Winter Window Cleaning Tips

Get That Snow Soot Off Your Winter Windows

With all the equal parts of snow and cold temperatures plummeting below zero, cleaning your windows might be the last thing that comes to mind. Fret not, we’ll show you the why’s and how’s of winter window cleaning so you can brave through the unforgiving weather.

Attire

Here’s the general rule of thumb for winter window cleaning: gear up before you face the snow storm. Remember, preparation is key for you to conquer the harsh weather effectively in an efficient manner. Compromising your health under these extreme circumstances could lead to grimy windows and hypothermia – often resulting in work delays and profit loss, regardless if you are a professional window cleaner yourself or a commercial business owner operating with storefront displays all-year long.

Staying warm and dry should be your utmost priority, so start with a full body coverage from head to toe. Since most body heat is lost through our heads, an obligatory waterproof hat is a must. Likewise, use winter gloves which have all-in-one functionalities: water resistance, dexterity, warmth and grip. Neoprene gloves work best in winter window cleaning situations.

For body insulation, dress in layers instead of one bulky coat so you can adjust your wardrobe based on the weather forecast. Lastly, invest in anti-slip footwear to gain traction since walking on thin ice can cause slip hazards.

Weather

For streak-free winter windows, go for an overcast day where the sky is cloud-covered with less direct sunlight to prevent your cleaning solution from drying up before it can be wiped down. Also, reduce repetition and master efficiency by tracking the wind path and working in its same direction to avoid splashing water on pre-cleaned windows.

Equipment and Methodology

You have two options in the winter window cleaning trade: select the traditional route with a starter kit of windshield washer fluid, squeegee, washer, microfiber cloths and ladders; or choose modern with water fed pole systems.

When you pick the first option, you need to get the right mixture for your cleaning solution with one-part water and two-parts windshield washer fluid. Use lukewarm water, rather than burning hot, to avoid damaging the surface area of your windows. Take note, handle methanol – an anti-freeze additive – with precaution as this chemical can pose poisonous hazards. Go little on soap as this could dry up very easily in freezing temperatures, then dust off the semi-frozen layers from the window panes before applying the cleaning solution.

Once you have your liquid solution in place, you can either transfer it into a spray bottle and buckle it on your tool belt, or dip the strip washer directly from the bucket then wash the window panes all around. Show off your craftsmanship and wipe using a squeegee in fanning method or S-technique, but make sure that you periodically check and change the rubber blade as worn-out edges will screech and leave streaks on the winter windows. Finish off your hand work with expert finesse by wiping with microfiber cloths.

Try a water-fed pole (WFP) system – a professional grade equipment which eliminates the use of slip-prone ladders and hydraulic access platforms through its 70-ft high reach. In three words, you can sum up its pros: safer, faster and higher. Bid adieu to the dangerous pitfalls of working at heights in short-range motion using squeegees and detergent solution. Safe from the ground up, you can now access long-range winter window cleaning utilizing only a chemical-free, highly purified water system.

Given all these professional tips, the right season for window cleaning is a myth. From vibrant spring to white winter, bank on our seasoned expertise all-year round and get your windows squeaky clean when you schedule an appointment in our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

These Tips Will Help as You’re Maximizing Small Spaces in Your Home

Without further hesitation, confined rooms can give you an undesirable, stifling aura of claustrophobia. Surely, you have wondered how to turn those overly cramped spaces to light-filled, spacious interior zones. At Bright Windows, we list some of the most pragmatic tips on how you can free up and maximize the small spaces of your home.

Maximize Window-to-Wall Ratio

Turn your dim rooms to expansive interior spaces by simply switching from low to high window-to-wall ratio. Artificial lighting costs aside, do keep in mind that a low ratio is a no-no, especially if you are aiming for an energy-efficient measure. By merely tearing down an approximate square area of your blank walls to open up block-outs for your window units, you can welcome natural light even into the darkest corners of your home.

This simple exposure move on renovation or retrofitting can garner your home an impending 180° functional and cost-effective aesthetic change. From dimly-lit to sunlit rooms, you can now enjoy the energy savings from your lighting costs and revel in the feeling of openness – all because you have maximized your small spaces using this design principle.

