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Saturday, 25 October 2008 11:00 |
You cannot stand it. The same old dreary windows that do little to add life to your home. It is time for a change. But, where do you start? How do you keep from making an expensive or embarrassing mistake? In fact, how can you know what you really want?
1.Start with one room at a time.
There may be the temptation, especially when moving into a new home, to decorate all of the rooms at once. This takes far too much energy and can sap your creative juices, leaving the decorating flat and less interesting. It can also make decorating your home an overwhelming task. Go slow. Do one room at a time and then move on to the next one.
2.Assess, review your needs.
With pen and paper in hand, jot down some notes about all of the windows in the room. Measure them and note their size and shape. Rough sketches will help. Are the windows too large? Too small? Odd sizes? Mismatched sizes? Is there too much light in the room? Not enough light? Do you want to block an unattractive view? Do you want to enjoy the beautiful view? Do you need privacy? Daytime privacy? Nighttime privacy? Or both? Do you want to liven up a dreary room? How do other family members feel about these needs? What is your budget for the windows?
3.Look for help, tips and ideas.
Seek inspiration. One thing is for certain, no matter what the challenge or situation that you are facing with your windows, someone else has already dealt with the same situation. There is a way, or many ways, to attractively treat the windows in your room. You can find examples of how others have decorated their windows in magazines, window decorating books, window decorating websites and by talking with friends and relatives.
4.Make a plan.
Using your list of needs, rank the needs in order of importance and then make a plan that addresses your needs in that order. There is a way to treat issue.
5.Address your window coverings in stages.
This is especially if you are uncertain about your preferences or if you are working on a budget. Begin with the shades, blinds or shutters. Once these are selected and installed, move to draperies or curtains, including the traverse or curtain rod. Finally, add the finishing touches such as cornices, decorative tie backs and finishing hardware.
6.Combine and contrast colors.
Using color in your window treatment is an excellent way to put life and energy as well as set the tone and mood of a room. Experiment with mixing colors from opposite ends of the color spectrum.
7.Mix fabrics for texture.
Fabric is composed of either natural or synthetic fibers and how they are woven, knitted or felted together. The type fiber and the weave or knitting will determine the texture of the material or fabric. Mixing fabrics and textures can be an excellent way to create interest and set the tone of your window treatments. For example, you may consider using velvet over organdy or silk over linen. Common fabrics for window treatments include brocade, cambric, canvas, chintz, cotton duck, crewel, damask, gingham, lace, linen, muslin, organdy, satin, silk, taffeta and velvet.
8.Mix patterns.
Mixing patterns can also liven up and set the mood for a room. Here are some tips for mixing patterns.
a. Match the scale, of the pattern to the area where it is going to be used. For example, use larger patterns on the drapes or curtains, medium patterns on valances or cornices and small patterns on accent pieces.
b. Use geometric patterns with one another. For example, you can use stripes with checks, plaids or dots.
c. Common colors in mixed patterns tie the two together. For example, blue stripes mixed with matching blue dots will tie the two patterns together.
9.Make small windows big.
Make big windows smaller. One of your goals should be to make the room harmonious. Mismatched windows or windows of dissimilar size and shape can disrupt this harmony. You can make small windows appear larger by placing a heading such as a valance or cornice on the wall above the window and using curtains or drapes of similar length. Large windows can be treated with a series of blinds or drapes breaking up the expanse. Large cathedral windows can be treated by installing a curtain or traverse rod on the lower part of the window and leaving the upper portion untreated.
10.Let your window coverings evolve.
Like a garden, the interior decoration of your home, including window treatments will be subject to change. Let your windows evolve as the interior of your home changes to reflect changes in your lifestyle or tastes. The first order for your windows is to provide privacy and light control. This will be accomplished with shades, blinds, miniblinds or shutters. Then you can begin creating mood with decorative treatments of color, design and texture. As you gain confidence and experience with decorating, you can change and expand your window treatments.
If you are tired of the same old boring drapery and curtains, now is the time to make a change. Follow these steps. Look for tips and ideas in books, magazines and websites. You are on your way to a complete window make over.
Here are some tips to help you begin your window coverings ( http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com/window-coverings.html ) makeover.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
The writer Rob Carlton publishes for www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com. He is helping people finding the best solutions for window coverings www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com/window-coverings.html and home decoration.
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Saturday, 25 October 2008 04:01 |
It was the perfect spot. Our California ranch style house had a large picture window in the front room. The window extended from a few inches above the floor to only a few inches below the cathedral ceiling. The walls and ceiling were redwood stained knotty pine and the floor was a matching hardwood. The window looked out over a flower bed, shrubs and the expanse of front lawn. It was the perfect window to be replaced with a bay window.
The window was nearly square. It was 72 X 72 inches. We considered a bow window, but elected to install a bay window instead. We just felt that our particular house looked better with three panel bay window rather than the multiple panel bow windows. Our intent was to fill the seat board of the bay with potted plants we had sitting in front of the current picture window. The new arrangement would give us a little more space in the room and improve the overall appearance of the house. It was time to go shopping.
Scratch vs. Pre-built
When we first got the idea of installing the new window, I began gathering plans for building a bay window. Thumbing through books and magazines, and the Internet search engines, I found several plans for building a bay window from scratch. I also found that undertaking such a project was going to be unnecessary. Most of the major window manufacturers, such as Pella, Milgard and Anderson make both completely pre-assembled bay windows as well as pre-built components for bay windows.
