Category: Construction

5 Reasons to Upgrade your Siding

If you could embellish your entire home and protect it with the wave of a wand, would you do it?

Well, it may be more like the wave of a hand to sign a contract, but it can be that easy to upgrade the siding of your house to do exactly that – protect your home and add curb appeal.

Siding is the layer of material that’s on the outside of your house, usually made of wood, vinyl, stone, metal, or brick. The siding panels of your home can withstand the elements of most American weather systems – including rough winds, ice and snow, storms – and you can install them at any time during the year.

Siding is not just the knight in shining armor protecting the castle – it’s also the pretty maiden that dazzles with beauty.

Read below for good reasons to add siding to your home. It will be stronger, and more beautiful. No magic required.

1. Curb appeal

Everyone wants to be attractive! Help your home to really stand out in the neighborhood by adding or replacing your siding.

With today’s choice of fine materials and textures, you can match the siding to the architectural style of your house, completing the vision. It’s one of the smartest ways to improve your house and change the whole exterior look without spending a fortune.

And don’t be surprised if it adds value to your home (not that you’ll want to sell it when you see how beautiful it can be with new siding).

2. Protection

So much more than a pretty face!

Siding doesn’t just look amazing and add curb appeal to your home: it protects the exterior walls of your home from the damages of rain, ice, storms, heat cracks, and more. It can even protect against dents from the debris of a storm and can require very little maintenance.

Think of house siding as a tough armor protecting the delicate forms below: it’s durable and protects your walls and the underlying internal structures. With the unpredictable weather have lately, who wouldn’t want an extra layer of protection?

3. Energy efficiency

It’s all about Mother Earth, but it’s also about saving you money.

Insulated siding can lower your energy bills by stopping both hot and cool air from escaping through the walls. Adding new siding or replacing your old one is much more energy efficient, like a warm blanket that you place over your house to keep the cold out and the heat in.

It’s a simple equation: better insulation translates to more savings.

4. Comfort

It’s not all about the environment, though. Energy savings are great, but isn’t the thought of being snug in your home during those cold winter months a tempting one? Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid those peaks and troughs with temperature control?

Insulated siding keeps a house cool in summer and warm in winter, the best of both worlds. It can help you keep a more even temperature in your home, so you can be more comfortable, day in and day out, year-round.

5. It’s just time…!

Siding lasts a long time, but if you had siding installed on your house a long time ago, it may be time to replace it.

How will you know? Look for these signs: rotting, warping, cracking, holes, mold, or higher energy bills. If you see warped, brittle or crumbling panels, then water may have infiltrated. Cracks can let bugs in, and holes can be a sign of an invading insect army walking in and out of your home. Mold or mildew may be traced back to an infiltration in the siding. And higher energy bills can be an indication that your siding isn’t insulating as it used to and needs to be replaced.

Take the next step!

When the time comes, give us a call and we’ll help you choose your home siding and talk you through the easy steps to installing it for ultimate protection and comfort. We can’t offer the magic wand, but we can guarantee quality and professionalism worthy of any wizard.

Linking your Interior and Exterior: Bringing the Outdoors In

At this time of year, when the sun is out, it’s almost unbearable to not spend time outdoors. Creating an extension that’s linked to your house is the ideal way to enjoy the garden while keeping all your creature comforts.

Step Into the Outdoors

An open extension to your house, like a terrace or patio, can enhance your sense of wellbeing, offering you a relaxing way to spend time outside while still being connected to what’s going on inside: the perfect way to mix the personality of the garden with the charm of the home.

But to truly open up your space and make your house feel larger, you need to link the indoors and the outdoors and create a place where shapes, textures, colors, and materials all seamlessly blend together. And it’s easier than you think!

Open Yourself Up to the Outdoors

Linking your exterior and interior with a consistent look will help you make the most of your garden, but it will also expand your space, so you can enjoy it and entertain all through the summer.

You can do it even if you have a small garden.  It can be as simple as opening up a wall or expanding the windows, letting the light in, and removing any barriers that block the line of sight to the garden. With a bigger budget, you can create an outdoor patio – but place it in the areas where you entertain, like the kitchen or dining room, so you can easily move from inside to outside.

Consider installing French doors or floor-to-ceiling glass to make the walls disappear; this will let in far more light than a window.

