April 2023 - McNeill Palm

Motorized Shades for Your Home Gym

April 24, 2023 by McNeill Palm Team

If you want to make it easier to find the motivation to get your workout in, you need to make your home gym a place you want to be. To do that, you need to make sure it has the right kind of window treatments. Use this list of window coverings, like motorized shades, for your home gym as inspiration:

Motorized Shades Give Natural Light and Privacy – Motorized shades are a great window treatment option for home gyms as they provide both natural light and privacy. You can use sheer roller shades for lots of natural light that keeps your gym free from outside eyes. Or, if your gym gets lots of direct sunlight or faces the street, you can block out both the heat and your neighborhood’s gaze with blackout shades. Cordless models are also ideal for gyms as there’s no risk of cords getting tangled in your equipment, and motorized shades are perfect for adjusting the shades when you’re in the middle of a workout and don’t want to pause. Top and bottom shades are for you if you want the best of both worlds as these models allow you to adjust the top and bottom shades independently for even more personalized light and privacy control.
Woven Shades Create a Sophisticated Look – If you want your gym to be elegant, stylish, and Zen-like a fancy spa or hotel gym, woven shades are the right choice. Woven shades stand out from other window treatments because the woven fibers interact with the sunlight and give warmth to a room in a unique way. They also add a hint of natural or modern texture to home gyms that are otherwise full of smooth, shiny surfaces. You also don’t have to sacrifice privacy for this elegance as woven shades come in a range of thicknesses and opacities that let you customize how much light and privacy you get.
Window Shutters Offer Flexibility – Is your home gym also your spare bedroom/office/playroom/or any other kind of space? If so, you need to make sure its window treatments have enough versatility to suit every use. Shutters are the answer. These window treatments work in every kind of room, especially when you choose some in neutral shades that fit seamlessly into décor. What’s more, shutters make it easy to control the amount of privacy and light you want. You can pull open the shutters and louvers if you want bright morning light to pump you up for your workout, but you can also close them fully if you want total darkness for a Zen yoga moment or privacy for a stretch session. You can also close the panels and tilt open the louvers for filtered light that helps redirect glare away from reflective surfaces in your home gym like mirrors or TVs.

We are to help if you want more inspiration or information on motorized shades. After all, these are just a few ideas for what kind of treatment you can put in the windows of your home gym.

How to Maintain Motorized Shutters in the Summer

April 17, 2023 by McNeill Palm Team

The summer is a great time to work on projects, especially those around the house. Since you need your motorized shutters and windows to work well year-round, that means doing some summer maintenance. But how do you maintain motorized shutters?

Get started this summer with these maintenance tips:

Clear Away Debris – Dirt, debris, and other nastiness builds up on the windowsills of your windows throughout the year. And, when there’s debris in the sill, your window might not shut as tightly as it needs to, or even at all. In addition to creating a tighter seal, removing all the excess debris will make your windows look nicer. Clear away the debris from your windows with a broom, cloth, or duster, and then wipe the sills clean.
Get New Motorized Shutters – The best way to maintain your shutters over the summer? Get rid of your old ones and invest in new ones! Motorized shutters are much more energy efficient and convenient than older models, so in addition to helping make sure your home is comfortable, they will also help save you money in the long run. If you don’t have the budget to replace all your shutters this summer, try replacing just the oldest ones. Though it’s preferable to replace all your shutters at once, getting rid of the oldest ones will still have some benefits for your home and bank account.
Replace Weather Stripping – Weather stripping helps keep the outside elements where they belong: outside. In turn, this helps make sure your home stays at a comfortable temperature without forcing your HVAC system to work too hard. But, since weather stripping is exposed to the elements, it does get damaged or worn out over time. Tear out the old weather stripping on your windows and replace them with new ones.
Watch for Water Damage – Water is one of Windows’ greatest enemies. That’s why it’s important to take time this summer to check the window seals all around your home for evidence of water damage, like mold, warping, cracking, or moisture. If you are proactive in checking your windows, you will be more likely to find any problems early on. If you find water damage, it’s time for replacement windows! If you find any leaks that haven’t caused damage yet, you may be able to caulk around the window to keep moisture out or potentially replace some of the framings around the window if that’s the issue.
Wash the Glass – Dirty window glass makes your home look dirty and old. Take advantage of the glorious summer weather to wash your windows. All you need is a bucket of mild soapy water, a clean cloth, a squeegee, and a bit of elbow grease. Don’t want to wash them yourself? Hire someone! You won’t regret making the investment.

These are just a few tips for maintaining your shutters and windows over the summer. We are here to help if you want more information on window maintenance or motorized shutters. Call or visit us today!

Refresh Your Basement

April 10, 2023 by McNeill Palm Team

You probably don’t want to spend a ton of time down in your unfinished basement. But finishing a basement costs a lot of money, and a lot of people don’t have it in the budget right now. Use these shortcuts, like installing window treatments with motorization, to make your basement great and save you some money.

Finish the Windows – Basement windows are often forgotten when it comes to window treatments. Adding window treatments, like those with motorization, can go a long way toward making your basement look and feel like a completed space. Plus, the added convenience of motorization will make it feel like you’ve invested a lot of money even if you haven’t.
Add Carpet Tiles – A full carpet floor can get pricey, but carpet tiles or squares are pretty cheap. Plus, they’re easy to install and can help warm up your basement. Peel and stick carpet tiles on select areas.
Refresh the Stairs – Creepy basements aren’t complete without creepy basement stairs. Make your basement stairs fresh and new to match your basement by applying a fresh coat of paint, installing treads, and tightening rickety banisters.
Bring in Plants – The natural green color of plants instantly makes a basement feel more fresh, inviting, and bright. You can even place oversize plants or several smaller planters in groups to conceal unsightly spots or brighten dark corners.
Brighten with Mirrors – Many basements are dark or dim. Brighten up your space by investing in mirrors to help bounce the light around. Hang them up on opposite sides of the room to make the space feel both lighter and larger.
Buy a Dehumidifier – Basements are damp. But yours doesn’t have to be. A few hundred bucks will buy you a high-quality dehumidifier that can banish the dampness from your basement.
Install Bookshelves – Long bare walls can make unfinished basements look that much darker and drearier. Cover up your bare basement walls and brighten up the space with bookcases. You can buy a nice one for pretty cheap or even install floating shelves for an even more DIY look.
Refresh the Floors – Unfinished basements usually have unfinished concrete floors. Instead of shelling out for brand-new floors, apply a few coats of epoxy paint to the concrete to add a colorful, refreshed look. Bonus: epoxy paints are waterproof and help stop leaks.
Paint the Pipes – Exposed pipes and beams might be trendy in industrial lofts and high rises, but they don’t look great in your unfinished basement. Unless you paint them! Paint exposed pipes and beams with a color that matches or complements your walls.
Cover the Bulbs – Bare lightbulbs aren’t stylish or welcoming. Buy clip-on shades to cover up any bare lightbulbs in your basement. You can take it one step further and add some string bistro lights for an even more stylish and welcoming vibe.

These are just a few ways you can refresh your basement without spending a ton of cash. We are here to help if you want more DIY tips or information on Hunter Douglass PowerView Motorization.