It is hard to believe that daylight savings is almost over for another year. This time of year, when it's time to "fall back", always gets me thinking about what needs to be done to the outside of our home to get ready for the winter. Days get shorter and shorter, so there is less time to get done what needs to be done. Start now evaluating what projects are a "must do" this year. For many, it's just the simple moving things inside or into more protected areas, bringing in hoses and and protecting other "warm weather" items.

One of the tasks I really hated is cleaning out the gutters. Especially where I live, on a heavily forested lot. But I finally solved that problem a couple years ago by getting gutter protection installed; now they stay clean and free-flowing year round. Most window or siding companies in your area offer this very reasonable option. Once it's in place, the job is eliminated, so I highly recommend looking into gutter protection for your home. There are a lot of varieties, so do your homework to get the product that is right for you.

Being in the window and door business, I think another important task is checking the exterior of your home for any leaks or cracks that may have opened up since last fall. Check carefully around all vent pipes; seal up any openings in your building envelope as they say. If you find larger gaps, use expandable foam, for smaller areas a good grade of silicone caulk, either clear or color matched, is the right choice. Look especially closely at the perimeter of your windows and doors, and use a high-quality silicone to seal up any cracks that may have opened up. Just a 1/16" crack around a few windows or doors can equate to a hole the size of a cement block in your wall, which if left alone, will have a dramatic negative impact on your heating bills.

While you are out there, make sure your windows are fitting properly and well sealed. Make sure any putty missing is replaced and the paint is in good shape and covering any exposed wood. If the windows are starting to show excessive wear, it may be time to investigate replacing them with new state-of-the-art, highly energy-efficient, maintenance-free, vinyl replacement windows. Winter is on the way and there is no way to delay or stop it, so get out there as soon as you can to protect your home and your family.

Well, it seems as if the Fall season is blowing in fast…in my area, we went from 95 degrees to first-frost conditions in one just week. With the change in seasons, many people begin thinking about doing a thorough pre-holiday housecleaning—you know, scrubbing walls, shampooing carpets, washing windows, and getting all those other “nooks and crannies.”

With so much cleaning to be done, it’d be nice to have one less item on your “to-do” list, right? If that’s your attitude, you might want to consider easy-cleaning glass in your windows and doors.

Notice I said “easy-cleaning”—not “self-cleaning,” because that’s not exactly true. No glass on the market will actually clean itself for you! But there are options—such as Gorell’s SolarShine—that will keep the glass in your windows and doors cleaner for longer.

So how does this glass work? Basically, it features a “built-in” transparent coating that’s super smooth so that most dirt doesn’t “hold on to” it. It even loosens and breaks down the dirt that does adhere to the glass. The coating uses two natural resources—the sun’s ultraviolet rays and water—to slowly decompose and loosen organic dirt, then rinse it away. Water “sheets” off SolarShine instead of beading, so there will be less spotting and streaking.

Windows and doors with SolarShine—or any similar product—are comparable to self-cleaning ovens. They’re a great help, but they are not magic. These products still require a little work from you. You will need to apply water to your windows occasionally, especially ones that are not exposed to regular rainfall. You basically just need to spray the windows or doors with water, from a hose or spray bottle, then wipe off any debris and let it dry.

Easy-cleaning glass definitely makes window cleaning quicker and easier…and anything that makes that Fall cleaning go a little faster is a good thing!

Homeowners are faced with many design choices when it comes to their home. In most parts of your home there is no one perfect product. You generally have multiple products to choose from and each has their own pros and cons.

Windows are no different. One of the most common questions we hear from homeowners is “Should I buy wood windows or vinyl windows”?

Wood windows offer a rich appearance that can be stained or painted to match the color of your home. Many people choose to stain the interior and paint the exterior so they can be different colors. Whether you paint or stain you will just have to remember to refinish them every few years to ensure they maintain their appearance. If not done frequently enough the wood can begin to degrade. If you do paint them, you want to be careful to not paint the windows shut which can cause a safety concern in an emergency.

Vinyl windows typically are made with one specific color of material that is the same on both inside and outside. Most vinyl windows offer a limited choice in colors – white, tan, brown. The benefit of vinyl is that it is a maintenance free finish. There isn’t a need to paint or stain the windows and they won’t get painted shut.

Still can’t decide which is best for you? Well, we make the decision easy. At Gorell, we offer low-maintenance vinyl windows that can be customized to have the beautiful interior appearance you get from stained wood. We have three (soon to be four!) gorgeous interior wood finishes that don’t ever require painting or staining. We also offer countless exterior color choices to complement the appearance of your house. (http://www.gorell.com/pages/frame_finish_colors.htm)

Why settle for a product that is almost what you want when you can get the best of both worlds?

This week the National Safety Council celebrated National Window Safety Week. This week serves as a reminder of the importance of year-round window safety and fall-prevention.

As spring arrives, we start opening our windows to let in some fresh air. So, this is the perfect time of the year to evaluate the safety of our homes as well.

