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Use Caution When Hiring Contractors to Repair Storm Damage

April 19, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home storm repairs, remodeling, windows and doors

With the recent storms and massive flood damage to homes throughout our area, I think it is appropriate to remind you that there are some unsavory characters out there who may show up in your area promising to repair the damage to your home. These “storm chasers” are fly by night operations who swoop in when homeowners are at their most vulnerable, promise to fix the damage at a cheap price, take a deposit, and simply disappear.

My advice? Never do business with any company that cannot provide you with verifiable proof that they are a legitimate company. And, don’t just take some guy’s word for it that he has a license, insurance, references, etc. Make any contractor prove it, and contact the Better Business Bureau to make sure they are for real. Also, be cautious if someone shows up at your door offering to give you an estimate. Yes, many companies, including our own, will canvas a neighborhood when they are working on a nearby property, but these people will be able to provide company identification (our reps carry photo id’s with company information), as well as introduce you to the property owner where they are currently working – your neighbor. If a “contractor” cannot provide valid identification and contact information, send him on his way!

On a similar note, we have recently learned that there is some company out there taking advantage of our own good name to snag leads from homeowners looking for estimates on renovation projects. After a call from a customer saying she had filled out an online estimate request (she thought from our website), only to be bombarded with sales calls and emails from companies she had not contacted, we did a little online research. Seems like there is someone who has taken out ads on Yahoo and Bing, that we know of so far, using something close to our name. We’re working to resolve this issue, but, in the meantime, if you want an estimate from our company, please visit our website (https://www.evergreenwindow.com) to complete an estimate request form, or call us at (708)423-1720. We do not use any outside lead generating site, although we will sometimes receive referrals from manufacturers who are contacted by homeowners in our area seeking a contractor.

Once again, be cautious when planning home repairs or improvements, and make sure you are dealing with a legitimate contractor to avoid heartache down the road!

Rae

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home storm repairs, remodeling, windows and doors

National Window Safety Week

April 3, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, home improvement, home renovation, home security, remodeling, windows and doors

Having recently completed a series on selecting the right windows for your home, it seems only appropriate to let you know (with a big thank you to our friends at Simonton Windows for reminding us) that this coming week, April 7-13, 2013, is National Window Safety Week. As such, we felt this would be a good time to offer you some window safety tips. Some of these were offered by Simonton, while others are tips that we have come up with over the years, but they are all equally important to your family’s safety:

  1. Never push on screens! Window screens are only to keep pests out of your home, and have no safety value, as such. It takes very little pressure to push out a window screen, which could easily lead to falls and serious injuries, or worse. Teach your kids to never play around windows, and make sure you do not place furniture near windows where children can climb on it and possibly fall out of an open window, or break the glass in a closed window, leading to injuries. There are also window safety devices on the market that are supposed to protect children from falls, but this is not something we deal with, so our knowledge on this subject is rather limited.
  2. Always lock your windows. Not only will locking your windows protect you and your family from intruders and reduce your heating and cooling costs by minimizing air leakage, but it will also prevent small children from pushing unlocked windows open, again, potentially leading to a serious accident. Be aware, however, that you should teach your children, as they get older, how to unlock windows in case of emergency, as well as how to use an emergency chain ladder if they sleep on an upper level, so that they can escape in the event of fire or other danger.
  3. Do not nail, paint, or otherwise seal windows closed. While you may think that sealing windows will help protect your family from accidents or intruders, please remember that it will also prevent your family or emergency personnel from opening the window in case of emergency. On that note, you should also make sure that at least one window in each bedroom meets egress requirements. There are specific height and width opening requirements, which your contractor or building inspector will be able to provide to you, but, for the sake of simplicity, the opening with sash in but raised to maximum must be large enough for a fully grown adult to enter and exit without difficulty.
  4. “Air locks” or “vent latches” are not a security feature! Many windows now come standard with air latches, small mechanisms, often plastic, which can be used to limit how far a sash can be opened. These are great for allowing air flow without having to worry about children falling out the window. However, please be aware that it does not take a great deal of strength to push the sash to the point that these latches may snap, allowing the sash to be opened fully. Therefore, never assume that a vent latch will keep an intruder from opening a window from the outside. That is not the intention of these components. They are not in any way a security device and should not be used as such.

We want you and your family to be safe at all times, and we hope these tips will increase your knowledge when it comes to window safety.

Rae

 

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, home improvement, home renovation, home security, remodeling, windows and doors

Choosing the Right Windows Is No Easy Task!

March 12, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

Whether you are doing a historic renovation or searching for the most affordable and yet energy efficient solution for your home, we have the answer. The best part about making your new window selection is that your energy efficiency goals will be met regardless of whether you choose vinyl, fiberglass, or wood windows.