Utilize Vertical Space

Just because your home scores low on floor area, doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t turn to its vertical counterparts such as walls to compensate for the lack of abundant square footage. Put those blank walls to good use by adding tall bookcases and features artworks higher than the eye level to achieve an illusion of a higher ceiling.

Since advanced glazing technology can now turn your custom window concepts to reality, the staple floor-to-ceiling windows should be on your must-have item list, particularly if you are a contemporary homeowner looking to maximize your small spaces.

Use Materials for Optical Illusion

Here are tried-and-tested tricks of the trade: collaborate with your designers to specify furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) which have translucent and opaque qualities to bounce off sun rays and reflect light on your small spaces. Dress your walls in a parallel manner with infinity mirrors to achieve an impressive optical illusion of dimensional spaces.

However, buying off-the-shelf interior pieces initially might lead you to the do-it-yourself route later down the road. In a case-to-case basis, maximize your small spaces with some of our clever multipurpose space-saving ideas: custom storage under staircase or kitchen countertops, convertible furniture, or loft addition for any unusable space above.

Paint It White

Among any other color on the spectrum, white has the highest solar reflectance index (SRI) with a value of 100, while black equates to 0. The lower the SRI, the more likely that a material tends to get hotter. This is the exact reason why white feels cooler for your eyes than the dark hues of black, so if your aim is to maximize your small spaces, utilize a white color palette to exude a refreshing vibe.

Connect Your Spaces

Make your compact spaces seem bigger than they are by connecting them from outside-in to inside-out. Open plans have become the bread and butter of any designer in the modern era. Bask in the sun when you go with glass walls or sliding doors to extend the breadth of your living-dining rooms with outdoor sunrooms, all the while still maintaining a threshold divider in case of a privacy need.

Shift a change in your mindset that maximizing small spaces requires drastic measures. Make your every square footage count through the space-saving solutions of our expert window specialists. Please browse our website for more information or schedule an appointment in our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

There’s More to Wooden Windows Than You’d Think

Aside from its trifecta of benefits – function, performance, and aesthetics – there’s so much more that you can get out of wooden windows. Dig down deeper from the surface area and into the wood terminologies as we condense and pack them in an in-depth, comprehensive background of Wooden Window 101.

Manufacture

Everything starts and ends with sustainability. Without this green movement, we will have no renewable, high-performance timber windows in our homes. It’s just fitting that, as end users and manufacturers, we drill in on how wooden windows are carried over from cradle to grave.

Whether you lean onto off-the-shelf or custom-made wooden windows, one thing is guaranteed: all wood should be originally sourced from FSC-certified forests. The difference between the two, however, is that you have no say on the specifications for the former option; but while for the latter, you can choose what wood species you prefer based on the geographical context, and how climate-specific or kiln-dried can they be cured based on the shrinkage and equilibrium moisture content. Advanced technology is now at play here, so zero in on the optimal function and performance of your wooden windows by adding more specifications such as fire-rating and insulation.

Site

Here’s where skilled craftsmanship and machinability can be combined to produce bespoke wooden profiles and shapes for your home. Mastering sash joinery is no easy task, as it requires rigorous professional expertise when you need to form and glue intricate filled construction joints. From here on out, manufacturers apply finishing touches by utilizing the process of pre-conditioning, sanding and baking the wooden windows. To further strengthen the integrity of your wooden windows for long-lasting durability, you can choose from your preferred performance-based coating: varnishes, sealants or oil.

Once finished, all your wooden windows go through a logistic process where careful handling of materials should be prioritized since they are delivered and transported from off-site factory to on-site assembly and installation. New construction or renovation alike, your openings should be well-ready to receive window installations and fastenings.

Use

As you revel in the classic beauty of your newly installed wooden windows, knowledge transfer from window specialists to end users should be factored into the equation when you aim for long-term service life. There’s always the negative connotation that wooden windows are high-maintenance compared to aluminum or uPVC, but despite of the upfront costs, you’ll recoup more payback than your initial investment. Wood performance specifications such as dimensional stability and thermal insulation up your home resale value.