With the view open, you can then extend your décor, flooring, furniture, and color schemes to create a beautiful, open-plan flow between your indoor and outdoor space.

Protect Your Space

It’s not always sunny in, well, Portland… so for areas like ours that can have unpredictable weather in the summer, extend your roof to protect your patio and space from the rain. This way, you can still enjoy being outside or leaving your patio doors wide open without fear of getting wet. You’ll be surprised at how many rainy days can still be enjoyed from the shelter of your roofed patio.

Create a Seamless Flow

Whether you’re creating a large patio outside, or simple adding a few bits of furniture to your garden, linking the interior and exterior living space is important. You can do this by matching design elements like furniture, materials, flooring, décor, and color schemes.

This will make the indoor and outdoor feel as if it’s all one large room. For example, you can extend the same flooring of the kitchen outside to the deck (if it’s wood) or patio (if it’s tiles). If you have brick on your exterior wall, why not bring it indoors and adding exposed brick as a section of the interior room to link the two?

Or you could go low-budget and simply use similar design styles and color schemes for furnishings and furniture for your outdoor area. It’ll feel like the outside space is part of your house, rather than simply an afterthought.

Creative Design and Styling

Regardless of how large your outdoor space is, you can create that seamless experience in a very cost-effective way. For example, you can open up your wall with French doors and then fill both your indoor and outdoor area with:

  • potted flowers
  • hanging baskets
  • window boxes
  • hardy herbs
  • textured furnishings
  • soft lighting

There are lots of ways you can creatively bring the outdoors in (or the indoors out!), from opening walls with patio windows and sheltered roofing to extending the indoor flooring right through to your garden and matching furniture and simple decorative items from the house.

Inspired? Let us know what ways you’re linking your indoors and outdoors! Keith Green Construction can help advise you on how you can make your house feel bigger and make the most of your garden.

Inspiration for Your Summer House or Garden Room

“Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high.”

― William Goldman, The Princess Bride

In a shaded spot in the garden, surrounded by the smells of flowers in full flush, you’re relaxing in the sun, indulging in your favorite hobby. You’re in your summer house, away from the worries of the world…and you’re in your zone.

A summer house (or garden room) is a small permanent structure away from the house, where you can enjoy summer’s greatest pleasures, regardless of the weather. It’s an antidote to a busy house or open-plan style homes, a place you can retreat to for a little ‘you-time’.

You can turn your summer house into a gym, home office, teenage den, music or art studio, or hobby room. It’s your adult playhouse–use it any way you want!

Create your Dream Summer Garden Room

Summer houses are usually built quickly, and won’t cause much disturbance as they’re being put together.

Like the best things in life, they come in all shapes and sizes; but make sure your garden room has floor, wall, and roof for those chilly late summer nights. Many people incorporate underfloor heating (or portable radiators) and air conditioning units, so they can use their garden room year-round.

Most garden rooms have options for sockets and interior/exterior lighting, and can include audio-visual and data cables so it can be used as a TV room or internet-wired office. Some even have small toilets, showers, and kitchenettes.

Attitude and Style!

Where you place your summer house is really important. Find a secluded place in the garden where you can have a little privacy (it will take up the least amount of space at the very back of your garden).

Create a little walkway to mark the steps out to your summer house: this will make the small journey between your home and garden room feel magical.

Summer house styling and decor can be fun, relaxing, elegant, vintage―unleash your creative style (the way you probably wouldn’t dare in your house). There are no wrong choices here: it’s whatever makes the space yours.

Here are some ideas:

The English Country House

Timeless and inspirational, English Country House decor features traditional furniture and rooms full of color. Find floral patterns to embolden rich color schemes inspired by nature: the pinks and yellows of flowers, and the greens and blues of the hills and sky. Add rich fabrics and eccentric accessories to create a space that exudes the warmth and comfort of a lived-in room.

Tip: Source rustic furniture or upcycle bargains from garage sales.

The Seaside Cottage

The Seaside Cottage look is cozy and inviting, and can be formal or quirky. Wooden furniture, muted shades, soft neutral furnishings, and nautical stripes will enhance the look. Use the weathered paint look on furniture: the beach look looks faded but never old. White walls on the interior will leave you space to add contrasting accents of color. Don’t forget the accessories: thick blankets, seaside-inspired knick-knacks, and soft lighting.