Which window material to choose will rest with your remaining needs. Whether you go for the durability and maintenance free aspects of vinyl, the strength and paintable flexibility of fiberglass, or the warmth and beauty of wood will be entirely dependent on your remodeling goals and your pocketbook.

No matter what you choose, getting the right installation will be the key to long lasting satisfaction with your window decision. Call us at (708) 423-1720 for a free professional consultation to assist you in making the right window choice for your design aspirations!

Rae the Renovator

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

Not Your Grandfather’s Wood Windows

March 10, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

When you mention wood windows, most customers’ first instinct is to worry about maintenance. After all, don’t wood windows peel, warp, and split when exposed to the elements? With the advent of fiberglass and aluminum exterior cladding, exterior maintenance is no longer an issue. Marvin, Pella, and Anderson all offer wood windows with exterior cladding in a wide variety of colors to compliment almost every home’s exterior. And, where historical integrity is paramount, wood exteriors are available. And, because the interiors are wood, finishes are limited only by your imagination. Each of our key manufacturers offers a variety of factory finished interior options, or you can opt to have your windows finished in your choice of paint or stain by an outside source.

custom-wood-window-150x150

You can’t do this with vinyl or fiberglass!

Wood windows also have the widest selection of glass options available, from multiple Low E finishes to tempered, obscure, laminated, textured, tinted, and art glass designs. Each also offers grilles between the glass, removable grids that snap to the interior of the window, and simulated divided lites (SDL’s), grilles that are permanently attached to the exterior of the window, giving the look of classic wood windows. In addition, specialty patterns can be manufactured to meet virtually any designer’s imagination.

Along with a number of standard hardware colors and styles, with wood windows you can elect to use designer or historical hardware to further enhance the beauty and historical integrity of your windows.  Finally, because wood windows are limited only by the size of glass that can be manufactured, monumental single window units are available in wood that cannot be made in vinyl or fiberglass due to limitations presented by extrusion machines.

If you are looking for the most flexibility in style, finish, and decorative options, wood windows are definitely the first choice. And, if you need to maintain the historical integrity of your property, wood is the only way to go. Now that you don’t have to worry about exterior maintenance because of the availability of cladding options, there is certainly no reason not to consider wood when you are ready to replace the windows in your home.

Rae the Renovator

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

What’s the Story on Fiberglass Windows?

March 8, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

Most people are relatively familiar with both vinyl and wood windows, but not so many folks know about fiberglass windows. They’ve been on the market for about 20 years, but you don’t see a lot about them in the mainstream. So, we’re going to look at Marvin’s Integrity line and Pella’s Impervia to help you get to know this window material.

Both of these manufacturers offer a variety of factory painted exterior colors with white interiors, which can be painted. Marvin also offers paintable and stainable “Everwood” interior options. Like vinyl, they also offer a broad spectrum of hardware finishes complimenting your home’s interior, as well as grilles between the glass to enhance the look of your home. Each also offers multiple Low E, tempered, and obscure glass options, and Marvin’s Integrity line also offers a special sound abatement package that can be useful if you live near a highway, airport, train line, or other noisy areas. Each also offers limited lifetime transferable material and manufacturing warranties.

So far, fiberglass sounds a lot like vinyl in most aspects. So, what makes it different? One of the most important considerations is the strength of fiberglass vs vinyl strengthfiberglass. After all, this is the same kind of material used to make boat and auto bodies. In fact, the fiberglass used to manufacturer these windows has been tested to be as strong as steel, and requires diamond tipped blades to cut the material. Needless to say, this strength should translate into a long life for your windows, even under the worst conditions! Another important fact to note about fiberglass is that it expands and contracts at basically the same rate as glass, which means lower rates of seal failure due to changing weather conditions. And, because fiberglass is, as mentioned before is paintable without voiding the warranty, it does allow more flexibility in changing the look of your windows down the road than does vinyl.

All in all, fiberglass is a great mid price option for replacement windows, offering many options available on vinyl windows, with more flexibility in finishes and eight times the strength of vinyl. Because of the ability to paint or stain, they are not as “low maintenance” as vinyl, but, it is certainly a worthy tradeoff to consider as you select your windows.

 Rae the Renovator

 

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About Vinyl Windows

March 6, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

OK, so I’m probably not actually going to tell you everything about vinyl windows. After all, this is a short, informational piece, not an extensive dissertation containing all the technical data about how vinyl is made, how it is transformed into windows, and all that other dull stuff. There are already resources out there that will provide that information, and, most people don’t really care about that part. Instead, I will be looking at three major vinyl window manufacturers and providing you the information I believe will be most helpful to assist you in your decision making process.

Vinyl windows are among the most popular on the market today, in large part because they tend to be less expensive than their wood and fiberglass counterparts. However, as with any important decision, price should never be the primary consideration. Instead, you should always look at quality and value for the price, as well as at the available options. If a vinyl window does not offer all the features that are important to you, it will not be the right choice for you, regardless of the price. So, obviously, you are going to have to decide what is most important to you when choosing what kind of window will best meet your needs.