No doubt, wooden window will always remain as a fashionable, timeless staple with its rustic and warm aesthetic appeal. However, pooled water seeping through the system can be considered a flaw if not mitigated, so keep your windows rot-proof and watch out for the culprit with drainage system and weep holes.

Disposal

Wooden windows far outrange its other counterparts when leveraged in an apple-to-apple comparison for life-cycle assessment. But like any other renewable source, all these service factors come to an end when irreversible damage attacks. Best to know that you can contribute to sustainability by closing the carbon loop of wooden windows through compost, upcycling, or bio-energy incineration. And then, the cycle repeats once again.

Getting behind-the-scenes make you appreciate even more how wooden windows can be such valuable investment. Head on over via scheduled appointment to our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106, so you can experience how we deliver topnotch service through our wooden window installation expertise.

All You Need to Know About Window R-Value

Your home’s building envelope consists of roof, walls, floors, doors and windows. For designers who prioritize form over function in a residential setting, window facades usually come as an afterthought. However, considering windows account to about 20% of the total wall area, this should not be the case since. In an average building, this coverage is critical as this factors in to the rate of energy-efficiency, particularly insulation, in your home.

In short, it’s not about pitting form and function against each other, but it’s about merging the two design maxims so your home can achieve an optimal performance. With sustainability at stake, homeowners go above and beyond to implement energy-efficient measures. When your windows feature an excellent R-value, you are guaranteed of increased indoor occupant comfort, reduced condensation, decreased heating load, and all other plethora of benefits a standard single-pane glazing alone can’t provide.

But, what exactly is window R-value? First, we need to switch from macro to micro perspective for you to easily grasp this technical window concept. It might be tricky at first to understand these industry-specific terms, but through our window expertise, we will break these down to little tidbits of information so your home can well be on its way to a high-performing state.

Window R-value refers to the thermal resistance of window to heat transfer. In simplistic terms, it is the rating of window insulation. However, you can’t fully understand window R-value without its counterpart U-value. Whereas window R-value becomes the first line of defense from heat transfer coefficients, U-value acts oppositely on the offense and measures the thermal transmittance of a window, or to put simply, just how excellent of a conductor a window unit can be.

We can simplify this inverse relationship furthermore with this formula: R-value = 1/U-value. The higher the window R-value, and the lower the U-value, the better.

While both are indicators of energy-efficiency, window R-value only pertains to the specific component of the window unit such as the glazing, type of framing and gas fills. As such, U-value refers to the whole window assembly in itself. Here’s exactly the reason why it has become a norm for window manufacturers to label these fenestration with U-value instead of R-value.

However, glaziers are now giving merit and redefining the conventional with window labeling using R-value. For consumers and end users like you, it’s much logical to understand and remember that R5 window outperforms R1 window, rather than having to dissect that 0.5 trumps a 2.0 window U-value.

We all know that glass is known to be an outstanding conductor, but a very poor insulator. Nevertheless, it’s now an easier feat to revert these underperforming specifications with advanced glazing technology. Your next move to energy efficiency is as simple as retrofitting your outmoded single-pane to new construction standard of double or triple-pane glazing with argon or krypton gas fills – or in a few words, insulated glass units (IGUs).

Low-emissivity (low-E) glass coating currently becomes another innovative disruptor in the glazing market with its dual operation of light absorption and heat resistance. A pro tip on how you can use it as a benchmark comparison for window insulation: as window’s emissivity decreases, window R-value increases. Your standard clear glass panes emit a value of 0.84, while switching your fenestration to low-E double-pane glazing will give you an emissivity range of 0.35 to 0.5.

Convinced enough that you need to replace your out-of-date window glazing? Now that you speak the jargons of glaziers and window manufacturers, you can finally make the move from energy-wasting to energy-efficient when you drop by via scheduled appointment in our Manhattan showroom at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

There Are Many Types of Window Glass. Which One Should You Get?

