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Unique Reasons to Consider Retractable Awnings

While having a way to get out of the sun on a hot summer day is reason enough to have retractable awnings, it never hurts to have a few more reasons for any home improvement to help you feel comfortable with the investment. Here are a few valid (and whimsical) ideas that could just make you take the plunge to cover your deck or patio:

Gardening – Do you have some plants on your deck or patio that love full sun all the time but others that don’t do well when the sun is at its hottest? Having the ability to control sun and shade with retractable awnings could just give you the edge you need to have a real green thumb. You can also use your deck to acclimate seedlings so they’re better able to handle transplanting into the garden.

Privacy – Have you ever looked to see what your home looks like on Google Earth or other such sites? Did you know they update those by flying over properties? Sure, you can’t zoom in enough to see your faces, but if you really would prefer a bit more privacy, retractable awnings will provide that for you.

Play Area – It is nice to get toddlers outside for some fresh air, as well as perhaps getting your dog outside while you mop the floor, but you don’t want them getting overheated. Putting them under an awning will keep them safe.

Got Birds? – Some areas are quite prolific with birds, especially if you or a neighbor has a delightful birdfeeder and birdbath encouraging tons of them. They are beautiful and entertaining to watch, but you don’t want a meal ruined by a bird flying overhead and adding unwanted flavoring. Just hit a button, and your retractable awning will give you protection during your family meals.

Are you ready to learn more about retractable awnings now that you know some added benefits? If you do, give your local company a call!

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Choosing the Right Contractor for New Windows and Doors

The exterior of your home is crucial to making a good first impression. Whether you simply want your home to look its best or you need the exterior to have stellar curb appeal to potential buyers, a great way to add a pop of interest and color is with new windows and doors.

While there are many big box stores that would be more than happy to sell you doors and windows, there are advantages of choosing a professional contractor for the best solutions for your home or business.

Experience. Without proper installation, windows and doors can become very costly in the form of higher utilities. An experienced contractor will give you confidence that the installation of your new windows and doors is done correctly and efficiently.

Affordability. Sometimes contractors offer more competitive prices. With several different options of doors and windows, and the option to choose the right extras and insulation, you’re sure to be able to find windows and doors in your price range.

Quality. Contractors who work with vendors and developers are likely to have a better idea of quality when it comes to choosing windows and doors for your home. They can ensure that you get the highest-quality items for the best price available.

Looking for new windows and doors? Check out some of your local contractors before you shop the big box stores!

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One Unique Benefit of Window Replacement

If you are considering window replacement at your home or business, you may have heard a lot of discussion about the benefits of energy efficiency and even aesthetic appeal. One of the things you don’t often hear about with window replacement is the added benefit of sound control.

Windows that are better insulated and installed correctly often add a layer of sound protection from the outside in. When having your windows replaced, this can be an important benefit that you may not have been expecting. The train nearby may not be as loud, you won’t hear conversations between your neighbors, and your own household sounds will be better contained.

Window replacement offers numerous advantages, including energy efficiency and greater aesthetic appeal. It’s the sound dampening benefit that can prove to be one of the most important! If you haven’t thought of this during your window replacement consultations, it may be something you’d like to ask about.

If you are planning to schedule window replacement at your home or business, make sure you inquire about the insulative options that can help you enjoy great sound control after installation. Your window professionals will get you on track to great window replacement solutions!

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You Have Options When Refacing Bathroom Cabinet Doors

If you’re thinking about upgrading the bathrooms in your home, you have quite a few options for how to make this happen. Some of the renovation options are more expensive than others, so if you don’t have as much available in your budget, you may want to opt for more economical ways to spruce up the bathrooms. Cabinetry can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of a space, as well as its functionality, but a new set of cabinets can be very expensive. Instead of replacing them completely, you may want to consider refacing your bathroom cabinet doors.