Our three manufacturers – Simonton, Sunrise, and Great Lakes – each offer fusion welded windows in a variety of basic exterior colors (white, tan, and at least one shade of brown for each). Fusion welding is important in that it maintains strength and stability over the years, whereas a frame that is screwed together at the corners may tend to shift out of square over time. Additionally, Sunrise and Great Lakes both add insulation inside the frames for added energy efficiency. Simonton will add steel within the frames and sash rails for additional structural integrity in high wind applications, such as on a higher floor. Along with their standard colors to match the exterior, each also offers a number of woodgrain laminate color options to give the appearance of wood without the maintenance. Each has a wide variety of energy efficient glass options, including tinted, tempered, laminated, and obscure glass, as well as various Low E coatings. Varying Low E coatings provide different light and heat transference ratings, something to consider depending on the region in which you live and the location of the windows in your home. Each also offers grids between the glass in a variety of popular styles and patterns to add to the beauty of your home. The benefit of having the grids between the panes of glass is that it is much easier to clean your windows. And, on that note, all of our manufacturers also provide tilt-in sash, meaning you tilt the sash into the house to clean them, rather than having to go outside to clean exterior glass.

The available options vary between manufacturers, including blinds between the glass offered by Sunrise, and some art glass (aka stained glass) options available from Sunrise and Great Lakes. Simonton will provide an “empty” sash (with no glass) so that art glass can be installed by an outside source. Each manufacturer also offers various hardware color options to meet your needs, in addition to the standard color matched hardware they generally install. Each of these manufacturers also offers a lifetime transferable warranty on their products, so that if material or manufacturing defects arise over the life of your windows, you don’t have to worry about the cost to replace it. Note, this generally does not include the cost of installing a replacement window, if necessary. That is something you will have to discuss with your contractor.

Vinyl windows are a great lower cost option for replacing the windows in your home. They offer a wide variety of color, glass, and grid options to enhance the appearance of your home. About the only real drawback I can think of, depending upon your needs, is the limitations on color options (both interior and exterior). In general, our manufacturers offer plenty of color options, but, unlike wood, they cannot be painted or stained if you want to change the color somewhere down the road. And, before anyone points this out, I am aware that there is vinyl paint available on the market. But, before you think about going that route, check your warranty. After market changes to any product will impact the warranty, sometimes even voiding it. I will note that Simonton does have a product line that offers painted exteriors In a broad spectrum of colors, but this is not a standard feature and requires extended lead time, taking away one final key benefit of vinyl windows – lead times of 2 to 4 weeks, whereas wood and fiberglass generally require longer manufacturing times of up to 8 weeks, sometimes even longer for special products.

Rae the Renovator

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

How Do I Choose the Right Windows for My Home?

March 4, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

vinyl-double-hungWhen you are planning to replace the windows in your home, you are probably thinking first and foremost about energy efficiency. And, that is an excellent starting point. However, you should also give serious consideration to the “look” you want for your new windows. Like updating your personal wardrobe, changing the style and/or color of your windows can have a dramatic impact on the impression your home leaves. So, when you start planning your renovation, think about what impression you wish to make.

There is no simple answer to what is the right window for a home. The right choice for you may not be right for someone else. So, rather than trying to give you cut and dried answers, over the next few days, we are going to provide an overview of the three most popular types of windows for this region – vinyl, wood, and fiberglass – to help you find the right answer for you. wood-double-hungWe’ll be using information provided by some of Evergreen Door & Window’s most popular manufacturers in each category – Simonton (Reflections), Sunrise, and Great Lakes (Seabrooke) for vinyl, Anderson(400 Series), Pella (Architect Series), and Marvin for wood, and Pella (Impervia) and Marvin (Integrity)for fiberglass – to give you some basic information about standard features and options available for each type. At the end of our exploration, we will provide a summary of all three window materials to help you find the best match for your particular needs.

fiberglass-double-hung1-150x125We hope you will find this information helpful in your search for the right window. Please feel free to ask specific questions, either by posting your question at the end of each posting, or by contacting Evergreen Door & Window via email: info@www.evergreenwindow.com or by phone at (708)423-1720.

Rae the Renovator

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, windows and doors

Good News for Homeowners From the Fiscal Cliff!

January 19, 2013 Filed Under: Uncategorized

Good news, homeowners! In the course of all the “fiscal cliff” debates, Congress did manage to reinstate homeowner energy efficiency credits for 2012 and 2013. In fact, they made the credits retroactive for work completed in 2012, after allowing them to lapse at the end of 2011.

