R C Windows & Doors Blog

Having an air conditioning system at home is a must in Florida, especially in the summer season. But what if you want to reduce your energy consumption by turning off your air conditioning on certain days, or at certain times of the day? Is there still a way to keep your home cool even when your air conditioning is not running? It might seem impossible to do this but yes, there’s still a way for you to keep your home at a nice temperature. Here are some tips for keeping your home comfortable, even without AC. Close Your Blinds Keep the sun’s rays from entering your home through windows by closing your blinds or your curtains. Yes, it might be a simple tip but it can make a difference in your house’s temperature. According to experts, it can reduce your home’s temperature up to 20 degrees. This is because 30% of the heat in your home comes from your house’s windows. So remember to close that curtain from now on! Tint Your Windows Tinted windows can cut down on a lot of heat that’s transmitted through your windows and into your home. There are all kinds of tints you can

Did you know that you can easily use nature as a way to keep your house much cooler during the summer months? Simply by adding in the right trees, shrubs, and vines in strategic locations, you can get a much cooler effect and even cut down on some of your cooling costs. Smart landscaping is going to be a whole lot more than just having a beautiful yard. It is also about finding the smartest and most efficient ways to make the most out of your landscaping choices to keep your house cool when the temperatures heat up. For example, trees are good for shading your roof from the hot sun in summer, while vines and shrubs are going to be nice for keeping your walls cool. Additionally, making sure that you shade your air conditioner could end up cutting back your energy costs by roughly 50%. Beat the Build Up of Heat In order to make the most of your energy-efficient landscaping, you have to understand how heat gets exchanged in your home. The windows are going to take in the radiant heat from the sun. A roof, especially a dark one, will absorb the heat. Your windows, walls,

Home maintenance is a must if you want your property to retain or increase its value. A well-maintained home is one that is pleasing to the eye and one that can make the owner proud. House maintenance does require a homeowner to have some skills and some basic tools like a screwdriver, pliers, hammer, a spanner or plumbing wrench, and things like nails, tape, glue, and a tape measure. You also need to follow a proper schedule that allows you to treat each part of your home and give it the attention that it needs. You need not do everything in one day, but spread it out over a couple of weekends and follow a checklist that you scrupulously go through till you have gone through every item in it. Plumbing is a very vital part of a home and you can start with ensuring that all drains are clear and have no blockages. Use drain cleaners regularly even in drains that do not show any blockage. Check all taps, faucets, and all plumbing fittings and tighten them if you find leaks or replace washers where necessary. Make a study of your complete plumbing layout, especially the locations of master

The question is, should I use an unlicensed contractor for the repair and installation of windows and doors at my home? The smart answer to this question is a resounding No. But why not, you may ask? There are many reasons why not to use unlicensed contractors. First, let’s talk about insurance. What happens, if the contractor breaks something and is not insured? Who is going to pay? You. What happens, if he or one of his employees gets hurt? Can the employee sue you? Probably, yes. The best-case scenario is that your Homeowner’s Policy would cover it, but then what happens to your payments? They go up. That pretty much takes care of the question of insurance right there. Usually, when a company is licensed, you are protected and they are protected as well. A company such as R C Windows and Doors is insured by the way. Second, let’s talk about possible damages while the work is being done, or potential damage that was done to something else, say, for example, electrical wiring or interior water damage. Either of which could be expensive and even dangerous. This is just one more reason to go with the professionals that are licensed.

Are you thinking of selling your home? Don’t forget to consider the condition of your windows. Buyers can often be put off by things like squeaky doors or windows that don’t move smoothly. There are other things about your windows and doors that you should consider when thinking about selling. Selling a home is often preceded by a building inspection carried out by qualified and competent professionals who examine the house in detail. This process is often insisted on by lenders that the new buyer will engage for financing the purchase. Building inspectors in many localities will give detailed reports about the condition of the home and highlight areas that require attention, or will need some expenditure to be incurred by the new purchaser. While it is standard procedure to examine foundations, walls, roofs, plumbing and electrical systems it is also necessary that these reports elaborate on the condition of the windows and doors in a home. Windows are a must for every room to ensure proper light and ventilation. They are also the areas in a home that are vulnerable to the weather, as the shutters can lead to leaks if they do not close properly, or the glass itself

