Keeping the heat out

During the summer, your air conditioner must work harder to cool hot air from sunny windows. Install ENERGY STAR®-qualified windows and use curtains and shade to give your air conditioner and energy bill a break.

If your home has single-pane windows, consider replacing them with double-pane windows with high-performance glass—low-e or spectrally selective coatings. In colder climates, select gas-filled windows with low-e coatings to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain.

If you decide not to replace your windows, consider following these tips to improve their performance.

• Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.
• Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.
• Install awnings on south- and west-facing windows.
• Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar heat gain.

Foggy Window Solutions

Condensation is the fog that suddenly appears in cold weather on the glass of windows and sliding glass doors. It can block out the view, drip on the floor, freeze on glass...it's annoying! It's natural to blame the windows...but you shouldn't.

What causes window condensation?

1. Condensation can develop between the panes if the seal fails. When this happens, the vacuum or gas escapes and the outside air is free to invade the space between the panes, resulting in a bbuild-upof moisture or condensation. Seals can fail due to faulty installation, inferior sealants or extreme temperatures and weather conditions

If you have an older home subject to frequent temperature changes, our insulated glass (IG) units can help balance the indoor climate. If your home already has double-pane windows, but there is condensation or a “milky” appearance between the panes of glass, it’s time to contact our glass specialists. 

2. Window condensation can also be the result of excess humidity in your home. The glass only provides a cold surface on which humidity can visibly condense. The fog on your windows is a form of condensation; so is the water that forms on the outside of a glass of iced tea in the summer and on the bathroom mirrors and walls after someone takes a hot shower. Condensation usually occurs first on windows because glass surfaces have the lowest temperature of any of the interior surfaces in the house. When the warm, moist air comes into contact with the cooler glass surfaces, the moisture condenses.

The important thing is, your foggy windows and sliding doors are trying to tell you to reduce indoor humidity before it causes hidden, costly problems elsewhere in your home - problems like peeling paint, rotting wood, buckling floors, insulation deterioration, mildew, even moisture spots in ceilings and walls. Foggy windows and sliding doors are the indicators, the warning signs, that humidity could be damaging your home.

Double Pane windows can help increase your home’s insulation. Contact us today and we would be happy to come to your home and assisit in assessing your home and find you a solution to your foggy window’s. 604-929-7292

TIPS FOR FURTHER REDUCING YOUR HOMES HUMIDITY

1. Use Exhaust Fans: Exhaust fans are common in bathrooms, kitchens, and other places that are likely locations for hot water usage. Make sure to use these fans whenever necessary as they will keep the moist air from escaping to other parts of the house as well as decreasing humidity levels at the source.

2. Take Shorter Showers: Most of the moisture in the air in your home will get there from one source: steam. The most likely culprit for this is long, hot showers in improperly vented bathrooms. By reducing the amount of time you spend in the shower, you will not only reduce the amount of water that escapes into the air, you will also use less water and spend less money on heating that water.

3. Hang Damp Clothes Outside: Except in the case of adverse weather conditions, there is no good reason to hang wet or damp clothing to dry inside if you already have a humidity problem. The water evaporating from your clothing or towels has nowhere to go but into the air of your home. Instead, hang these items outside whenever possible so the unwanted moisture stays outside where it belongs!

4. Only Run Washers When Full: Some clothes or dishwashers have settings for the size of the load but many do not. Prevent unnecessary water wastage and unnecessary humidity by only running these appliances when they are full.

5. Don’t Turn Your Home into a Jungle: Plants can be a great addition to a home: they purify the air and are great decoration but they also create extra humidity in your home. If plants are forming mold, you may have too many. Consider giving one or two away and see if that helps the atmosphere of your home.

6. Open Windows and Doors: Air circulation will do a lot in reducing the stuffy, sticky feeling of a humid home so open up those windows and doors when possible to let in fresh air. Keep inside doors open so air flows freely through the home.

7. Do a Moisture Audit: Once you have taken care of these easy ways of reducing humidity, perform one final check around your property to look for any less obvious problems that could be contributing to the moisture in the air:

Glass is't just for Windows

Glass isn’t just for Windows!