There are a few catches in these credits. First, if you have already applied for a credit in the past, you are not eligible for additional credits, even if you had additional work completed in 2012. Additionally, there is a limit of $500 in total credits (the cap used to be $1,500). For further information, check out the following links, and don’t forget to talk to your tax professional to see if you qualify for the 2012 credit. In this economy, every dollar helps, so don’t miss out!

 From Window and Door magazine, one of our favorite industry resources: http://windowanddoor.com/news-item/government/fiscal-cliff-bill-extends-energy-efficiency-tax-credits

From US Department of Energy’s Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (Dsire): http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US43F

Rae the Renovator

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

After the Storm: Beware of Home Repair Rip-offs

December 21, 2012 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home repair, remodeling, windows and doors

It’s the season of peace on earth, goodwill toward men. But, if you have damage to your home after last night’s strong wind storm, be careful about home repair scam artists who may show up at your door offering to make repairs. There are always a few people out there looking to rip off unwitting victims, regardless of the season. They particularly look to take advantage of the elderly and poor, those people with the most to lose because they have the least, and are often the most trusting.

So, even at this time when you want to believe the best of others, be careful. If you need repairs to your home due to storm damage, contact your insurance company, then call a reputable firm to get a reliable estimate for the work. Never do business with someone who just shows up at your door unless you can confirm their reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau for reports, good or bad, on a company, and make sure you are actually dealing with the company they claim to be. Unfortunately, we have found that scammers are more than willing to use the good name of another company to get in the door, so, do your homework.

Previously, I also suggested that you check with online sources such as Angie’s List. These days, I’m not so positive about what they have to say, as apparently some people are willing to pay good money to make false complaints against companies, and Angie’s List doesn’t do a lot of follow up to assure that these claims are accurate before they post them. We have had people post negative reviews of our company even though they have never even done business with us, and attempts to correct these false claims have gone nowhere. So, we personally recommend checking with the Better Business Bureau, as they at least follow up with companies if they receive complaints, and then publish the results of their research.

My whole point here is to make sure you know a company before you do business with them. Check the facts, including calling the company to confirm that the person really works for them, or ask for company identification. Our staff all wears company issued photo ID tags for your security and ours, and we recommend that other companies follow a similar plan.

Get a good estimate, and work with a reputable company, and your storm damage will be resolved to your satisfaction in a professional manner, instead of putting a cloud of disappointment over your holidays.

Wishing you happy holidays and a joyous new year from all of us at Evergreen Door & Window!

Rae the Renovator

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home repair, remodeling, windows and doors

Home Security Only Works if You Use It Correctly

December 9, 2012 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home security, remodeling, windows and doors

If you watch CBS 2 News here in Chicago, you may have seen their recent report regarding deadbolt locks and break-ins (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/12/07/do-your-deadbolt-locks-offer-maximum-security-you-might-be-surprised/#comments ). As installers of doors and door hardware, we were very interested to see this report and impressed by the coverage. There are a few very important points to take from this: 1) Deadbolts only work if they are installed properly, making sure that the backset hole is drilled deep enough in the jamb to allow the bolt to fully seat. If not, it is extremely easy to slip a screwdriver or other tool between the door and jamb and pop the lock open. 2) A cheap lock, regardless of how well it is installed, is very simple to break – soft metal and plastic parts give way very easily, making them pretty much useless. 3) All houses settle, so locks should be checked periodically to make sure they are still operating properly. If not, adjustments need to be made to correct the problem. 4) Finally, it doesn’t matter how good your locks are if you don’t use them! It never ceases to amaze me how many people install locks and security systems, but then fail to engage them regularly!

Here at Evergreen Door & Window, our crews test all hardware when they install it, making sure everything works properly before they leave. This is true of handset locks, deadbolts, storm doors, and security storm doors. We also make sure our clients are comfortable with operating their locks to avoid issues down the road. But, you still have to use them to make them work. The same applies if you have a security system installed in your home. It only protects you if you use it!

Many people, when they purchase a new home, will immediately replace the locks, just to make sure there are no stray keys roaming around from previous tenants. But, oftentimes they will select the least expensive option available at the hardware store. Remember, this lower price probably means the materials are less substantial, making the locks more susceptible to break-ins. In the long run, if you choose to do it yourself, it is more cost effective to choose the more expensive hardware to get a higher security rating. Bottom line, check to see how the locks are assembled and what they are made of before purchasing them, to make sure you are getting something that will actually do the job.

Better still; make the investment on the front end to have your new hardware professionally installed, either by someone like a home improvement specialist such as Evergreen Door & Window, or a locksmith. That way, you will be secure in knowing that you have the right hardware for your needs and that it has been properly installed. And, of course, don’t forget to use it properly!

When you are ready to replace your doors, storm doors, or add a security storm door, or just update your locks, give us a call for your security needs. We’ll do it right the first time!

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home security, remodeling, windows and doors

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