Tip: Add character and set the mood with an old lighthouse decoration, a rope anchor, and wicker furniture.

The Teenage Den

Transform your garden room into a teenage dream room. It’s more about what’s in it than what it looks like: give them comfy sofas (or a hanging chair!), tons of fluffy cushions, vibrant wall colors, amusing accessories (are lava lamps making a comeback?), a mini-fridge, and a wireless speaker.

Tip: Swap some of your old furnishings and accessories with another family’s who have children the same age.

The Chic Home Office

You can make your garden room into a comfortable and creative area for work. For a classy but relaxed look, go for simple, clean lines, a neutral color scheme, dark furniture, and a pop of color with accessories. Think soft greys, dark browns, and white walls. Most of all, make the space comfortable to sit in: you want to be productive in this space, so don’t spare the expense to create a vibrant home office.

Tip: Make the decor different from your home: this way, you’ll feel mentally that you’re walking away from your house and into your work zone.

The Zen Yoga Gym

Go zen with a minimalist look with a calming neutral color palette. Keep your decorations simple and clean, and try to let the garden room blend in with its environment. Add plush white or neutral furnishings, lime-green plants, warm lighting, and Scandi-style furniture for ultimate relaxation.

Tip: Add scented candles, thin curtains, and a wireless speaker to create that ultimate peaceful atmosphere.

The Arty Studio

Shabby chic is the way to go for the artistic types. Transform old furniture with a lick of paint, find rattan and wooden chairs, choose a color palette that mirrors the colors of your garden flowers, and add plenty of odd accessories that will make your art or music studio a delight to spend time in. Use a mixture of furniture styles and bold, and vivid colors for your walls and accessories.

Tip: Find (and upcycle) one-of-a-kind and antique decorative items from garage sales, auctions, or second-hand stores.

The Airbnb Earner

Create a fun ‘lazy lunch’ decked area where your guests can sit and enjoy a summer feast. Make it a space everyone will love by keeping the color scheme neutral and just adding small but elegant accessories like candle-holders, natural-fabric rugs, potted flowers, and fun accessories like vintage milk jugs or antique vases.

Tip: Keep the decor to a minimum, which will make it easier to clean and upkeep if you have several guests one after the other.

With all these possibilities, you can transform your garden into a true retreat for yourself, your family, or your guests. Cost-effective, versatile, and quickly erected, a summer garden is the perfect place to let yourself be you.

With a wealth of building experience, Keith Green Construction can guide you on the best options for your garden room or summer house. Contact us today!

The Best Flooring for Each Room

A few weeks ago, we wrote about the different flooring options you have for your home, with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

In this post, we’d like to tell you about some of the things to consider for each room of the house, and our favorite flooring option.

The Welcoming Hallway

The entrance and hallway are the first impressions people have when they walk into your home, and while almost any type of flooring will work, you really want to focus on durability as well as look.

Entrances and hallways endure a lot of heavy footfall, but it’s not an area people spend a lot of time in. So while wall-to-wall carpeting in this area won’t work because it’s difficult to clean, a stylish rug can be a perfect and stylish complement to a hardwood floor or ceramic tiling.

Our top choice: Hardwood floors, because they’re stable underfoot and easy to clean: dirt won’t be spotted as easily as ceramic tiles, and scuffs and scratches won’t show as much.

The On-Trend Kitchen

Modern or traditional kitchens can carry off a wide variety of flooring possibilities, and all can work well, even with the heavy-duty use the kitchen gets.

Linoleum and vinyl are non-expensive traditional choices but scratch more easily, while a more luxurious ceramic is the easiest to clean but adds thickness to the floor (make sure there’s enough room to fit the fridge and stove!). If you have wooden flooring in your living or dining room, extending it to the kitchen can make the whole area look bigger and more cohesive.

Our top choice: For the chef at home, cork is a great and modern green option. It’s soft underfoot for those long hours slaving over the oven, water-resistant, and non-absorbent. And it won’t burn if you drop the frying pan by accident!

The Tranquil Living Room

The living room is where you want to feel effortlessly comfortable, whether you’re on your own reading a book or sharing intimate secrets with a friend. Carpeting has been a traditional option because it offers soft padding on your foot and keeps the heat in. Bamboo and cork make for an interesting twist that work well with modern homes.

