Friday, March 6, 2009
UNCOMMON COOKIE
Thursday, March 5, 2009
WINDOW & DOOR HOTLINE
Recently, Congress passed a new stimulus bill that expands tax credit incentives for homeowners making energy-efficient home improvements. The bill extends the tax credits through 2010 on energy-efficient investments – including qualifying windows and doors!
· The approved bill includes the ability for homeowners to gain a tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of qualifying energy-efficient upgrades to a maximum of $1,500 per household for 2009 and 2010.
·The new bill has some very specific restrictions, including:
- Windows and doors purchased must be equal to or below a U-Factor of 0.30 and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.30 or below.
- The purchase of the qualified windows and doors must be made during the taxable year for which the credit is being claimed.
- The credit is only allowed on the price of the qualified windows and doors themselves, not on installation costs, onsite preparation, assembly or sales tax.
- The tax credit is allowable only for qualified window units placed in service in 2009 and 2010.
- Homeowners need to save their receipts for their windows and doors purchased along with all window labels and manufacturers certificates to apply for the tax credit.
Here’s the great news! FW&D has a full range of tax credit compliant windows and doors– from our value-focused selections to our option-rich premium products – we have the windows and doors that meet the 0.30 U-Factor and 0.30 SHGC tax credit requirements.
Qualifying Products
ALSIDE- Sheffield, UltraMaxx, Excalibur
All products ordered in the Excalibur family will meet the tax credit requirements With the exception of picture windows, all windows in the
Crusader- with sash lite
Gorell- all series with specified glass package
Marvin Infinity- with LoE³ 366
Provia Doors- Entry doors and storm doors. Most doors qualify, ask for details.
Simonton- 5500 with LoE³ 366
Soft-Lite-
Casement
All operating casement and awning window products, regardless of configuration with a .30 U-Factor and 0.30 SHGC will meet the new tax credit requirements.
Bay and Bow
Bay and bow units are subject to the same limitations as their respective component windows. Each component window is labeled independently.
Patio Doors/Sliding Glass Doors
Meet the tax credit program requirements when using a glass package with a .30 U-Factor and 0.30 SHGC.
We have access to all major brands of windows and doors so if you didn’t see your favorite brand listed please call us so we can research your specific product.
10 TIPS FOR A BETTER BATHROOM
10 TIPS FOR A BETTER BATHROOM By John Clark.
Everyone loves a good top ten list! Read on and enjoy our top ten “Must Do” for remodeling a Fairlington bathroom,
1. Install a Pocket Door. Most Fairlington bathrooms are so small that doors can sometimes make them even smaller. Converting the swing door into a pocket door always opens up the space visually as well as physically. Pocket doors should always be installed by a professional as the installation often involves dealing with structural components of your home.
2. Venting? Always, always ensure your bathroom is properly vented. Many homes lack venting in the bathroom, resulting in black spoor-like stuff growing from the ceiling. Also many homes have undersized fans that often sound like a jet engine. When it comes to venting, our favorite is a quiet rated fan which reduces significantly the noise you will hear when the fan is on. This style of fan will have a grill in the ceiling and can have a light as well.
3. Comfort Height Toilets are just so much better! Comfort height or chair height toilets are much more comfortable for users. They are about 2″ taller then the old standard. If you have young children, you may want to have one toilet in your home that is at the lower height. Also a round front toilet rather than an elongated toilet bowl is a space saver in smaller bathrooms.
4. White Painted Beadboard lends an elegance and look to a bathroom that is classic and clean. For a long time, beadboard was not considered in a bathroom. Why? Because beadboard usually consisted of 1×6 pine milled with a tongue and grove and beaded on the edges and center. As the beadboard was wood, it was subject to moisture changes. The nice tight paint job looked great until the heating season when the beadboard shrank and showed cracking in the paint. The beadboard would look awful until the humidity of summer rolled around.