These days very few contractors will take on the project of building a bay or bow window from scratch. It simply isn"t practical when for the same or less money they can install a high quality pre-built window. If the contractors use pre-built windows or components for new house construction or renovation projects, then we could do the same for our remodeling project, we reasoned.
Installing a bay window can easily be a do-it-yourselfer project. Before you go the diy route, however, you may want to line up a contractor to help out if necessary. This is not going to be a job that you can complete during a Saturday afternoon. Chances are you are not going to finish it in a weekend, for that matter.
You are also going to want to line up some help. Bay windows and window components are heavy. At least they are too heavy for one person to manage.
Be sure and check out the weather forecast, including the long range forecast. Installing the window means opening a hole into your home. It can take a couple of days to get the new window in place and sealed. The last thing you want is for rain to come pouring in on your floor, walls or furniture.
Be sure and check your city or community construction codes. There may be special local requirements, such as having safety glass in low profile windows. You are probably going to need a building permit anyway, so that is also a good time to check the codes.
Tools and Materials Needed
The tools you will need for this project include a tape measure, a framing square that you can also use as a straight edge, a circular saw or miter saw, crow bars, drill and bits, level, stapler, utility knife, tin snips and a caulking gun.
The materials you will need include the bay window unit, the support brackets, nails, roofing paper, shingles, roofing nails, exterior grade silicone caulking and fiberglass insulation. You will also need 1X6 inch boards for the window skirting. If you are enlarging an existing window, or if you are installing the window in a space that was previously the wall, you will also need 2X4s for cripple studs and additional framing.
Basic Installation Steps
1.Establish window position in the wall. Remove the existing window. Measuring the bay window, mark on the exterior of the house the opening needed for the new window. Using your circular saw, cut the required opening.
2.Framing. Build the framing for the new window. This will likely include cutting through existing studs and putting in a new header, rough sill, jack studs and cripple studs.
3.Install the support braces. A window up to five feet wide will take a minimum of two support braces. A wider window will need three.
4.Set the window in place. Lift the bay window on the support braces and slide it into the rough opening. Shim as necessary to level the window. Anchor in place.
5.Build the window roof. Set the roof frame on top of the bay window unit and nail in place. Fill the space between the roof and the top of the bay window with insulation. Fasten the roof sheeting to the frame and cover with roofing paper. Install the drip edges and the flashing and then shingle.
6.Install the window skirting around the bottom of the window. Fill will insulation and then attach the skirt bottom to seal the underneath side of the window.
7.Seal the edges with silicone caulking.
This is a list of the basic installation steps and they have been abbreviated in the interests of simplicity and space. The window unit you buy will have complete installation steps. Take it from the voice of experience; it really makes the project go much more smoothly and it will be completed in much less time when you read and follow them.
In our case, I had two friends helping with the project. We have worked together on other projects and work together well. We had the old window out and the rough framing completed on Saturday afternoon. We buttoned up the hole with plywood overnight and went back to work the next day. By Sunday evening we had the new window installed and the roof and skirting completed. On Monday afternoon I finished sealing up the outside and completed the trim work for the inside.
And, we were right. It was the perfect spot for a bay window. It looked great from the outside. Inside, it became the focal point of the room and added a special charm to the house. The window gave the house added character and value.
When it came time to sell the house, it was one of the features that were particularly attractive to the buyers.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Charles Mohaney is author for the replacement windows www.replacement-windows-tips.com internet site. Charles is helping people finding the best solutions for bay windows www.replacement-windows-tips.com/bay-windows.html and other home improvement topics.
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Thursday, 02 October 2008 04:01 |
A sparkling window is the desire of everyone. Clean, bright shiny windows add a new look to every house. Like furniture, windows require their own cleaning methodology to keep them looking new and tidy. Here are 7 simple ideas to give your windows a marvellous shine.
1) Ensure that you dry your windows in one direction - leftwards or rightwards. Mixing the direction will leave unpleasant streaks on the glass and make it look untidy.
2) Before you wipe the window glass, remove all dust from the windows so that in applying a wet cloth, you do not leave mud on the window. Water and dust will form mud.
3) If you are cleaning window sills, rub the whole surface with a damp cloth sprayed with alcohol so that all the spots will clear off for a beautiful shine.
4) Windows are very sensitive to dirt. You should therefore apply only clean water in cleaning windows and in cases where you use damp cloth, use only clean cloths.
5) If the glass is greasy or smoky, apply some vinegar to the water before you clean the window. Vinegar removes grease without leaving streaks or stains.
6) When cleaning windows which are beyond the reach of you hand, use a step ladder if the height is medium or use a regular ladder if quite high. Always ensure that the safety clip is on and if possible, get some one to hold the base of the ladder for safety reasons.
7) Sprays are convenient to use than buckets of water. In cleaning windows of considerable heights, try to use sprays instead of buckets of water as they can spill and you will have to do everything again. The sheer weight and burden will get you tired easily.
Getting a window to shine is an easy task. All you need is the above window cleaning tips.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Joy Jackson writes extensively and gives tips and advice chats on quick easy and simple house cleaning. HEr tips and advice, article and resourcces are on her website: www.theonlinemaid.com
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