Our top choice: Hardwood is still our favorite for the living room, offering timeless elegance as well as warmth. Topped with a chic color-pop, textured rug, you’ll have comfort as well as style. We recommend matching the flooring here with the entrance and hallway to create a seamless link.

The Charming Dining Room

When you’re entertaining friends and family, you want to set the scene for easy elegance and friendly tones. Spills happen, chairs grind against the floor, glasses get dropped, heels scrape the floor: the dining room can take a lot of wear-and-tear…but only if your flooring is up for it.

Carpet is warm and comes in various textures and patterns, but will be unforgiving for spills. Softer alternatives to wooden flooring such as vinyl and cork can get scratched and spoiled. Laminate is more enduring and easier to install, but it won’t last as long as wooden flooring, which can be refinished.

Our top choice: Durable and luxurious, wooden floors are a look that never gets old. Use the same flooring between the living room and the dining room to create a sophisticated space. A close runner-up? Stone or ceramic tiles, which are easy to clean and resistant to dents and scratches!

The Cozy Bedroom

The bedroom is where we look for peace and comfort, so the flooring here is an important decision – and style is equally important. For the most intimate room of the house, the softness and warmth of the carpet underfoot is unbeatable for many. Cork, bamboo, and wood laminate are also popular options.

Our top choice: Luxury carpeting, because there’s nothing nicer than getting up from bed and landing on something warm and soft. Hardwood floors are so versatile they can look great in a bedroom, topped with textured, chic rugs.

The Stylish Home Office

Always dreamed of your own home office? Keeping it simple is key for a clean, uncluttered area where you can focus and work comfortably. You may want to invite clients to this room, so people often choose a simple and elegant décor, and the floor has a big part to play. You also may want something that’s classy, easy to clean, and not too high maintenance.

Our top choice: We love laminate and hardwood floors in dark, rich colors for home offices. Not only does this kind of flooring exude sophistication, it lets you slide around your office chair for that extra bit of fun.

The Breezy Bathroom

There’s not as much traffic in a bathroom as a kitchen, but it does take a lot of abuse. Waterproof options are best for this area. Carpet is obviously not suitable at all in a bathroom, where mold can grow easily. And while linoleum is back in trend, and some new designs incorporate wood and marble in bathrooms, these aren’t the easiest to clean and can easily get scratched.

Our top choice: Porcelain tile is ideal in bathrooms, and you can install underfloor heating for ultimate comfort. A more affordable option is vinyl, but it’s less durable and can get slippery when wet.

The Happy Playroom

For a play den, you want the walls and floors to absorb the sounds of play and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. You want people to be comfortable in playrooms, which have to put up with lots of stains, tears, spills, and play. Carpets are definitely out, as are stone and tiles. Wood, cork, bamboo, and vinyl are good options.

Our top choice: For playrooms, cork is ideal as it’s warm and soft for children who like to play on floors.

Final Thoughts

With today’s options in flooring, it’s hard to really go wrong. By thinking about how you’ll be using a room, you’ll be able to find the flooring that best suits its use, making the most of your investment.

At Keith Green Construction, we’ll be happy to help guide you on your flooring needs.

Can Renovations Make Your Home Healthier?

A healthy life starts at home. How much time do you spend in your home? It’s where we raise our families, where we look forward to returning to after a long days’ work, and where we host our friends and family.

You can boost your home health with simple tips and renovations that will improve the fresh air, daylight, quietness, and warmth of your home.

How to boost your home health

make your home healthier lighting

Ramp up your lighting

Did you ever wonder if the lighting in your home is making you miserable? Winter can be particularly hard, with more and more people developing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). If you spend a lot of time indoors – and many of us do! – and your home lighting is drab and dark, then maybe it’s time to rethink your lighting.

Adding more brightness in every room, whether natural or from soft lighting, can help give you a better sense of wellbeing.

Tip for boosting your home health:

  • Replace your current light bulbs with full-spectrum daylight bulbs and lamps; these mimic the sun’s natural light. Or set up 10,000-lux SAD lamps to trigger feelings of well-being during the day and sleep better at night.
  • Install germicidal lamps that kill bacteria with low-intensity ultraviolet light.