Clear glass windows are already outdated and passé. Time to upgrade your fenestration to high-functional efficient glazing to achieve performance peak levels. However, choosing the best among the rest requires you to broaden your window terminology. Sort through all these window glass options below so you can see what the superior fit for your home is.

STANDARD

Float Glass

Certainly the starting point of all window glasses, float glass is produced when a mix of silica, lime and soda is floated on a bed of molten tin. Sheets of glass with no visual distortion are then calibrated based on your preferences and specifications: cut, tinted, coated, strengthened or insulated to your liking.

Annealed Glass

Here’s what annealed glass is all about: from float glass as your baseline, a meticulous and controlled procedure of slow cooling is conducted to relieve the internal stresses of the window glass. This way, your window glass is fortified in strength and won’t crack due to overexposure on temperature fluctuations.

Heat-Strengthened Glass

Thanks to this window glass, your annealed glass just got twice as stronger. While it’s heated to 1200°F, do keep in mind that due to its slower cooling process, its compression strength is much lower.

SAFETY

Tempered Glass

Looking for the next upgrade from the heat-strengthened glass? Tempered glass is your go-to choice. It’s the same as annealed glass, but only 4-5x stronger. While it’s subjected to alternate heating and cooling cycles, this window glass cools faster and is less likely to experience a thermal break.

Laminated Glass

When inner polyvinylbutyral (PVB) layer is sandwiched between two outer annealed or toughened glass, you can say hello to laminated glass.

This window glass is different from tempered glass, such that large shards of broken glasses are held together integrally to the plastic layer, rather than being shattered to little pieces. Clearly, this is what makes it a safety staple not only on car windshields, but also on structural glazing, glass railing, skylight and impact-resistant applications.

Wired Glass

Wired glass is another breed of safety glass. However, its use can only be constricted to fire-resistant applications where the glazing alone would need to adhere to a structural support, specifically when exposed to extreme heat levels.

PRIVACY

Tinted Glass

There’s only so much light you can let in on your interior spaces. Control and diffuse how much light enters when you dress your windows with tinting films, then merge it with metals, dyes and colors to achieve desired performance characteristics. Upgrade even more to smart responsive technology with self-tinting thermochromic glass windows.

Obscured Glass

For extra layer of privacy and luxe look on your bedrooms and bathrooms, you can turn to obscured glass. Choose from different variations and render your window glass translucent with sandblasting, acid etching and frosting.

Reflective Glass

When float glass is topped with metallic coating, you’ll get reflective glass. Best for structural glazing facades, this window glass wields a one-way mirror effect which emphasizes your need for privacy and protection from outdoor intrusion.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Insulating Glass Unit

Go green with double-pane or triple-pane glazing with krypton or argon-filled spacers. This energy-efficient window glass reduces heat transfer and acts as a thermal barrier on your building envelope, further decreasing your mechanical loads and utility costs.

Low-E Glass

Here’s how low-emissivity glazing works in principle: reflect heat, and absorb light. This two-way operation from this peculiar thin-set coating will enable your window assembly to pass such stringent standards on green compliance. Put simply, you have well-lit and cool interior spaces as your top benefit.

With advanced window technology currently in play, you are not restricted anymore to only one option. Here at Bright Windows, we can help you merge different decision points above to produce a window glass for your home that caters to all your needs. Bank on our installation expertise of custom windows and immerse with us via scheduled appointment in our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

Top Reasons to Keep Open Windows in Your House

Are you often in a hit-or-miss dilemma with open windows? We’ll give you the drill on why keeping the fresh breeze continuously flowing inside your home is the way to go.

Natural Ventilation

Cold, leaky drafts from winter can cause you to shut your home airtight. However, during heatwaves of summer, it’s often a conundrum when to open and close your windows.

Here is the basic premise: keep your windows shut during the day when it’s hotter outside than inside to lessen the heat gain, then open them during the night when outdoor air is cooler than your indoor temperature. The latter refers to night flushing – purging stagnant hot air so cooler breeze can step in.