Now there are moisture resistant products in the form of 4′ x 8′ and larger sheets of bead-board. Manufactured from premium medium density fiberboard, the sheet beadboard is much more dimensionally stable and less prone to movement. ie a tighter paint job. We also like it because it installs much faster then the piece by piece method of wood strips. If you want to install the beadboard in your bathroom, make sure you purchase the moisture resistant grade rather then the standard grade.
5. Heated Floors. Quick Quiz: Can you name the healthiest, safest kind of heating system? If you said radiant heat, give yourself an A! Yes, we’re big fans of radiant heat, especially in the bathroom. Nothing beats stepping out of a shower onto heated tile on a cold winters morning. A preferred brand of radiant heat is Laticrete. They have a system that is well thought-out and easy to install. The running costs of radiant are minimal for a small area such as a bathroom.
6. Handheld Shower. One feature we suggest to clients who are upgrading, is to include a handheld shower. Handhelds are more flexible then a fixed shower head and allow you to do everything from bathing the dog to cleaning the tub or shower, as you can put water where you need it.
7. Taller Vanities. Like the toilets we mentioned above, vanities have grown up which is a godsend to those who spent many a time stooped over at sinks designed for the vertically challenged! The taller height is more comfortable to use. Don’t forget however, to have a stepstool handy for the little one’s.
8. Integrated Sink. Is a type of sink you can have with a solid surface product such as Corian, Silestone or Cultured Marble. The countertop material flows into the bottom of the sink creating a seamless bowl making for easy cleaning.
9. Hooks. Sometimes towel bars can be just too fussy and formal. Big hooks to hang towels allow you to hang and run and you have more hanging space. Some we have used, can be found at Restoration Hardware. Be sure to use the large ones to allow towels to hang freely so they may dry.
10. Creative Storage. A drop out tray in front of the sink provides a great place for tooth brushes and toothpaste. A drawer at the base of the sink cabinet also can be surprise storage. Corner shelves in the shower can be a great place for shampoos, razors and body washes. One trick we have done in the past, is to recess a cabinet into a closet of an adjacent room keeping the face frame of the cabinet flush with the bathroom wall.
Watch for future postings with more ideas for better remodeling.
The original article was written by John Clark.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Every year FW&D gives back to the community in a variety of ways and to a variety of charities. This year our featured charity is the American Diabetes Association. I will be participating in the Tour de Cure bicycle ride on June 14th, 2009 and riding a metric century, 64 miles, to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Here are a few facts regarding diabetes.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death by disease in the U.S. Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure.
Diabetes is becoming the new American health epidemic of the century. Consider these facts:
· More than 23 million Americans have diabetes—including more than five million (nearly one-quarter) who don't even know it.
· An additional 57 million people have pre-diabetes, putting them at great risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
· If present trends continue, one out of every three Americans born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes.
· More than $174 billion direct and indirect healthcare costs are attributed to diabetes (2007 statistics).
Please visit my fundraising website and make a contribution. You’re not only supporting me but also everyone who suffers with diabetes. I’ll be riding in honor of my mother-in-law, Doris Cambron, who will be 88 years old on March 11th and has been living with diabetes for the last 30 years.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
FW&D FEATURED IN INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MARKETING BLOG
Mark Buckshon, of the Construction News and Report Group, Ottawa , Ontario Fairfax County Virginia
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
SEX, AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN DESIGNING A BATH
First let me give credit where credit is due. This interesting analogy of how to design a bath room was written by Paul Lesieur of Silvertree Construction , North Oaks, Minnesota. Paul and I converse on a forum for contractors called Contractor Talk, and he has graciously given me permission to reprint an article from his blog, www.minneapoliskitchenremodeling.com.
SEX, and your new bathroom.
Do I have your attention?