Renovate to boost your home health:

  • Replace your windows with larger ones that open wide, so more sunlight can make it into your home.
  • Add a conservatory or sunroom extension that will brighten your home – and spirits.
make your home healthier ventilation

Improve your insulation and ventilation

Mould spores can cause a wide variety of health problems, including respiratory issues, allergies, and asthma attacks. Mould can grow quicker in colder or older homes.

The best way to prevent mould growing, especially in damp areas like bathrooms and kitchens, is to improve the ventilation of your home and insulate it to keep it warm. The right insulation of your roof and walls will create a more even temperature throughout the house.

Insulation and ventilation work together to ensure your house is warm and dry, without feeling like you’re stuck inside a hot, plastic bag. Good insulation will also protect you from excessive street noise, which can affect the quality of our sleep and increase our general anxiety levels.

Tips for boosting your home health:

  • Keep windows and doors open when you shower or cook.
  • Ensure your bathroom is as dry as possible.
  • Add ceiling and desk fans, and install a good extractor fan over your kitchen hob that expunges air outside.

Renovate to boost your home health:

  • Improve the structural ventilation and roof and wall insulation of your home.
  • Adding vents in the attic and roof improves the air flow and reduces changes of dry rot.
make your home healthier bacteria

Reduce allergens and toxic materials

Formaldehyde, dust, fire retardants, lead paints, hazardous chemicals… they hide out everywhere in our houses. Studies have shown that many of these chemicals are dangerous for our health, causing problems with asthma, cancer, the nervous system, and more. Our bodies have an built-in tolerance to toxins, but we can limit our exposure to them.

Tips for boosting your home health:

  • Place an indoor and outdoor mat at your entrance to keep bacteria and allergens away.
  • Declutter your home, so dust has nowhere to hide.
  • Clean your window curtains and treatments regularly, and vacuum your carpets weekly.
  • Clean your chimneys regularly, and dampen ashes before sweeping them away.

Renovate to boost your home health:

  • Caulk crevices to keep bugs and pests away.
  • Replace fabric furniture (untreated if possible) with solid surfaces that are easier to clean.
  • Change your wood fireplace for a natural gas or electric fireplace.
  • Replace old wall-to-wall carpets with new flooring like wooden or eco-friendly cork flooring.
make your home healthier green home

Green up your home

There are plenty of small (and big) ways you can improve how healthy your home is. You can eat organic, fill your house with plants, shun harsh cleaning chemicals, reduce the use of plastics in your home, and make small moves to a greener home.

When you’re ready, you can go even further with these tips below, and opt for a healthier, happy home.

Tips for boosting your home health:

  • Buy green, natural cleaning products for the home and laundry, or make your own.
  • Keep your home smoke-free.
  • Don’t burn candles in the house or buy products that burn off chemical vapors.
  • Set up a radon and carbon dioxide monitor.

Renovate to boost your home health:

  • Replace your old appliances with high Energy Star ratings.
  • Repaint your bedrooms and living rooms with non-toxic paint.
  • Install carbon filters for your water to cut contaminants.
  • Consider creating a green roof or installing solar panels.

Over To You

Have you made some changes in your home to help you stay healthy? We’d love to hear your tips. Please share in the comments below. And if you need a hand to make your home healthier, contact the experts at Keith Green Construction today!

The Quick Guide to Beautiful Flooring (Infographic)

“If you fall, I’ll be there.”
― Floor

Your home’s flooring can beautify your home in subtle but significant ways. Floors are like small wildflowers of a meadow: together, they give an impression of prettiness, but it’s when you look at them closely that you see their true beauty and individuality.

Whether you prefer the cool feel of natural stone or tile, the shades of deep walnut, the softness of carpets, or the easygoing flexibility of laminate, beautiful flooring can be easier to achieve than you think.

In this post and infographic (below), get inspired and discover the right flooring for you!

Wood Flooring

The Beauty Factor

Wood flooring is durable, elegant, distinctive, and warm. Solid wood flooring oozes sophistication and luxury. Maple, oak, pine, walnut, cherry, and hickory all have different coloring, and you can get a lot of natural variation in the grain as well.

Wood flooring can be finished with matte, satin or high gloss, depending on what part of the house it’s being used in. It can be refinished several times, making it a long-lasting favorite among homeowners.

