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Count on the Strength of Fiber Cement Siding

July 28, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: fiber cement siding, home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, residential siding, siding

hardieplank-150x150In our previous discussion, we focused on the new generation of vinyl siding. The fact of the matter is, however, that some people simply want nothing to do with vinyl siding. That’s okay – variety, after all, is the spice of life! For those people who want something other than vinyl, but still want relatively easy maintenance and longevity, we also offer fiber cement siding. Variations of this product have been on the market for generations, but the current incarnation came into being in the 1980’s, when changes were made to the kind of fibers used to bind the cement, replacing the old asbestos fibers, which of course were found to be hazardous.

hardiepanel-150x150Among the many benefits of fiber cement siding are the fact that it is fire and termite resistant, which could have a positive impact on your homeowner’s insurance rates (check with your agent or insurance provider for further information on this benefit). And, speaking of impact, fiber cement siding is also strong, resisting damage from hail, wind driven debris, and day to day hits such as kids toys, ladders, etc. Additionally, with the use of optional factory applied color, fiber cement siding maintains its beauty for years. Of course, you can always change the color, as, unlike vinyl, fiber cement siding is easily paintable to change the appearance of your home whenever you choose without replacing the siding. Fiber cement siding is available in a variety of styles from lap to shingle to vertical panels to give you exactly the appearance you are looking for to enhance the beauty of your home.

For more information about our fiber cement siding options or to schedule your free estimate today, visit our website at https://www.evergreenwindow.com or call us at (708) 423-1720. Your home matters to us!

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: fiber cement siding, home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, residential siding, siding

Vinyl Siding for the 21st Century

July 18, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home repair, remodeling, residential siding, siding, vinyl siding

craneboard6-150x117In the beginning, there was wood siding. Ok, technically, first it was rocks and log walls, but in the “modern” era, everything started with wood siding, and later, the addition of asphalt shingle siding. Then, in 1957, Crane Performance Siding got together with Monsanto and created vinyl siding. Easy to install over existing wood siding or asphalt shingles, vinyl siding was a breakthrough in that it didn’t need to be painted or maintained regularly like wood siding, leaving Americans free to pursue more leisure activities instead of scraping and painting the old wood siding. And, as far as a lot of people are concerned, vinyl siding has not changed since its invention in 1957.

I’m here to tell you, our current vinyl siding offerings are not to be confused with that of your parents. Today’s vinyl siding comes in a variety of colors, styles, and textures to mimic the look of real wood siding. Still the lowest maintenance siding option on the market, our vinyl siding (Crane’s Exterior Portfolio Series) now includes SmartCore insulation, which “breathes” to prevent trapping moisture under the siding, is 240% more impact resistant than fiber cement siding, and offers R-values at least 4 times greater than those of fiber cement siding. In addition, our siding with SmartCore insulation reduces noise by up to 45%, and, most importantly, is warranted for the life of home. You read that right: the warranty is for the life of the home, and is not limited to the original owner. You can’t beat that!

marketsquare-150x117Before you start envisioning the traditional vinyl siding you see in older neighborhoods, the stuff that was used to cover up or replace the old siding from the original builders, you should really check out our website to try out the Dream Designer application (Evergreen Door & Window – Siding Dream Designer) to see all of the color and style options now available to you in vinyl siding. You will be amazed at how much difference a change of color and style can make in the look of any home!

When you are ready to update the look of your home, not to mention improving the energy efficiency, give us a call at (708) 423-1720 or visit our website at http://www.www.evergreenwindow.com to schedule a free in home consultation. We’re ready to help you bring your dream to life!

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: home improvement, home renovation, home repair, remodeling, residential siding, siding, vinyl siding

Why Would You Ever Need a Commercial Entry Door for Your Home?

June 17, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, commercial entry doors, home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, residential entry doors, windows and doors

Port15_RHS_Cafeteria-150x150Since we have been talking about residential entry doors up to this point, you may well be asking yourself, “Why are we talking about commercial entry doors in the same discussion?” There is actually a two part answer to that question: 1) Some of our customer need commercial doors for, well, commercial reasons and 2) some of our residential clients may need commercial doors in certain applications and not even realize it! Let me explain.

Obviously, anyone who owns a brick and mortar business (as opposed to an online only business) needs commercial entry doors. Those could be the aluminum and glass storefronts with which we are all familiar from visiting all our favorite shops, or the employee and delivery entrances you are more likely to find on the side or rear of a business. These are the steel doors with, sometimes, a window to check who is outside before allowing access. And, of course there are the steel fire doors in stores, theaters, etc. that you would exit in the event of an emergency. Often, these fire doors will have no exterior hardware, but they must have a “panic” bar that unlocks the door when you push the bar or handle. Yup, these are commercial doors, those required by fire and life safety codes to allow egress from a gathering place in the event of an emergency while at the same time providing controlled access to protect from intruders.

I took the time to explain all of that because, as you may have already realized, if you live in a condo or apartment building, any multi-residence building that requires access by all residents, you need a commercial door in certain portions of the building. Does your building have a main or secondary entrance for residences that requires key or keycard access? That’s a commercial door, and it must have a panic bar that releases the lock from the inside. Oh, and notice these doors always open out, unlike most typical residential entry doors. This is to allow groups of people to exit in an emergency without fear of not being able to open the door inward because of the crush. Does your building have internal stairwells and doors at each landing? Again, those are commercial doors. See, you use commercial doors more often than you might imagine!