Here are some simple window safety tips to consider.

Tip #1 - Make sure your windows aren't painted or nailed shut so you can get out in an emergency.

Tip #2: Keep furniture or anything children can climb on away from windows to lessen the chance of a fall.

Tip #3: Consider having softer bushes or extra mulch below your child's 2nd story bedroom window. It could save a life.

Tip #4: Insect screens keep out bugs, they don't prevent falls. If your window had ventilation limit latches, use them.

Tip #5: Don't install window A/C units in a child's bedroom. The window might be needed in case of an emergency.

I have been speaking with some new friends that completed a home energy audit. Because I am in a related energy efficient business, it was an easy ‘ice breaker’ topic for them to bring up.

I asked when they did their home energy audit. They explained that it had been about six or seven months prior. I was a little surprised that they had not taken any action with any of the items in the audit. In any event, we started discussing the things the audit recommended.

One of the easy audit recommendations was to caulk and reseal all the openings in their house. This could include the attic, around the garage, windows, doors, and even vents. This is a quick and simple thing to do, but when the energy audit company completed their analysis, there was no next step. As a result, they did nothing.

As I discussed with my new friends, you know all the things that need to be done to make your home more energy efficient, but you weren’t given any idea on what to do next. I gave them a few ideas. First, although caulking and resealing is an easy and inexpensive thing to do, it also needs to be done on an annual basis. Most people forget to maintain it. As a result, if this is the sole focus for making your home more energy efficient, it will be a losing proposition.

One item that does show up on the energy audit is windows and doors. And although there is more investment involved here, provided you select the right window, it should be more of a permanent solution. And many times, if you ask the energy audit company who they would recommend to do the work, they will not only give you the name of a trusted home improvement company, they have probably negotiated discounts for you as well.

So, if you are getting ready to do that energy audit, be prepared to do a few things. See if the energy audit company has qualified and pre-screened home improvement companies you can work with to implement parts of the energy audit. Also, in your mind, establish an ‘energy efficient’ budget for your home. This allows you to make some decisions on what parts of the energy audit you want to tackle first. And it will also help you follow through on your plan to make your home more energy efficient.

When shopping for double- and single-hung windows, homeowners should be cognizant of the windows’ balance system. A poor choice in hardware—particularly the balancing system—could mean long-term product dissatisfaction, so it’s important to get the best system available.

First off, what does the balancing system do? It basically is the hardware (usually not visible) used to open and close single- or double-hung windows—so, the type of balancing system can have an effect on the operation of the window.

There are basically three types of window balancing systems—spiral, block & tackle, and constant force. After examining and operating windows that use each of these three systems, window industry professionals generally agree that there’s no contest—the constant force balancing is the hands-down winner. “Constant force” means that, unlike other balance systems, the effort to open and close the window sash is constant. It’s the same at all points of opening and closing. Operation of windows with constant force balancing is virtually effortless, silent, and unbelievably smooth. Constant force balance systems are also more dependable. Because there is only one moving component, the balance spring, operational issues are extremely rare. These systems are typically tested to 10,000 or more cycles and still open and close smoothly. They also last longer than other balance systems because the spring is inside an encapsulated unit. This means that the most important part of the system isn’t exposed to dust and dirt over time.

Block and tackle and spiral balances both have multiple moving parts—which results in many more components that are prone to fail over time. Block and tackle balances consist of a pulley system and cord. The cord wears down as the window is operated and eventually frays or breaks. Spiral balances feature a spiral-shaped steel rod that’s connected to a torsion spring. Not only are spiral balances noisy when operated, but the way they operate also generates excessive friction—which results in wearing surfaces and, eventually, failure to operate correctly. Both systems, although not usually very visible, do attract and collect dirt. Over time, this affects the performance of these balance systems.

Before purchasing windows, homeowners should thoroughly research the products they’re considering—including what type of balance system is used and what type of warranty that hardware carries.

There's a very interesting article -- about cleaning windows -- that originated from Readers Digest Magazine. It's called "8 Clever Solutions for Cleaning Windows" and it addresses not just cleaning windows, but other items associated with windows -- like blinds, screens, shades and window sills. Some of the tips seem to be more just common sense, but I admit, they're ones I didn't think of. Windows becoming dirty again too soon after cleaning them? Tip #6 says to clean the furnace or AC filter -- that's likely the problem. Tip #4 is interesting -- to help keep your exterior window stay cleaner longer, apply a coating of floor wax. Tip #1 addresses the fundamental issue -- how to clean window glass and avoid streaking. In a way, this is common sense, too. What do window cleaning professionals use when they clean glass? A squeegee, of course. The tip is to "use a window-washing squeegee with a smooth, soft rubber edge." And it states not to clean glass in direct sunlight because quickly drying glass is more susceptible to streaking. The complete article -- including the other five "clever solutions"' can be found at http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/8-clever-solutions-for-cleaning-windows-2405885/