Disadvantages

Depending on the brand, laminate may look more artificial and its surface will feel harder than solid wood. Scratches and dents are more easily visible, but thanks to the veneer, the surface is more resistant to them). You can’t refinish it more than once.

Where to Use It

Like solid wood, laminate looks great in living rooms, hallways, kitchens, bedrooms and playrooms. You can also use laminate in basements.

Laminate (Engineered Wood) Flooring

The Beauty Factor

Laminate flooring is made of wood composite topped with a real wood veneer. It mimics the look of solid wood at a more affordable price.

Laminate is stable underfoot and pretty tough. It’s easy to install, often coming with click-together strips that make a quick and durable flooring option.

Disadvantages

Depending on the brand, laminate may look more artificial and its surface will feel harder than solid wood. Scratches and dents are more easily visible, but thanks to the veneer, the surface is more resistant to them). You can’t refinish it more than once.

Where to Use It

Like solid wood, laminate looks great in living rooms, hallways, kitchens, bedrooms and playrooms. You can also use laminate in basements.

Vinyl Flooring

The Beauty Factor

Vinyl flooring is a value option that’s easy to install and maintain. Vinyl offers a wide variety of looks, from mock-wood or stone to geometric patterns and bright, vivid colors.

The quality of the vinyl floor matters, not just for looks but also for its durability. As a resilient and waterproof material that’s also easy to clean, it’s a popular choice for busy families.

Installation is usually click-in or glue down, and it can be installed directly on top of a good subfloor.

Disadvantages

Vinyl won’t ever look like wood, despite its variability. It can get damaged by sharp objects or heavy furniture, and direct sunlight can fade the colors.

Where to Use It

Vinyl is easy to clean, versatile, and is impervious to water, so it’s ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, playrooms, dens, and garages/workshops.

Tile (Ceramic or Natural Stone) Flooring

The Beauty Factor

Tile flooring is as variable as it is beautiful. Tile flooring is very durable, resistant to water, and easy to maintain.

It comes in a wide variety of colors, styles, sizes, shapes, and textures, with glazed and unglazed finishes, perfect for decorative accents.

Flooring can be marble, granite, slate, limestone or other natural stone materials. More expensive ceramic tiles are made of porcelain, while more affordable tiles are made of white/red clay.

Disadvantages

Tiles can be very hard underfoot, and you need to maintain the grouting. If clay tiles break, the red clay beneath the surface where it’s been broken will be quite visible. Stone tiles can show marks of scratches and stains.

Where to Use It

Popular in kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, family rooms, and outdoor walkways (ceramic tiles are glazed, so they offer great protection from scratches and stains).

Bamboo, Cork, and Linoleum Flooring

The Beauty Factor

Bamboo (from grass), cork (from wood), and linoleum (cork powder and linseed oil) flooring are eco-friendly choices that use renewable resources and are made of biodegradable materials.

They offer incredible warmth and beauty, and a soft surface underfoot. Linoleum is a bit more resistant to scratches and scuffs than cork and bamboo, and comes in a wide array of color.

Disadvantages

None of these materials are as durable as wood. Cork, bamboo, and linoleum can get dented and get scratched more easily than vinyl and wood. Linoleum colors can fade in the sun.

Where to Use It

If you like it, anywhere! Living rooms, hallways, kitchens, family rooms, playrooms, and bedrooms. But don’t use them in damp areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms.

Carpet Flooring

The Beauty Factor

Carpet flooring remains a favorite in US homes. There’s a huge variety of styles, colors, patterns, and textures, and it’s one of the most affordable flooring options, depending on the quality. Carpets can be warm and very soft underfoot and can absorb sound for an added bonus.

The only natural fiber material for carpets is wool; nylon and polyester are the other options.

With carpets, you need to look at the weight (how many fibers) and density (how closely packed they are). Ideally, you want high weight and high-density carpeting.

Disadvantages

Carpeting isn’t as durable as some of the other flooring options. It can also show more signs of stains and wear and tear. It’s not a good option for people with allergies.

Where to Use It

Carpeting is a good option for bedrooms, playrooms, living rooms, and other areas where warmth, sound insulation, and softness are needed. Carpet flooring is also non-slip, so useful for staircases and nurseries, where steadiness is critical.