If you’re looking for a Kama Sutra guide to remodeling, this isn’t going to be it, but sex is important when remodeling, and why is that? Well, who is going to get their wish list satisfied from this bath makeover? A man, a woman, a family of four? Any or all of these will dictate your approach to pleasing the occupants. For some of us price is no object, I talked to a friend at a design seminar recently and he was just completing a bath that was coming in at $260,000. It was a combination “his and her” bath suite. When money is no object we all get what we want. I assume most of us have a smaller budget. So let’s leave dreamland and start with the Manbath.
MANBATH-
A bath remodel for many men might use rich dark colors and features. Stone tile such as slate for the floor and maybe a travertine tile in the shower area with an accent stripe of smaller slate squares. A magazine rack and maybe a built in 13″ LED TV set on a swing arm. The Manbath is a place to get some solitude from his family, read a paper, watch the tube from the corner of his eye while shaving, a place that doesn’t get cleaned as often as the main bath, so the darker muted colors means a little mess shows a little less. A Manbath would also have enough storage for grooming products in an easy to reach cabinet that shows shaving and skin or hair care. A Bonsai tree on the counter and wood shutters would complete the look.
In no particular order a man’s bathroom would have: Accessories that would have the look of a mans lounge. Darker and richer woods and colors. A higher vanity 36″ from the floor. A magnifying mirror for shaving. A closet or clothes valet for dressing. A steam shower for relaxation and deep cleaning.
WOMANS
Its no surprise that a woman sees the bathroom differently. When asked what a woman wants in her bath the consensus among women asked is to prefer softer shades and light colored or painted cabinets, also a popular request is a dry vanity with seating at a mirror and good lighting for applying makeup or getting ready for going out. A closet with storage for clothing accessories and maybe silk covered hangers for delicate items. Women are more prone to choose a soaking tub with air jets for a relaxing bubble bath. A bath for a woman is more spa like. The window treatment would trend to fabrics. Easy cleaning is important.
So for women, lighter colors, storage for body care products and accessories, ease of use and ease of cleaning. A place where she gets everything she feels she needs to prepare for or escape the demands of work and family.
SHARING A
That’s life for most of us. A shared bath means both parties want their needs met, this is what we call a bathroom suite. The biggest complaint from women sharing a bath with a man is how messy the man leaves his area. The biggest complaint from a man when sharing a bath with a woman is that the women takes over his space. Many remodeling professionals think men and women should not live in the same home, but just visit frequently. But we’re social animals so to make the best of it here’s what some pro’s suggest when you remodel a bath for two.
Originally we thought the problems of sharing a bath were solved when we went to double sinks. Didn’t work at my house, my area was too messy and my partner was slowly stealing my space. What we think now is; single sink at 36 inches height, installing more counter top makes it easier to share the work space, leave space for a lower height dry vanity with seating and have three or more lighting choices. Such as make up area, lighting for shaving and grooming, main lighting and mood lights for the tub area. Install a soaking tub with the steam unit built in and you have a compromise of sorts. For those with a large enough budget, designers are now suggesting two baths with a pass way between them. So you see, sex has everything to do with a bathroom makeover.
Paul Lesieur
Monday, February 23, 2009
SHINGLE MASTER COMPANY
What does this mean to you as the homeowner? CertainTeed Roofing has certified and recognized FW&D (Fairlington Window & Door LLC), of Arlington Virginia, as a ShingleMaster™ Company and therefore can offer the SureStart™ PLUS 3-STAR and 4-STAR coverage warranty extensions. “This company has achieved ShingleMaster™ status by employing a Master Shingle Applicator™- qualified workforce (including one job supervisor and at least two installers)”, said Guillaume Texier, president of CertainTeed Roofing. The Master Shingle Applicator qualification is based on the CertainTeed Shingle Applicator’s Manual test. This publication discusses the complex requirements and recommendations for the installation of a high-quality shingle roof system. The Shingle Master Credential Course covers an overview CertainTeed roofing products, proper application standards, and a review of shingle technology and quality.If you want more information regarding your Northern Virginia roofing project and the value of a roof warranty, contact FW&D, a Shingle Master certified company.
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