Tag: windows

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Curtains or Blinds

I’m debating about going to using blinds in my house instead of the lace curtains I have used for years with variations depending on the season. The family say to get both the curtains and the blinds, but they don’t have to pay for them I do, and my budget is limited when it comes to window coverings.

Right now I have long Irish lace curtains in the living room, which is the room I want to start thinking about for coverings. The windows face the road and on the right east side, face the neighbors. I’m not worried about the neighbors, as there are very large pine bushes that block the window partially and no one can see in. In the front however, I’m glad we know everyone in our small village, because a person can see right into my house, if by chance they are looking.

I guess if I got new summer curtains and also blinds, I could pull the blinds partially down at night, but the other problem besides finances for this improvement since I have six double hung windows, is the fact that I’m terribly claustrophobic. I really like being able to see out, even at night. So now I have something else to mull over and some decisions to make and in the mean time, I still am going to go shopping for new lace curtains for the summer months.

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Fall is in the air

The leaves haven’t started to turn yet, but the smell of fall is indeed in the air. There is a crisp feeling outside that this season brings, and at night it’s been getting down right chilly. No frost yet, but it’s to come sooner than normal, I have a feeling.

Though I love colors of fall, I don’t like the fact that it means summer is over and that winter is just around the corner. It seems like we didn’t have much of a summer, despite of the drought.

We’ve been doing some home improvement around the house and outside in the yards. There were some walkways that needed tending to, as the stone was starting to get loose in places, so I hauled in some extra that I had saved, and made it fit where the loose ones were. I should say they aren’t really stone like most would think. These are actually flat rocks that the walkway is made of, and I’m glad I had the foresight to keep some back for just the purpose I needed them for.

All of the storm windows are now up and the glass windows are washed, the covered with padding and put away safely. Gutters will continue to be cleaned as the leaves come down and nearly all of my flower beds have been put to sleep for the winter. It sort of makes me sad, but it is what it is.

There of course is a lot more to do in order to make the house winterized and toasty for the winter, but I’m getting to it slowly but surely. Winter is not a good season for me, since I really hate snow and the cold, but if I have to live where we do indeed have lots and lots of snow and the temps get down below zero, I at least want a home that is warm and the next step is to start my winter survival shopping.

 

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Learning about Double Glazing costs

A friend of mine who lives in the UK wrote to me about getting replacement windows and quotes about All Double Glazing. I personally love her letters, because her enthusiasm is catchy and when she writes a letter, it is lengthy. Maureen goes into great detail, and it’s like she and I are sitting across the table having tea together, while she is telling me all about her new home improvement projects. Since things are so different in the UK than in the USA, she likes to inform me of all the little details and in the process, and tells me about how the folks in the UK live also I would love to take a holiday and see for myself, and also spend time with her.

Maureen said that since she wants new windows with double glazing, there are even grants that can be had to do this project if she qualifies. The double glazing cuts down on the heat bills, drafts and the condensation, and since they are double paned, the air in between the panes acts like a sort of insulation also. To me, this is awesome. I have double paned windows that in no way do this. I bought what I thought would be energy efficient windows, and there are drafts all around them, the windows themselves are super cold to the touch and I have seen a rise in our fuel bill since having these installed.

By reading the information my friend wrote about, it would be nice to have such services here, as there is in the UK, for home improvement and saving money while doing it. I can’t wait for her next letter telling me how she likes her replacement windows, what the quotes where and all about the double glazing. One day I indeed plan to visit my dear friend.