Because the complexity of fire and life safety codes for multifamily dwellings, meeting places, etc., I’m not even going to attempt to explain or interpret any further. I’m simply going to recommend that the next time you attend a condo board or homeowners’ association meeting and the discussion turns to entry doors, ask yourself if these should be commercial entry doors. Then, check with your local code enforcement entity and contact us at (708) 423-1720 or visit our website at https://www.evergreenwindow.com to learn more about commercial entry doors in residential buildings. And, of course, if you are a business owner, contact us for all your commercial entry door needs!

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

Be Secure in Our Knowledge of Steel Entry Doors & Sidelights

June 15, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, commercial entry doors, home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, residential entry doors, windows and doors

steelentrydoor-150x150Some people firmly believe that the only good entry door is a steel entry door. And, hey, there’s nothing wrong with that thinking. A steel entry door with steel frame is, when measuring the number of strikes required to break it, nearly ten times stronger than a wood door and frame. In addition, because of their fire resistance, steels doors are the only entry doors that can be used to meet certain fire and life safety codes, such as those for multifamily dwellings, or between an attached garage and a residence, among others.

And, even if you don’t want or need a steel entry door for every access point in your home, our steel entry doors are available in the same smooth or textured finishes with the same paint, stain, glass, and hardware options as our fiberglass entry door systems so you can mix and match and still coordinate the look of your home. Like our fiberglass entry doors, our steel entry door systems are also available in either full replacement frame format or 90 degree L-frame replacement format.

Visit our website at https://www.evergreenwindow.com or call us at (708)423-1720 to learn more about all the options for a steel entry door system for your home. And don’t forget to ask our consultant if your application requires a steel entry door system to meet fire and life safety requirements.

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

The Finer Points of Fiberglass Entry Doors & Sidelights

June 13, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, commercial entry doors, home improvement, home renovation, residential entry doors, windows and doors

fiberglass-door-150x150If you want the look of wood door but don’t want the higher maintenance, and, yes, higher cost, consider a fiberglass entry door system. Our manufacturers, Albany Door, Provia, and Thermatru, can produce fiberglass entry doors in hundreds of paint and stain colors and glass options to match your vision. We also offer a variety of hardware styles and finishes to provide the perfect accent for your home.

 All of our entry doors are available in either a full frame replacement format or a 90 degree L- frame replacement format. Our professional consultants can help you decide which option is best for your specific installation needs. Our fiberglass entry doors are polyethylene filled and fully weather-stripped to provide the highest energy efficiency, and the glass inserts are dual glazed to meet higher thermal ratings, keeping your home comfortable in any season.

Another highlight of fiberglass entry doors is that they are resistant to dents and dings, cracking, splitting, and warping, so they will maintain their beauty for years to come. They are also easy to clean; just a quick wipe will remove fingerprints and smudges, so you don’t have to worry about how the kids treat your door! Our paint finishes are scratch resistant and contain UV blockers to minimize fading through the years. You should keep in mind that stained finishes do require a bit more care, particularly if they are exposed to direct sunlight on a regular basis. This is true whether on wood, fiberglass, or steel, so please remember this when selecting the exterior finish for your entry door.

Fiberglass doors are a great option in most residential applications, and we want you to give them your full consideration when you are ready for a new entry door on your home. Contact us at (708)423-1720 or visit our website at https://www.evergreenwindow.com to schedule a professional consultation.

 

Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, commercial entry doors, home improvement, home renovation, residential entry doors, windows and doors

Bring Natural Beauty to Your Home With Wood Entry Doors & Sidelights

June 11, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, commercial entry doors, home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, residential entry doors, windows and doors

roguevalley2When it comes to the ultimate in natural beauty, nothing beats a wood entry door. With its unique graining and dozens of available wood species and virtually unlimited finish options, our Rogue Valley wood entry doors and sidelights offer you the opportunity to truly make a statement. If you can envision a custom wood entry door and sidelight system, Rogue Valley Door can create that vision for you.

Like any piece of fine wood furniture, wood entry doors require regular care to maintain their finish and natural beauty. They also respond differently than steel or fiberglass entry doors to weather changes, and thus may operate differently under certain conditions. However, the unique qualities of each customized door are more than worth the tradeoff if you wish to make a true statement on your home’s entry.

To explore the possibilities of a real wood entry door for your home, visit our showroom or website (https://www.evergreenwindow.com) or call us at (708)423-1720 for a professional consultation.

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

The Ins and Outs of Residential Entry Doors

June 9, 2013 Filed Under: Home Improvement Tagged With: building codes, commercial entry doors, home improvement, home renovation, remodeling, residential entry doors, windows and doors

roguevalley1When it comes to selecting residential entry doors, where do you even begin? If you own a single family home, with a few exceptions, your choices are defined by your own personal style, your imagination, and, of course, your budget.

If you live in a condo or townhome, your options may become more limited, as homeowners’ associations generally identify specific criteria so that all units meet the community standards. In addition, there are a number of fire and life safety codes that must be adhered to in multifamily dwellings that do not necessarily apply to single family detached housing. Make no mistake; there are certain applications in single family homes that must also meet fire and life safety standards.

Then, of course, particularly in multifamily units, there are entry and exit points within the building that may even require doors that meet commercial ratings. Oh, you thought commercial doors were only for stores, office buildings, and the like? Don’t let the word “commercial” throw you; there are certain circumstances where these doors are required in residences as well.

Over our next few conversations, we will look at the various types of entry doors – wood, fiberglass, steel, and, yes, even commercial doors – to give you an idea of what each offers, as well as when you need to be aware of specific limitations in which type you can use.

In the meantime, take a look at the existing entry doors in your home, and start imagining what you would like them to be? We’re here to help in your decision making process at https://www.evergreenwindow.com or (708)423-1720.

Rae

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

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

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