Don’t Get Stuck Inside This Winter – What you need to know about hard to open windows.

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

If you find yourself crouched low to gravity, feet hip width apart, abs firm, elbows tucked, arms ready to lift and you’re not a sumo wrestler, you may have a problem of stuck windows.

Don’t get stuck inside this winter. If you’re wrestling with old or new windows you can do something about it before winter arrives. First, understand that humidity causes wood windows to swell, accumulated dust causes tracks to increase friction, and loose or faulty tension springs fail. It’s also possible that the installation wasn’t done correctly. If the window wasn’t installed perfectly square, if too much insulating foam was compressed in the wall cavity, or if setscrews weren’t properly adjusted - your window can be hard to open.

The simple anatomy a window

Windows operate on simple mechanical principles. Understand these and you can diagnose your window problem.

Single and double hung windows simply move up and down in channels in the window frame. Balancing mechanisms, such as rope and pulley, spiral or block and tackle, assist in raising and lowering the window sashes, and prevent them from sliding downward.

Andersen Casement Crank

Casement and awning windows operate by a crank handle and a track. The windows are opened and closed by means of a crank mechanism, which resides against the frame on the inside. The crank houses a series of gears inside a metal housing, which moves a control arm, attached to the sash, which slides along a track.

Sliding windows rely on rollers and a sliding track, like a sliding door. To open and close simply requires just a push.

Eliminate obvious maintenance problems

Often, the reason windows are hard to open and shut is because they’ve not been properly maintained. Windows are finely engineered, rely on moving parts, withstand extreme weather, and are built to last a long time. A well-maintained window will operate smoothly, year after year.

Pella Sash Removal

Single and double hung windows become difficult to open if there’s a buildup of dirt, dust, and debris. Over the years, friction from the buildup increases making the windows difficult to open and close. Try cleaning the window frames and spray with a non-silicone, solvent-free lubricant, opening and closing the window several times to work the lubricant.

If you have old painted windows check the sides of the sash to be sure they have not been painted (never apply primer or paint to the edges of the sash). If excess paint has been applies around the window frame and sill, gently slide a putty knife between the sash and the frame to release the paint. You might try using a hair dryer to blow hot air around the edge of the sash until you can move the window. After successfully releasing the window, lubricate the window frame interiors, channel guides, with pure paraffin candle wax, such as an unscented white votive candle.

Casements and awnings that are difficult to open and shut will require removing the sash (consult the instruction manual for your windows) and checking for stripped or loose screws. Lubricate the hinges with a non-silicone, solvent-free lubricant, and then open and shut the windows several times to work in the lubricant. It is helpful to keep the gears lubricated to make turning easy by applying a few drops of oil around the base of the handle if it’s difficult to turn.

Easy to clean sliders

Sliders that are difficult to open and close may simply require cleaning the roller system and track with a simple soap and water solution. If this doesn’t solve the problem, try lubricating the rolling system.

If the problem persists

After eliminating the obvious causes of hard to operate windows if you windows still don’t open with little effort, you’ll need to eliminate the most common repair problems. Failed or worn out pulleys or tension springs are common repairs for single and double hung windows.  Chipped, broken or bent gears require you to buy a whole new casement crank unit for your casement window. Broken wheels may need replacing on sliding windows.

Double Hung Balancer: ProSalesMag

Windows are basically simple mechanisms requiring only regular maintenance to work well.  Mechanisms can be faulty or wear out, which requires replacing parts, re-installing the frame or other repair.  These repairs may appear easy enough, but they can actually be tedious challenges better left to professionals who have mastered the art and science of window repair.

Woodland’s window manufacturer’s websites offer tips on window maintenance; check out Marvin, Andersen, and Pella.

Don’t get stuck inside this winter.

Back to the Future – Traditional Old homes and Sustainable Remodeling

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

The building industry has transformed over the past decade because of new technologies and designs that make our homes more comfortable and more economical. Traditional homes valued for their quality craftsmanship or architectural significance can now undergo renovations to bring them up to modern building standards without compromising the beauty of the original home.

Remodel with Marvin Casements

The benefits of remodeling or building a new home using modern windows, skylights, doors, siding, sunrooms and other building products means you can create sustainable designs that enhance your life and support the environment.