Finishing touches: Make it beautiful

Whatever your choice of flooring, you can make it beautiful and integrated into the overall design of your house. With the right floor in place, even if you change your décor, the flooring will act as its support and help make it shine.

Check Out Our Infographic!

A Room of your Own: Sunroom and Conservatory Extensions

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Author Joyce Rachelle once wrote, “If we can’t have world peace, I’ll settle for a quiet room.”

Winter or summer, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a bit of sunlight in a comfortable, heated room of their own?

It’s all possible with a sunroom or conservatory extension.

Imagine relaxing with your morning coffee, summer or winter, in your own cozy, sunlit room, looking out at your garden. Or entertaining friends and family in the evenings in a beautifully designed room with enormous windows, attached to the kitchen. Some even create an extension for the benefit of children, so they can enjoy their own little space to watch TV or play games.

Building an extension to your home offers lots of benefits: more light, more space, and more value for your home. And it’s far more moderately priced than adding on an extra traditional room to your house.

The attractive designs of a sunroom or conservatory extension instantly add luxury and value to your home.

Quickly and easily built, sunrooms and conservatories cause little disturbance to your family, and will delight you with the versatility of their uses.

Choosing between sunrooms and conservatories

Many people use the terms interchangeably, but sunrooms and conservatories are a little different. They both create spacious new living areas and maximize the amount of sunlight coming into the room, but the main differences are structure and usage. Sunrooms have a solid roof, like the other rooms of your house, while conservatories have glass roofs.

Which you choose depends on what you want from the space. Of course, if you have one but want the other, it’s very doable to transform a conservatory into a sunroom.

Sunrooms – room to grow

Sunrooms are a great way of adding a new multipurpose space to your house, if your family has grown, you need a home office, a kids’ playroom, or simply more space to entertain friends and family.

A sunroom extension has a solid roof (with shingles, tiles, or slate) and lots of large windows (sometimes even sliding doors) that will let tons of light into the room. You’ll feel as though you’re right in your garden, but with all the luxury and protection of your house.

A sunroom can be used year-round and will be nearly as warm or cool as the rest of the house. Add double or triple glazing for the winter months so it’ll be cozy­ despite all the glass.

Conservatories – let the light in

With their glass roofs and windows, conservatories are ideal for getting an all-around great view of the garden and the sky.

In the past, conservatories were too hot for summer and too cold for winters. Nowadays, though, you can get energy-efficient glazing, self-cleaning glass for low maintenance, and climate control systems.

They’re a great addition to your home for avid gardeners, sun-seekers, and those who just like to relax and enjoy the garden view. Conservatories will let the light flood into your home – even more than sunrooms, believe it or not.

Not sure which you need? Go for an orangery, a combination of a sunroom and conservatory, with a largely solid roof and a large central glass section in the roof!

Make a plan and bring the outdoors in!

  • Usage: The first thing to ask yourself is what you want to use the room for. Once you have that answer, it’ll be easier to decide between a sunroom or a conservatory. Do you need more room for your family, or do just want a little space to enjoy the garden in winter?
  • Sunlight: How important is sunlight to you? A conservatory offers much more light but won’t look like a true extension of your house the way a sunroom will. Be warned, also, that sunrooms may make the adjoining room of your house a bit darker, as that wall will be built on to.
  • Budget: Because of the materials used and the type of structure involved, sunrooms and conservatories will have different build costs. A sunroom is a true extension, with its own ceiling and a roof that matches that of your house. A conservatory’s roof and walls are mostly glass, and so will be cheaper to build.
  • Permissions: Depending on the State you live in, there may be some restrictions on building extensions, so find out ahead of time if you need planning permission. In Oregon? Great, we can help!
  • Location: Where will you place your extension? Many people choose to build it in the rear of the house, facing a backyard, so they can enjoy the view and privacy. But others choose a sunny spot, regardless of whether it’s to the side or the back of a house. You may want to extend your living room, kitchen, or dining room, so purpose will come into play here as well.
  • Style: Sunrooms and conservatories come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and finishes. First, you’ll have to choose the shape of the extension (rectangular, octagonal, Victorian-style, etc.). Then, you’ll have to decide what you want the roof to look like (in the case of a sunroom). Finally, you can choose the interior design: Will you have elegant sofas or comfy couches? Bright colors or simple whites? Fancy rugs or rustic floorboards?

