Is Your Home Ready for the Holidays?

Courtesy of Flickr

By Gates Dearen

With Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner, I thought I’d take the time to help you find out if your home is ready for the holidays.  While we Floridians don’t spend a lot of time dashing through the snow, the weather can turn downright nippy during the winter months.  As I write this blog, the high is 50 and the low tonight will be just above freezing.  While that’s nothing to all you who moved here from places like Chicago or Minneapolis, every Floridian will notice a difference in their next electric bill as we make the transition from autumn to winter.

Choosing the Right Doors for Your Home

Courtesy of HomeRiteJacksonville.com

By Gates Dearen

When it comes time to replace the doors on your home, which is more important, form or function?  Don’t answer that question yet, because I have a few things I’d like to tell you about exterior doors.  While all homes have at least two doors, the differences between them can be as stark as night and day. 

The Easy Way to Check for Leaky Windows and Doors

By Gates Dearen

Courtesy of  HomeriteJacksonville.com

When it comes to doing most anything, there is usually a hard way and an easy way to getting the job done.  This tenet holds true whether you’re trying to master a new skill, learn a new language or reduce your golf handicap.  So, it should come as no surprise that when it comes to determining whether it’s time to replace your existing windows and/or doors, there’s an easy way and a hard way to do that as well.  The hard way is to wait until your utility bills are costing way too much.  The easy way?  Read on…

Why Do Manufacturers Put Argon Gas Between Window Panes?

By Gates Dearen

Courtesy of  homeritejacksonville.com

If you’re looking to increase the energy-efficiency of your home, removing those old drafty windows and replacing them with modern double-paned windows is a great idea.  To make your new windows even more efficient, some replacement windows are manufactured with argon gas sealed between the panes.  What many consumers want to know is; why do window companies inject argon gas between the panes, and is it worth the money?

The Ins & Outs of Replacement Window Installation

Courtesy of Flickr

By Gates Dearen

With hurricane season in full swing, many people are considering the replacement of their old, outdated windows.  In the heat of the summer, folks also get tired of paying sky-high utility bills caused by worn out windows that make your air conditioner run nearly.  Whatever the motivation, once you’ve made the decision to upgrade your windows, you might wonder about the process of having your old windows removed and new windows installed entails. 

How Much Wind Can Your Windows Take?

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Gates Dearen

It seems that whenever Hurricane Season rears its ugly head, that’s when Floridians start taking stock of their homes and gardens.  Since the past two years have produced named hurricanes that made landfall here in north Florida, it becomes all the more important that you survey your home looking for vulnerabilities that wind and rain can exploit.  Once you’ve had a chance to check your roof to see how much life your shingles still have in them, followed by your yard to see which trees need trimming, the next logical places to consider, are your windows.

New Windows Can Help You Fight the Summertime Blues

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Gates Dearen

Summer has arrived in Jacksonville, Florida.  The thermometer is already hovering around the 90-degree mark.  By July and August, anything south of 90 will seem like a fond memory.  Speaking of memories, this is also the time of year when most homeowners see a substantial amount of their paychecks spent on keeping up with big electric bills.  To help you turn that frown upside down, I decided I would dedicate this week’s blog to showing you how replacement windows can help you fight the summertime, cooling-expense blues.

Vinyl or Aluminum Windows?

Courtesy of HomeRite Jacksonville

By Gates Dearen

There are many choices when it comes time to upgrade the windows on your home.  Everything from single and double hung windows that are a breeze to swap out for your existing windows, to casements and specialty windows that can transform an ordinary room into a visual masterpiece with spectacular views are available nowadays.  However, when it comes to selecting the material from which your windows are constructed, there are really only two choices to make: Vinyl or aluminum.  Since both materials have pros and cons, I thought I’d devote this blog to helping you decide which is best for your home.

Single or Double Hung Windows?

Courtesy of HomeRiteJacksonville.com

By Gates Dearen

Whether you are looking to renovate your home, modernize a room, or add curb appeal to a house you are looking to flip, replacing old worn out windows is a great way to add value without breaking the bank.  Once you decide to visit a window and door showroom, one of the first choices you will be asked to make is, whether you prefer single or double hung windows.  Most homeowner’s response is usually, “Single or double what?”  To take the confusion and guesswork out of the equation, I thought I’d devote today’s blog to preventing you from getting hung up on single or double hung windows.

The Ins and Outs of Sliding Windows

Courtesy of Pixabay

By Gates Dearen

If the eyes are the windows into the soul, then windows are the eyes of your home.  Just as the human eye has evolved to precisely control and focus light, modern windows have been designed to control the intensity and wavelength of light admitted into a structure.  While there are a myriad of different window styles and treatments from which to choose, today I thought I would take the time to tell you about sliding windows. 

No Pane, No Gain – How Many Panes does Your Home Need?

By Gates Dearen

Courtesy of Homeritejacksonville.com

When it comes to shopping for replacement windows, one of the first things that hits most consumers is the fact that windows can have one, two or even three panes.  The problem is, most folks don’t know what this means in terms of utility.  Therefore, I thought I’d take the time to explain, without pain, the ins and outs of panes.