Keep the vintage façade of your traditional home while upgrading everything else. Windows and doors are indisputably one of the most important elements to focus on in order to improve the efficiency of your home. Marvin Windows and other manufacturer’s can replicate the scale, proportion, profile, configuration, and appearance of the old windows in your traditional home.

Begin by focusing on insulation, draught proofing, ventilation, and the orientation of windows and doors, and you can create the efficiency of a modern home without loosing the beauty of a traditional home.

Insulation

Wood is still the best insulating material for window frames and with Argon gas filled double pane glass makes the biggest insulation impact. Today’s high-end windows such as Marvin and Andersen use warm-edge spacers and weather stripping materials to further insulate their products. Lastly, professional installers,like Woodland, install the windows using high-grade insulation, caulk and weather stripping, and their years of experience to ensure an airtight fit before they close up the space.

Transoms For Air Flow - Marvin Windows

Draught proofing

All windows are not created equal when it comes to draught proofing your home. Pay attention to good-quality detailing around the window, which includes the window design, the fit, and the quality of the installation. Another important consideration is how the windows operate because some operating types have lower air leakage rates than others. Consider how that north wind whistles through your old windows in the winter and replace those windows with awning windows that hinge at the top and open outward. Since the sash closes by pressing against the frame, they generally have lower air leakage rates than sliding windows do for example. Casements also have better leakage rates than double or single hung windows.

Ventilation

Operable vents are back. Remember your grandparent’s old home with the dusty louver windows? Natural ventilation is a key design principle of modern sustainable homes because; who can argue that the simplest form of ventilation is as simple as opening a window. Select from a wide assortment of awnings, hoppers, and other operable venting solutions that allow you to have a cross breeze through your home, while keeping out the elements. Worried about security by leaving windows open at night? The added benefit of the new louver and awning window solutions is that you can leave vents or high awnings open overnight to cool down your entire home during the hot summers.

Orientation of windows

Louver Windows are Back - Australian Home

Carefully planning the location of your windows to allow more natural light to flow in, while at the same time reducing intense heat gains, is the art and science of passive solar design methods. Don’t just replace your windows with new, but identical window sizes or locations. Rather, use this opportunity to make larger window openings on the north side of your home to let more light into dark areas and add a special low-e coating or laminated glass to a south-facing window to prevent overheating a room. Conversely, use your south facing windows to collect heat to warm your house in the winter. If you hear too much street noise, remodeling is the perfect time to select custom windows designed to dampen sound.

You can have the perfect house by remodeling with the new technologies and designs. Preserve the visible beauty of your traditional home while completely upgrading your windows, doors and other elements of your home with cutting-edge products and sustainable design practices. Love your old home and enjoy the conveniences of a new home.

Fashionable, Washable, and Paintable – The Unbeatable Vinyl Siding

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Not that long ago, vinyl siding would not have made a designers list of suitable siding choices for the discerning homeowner with taste. A lot has changed in a few years since the introduction of a new class of vinyl siding entered the scene. You can now choose what’s aesthetically delightful, while keeping maintenance and upkeep on your priority list as well.

 

Benjamin Moore Vinyl Paint

The functionality of vinyl siding is unbeatable and you can mix a variety of elements, colors and styles to create a custom look.

Fashionable

Siding defines the look of a home and today’s vinyl siding allows you to select any combination of color and style to create an architectural look for your home.  Maybe you want to recreate the opulent, decorative features and multicolor palette of a Victorian. Or get the look of the popular Colonial style with long expansive siding, gables and a classic front porch. Mix up siding styles such as vinyl shake for gable sides with vinyl lap siding for the main part of the house. Whether your dream is to have a farmhouse, a modern house or a modern farmhouse pay attention to the details. Wide or narrow window frames, crown moldings, beaded or smooth soffits and fascia all in styles to complement your home’s trim. Don’t shy away from adding awesome standout wood, fiberglass or glass doors. All these choices are available and they are essential if you want to be true to architectural style.

Washable

No tuck-pointing brick, patching stucco, or scraping wood, vinyl siding only requires a soap and water wash. Generally speaking, a homeowner needs only to use water to spray off any stains, but depending on your home’s location, mold or grime can accumulate. For cleaning, the VinylSiding Institute (VSI ) recommends using a solution of 30 percent vinegar and 70 percent water. Others suggest a mixture of laundry detergent, household cleaner, liquid laundry bleach and water.