When thinking of glass, most people think windows for their home, car or business. But you would be amazed at how many other things Glass Doctor works on. Glass is often used in home décor on items such as tabletops, cabinets, shelving, showers and patio doors.

Glass-topped dining tables are very stylish and don’t stain or warp like wooden tables can. They also don’t require polishing, and you can place hot dishes directly on the glass. Many people choose a glass top for a table so they can customize the shape and size such as round, rectangle, square or to custom fit a specific area.

Many homeowners opt for glass shelves, as they appear to float and don’t detract from the items being showcased. This leads to clean lines in a home and can be utilized in all rooms for displaying items such as books, candles, flowers and more. And new technology allows for tongue and groove glass shelves that require no unsightly hardware.  

Shower doors are often used in place of shower curtains. A beautiful shower is the centerpiece of any bathroom. It allows light into the space and can make showering more enjoyable. A well-appointed bathroom can greatly increase the value of your home. Glass Doctor has many shapes, sizes, designs and colors available for handling your updating needs. 

Patio Doors take a lot of abuse at home with people in and out on a daily basis. Ensuring that you have energy efficient glass in these doors will help keep the heat in and reduce your energy costs. Not only are these doors an outlet to your yard but also they serve as security and a light source. Make sure you select and maintain your patio glass with care.

Whatever your glass needs, Glass Doctor has many different styles to best suit your home and your décor needs.

Nine steps to a smart start

With a little planning, you can make going back to school simple and stress-free.

As the lazy days of summer slip away, it will soon be time to put away the beach chairs and corner lemonade stands and prepare for going back to school. Here are some tips to make the transition easier.

Adjust to the new routine

Ease into the school-year schedule. Getting back into the school routine can be a challenge for everyone in the family. To make the adjustment easier, start early.

• A few weeks before school starts, move bedtime back to an earlier time.
• Put a positive spin on going back to school. Talk about the fun things your child will learn, the old friends he'll see and the new friends he'll make.
• If your child is anxious about starting the next grade, reassure her that other children have these feelings too.
• Don't make plans for big trips right before the start of school.
• Establish school-day schedules for homework, TV, baths and bedtime.
• Arrange play dates with friends from school to re-establish connections that may have been dropped for the summer, or to create new ones.

Get organized

Take advantage of the slower pace during your time away from school to set up for the busy school year ahead.

• Many schools send out school information and a packet of forms to fill out before school starts. If you can discipline yourself to fill out the paperwork several days before it's due, you'll avoid a last-minute panic.
• Have the necessary immunization records available for easy reference.
• Update school emergency contact and health information for the coming year.
• As you read through all the school information, mark important dates (such as back-to-school night, parent-teacher conferences and school holidays) on the family calendar.
• Start a folder for school newsletters and other papers so that you can easily find and refer to them if necessary.
• Establish a "get ready the night before" policy. Pick clothes for the next day and pack the backpack every evening before bedtime, and you'll save precious time in the morning.

Shopping: take advantage of sales

School clothes

It's always a great idea to buy what you know you'll need early, if you can. Go through your children's wardrobes and weed out everything they've outgrown. By reducing the clutter, you will be able to get them dressed quickly and easily.

Keep in mind school dress codes while shopping. Some schools prohibit short skirts and tank tops for girls and "sagging" (baggy trousers that hang low) for boys. Schools may also have rules regarding printed words or phrases on clothes.

School supplies

Although it's difficult to predict what different teachers will require, you can get ahead of the game by buying certain staples. Here's a general list of items that elementary school students usually need:

• Glue stick
• Scissors
• No. 2 pencils
• Eraser
• Colored pencils
• Box of crayons
• Kleenex
• Water-based markers
• Ballpoint pens
• Notebooks
• Binder
• Loose-leaf notebook paper
• Pocket folders
• Printer paper
• Drawing paper
• Construction paper
• A plastic ruler with English and metric measurements
• Pencil sharpener
• School box (for storing items)
• Scotch tape
• Stapler
• Backpack

Here are some additional items middle and high school students usually need:

• Two combination locks (one for the hall locker and one for the gym locker)
• Binder dividers
• Calculator

Nutrition: plan healthy meals

Get creative with easy, healthy ideas for school-day meals. If you plan and gather what you need on the weekends, you'll make life a lot less stressful and meals more nutritious during the week.