Whether you decide on a sunroom or conservatory, we’re sure you’ll enjoy the extra space and the view, throughout the year.

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Looking to install a new deck or patio? Call KGC experts today!

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How to Make the Right Choice for your Windows (and Not Regret It)

Not for you, the heartache of window renovation woes. In fact, you’re so well prepared with these tips that fitting in new windows or replacing your old ones will be a breeze.

Drafty puns aside, changing your windows can be the best decision you ever make or one you’ll live to regret for decades. Follow these tips to make the right choice!

1. Replace or repair?

Have the years and seasons taken a toll on your windows? You may want to replace them, but wait – you may be able to get away with repairs instead.

  • Check for signs of water damage, or softness in the wood. Water damage can be more serious than it sounds, because water can leak into the walls. But make sure the leak is coming from the window, and not caused by blocked gutters that force water down to the window.
  • Condensation inside the panes is usually a bad sign, and an indication that it’s time to change your windows.
  • With small cracks or broken glass, the sash can sometimes be replaced instead of changing the entire window, and this could be covered by your guarantee.
  • Drafty windows can be better insulated with weather stripping and new caulking, and window sashes that stick can be lubricated so they slide better on the channel.

Still, many people replace their windows to make their homes more energy efficient, change the window styles, or increase the value of their house.

2. Match Form to Function

Avoid window woes by really taking the time to think about how and where you want to use your windows.

Your windows should be durable, functional, and beautiful, for a start. Hard to get all three? Maybe, but that’s what you should be looking for.

Think of function first. Top-to-bottom windows may sound alluring, but if you live in a cottage in a cold climate, it’s not only going to look out of place; it could also cause a serious spike in your energy bills.

Windows in a bathroom, for example, need to open well and be frosted, while windows to keep the cold from the bedroom may be different in form and function than beautiful large windows that have aesthetic appeal in your kitchen and living room.

Is security important to you? Then you need to look at the locks of the window, how high from the floor it can be installed, and the glazing and strength of the glass.

3. Insulate from the top down

New windows should keep your house warm, right? Well, that’s really only partly true. New window installations can certainly help keep the heat in, but improving the thermal performance of your home has to happen from the top down.

So before you change your windows, invest in weatherproofing and insulating your roof, attic, and hot water cylinders.

Don’t glaze over this

Wondered what all the single, double, and triple glazing window glass is all about?

Well, it’s not really about the glass at all. It’s about the distance between the panes. What makes windows more or less insulating is how much gas is between the two panes. Double or triple glazing keeps more warm air in, reduces the condensation on the inside of windows, and is better at keeping noise out (if you live on a busy or noisy street).

  • Single-panes are less common these days, and should only be used for homes in very warm regions.
  • Double-pane glass windows are more suitable for cold climates and are the industry standard.
  • Triple glazing offers a higher level of protection and insulation from the elements, and while it may be more expensive initially, it’ll offer more energy savings in the long run.
  • Toned or tinted glass, or low emissivity (Low-E) glass can help keep more heat in.
  • Impact-resistant glass might not offer much by way of insulation, but in regions with severe storms or extreme weather, it can add an extra layer of protection.

4. Frame this window

The type of window frame you choose can be important, and each has its advantages and disadvantages.

  • Wood/Timber
    Long-lasting and beautiful to look at; but can be more expensive and requires maintenance over time (heat loss and paint).
  • Aluminum
    Chic and modern, can be painted, and easy to maintain; but not always energy efficient.
  • Vinyl
    Inexpensive, good for insulation, and very versatile when it comes to style (can be made to look like wood); but not as durable as other options (but popular with homeowners).
  • Fiberglass
    Low maintenance, a great insulator, and weather resistant; but can be expensive and not very stylish.
  • Frameless (structural) glass
    Can look stunning for top-to-bottom windows (e.g., in conservatories) and offer unobstructed view; but can be expensive to install and not very good for insulation.

In addition, if you live in colder climates, then look for:

  • A high R-value (heat loss prevention)
  • A low U-value (transfer of heat)
  • High solar gain (sunlight heats the room through the window) but in summer this will mean more air conditioning
  • Low wind resistance numbers (how well the seal performs)

Build, Design And Improve For Modern Life


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