This is only just a single strategy from all the other forms of natural ventilation, and it’s critical that you understand its execution since cross ventilation plays a main role in the passive cooling of your home. Keep this leeward-wayward principle in mind – when there’s a way in, there should be a way out.

Healthy Environment

Ever heard of the Sick Building Syndrome, or SBS for short? Alleviate the symptoms of nausea, dizziness and headache just by delivering a simple solution of keeping your windows open.

When you keep your home shut and void of fresh air exchange, allergens and toxins float through the stale, polluted indoor air – leading to the compromised health of your household. Reduce building-related illness and keep your indoor air quality operating at an optimum level with open windows.

Moisture Elimination

It’s very likely that when hot humid air hits the cooler interior surface of your home, your windows will sweat. In this case of temperature differential, condensation takes place. Excessive levels of humidity inside your home can cause extreme build-up of moisture, and if not counteracted, rotting and molding will be your common occurrence.

Fungi or termites thrive in this moisture-specific environment, destroying your most-prized possessions from decaying wood furniture to moldy window frames. To keep your home intact on aesthetic, functional and structural aspects, it would be wise to proactively eliminate and zero in on the source. Instead of using an artificial means such as dehumidifier to keep your relative humidity at bay, utilize a cost-effective natural solution by simply opening your windows.

Outdoor Connection

Needing a quick pick-me-up after a day of hard work? Get out of your funk and get back on track by flinging your windows open.

Apart from your workplace burnout and dimly-lit rooms, getting cooped up in the dark can cause a halt on your escalating productivity levels. Getting in touch with nature alone can give you a refreshing take on life and bring you rejuvenating wonders on your holistic outputs.

Shine a light on your home and immerse yourself in nature with open windows. Pause, breathe, connect and take it all in so you can restore your efficiency levels. From meditation to socialization, this immersive experience with nature can extremely enhance your introspective thinking and boost your collective interconnection.

Escape Route

When accidents or safety hazards happen, fixed picture windows are not your friend. Surely, these contemporary windows add a modern aesthetic for your home, but when it comes to functionality, they would rank the lowest.

With all of these benefits close at your hand, open windows are your solution. Let Bright Windows install your choice of custom-operated windows by visiting us via scheduled appointment in our Manhattan showroom at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

Install Screens for Better Living

Tired of pesky irritants disrupting the peace of your home? Experience a of revolutionary change when you install screens for a better quality of living.

Combat the Weather Hazards

Dog days of summer or gusty winds and rainy storms — weather can be extreme based on where you are geographically placed in the world. No better way to be well-equipped than installing screens as your first line of defense from the harsh weather elements.

Transform your home into a weather-resistant nest with the screen installation on your windows. Eliminate the banging noise from too much suction effect when breezy winds pass through the windward and leeward sides of your home.

Coming from the west and south-oriented windows, extreme rays of direct sunlight can halt the comfortable indoor air quality of your home. Install screens or window louvers so you can help restore your home back to its sustainable ambient temperature.

Screens with drip cap for protection can help mitigate leakage when rainy season arrives. However, once you weathered the storm, you can slide your screen open to blur the threshold between the indoor and outdoor space. Enjoy a well-ventilated home while you watch a lovely view of your children roaming and tumbling around your lush garden on a mild spring day.

Get Rid of Irksome Insects

High levels of heat and humidity inside your home can turn out to be natural insect-magnets. If not alleviated, insects and bugs can be troublesome when they intrude your lovely abode. From house damage, to health diseases and food contamination — these intrusive elements can be a real source of annoyance.

Ward off these undesirable pests with the installed screen acting as your quality filter. Zero in on the source so you can eradicate the problem and render a healthy environment inside your home. Window screens work two-way: repelling unwanted visitors while letting the natural breeze ventilate your interior spaces. Your home is safe and sound with installed screens.

Invest in Top-of-the-Line Security

Sleep better at night and wake up in the early morning knowing that you have an added sense of protection. On top of structurally-sound glazing panes, your add-on investment in window screens will certainly go a long way. Thanks to installed screens, get a full 8-10 hours of sleep and experience increased productivity the next day.