The process of refacing bathroom cabinet doors can involve painting or staining, adding new doors and drawers, or adding a veneer finish to create a shiny new look. A cabinet professional can work closely with you to get a better idea of what you want from the cabinet refacing process. They may have a number of options available for refacing bathroom cabinet doors to ensure that you get the finished result you truly want.

One of the main reasons homeowners may choose to reface their cabinet doors instead of replacing them altogether is the major difference in cost. If your cabinetry is in good condition but looks a little outdated, you can easily restore the wood to look like new again with refacing. Give your bathroom a facelift  - reach out to your local cabinet professionals to inquire about painting or staining your cabinetry.

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Three Ways Garage Door Openers are a Big Convenience

If you’ve been debating whether garage door openers are really worth the investment, there are some great reasons why you’ll want to say yes to this addition. While you generally rely on your garage doors to provide protection for your home and belongings, garage door openers add an extra layer of convenience and complement the security garage doors provide.

Inclement Weather – There is nothing worse than pulling up in your driveway in the pouring rain, only to have to get out of the car to manually lift the garage door. Garage door openers will do the job with the click of a button.

 Full Hands – You’ve made it inside the garage and have your hands full of groceries when you realize that you didn’t shut the garage door. No problem with a garage door opener!

 Closing Up – Have you finished your evening shows and are turning off the lights when you remember the garage doors aren’t closed? Simply tap the button on your garage door opener, and your home will be safe and secure all night long.

Garage door openers are easy to use and can be used via a fixture inside your home or with a remote button in your vehicle. Once you’ve started using a garage door opener, you won’t want to go back! Ask your local garage door experts about getting started.

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Are Your Garage Doors Rated for Complete Security?

If you are considering new garage doors for your home, you may be surprised to learn how many different options there are out there. Not only can you choose from any number of sizes, styles and colors, but you also have plenty of options when it comes to the safety rating. Here are a few considerations when you are choosing new garage doors for installation:

1.       Inclement Weather – Flimsy garage doors may look good at first, but cause terror when you see how they hold up against wind and rain. If you live in an area notorious for seasonal weather, choosing sturdy garage doors may be the better option.

2.       Break-Ins – Another important consideration with garage doors is their ability to prevent crime. Choosing security-rated garage doors will not only make you feel more secure, but they could also prevent potential criminals from breaking and entering your home.

3.       Fire & Flood – If your garage doors were able to stop a flood or fire from damaging the interior of your garage, wouldn’t you want to know that they offer this level of protection? Asking about the security rating on your preferred garage doors may tell you more about whether they are a good choice.

Ultimately, you garage door professionals can recommend the garage doors you need for both aesthetic appeal and complete security. Get in touch with your local garage door expert today!

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Is Window Replacement Really Worth It?

If your home windows aren’t in bad condition, you may look at window replacement as something to put off. After all, new windows can be quite the investment these days. There are a few things, however, that may give you a reason to reconsider waiting.

If your energy bill is high, there could be several culprits to blame – but there is a good chance that your windows have something to do with it. Even windows that are 10-15 years old may not have the latest insulative technology that would make them the absolute best for your home.

Another reason to consider window replacement is if you had this type of service performed on only part of your home before. Let’s say you had new windows installed in the lower level of your home, but now you need to finish the job on the upper floors. You may see a marked difference in your utility bills and comfort with this small change alone.

Finally, if your home windows have never been replaced and your home is drafty all year long, window replacement is a must. You won’t believe the difference that you see, feel, and hear when you have new windows installed!

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Why Windshield Repair Can’t Wait

If you are going down the road and suddenly a rock flies up and nicks your windshield, you may be frustrated with the chip in the glass that appears. Even though this seems like a minor annoyance, you keep driving day-to-day without really worrying about the chip that appears there or getting a windshield repair . . . until suddenly you notice that the small nick has started to get bigger.

 As you drive a little more, you notice that suddenly the chip in the glass has taken on a life of its own, eventually spreading across your windshield and into your line of vision. You notice that you hear a little more road noise, and you wonder if the glass will hold up in the rainstorm that’s coming later in the week. “It’s only a surface crack,” you say as you drive down the road.