One of the most popular methods for keeping vinyl siding looking new is pressure washing. Most pressure washers can easily clean a single story vinyl sided home, but if you have a multi-story, consider using a high pressure soap lance attachment and reach an additional 25 feet under high pressure. If the siding hasn't been cleaned in a while, consider using a rotating or utility brush to help loosen thick layers of dirt. Give the soap sometime to do its job and then rinse and watch the dirt fall away and the siding look as beautiful as when it was new. For those of you new to pressure washing. It’s fun and addicting and packs a punch. Be sure to start with a good distance between you and your house and gradually move closer, so as not to damage the area. Spray away from eaves, vents, light fixtures and windows and point the wand downward or horizontally, avoid spraying upward under the siding. Rinse from the top down to avoid streaks.

Of course, follow the manufacturer’s recommendation before you wash your siding and defer to their instructions.

Vinyl siding will eventually fade, but usually only slightly. If you’re not happy with the less-than-vibrant color, consider adding a coat of a latex exterior paint, which flexes in keeping with the expansion and contraction of the siding.

Paintable

Cozy Cottage Eclectic Palette

Natural Look

It’s been many years since choosing vinyl siding meant you were forever stuck with your home’s color. Whether you’re selecting new vinyl siding or want to refresh or change the color of your existing siding, you’ll have a choice of paint brands along with a huge assortment of paint colors. Benjamin Moore, Sherman Williams and other dependable brands have moved into the business with vigor to offer low lustre fortified acrylic paints in hundreds of colors, from soft neutrals to deep hues. Use different color combinations to create a palette that’s right for your home’s style.

We suggest that you visit the Benjamin Moore and see how their designers use color palette’s to create a desired look and let your own imagination run wild. See how you can use paint to create cottage charm or the more natural look of a Craftsman style bungalow. Or see how trading a historic color palette with a neutral palette transforms a traditional farmhouse into a contemporary statement.

Vinyl has captured over 32 percent of the U.S. siding market for new homes, with no end in sight to its growing popularity, largely due to it’s versatility to be fashionable, washable and paintable.

When you’re ready for a change, choose vinyl siding.

Which House Has Vinyl Siding?

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Can you pick the home that does not have vinyl siding, from the photos below? Only one home from the line up does not have vinyl siding – the rest do.

Your brain is checking off all the things you've heard about vinyl siding. If Danny DeVito, in the movie Tin Man pops into your head, well that was aluminum siding, not vinyl.  What you think you know about vinyl siding. It only comes in white. It looks flimsy. It's for tract houses. It's inexpensive. It doesn't look like wood.

If that’s your criteria, you’ll be hard pressed to identify the house without vinyl siding. Everything you thought you knew about vinyl siding is about to be turned on its head, except perhaps for one thing, it’s less expensive than most other siding choices and that is still true.

Multiple colors

Premium vinyl products such as Prodigy® by Alside come in twenty-one classic and contemporary colors to choose from, like Coastal Sage, Tuscan Clay or Charcoal Smoke. Oh, and it comes in white as well – Glacier White. Like a custom painted home, you can match, blend or contrast your color palate.

Solid look and feel

Interlocking impact resistant panels and 1 ½” thick insulation provide the energy efficiency you find in modern materials available for home building today. These aren’t the hollow panels of yesteryear.

Clean look of wood

Today the finely milled products can extend up to 16’ 8” lengths yielding clean lines and an elegant modern style. You can have the look of natural wood without face nailing or caulking.

Stay true to your home’s style

Unlike the plain vinyl siding of the past, you home won’t look like a tract home; rather you can stay true to your home’s style when you replace the siding. Trim and decorative accents can be used at windows, doors, outside corners, gable ends or wherever you want to create a special look. You can choose colors to perfectly complement or contrast the trim with the siding.

Going green

It’s true, today Alside even offers siding products like Charter Oak® with thermal foam and reflective technologies recognized as green products by the industry.

When you’re ready to replace your home’s siding, considervinyl as the best alternative for affordability and style in the market today.