Day or night, you can put yourself at ease with the extra layer of security brought to life by your installed window screens. Locking mechanism of the window screens, per se, can act as a defensive buffer or shield in case of criminal break-ins and burglar theft.

Say goodbye to all these nuisances and worry no more. At Bright Windows, we got you covered, literally and figuratively. Discover the whole plethora of screen options available when you drop by via appointment at our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

Keep Your Exterior Doors Looking New

How do you keep your exterior doors looking fresh despite their old age? Read our tried-and-tested tips on how you can keep your welcoming entryway in tip-top shape.

Check for Wear and Tear

From header to threshold, complete a thorough initial physical inspection of your exterior doors from top to bottom and side to side. Look for signs of scruffs and damages in all perspectives — aesthetics, function and durability — so you can zoom in on the problem and proactively deliver a solution.

Steel doors coated with epoxy primer are virtually maintenance-free, except in coastal settings where extra precautionary measures should be taken into account. Conversely, for marine-type wooden exterior doors, this is not the case. This classic rendition of your exterior door will contract and expand over the years based on its inevitable exposure to humidity levels.

If left untreated, excessive moisture infiltration can lead to wood rot. Its best to alleviate the situation with a fast, hands-on approach, and keep an eye on the susceptible areas, so your wood exterior door will not warp, twist or bow.

Replace Worn-out Hardware

Searching for tell-tale clues that your exterior door badly needs revamping? Hurriedly stepping outside has become a common occurrence, because your pneumatic door closer has no “hold-open” function to keep your door open for a few more seconds. Then, your cylindrical lockset’s defective locking mechanism deprives you of your need for privacy.

If your door hardware inefficiently operates, it’s time for an upgrade.

Hinges are the most critical hardware for your exterior doors. If left unchecked, you will have a sagging door, or no door at all. Lubricate or replace those rusty hinges, do a little tweaking or tightening here and there, and you will have a protective entry door to open and close.

Splash Colored Paints

Give your exterior doors a much-deserved facelift by rolling fresh coats of paint and finishes on the surface. Sand it over, remove old traces of chipped paint, and then go bold with surprising hues.

Sunny yellow, royal blue, punchy orange, cherry red or lime green — instill vigor and life with inviting elements on your entryway. Transforming your exterior doors from stark to stylish has never been easier.

Seal Weatherstripping Tight

Blame your ineffective door weather-strip for your escalating electricity costs.

Solve this drafty and leaky conundrum by making your exterior door as weathertight and energy-efficient as possible — sealing it tight from any energy loss that may seep through gaps and cracks. Watch how your trend switches from hiking utility bills to increased electricity savings.

Keep Them Pristine

Scheming a quick cosmetic fix for your entryways, in the best-case scenario, won’t cost you cost a thing. Take your exterior door from bland to brand new by simply cleaning it. Scrub and wash the grime and dirt off your door panel with mild soap and water, or use furniture wax for your stained wood door to give off that lustrous shine.

When all is said and done above, finish off your exterior door care with spotless cleaning.

Troubleshooting exterior door problems is our expertise. See for yourself how we can help you maintain your exterior entryways to their optimal performance by scheduling an appointment in our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

Pick the Right Custom Window for Your Home

Bored with your old, outdated home? Dare to go above and beyond. We’ll give you the scoop on why the sky is the limit for your custom windows.

Style

Aesthetics is a big factor with custom windows. Opt for specialty windows if you haven’t found the perfect fit that will suit your taste. Time and budget constraints aside – going custom with windows can give you a myriad of unique, out-of-this-world shapes to choose from.

First things first, find out if the architectural style of your home leans onto the traditional, transitional or contemporary design. Your century-old Gothic home will naturally have phased-out lancet windows over the decades. With custom windows, you just hit two birds with one stone: solving the scarce need while retaining the classic look of your Gothic-inspired home.

Think rounded profiles with straight lines – this is the seamless blend of transitional design. Hit the sweet spot of sophistication and modernity when you add a touch of panache with custom windows.