 The next week, you see that the crack has continued to grow, and now when it catches the light just right, it glints, blinding you to the road ahead. In fact, you often have to look over or under the crack in the glass to really have a clear view. You hope you don’t get pulled over for a traffic stop because your windshield is in bad shape.

 While many of us have been in a situation where our windshield glass takes a hit, getting windshield repair shouldn’t be the last thing you do. Not only does damage put the windshield at risk for failure, but it can also prevent you from having safe travels. Furthermore, putting off windshield repair can lead to a citation if it gets bad enough.

 Stay safe on the road, and make windshield repair a priority when you need to

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The One Instance When Emergency Garage Door Repair is Imminent

As the owner of a home with a garage, there are all kinds of situations in which your garage door might sustain damage, but you feel like you can wait to fix it. For example, if your automatic garage door opener suddenly stops working, you may choose to manually open and close the door for a while until you it’s convenient to have a repairman take a look. Another similar instance might be when your door handle is loose, or you notice that the springs are beginning to wear. While you might be gentler with the door until you have it fixed, you can otherwise enjoy your garage door just as you had before.

There is one instance, however, when emergency garage door repair is a must for any homeowner – and that’s when your garage door won’t close or sustains damage that renders it permanently open. There are all kinds of scenarios where this sort of thing can happen. Your new driver accidentally backs through the door with the car. A spring breaks and the door gets jammed in the up position. Or the door comes off the track and won’t roll up or down at all. In all of these cases, emergency garage door repair is imminent.

Not only should you call for emergency garage door repair right away when you have a problem like this, but the longer you wait, the longer your personal belongings and the interior of your home remain at risk. Don’t wait to call a professional about emergency garage door repair if your garage door isn’t working.

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Locksmith Services That You May Eventually Needs

“In the world full locks, the one with the keys is king.” While this is not entirely true, there is some truth to it. We all rely on locks to keep us as well as our possessions safe. However, just like every man-made sold commercially, locks tend to have or attain shortcomings that require the specialized knowledge craftsmanship to rectify. With this in mind, herein we will explore some of the locksmith services that you may need eventually.

#1. Emergency Services – These are specialized services rendered when one has an emergency involving their locks. For instance, cases of jammed doors, cases of lost and lock-in keys, cases of burglary, cases of keys breaking in the lock require the input and the expert knowledge of emergency locksmiths. Importantly, these services are offered on a need basis and are thus available 24/7 every day of the year.

#2. Automobile Locksmith Services – Auto locksmiths are specialized services that are offered to meet the needs of cars. For instance, when you have locked your car keys in the car, when you have lost your car keys, or when you want a duplicate of the car keys, auto locksmiths are the specialist you want.

#3. Residential And Commercial Locksmith Services – These are specialist who are called upon to install, repair, and even service home security systems in the case of residential properties or commercial security systems in the case of commercial buildings. They can deal with anything from the low-tech lock issues such key duplication to installing high-end biometric access locks.

#4. Forensic Locksmith Services – These are specialized services rendered in the event of a crime. Such specialists have the knowledge and the technical experience to gather evidence at crime scenes to determine and report on how the locks involved were broken into or hacked. For the most part, property owners will not need these services unless there is a crime in the property of interest.

There are other locksmith services offered. However, the aforementioned services tend to be the most prominent and widely sought after services. Check the Door Locks in Charlotte NC website for more information and any needed help.

https://youtu.be/fPWJVp_mze4

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Common Myths About Lanai Retractable Screens

Lanai retractable screens can enhance any outdoor living space. However, if you are like many people, you may still be unsure about lanai retractable screens because of some of the things you have heard about them. Here are a few of the common myths you may have heard and the truth about these unique screens.

