Energy Efficient Windows

If the windows in your home have seen better days, replacing them can bring you many advantages. In fact, buying replacement windows for your home is one of the most cost-effective home improvements you can make. Unlike many home improvement projects, replacing your old windows with newer, more energy efficient ones, can actually save you money. Best of all, those savings can accumulate over time, and the energy savings alone can more than pay for the costs of the windows.

IMPORTANT: Do some careful research before purchasing. Avoid the cold-callers and give preference to the smaller, local firms.

Just consider some of the top benefits of replacing your old windows with newer and more energy efficient models:-

1. Lower energy costs – replacing your old leaky windows with newer and more energy efficient ones can result in significant energy savings, both now and in the future. No one expects the cost of energy to go down, so the cost savings you are able to achieve with new replacement windows will only become more valuable as time goes by.

2. Fewer maintenance hassles – constantly painting, repairing and maintaining old windows can be a real hassle, and in some cases it can be downright dangerous. If you are tired of climbing a ladder to paint and clean your windows, consider how replacement windows can reduce your maintenance hassles.

3. Greater resale value – unlike many other home improvements, installing new windows can actually increase the value of your home. The age of the windows is a major concern with home buyers, so replacing your old windows can help your home sell faster as well. Beautify your home – your home is your prized possession, and it is important to keep your biggest investment looking its best. replacement windows can add charm, beauty and sophistication to your home.

4. Easier cleaning – cleaning traditional windows often means climbing a ladder and scrubbing for what seems like an eternity. New windows, on the other hand, are normally constructed of a modern PVC material which stay clean, and look new for longer. Also windows can be fitted so that they tilt to allow for easier cleaning from the inside.

5. Tax advantages – depending on your country there may be tax advantages to installing anything which improves the energy saving capability of your home.

6. More light – being cooped up in a dank and dark home is no fun, but replacement windows can bring more light into your life. New window designs allow more light into your home without leaking hot or cool air or wasting energy.

7. Unique designs – if you own an older home, chances are all the windows look pretty much alike. You can stand out amongst your neighbors with unique replacement windows, including bows, bays and picture windows that will make your home look like a showplace.

8. Better security – replacement windows often have much better security features than traditional windows, providing a deterrent to criminals and helping to keep our family safe at home.

9. Greater privacy – you can choose to install frosted or tinted replacement windows which means you can see out but others cannot easily look in. This can provide greater privacy, safety and security for your home and your family.

If you have been looking for a low cost way to beautify your home, protect your family and achieve real cost savings, installing replacement windows may be just what you have been looking for. Replacing your old and inefficient windows with new energy efficient ones can save you a great deal of money, while at the same time making your home more livable, more secure and of course much more inviting.

Laying Carpet Tiles

Laying Carpet Tiles in my workshop

I have just got myself a brand new outside workshop/shed. Before I started putting furniture inside I decided that I needed to put some kind of carpet down. To get a fitted carpet seemed a little expensive, especially for an outside workshop. Also I couldn’t find a single piece of carpet large enough (had to be about 11ft by 10ft). So I went for carpet tiles. Calculated that I needed 39/40 tiles at 50cm x 50cm, purchased 40 to be on safe side.

Since I had never laid carpet tiles before, I did some research and found a short video somewhere.

First recommendation from the video was to start laying the tiles from the centre, rather than from one of the corners. This made sense when I thought about it – if a corner was slightly off being a perfect right angle, then problems could develop further down the line.

First task then was to find centre of floor. The video recommended using a chalked piece of string – i.e. tie string from corner to corner, flip string to leave chalk mark, do same for other diagonal, check by stretching string between middle of each side. Being slightly lazy I made do without chalked string – just used straight edges, pencil and tape measure to find centre of room. The video also suggested using special double-sided sticky patches for use with tiles. I could not find any of these so I just went for a roll of double-sided sticky tape for use with carpets.

Before I actually started laying the carpet tiles I thoroughly vacuumed the floor. If the floor had been a lot older I would have given it a good clean as well. I cut off my first piece of double-sided tape, using no particular size, but making it about 4 to 5 inches long I suppose. Now I stuck the corners of my first 4 tiles down and I was away.

I will not go into further details of my progress to the conclusion of my tile-laying. I will just give a few tips below for anyone who has the same, or a similar, task to complete.

  1. Make sure you get a really good sharp knife for the cutting of tiles.
  2. Be aware that 5 metres of sticky tape may not be quite enough if your workshop or shed is as big as mine!
  3. Once you get to the stage of needing to cut tiles to fit round the edge, prepare a line of tiles before starting to stick them down.

Laying Carpet Tiles is a simple enough job I suppose, but there is great satisfaction when it is successfully finished.