a step back and see what looks right to you.

Type of Paint and Finish

Once you have a colour you love, either allow your supplier to advise you on what paint or finish to go for or make sure you go for one that is environmentally friendly and will also be long lasting. Remember that different materials will require different paint. UPVC Windows for instance can require different paint depending on the material of the finish.

Take your time, have fun, but don’t forget that even if you realize you don’t like how it looks in a few months you can always change it.

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Using Blinds to Finish Off your Conservatory in Style

Friday, March 25th, 2011

All of Ideal Windows and conservatories products, including their full range of conservatories are designed and built using fully thermally insulated double glazing. They are also argon gas filled to prevent condensation and have a transparent coating that works to reflect UV. Unfortunately though, not all conservatories are so lucky.

Whether you are looking for something to improve the conditions inside your old Conservatory or if you just want to add blinds to your new conservatory because they look nice here are a few suggestions for blinds and awnings you can add and how they would benefit you.

Pinoleum Blinds

Pinoleum blinds are made using horizontally woven thin strips of bamboo, reeds or wood and not only look beautiful thanks to the natural products used, but also diffuse light in a unique way. You can choose to have them made tightly, or loosely woven to let just the right amount of light through for you. Plus they can be stained or painted to match the colour of the interior of your conservatory.

While Pinoleum blinds do not offer the same properties offered by brand new UPVC Windows, in the style ratings they get full marks.

Pleated Blinds

Pleated blinds are traditionally made in a concertina style and are perfect for roofs and windows. They can be made with a solar reflective material on the outside and with any colour you want on the inside. You can even choose a level of translucency for your pleated blinds to allow the right level of light though for you.

These tend to be a bit cheaper that Pinoleum blinds, depending where you get them and offer a flexible alternative to blinds or curtains.

In particular, Ideal Windows and Conservatories recommend ‘Sanderson’s Blinds’. They manufacture bespoke conservatory and window blinds to an impeccable standard which we are proud to offer you. If you want a closer look at some examples you are very welcome to come to our expansive showroom where a selection of ‘Sanderson’s Blinds’ are on show.

Roller Blinds

These are a very popular type of blind that provide a basic flat finish to cover conservatory roofs or windows. They can be made from practically any material but when you buy yours you need to be sure that the edges will not fray and that the rolled up blind is rolled into a cassette so that it is protected from the sun and will not fade.

Importantly, roller blinds are easier to clean than Pinoleum or pleated blinds.

Awnings

One final way to improve the conditions in your conservatory is to install a conservatory awning. This is a big exterior blind that works really well with lean to conservatories as they can be designed to sit just over the roof and protect the structure from the harshest summer sun.

This is probably the most expensive option but does provide a great deal of protection.

Hopefully this information will help you improve your old conservatory or finish off your new one in style.

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Top 3 Ways Your Home Can Save You Money

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

With Chancellor George Osborne’s ‘Big Decision’ still echoing in our ears, there are more reasons than ever to make an effort to save money. Many people in the UK will, as of 2013, be facing life with diminished benefits and need to plan in advance to absorb this loss of income. It is expected that of the millions of people who earn at a certain level and above a large percentage will face this loss so you may well be one of them, even if you don’t claim benefits at present.

Luckily you have a tool with which to save yourself money now so that you don’t miss the loss of cash in the future. Your home is a great asset; here is how Ideal Windows and conservatories can help you make the most of it:

Insulation

There are a number of ways you can insulate your home better so that you reduce the amount of money you spend every month on heating costs. Badly or insufficiently insulated homes can lose a massive amount of heat and therefore money. Replacing all your older single glazed windows with UPVC Windows or another type of double glazing will help keep your heat indoors. Also, if you have a Conservatory, this can be a massive heat drain if it is badly insulated. Looking at modern conservatory designs in comparison to your own can help you assess how badly insulated yours is and help you decide if a conservatory over haul could help your energy costs.

Increase in Value

Having Garage Conversions carried out has helped many people increase the value of their homes in the UK. Many houses were built as standard with a garage as at the time, car body work needed to be better protected and car security was limited. Now that it is safe to keep our cars outside, garages are growing cluttered and dusty and are ripe for conversion into extra bedrooms, new art spaces, offices and giant kitchens. Increasing the value of your home now

Security

Protect your money by protecting your home. Home security is something we take very seriously which is why all our windows, doors and conservatories come with an advanced security specification. We recommend any Double Glazing Repairs are carried out as soon as any accidents occur. As well as improving the quality of your entry points you should remember to never leave your keys in plain sight, make sure all your valuables are insured and get to know your neighbours, if their house is insecure and becomes a target, chances are you may be next in line.

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3 Ways to Increase the Appeal of Your Home

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

In the current climate, the ability to be fluid in your housing situation can be a bonus. With Housing Minister Grant Shapps offer 8 million social housing tenants the opportunity to control where they want to live and be able to swap homes for somewhere where they might find more opportunities, it is clear that the way people view housing is changing. There is an increasing number of private home swapping organisations emerging also, meaning that instead of tackling the sometimes tough housing ladder, you can take advantage of the opportunity to swap homes with someone who lives elsewhere in the country, perhaps saving yourself a packet in legal fees and hassle.

To make your home as attractive as possible to someone looking to swap with you, now can be a good time to think about adding to your home. Indeed, if someone who has a home in an area you would love to live in comes along and was looking to move to a house like yours in your area, but they were torn between your house and another, if your house had the little added extra it may well just seal the deal.

So, what do people look for in a house? The wow factor of course!

Conservatory

Of course a conservatory is a major plus for anyone looking for a new home. Unless they are agoraphobic (fear of open spaces) a house hunter will fall over themselves to have a home with a conservatory. Their feeling of space and openness coupled with their cosy interior are simply too tempting for most people to resist.

Double Glazing

With money tight, being able to say that your home is 50% more efficient when it comes to heat retention and insulation is a real ace in the hole, not to mention the fact you are adding a fresh sheen to your exterior. Double glazing, in this climate, is a must and the addition of high quality UPVC Windows is even better.

Garage Conversions

Your home from the outside could look like a traditional 2 up 2 down with a car garage on the side. For someone without a car, this may not be too appealing. However, if you convert your garage into a home gym, an extra bedroom or even your own private cinema, anyone coming to view your home will be completely bowled over with excitement. Garage conversions can be a great understated way to add a huge amount of extra living space to your home.

Anyone of these simple solutions could mean the difference between you moving to your dream area and not. In fact, once you have added your new conservatory or home cinema you may not want to move after all, having created your dream home.

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