All buildings are subject to normal wear and tear caused by wind, rain, snow, and other similar factors. This is why houses that aren’t cared for sooner or later age and need repairs. Homeowners have to make sure they perform regular inspections of exposed areas, in order to detect all damages in their early stages, when fixing them is fairly inexpensive. This can save the homeowner a lot of money in the long run, and also help them avoid the hassle of major repairs and renovations. The walls, for instance, have to be repainted every few years. A layer of fresh paint is very easy to apply. On the contrary, if you wait until the old paint flakes off your walls, you may need to pressure wash it, and then apply several coats of fresh paint. This is surely more expensive than a basic paint layer. The windows are perhaps the most exposed elements of a house. They have to withstand strong winds, heavy rains, and successive openings and closings. There’s no wonder that they are the first to get damaged. Besides, when they aren’t new anymore, they may not insulate that well, thus making homeowners take more money out

Sliding Glass Doors Bring The Outside In What was the first thing you thought the last time you were in a house with sliding glass doors that opened up the back of the house to the outside? Besides the amount of light shining into that area of the house it almost felt like the window brought the outside in; didn’t it? That can be especially lush if one has a lot of flowers, grass, trees, or even a pond in the backyard. How about a birdbath that’s positioned in full view where you get to see birds landing and taking off all day long? From another perspective, a parent can keep an eye on the children while being able to clean, cook, or just plain relax in an adjoining room. What other choices might there be for these types of doors? Well, you may want to open up two rooms that are connected by a traditional door. By installing a sliding glass door you are in effect opening up both rooms and your house will feel much bigger.   More Benefits To Installing Sliding Glass Doors An additional benefit to installing sliding glass doors in your home is that you

We thought it would be interesting to the readers of this blog if we talked a little about some famous doors and windows throughout history. Certainly, there are more than the few we have written about, but we thought these here stand out above most. While not an actual physical door, but a painting, the first on our list is Christ at Heart’s Door. This painting was done by Warner Sallman and his second most requested image by the readers of religious magazines. The painting/door depicts Christ knocking on a door which of course is supposed to be each person’s heart. There are many nuances to the painting if noticed will certainly inspire. A particular minister noticed that there is no doorknob which signifies that one must open the door to Christ from the inside. He will not force his way in. The door at 221B Baker Street is another such door that in reality does not exist. It is the address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Much has been made about this door by the now-defunct Abbey National Building Society and the Sherlock Holmes museum, just down the street. It has even been mentioned in films such as

The History of the Glass Window goes all the way back to sometime between the 1st and 4th century AD. The art of “glass blowing” was invented around the 1st century BC and that enable the glass industry to thrive, then recede, then thrive, then recede again before the very late 1600s when “cast glass” began to allow the glass to be made in larger sizes. Previously, windows had to be made of many small pieces and shapes of glass. Cathedral stained glass windows are an example of that. Just a quick timeline: Man-made glass first appeared in Mesopotamia, possibly ancient Egypt sometime around 3500BC. While, naturally occurring glass (obsidian) may have been used for knives, arrowheads, and even money about 1500 years before that. However, until glass blowing was invented around the 1st century, glass existed in very small sizes and was not very clear. The art of blowing glass in larger sizes in the late 1600s enabled one single piece of glass to cover an entire opening in a wall. This was of course for the rich only and was not really commercially available until after “float glass” was patented in 1848 by Henry Bessemer in England. Float

Fixing a broken house is not a task that many people may relish. However, it is a necessary part of owning a home. Home repairs should be done with a little more thought behind them than is the norm. This is due to the fact that strategic repairs in the house and garden can do wonders to raise the value of the property. This increase in value can then be used to secure financing for other projects aimed at improving your financial situation, or it can be used to fetch a better price in the real estate market when you decide to list your home for sale. The following are some of the tips and suggestions that would go a long way in making you do it yourself home repairs worth the time and effort that you will expand on them: 1) Focus on the repairs that will bring you the most value Your first task will be to create a list of all the repairs that need to be done and then group them according to priority and ability to increase the value of the home. For instance, renovating and improving the attic bedroom and installing a backup generator