November 2020 - McNeill Palm

Do I Need New Window Shutters?

November 23, 2020 by McNeill Palm Team

You may ask yourself whether you need new window shutters in Rosemary Beach, FL because the window shutters you have installed in your home have been there for quite a while. When window shutters need to be replaced, there will be some obvious signs that you can see.

Just because the window shutters in your home are older doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to replace them. However, new window shutters are manufactured in a wide variety of styles, materials, and colors, so replacing your old window shutters may be a great way to update your home and take advantage of the latest window shutter technology.

However, many times older window shutters show obvious signs of wear and tear that indicated that they need to be replaced.

One of the signs of wear and tear on your window shutters is if they don’t operate properly. If you have issues opening and closing your window shutters, then you should consider having new window shutters installed. The longer you keep window shutters that are not operating properly, the more likely it will be that they will get damaged or break.

If your existing window shutters are constructed with wood, you may see the wood begin to deteriorate over time. Wood can be damaged by excessive moisture, and it will break down and begin to rot.

Excessive moisture can also create a perfect environment for mildew and mold, which can be harmful to you and your family, to grow and potentially spread to other wood surfaces in your home.

If your wood window shutters are showing any of these signs, then they need to be replaced. New window shutters are manufactured with many different types of materials, so if you like the way wood window shutters look in your home, you can opt for faux wood window shutters.

Faux wood window shutters give you the classic and comfortable look of wood without the drawbacks that actual wood has, and you can be assured that they will hold up and look good for a very long time.

Another sign that you need to replace your window shutters is warping. Warping is very common with wood window shutters because as moisture is absorbed it changes the shape of the wood.

This will mean that your wood window shutters don’t fit correctly anymore. They may sag or they may sit lopsided in your window frame. Window shutters can be a great energy efficiency addition to your home when they fit in the window frame correctly.

If you have warped window shutters, you are likely experiencing more heat loss in the winter and more solar gain in the summer, which will result in increased energy costs for your home.

New window shutters will be snuggly installed in the window frames, which means that you will have increased energy efficiency in your home and you will pay the power company less money to keep your home comfortable, no matter what time of the year it is.

Maybe your window shutters operate well and aren’t damaged, but you don’t like the way they look. Perhaps they are a darker color that makes your entire home seem darker. You’ve decided that you want to brighten up your home, and you want a lighter shade of window shutters to help you accomplish that.

Only you can decide when you need new window shutters, but if you’re having problems with your existing window shutters, then you should think about getting new ones sooner rather than later.

If you’d like to learn more about window shutters in Rosemary Beach, FL, you can talk with our knowledgeable team at McNeill Palm.

Tips for Choosing Window Blinds

November 16, 2020 by McNeill Palm Team

When you’re looking at window blinds in Rosemary Beach, FL, there are some tips that you should keep in mind so that you get the window blinds you want and so that you are happy with them for a very long time after they are installed.

Shopping for new window blinds is not something you do every day, so you may not be aware that there are some things that could go wrong in the process. Window treatments professionals see some mistakes that happen frequently when people are looking for new window blinds.

One mistake that is very common when people are buying new window blinds is that they do not get accurate measurements and the window blinds they purchase don’t fit on their windows. Then, they have to spend even more money on window blinds to get ones that fit.

Measuring a window for window blinds may seem to be a straightforward process, but your final measurements are going to depend on whether you want to install the window blinds inside the window frame or outside the window frame.

There are very precise ways that either type of installation can be measured, and window coverings professional will make sure that the measurements are accurate the first time regardless of which type of window blinds installation you choose.

Another mistake that people who are looking for window blinds make is not having a set budget to spend before they go shopping. As with any other purchase, when you specify a maximum that you can afford to spend, it can help you find just the window blinds that are within that amount.

If you don’t have a budget for your new window blinds when you walk into window treatments company, the professionals there don’t have any way of knowing what you are able to spend.

So, you will spend a lot of time looking at window blinds that are out of your price range – and you may fall in love with window blinds that in that price range – and you will come away from your shopping experience exhausted and frustrated.

When you establish a budget for your window blinds, it will make your job and the window coverings company’s job easier. You can simply tell them what your budget is and they can show you the window blinds they have available within your budget.

Don’t forget to include installation in your budget for your new window blinds. Having window blinds professionally installed will ensure that your window blinds look as good in your home as they do in the showroom. Professional installation also ensures that your window blinds will operate perfectly and will last for a long time.

Before you go shopping for window blinds, decide what rooms in your home you want to install them in. While window blinds work well throughout your home, the materials you choose for them may not.

For example, installing wood window blinds might work well in most of the rooms in your home. However, in rooms where there is a lot of humidity most of the time – bathrooms and laundry rooms fit into this category – wood window blinds would not be a good choice because wood absorbs moisture.

Moisture can damage wood window blinds and it can facilitate the growth of mold and mildew. The window blinds that you would want to be installed in the bathroom and the laundry, then, should be made out a material other than wood. Faux wood window blinds would be a perfect alternative.

If you’d like to learn more about window blinds in Rosemary Beach, FL, you can speak with our experienced staff at McNeill Palm.

Kids, Pets, Safety, and Window Coverings

November 9, 2020 by McNeill Palm Team

Did you know that a window covering in Rosemary Beach, FL can be a key to how safe your home is for your kids and your pets? You may think of safety in terms of making sure that harmful chemicals are in locked cabinets or stored out of reach, making sure that electrical outlets are covered when they’re not in use, or having protective barriers to make sure your kids and pets stay safe.

However, you may not think about the safety of your pets and your kids when you think about the window coverings in your home. However, window coverings, especially window blinds, are responsible for many injuries that young kids and pets suffer each year in their homes.

While most of the injuries are minor, some can be fatal. Most of the fatalities from home window coverings are the result of entanglement in and strangulation from corded window blinds. So, what do you need to do to make your windows and window coverings safe for your pets and kids?

To ensure that your windows are as safe for your kids and your pets, you need to follow a few simple guidelines throughout your home.

First, if you are not in the room where your pets and kids are, then close and lock the windows. You may think having a screen in your window will ensure the safety of your pets and your kids, but screens are easy to push out.

If you’re in a room with your pets and your kids, make sure that bottom sash is open no more than four inches. This will ensure that your kids and pets can’t squeeze through the open window. If you have double hung windows, then open them using the top sash instead of the bottom sash. This is the safest for your pets and kids.

Keep windows as inaccessible as possible. Don’t place chairs or other furniture that your kids and pets can climb on near windows. Have safety devices installed on all your windows, and keep cords out of the reach of the kids by placing them on top of window blinds.

One of the ways you can make your windows safer is to have window guards installed on them. This can prevent your kids from opening the windows at all. However, make sure that you know how to remove them quickly enough that you and your family can get out of your home in the event of an emergency.

You can make window blind cords safer by installing safety anchors. These will keep continuous loop cords from hanging down and posing a potential hazard to your pets and kids.

However, the best way to ensure that your window coverings don’t endanger your kids and your pets is to have cordless window blinds or cordless window shades installed. Cordless window coverings have no cords exposed. You can manually operate them, or you can have them installed with a motorized option.

If you want to move to a different window covering type entirely, plantation window shutters are a much safer option in home where pets and kids live. Because plantation window shutters are made of single panels, they are usually too heavy for small kids to open.

You don’t want anything to compromise the safety of your home, especially when you have pets and kids. Take time today to make sure your windows and window coverings are as safe as they can be.

If you’d like learn more about a safe window covering in Rosemary Beach, FL, you can talk with our knowledgeable team at McNeill Palm.