Myth #1: They Have a Short Life Expectancy- Many people who plan to install retractable screens in their lanai are worried about how long the screens will last. Although this is a valid concern, getting lanai retractable screens from a reputable dealer will ensure unbeatable quality, and they will last season after season without giving you any problems.

Myth #2: They Cannot Withstand Harsh Weather- Depending on your location and the different seasons, you may have concerns about weather like intense winds, rain, and unexpected storms. For this reason, you may wonder whether retractable screens will hold up when harsh weather strikes. A reputable installer will install your lanai retractable screens with absolute precision, so you should have no problems during intense weather.  

Myth #3: Maintenance is Problematic- One of the best parts about lanai retractable screens is that they are virtually maintenance free. Additionally, they can easily be rolled up or rolled down using a remote control, so you will never have problems trying to switch between an open-air and screened-in outdoor living space.

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Making Your Home More Comfortable Year-Round with New Retro Windows

When it comes to your home, wouldn’t you like to be able to save more money on your utility bills? While newer homes are often built with more energy-efficient materials, older homes usually are lacking in many of these features. If you love your home, but would like to spend less on utilities, adding retro windows could offer just the solution you need.

Using retro windows has several advantages over buying new windows for your home. For starters, it is much less expensive to use retro windows than it is to buy new windows. Retro windows are simply your current windows, but retrofitted with energy saving materials and glass so that they are like new, and are much more energy-efficient. By using retro windows, you won’t be required to change the window dimensions on your home at all, so there will be no added costs due to differently sized windows.

Since much of your home’s heating and air is lost through windows and window seams, it makes sense to make new windows a priority. In addition to the monetary advantages of retro windows, you’ll find your home to be much more comfortable throughout all seasons without having to go overboard to achieve your energy-saving goals.

If you’re ready to make your home more comfortable through the addition of retro windows, make sure to find a window company that knows how to properly outfit your home with the right materials. There is every reason to love the result!

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Safety Tips When Using Garage Doors

If you have one or more garage doors at your home, then you know that they serve an important purpose as part of the security of your residence. As you get comfortable opening and closing your door each day, you may find yourself mindlessly hitting the button or allowing the door to drop without taking certain precautions. Here are a few safety tips when using garage doors that you should never put out of your mind:

Protect Your Hands – A single wrong placement of your hands or fingers is all it takes for something to go wrong, and before you know it, you’ve pinched or broken something unexpectedly. Maintaining awareness of your hands when you manually open and close a garage door is crucial to your own safety.

Remove Obstacles – Whether it’s a piece of wood or a toy that’s slipped under the door from a recent project, or if there is a child playing nearby, it’s critical that you remove obstacles from your garage doors. Not only do you want to make sure every person is secure, but it will prevent your garage doors from sustaining damage, as well.

Replace the Batteries – If you operate an automatic garage door opener, it’s important to make sure that any of the devices you use from your vehicle or inside your home are routinely updated with fresh batteries. This way, you won’t find yourself with garage doors that will only partially open or close.

Keep Your Eyes On It – As you hit the button from your car on the way to work, press the button inside your home, or manually lift the handle for garage door operation, keeping your eyes on the door will help you maintain a safe space inside your home and out.

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A Locksmith’s Advice for Hiding a Spare Key

We have all done it at one time or another – locked ourselves out of the house. Once you do it the first time, you have a tendency to think about where you can hide a spare key so it never happens again. Oddly enough, the best advice about this may just come from your locksmith. When they visit homes to change locks, a common reason is that the home was broken into with the hidden spare key. Curiosity makes them ask where it was and over time a pattern develops. Here are the top places NOT to hide a spare key:

Under the welcome mat. Your welcome mat may as well read, “The key is hidden here!” because that is the first place people look. Don’t even do it as a one-time thing because you’ll never really be sure the key wasn’t borrowed and duplicated.

In your wallet. This would seem like a pretty reliable place to put an extra key, but if you were to lose your wallet and someone nefarious finds it, they have your address off your driver’s license AND a key to your home. Even if they turn both in and you get them back, you should have the locks changed immediately.