From rigid boxy forms to curved configurations, the possibilities are endless with custom windows. Give your home a modern cut above the rest with large floor-to-ceiling glass windows, or go bold with rhomboid-shaped custom windows.

Material

Window technology has changed the scenery of most framing materials. Your thermally-enhanced steel custom windows can span all throughout the length of your open living-dining room, but the clear expansive glass won’t budge in its position — giving you that desired, unobstructed view outside with its narrow sightlines.

Despite being tainted as high-maintenance, wood will always remain a classic choice for custom windows. Finish it with a protective layer of varnish or polyurethane top coat, and you are good to go for years to come.

Fiberglass custom windows will only continue to disrupt the market and dominate the scene. Strong in appearance and function — the high-performing and weather-resistant window frames are worth the long-term investment for your custom windows. Combine exquisite wood interior with engineered fiberglass cladding on the outside to achieve unparalleled composite window performance for your home.

Features

Long gone are the conventional standard window features. Custom windows specified with smart technology are now becoming the norm.

Revive the old concept of window tints with thermochromic technology — your custom windows can now dynamically alter from dark to neutral color based on the outdoor light levels. You can also factor in the demanding modern building codes to date. Update your home’s fenestration and scrap single glass panes for energy-efficient, krypton-filled double or triple insulated glazing units (IGU).

Test the limits and recalibrate further your strong laminated glass with hurricane or impact-resistant technology. From burglar intrusion, to typhoons and earthquakes — these hazards are no match with the security and structural integrity of your home’s custom windows.

Beauty, function and durability — custom windows are your all-in-one material. Give your home the cutting-edge treatment and invest in Bright Windows’ high-caliber installation of your custom windows. Open up to a whole new world of possibilities and schedule a walkthrough at our Manhattan showroom located at 135 East 57th St 18-106.

Enhance Your Home’s Look with Proper French Door Placement

Do you often dream of installing a French door? Although they are getting a good reputation as patio doors, French doors are not only confined to this one space of the house. Find out below how you can further improve your home’s look with proper French door placement.

In a Parallel Series

One is not enough anymore. Place French Doors side by side to achieve an indoor-outdoor seamless transition. Instead of just one French Door blurring the threshold from outside-in to inside-out, install the same pair of doors in a row to achieve a wall illusion of ribbon windows. This French door placement is best for high-traffic zones with visitors coming to and fro, such as when you host a party in an outdoor entertainment area overlooking a garden view.

Twin Access Points

Link two interconnecting spaces of your home with French Doors. This particular door placement enhances your uninterrupted line of sight — offering an optical illusion of an open-plan living even without the need to take down your interior walls. Moreover, when it comes to noise reduction, this hinged-door placement poses a big advantage over the inflexible open-plan layout since French Doors can serve as an acoustic barrier when closed.

Balcony Door Feature

Connect with the scenic views of your home through the French door placement on your balcony. French doors can be calibrated to operate in-swing or out-swing according to your needs, so it is wise to do an initial thorough assessment on the specified area and fixtures before installing in place since French Doors take up space when operated.

Open Living and Dining

Your home could present a uniform color scheme all-around, and this is where open-plan layout comes into play. When you install French doors to connect your living and dining areas, it can pick up on the design cues and enhance the overall aesthetic look of your home. Likewise, when your living or dining room is deficient of natural light and ventilation, the proper French Door placement can help you transform what was once a dim-lit area into an airy, light-filled space — giving you a much needed illumination for your household tasks.

Contemporary Corners

Corner window serves as a cornerstone of minimalist and contemporary architecture. To imitate this feature, mix it up by positioning French Doors perpendicularly in corners instead of the predictable parallel door placement on a wall. Not only will this create a fresh and stunning look for your home aesthetically, you are guaranteed of maximal breathtaking views with its multiple-angled sightlines.

Whether your aim is to refurbish your home, add a sense of style, invite more sunlight, or bring the outdoors in, have your French doors allocated and installed expertly by Bright Window Specialists. Contact us for more information or visit our Manhattan showroom by appointment located at 135 East 57th St 18-106, New York.

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