By the door. Anything close to the door, such as a rock or flower pot, is     going to be searched, and the key will be easily found.

As for better options that a locksmith would advise, one is that a fake sprinkler is better than a fake rock. It looks like a sprinkler, for one thing, and not out of place in the least. Another idea is to put one under a dog house. Few burglars will rob a house with a dog to begin with, and even if they chose to, they’ll avoid the dog’s house like the plague. If you have a trustworthy neighbor, this is another option, but don’t put your name or address on it, so if it gets misplaced or they get robbed and the key is taken, it can’t be tied to your home.

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Choosing the Best Window Company

If you are shopping for windows, there are lots of options and lots of places to buy. So how do you choose a window company that will help you get the best results? Here’s how you can be sure your window company is going to be a good choice:

Transparent – When you need help choosing the right windows, a good window company should provide a transparent approach to answering your questions and helping you chose the windows that are truly the best fit.

Secure – Your windows should offer a clear view and an added layer of security for your home. Your window company should provide a list of window features and options that will help you achieve your goals.

Versatile – The best window companies offer a variety of services and solutions, so you are fully satisfied with the end result. Whether you have an oddly sized window opening or are looking for more energy-efficient options, they can help you choose windows that are sure to offer the beautiful, enjoyable view that you are looking for.

 If you are shopping for new windows, be sure to do your research before choosing a window company, so you can be confident that they will make your house look and feel like home.

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With the Right Garage Doors, You Can Convert Your Garage into a Plant Nursery

Lots of people are looking at their garage for the space they need for any number of hobbies, so it isn’t a far stretch to imagine a wonderful plant nursery in yours. Before you get started on setting one up, your first consideration needs to be how well your garage doors work. The last thing you want is the garage doors to fail at the worst possible time or be allowing drafts in that make your newly sprouted seedlings rather unhappy.

There are several styles of garage doors that you might want to upgrade to that can further advance your project. For example, insulated garage doors will make it easier for you to control the temperature in the garage. You’ll be using heat mats and lights for your plants, of course, but a frigid garage is an uncomfortable work area for you. Your plants will need your attention, but that is hard to provide when you need to bundle up to go help them out. You’ll also find that your plant nursery is a fun family project as long as they don’t have a cold garage to complain about.

A plant nursery can be a great way to get a jump on the growing season and save you from buying plants at your local nursery. With a few growing lights, work tables, plastic sheeting, a few more materials, and the right garage doors, you could be taking advantage of all those wonderful seed and garden catalogs that have been showing up in your mailbox and lessen your dependence on the grocery store for your family’s produce.

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Door Locks Are No Longer Simple Affairs

Door locks are no longer simple affairs. They once were just simple locks that were placed by local locksmiths you could open with a metal key, but things have gotten considerably more sophisticated since then.

Many locks these days do not even have entry possible with a key, as they are attached to an electronic security system, and the occupant of a home or business enters and exits using other means of accessing control over the lock. This is sometimes a wireless signal from a smartphone, although it can also be punching in a code into the keypad or even use of biometric identifiers like iris scans or fingerprints.

The advances in technology do make it possible to secure a home more than in the past, but there can also be inconveniences. Power outages have contingency plans, but they do not always work effectively, or sometimes too well. Also, how do you give a guest access to your home?

If you have a romantic interest you trust that spends a lot of time in your residence but does not yet live there, or if you have extended guests or even a friend dog sitting for you, there can be complications.

Giving them a key code is certainly one possibility, but programming biometric scanners is complicated and time-consuming.

Also, for all the advantages of being able to lock and unlock your home with your smartphone, what if someone knows your address and steals your phone? What damage could they do while you're still at the mall looking for your phone or checking around the office.

New technologies are opening a lot of possibilities in terms of door locks, but they carry with them new sets of pros and cons, so it's no wonder most residents still use keys.