Breakfast

Remember the most important meal of the day. Fruit smoothies make a quick and healthy addition to the usual fare.

Lunch

If you will be packing a lunch from home, be sure to have a sturdy lunch box or a supply of paper bags on hand. Here are some quick and creative ideas for making school lunches healthy and fun:

• For the younger child, use cookie cutters to make sandwiches into interesting shapes.
• Sneak vegetables like lettuce, cucumber or zucchini slices into sandwiches.
• Buy baked chips and low-fat crackers or pretzels. Avoid items with trans fats in them such as packaged cookies, snack cakes and regular chips.
• Choose 1% or fat-free milk or 100% fruit juices.
• Make fruit fun to eat by cutting it into slices and putting it on a skewer or include small containers of applesauce or pineapple packed in its own juice.
• For the younger child, write a surprise message or draw a funny picture and put it in her lunch.
• Get older children to help pack their lunches. You may need to arrange the morning routine (or evening routine if you do this the night before) so that you don't do this chore by yourself.

Dinner

Plan dinners for the week ahead and shop on the weekends to avoid last minute trips to the grocery store.

Set priorities and schedules

To make the best use of your time and keep life from being harried, think about priorities for family members and then schedule them into the week.

For children

• Before school begins, discuss what extracurricular activities your child will participate in. If your child needs a little extra encouragement to audition for jazz band or to take that early morning Italian class, now is the time to go over the benefits of these activities. If, however, your child needs to have limits set, have her pick her favorite activities and forgo the rest. Be realistic and don't fall victim to over-programming.
• Make sure to leave enough time to do homework and for family time.

For parents

Determine how much time you can give to the school each month as a volunteer and involved parent: in the classroom, on field trips, for fundraising events and on school-wide committees.

For the family

Start a family calendar in a common area where each family member can write down his or her activities.

Prepare for the homework ahead

Having set routines and a place to study at home will make it easier for your child to be organized and successful at school.

• Set up a well-lit, quiet place with a good work surface to do homework. Try to keep this place dedicated to homework and free of other clutter.
• Establish a regular homework time. This will help your student to complete assignments on time.
• Discourage distractions such as television, radio, the Internet or phone conversations during homework time.

Arrange for transportation

Everyone will feel better if transportation to and from school is addressed well before the start of the school year, particularly if your child is walking, riding his bike or taking the bus.

Walking or biking

• Chart out a route to school or to the school bus stop.
• If your child is going to a new school, take a dry run a few days before school starts.
• Go over the rules of stranger awareness and traffic safety. Warn your child to always walk with a friend, and to avoid vacant lots and places where there are not a lot of people.
• Be sure your child has your daytime phone number (including area code) and address, as well as the number of another familiar adult.
• Scout out safe houses in the neighborhood where your child can go in case of an emergency.

Taking the bus

• Remember to get the new bus schedule!
• If your child will be taking the bus for the first time, discuss the bus route and bus safety rules with her.

Driving

• If you will be driving your child, have a backup arrangement with another parent in case you are delayed for some reason.
• Confirm carpool arrangements in advance and make sure your child knows who will be picking him up before and after school.
• Become familiar with your school's traffic safety rules, drop-off and pick-up procedures.

Confirm after-school care arrangements

Most after-school care arrangements must be made months ahead, frequently in the winter or spring before your child starts school. As the school year approaches, however, it's a good idea to confirm your plans.

• Make sure your child knows where he is going after school.
• Double-check on your care plans and communicate with the provider a few days before school starts.
• If your child will be home alone after school, establish safety rules for locking doors and windows, and for answering the door and the telephone. Make sure she knows to check in with you or another adult when she arrives at home.

DIY Decorative Mirrors

George Bernard Shaw once said, “You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”  Think about that for a minute.  Now, what if you could do both at the same time – see your face and see your soul?  Well, you can.  Your Glass Doctor® specialists have provided you with five options to create your own decorative mirror work of art.

Seashells

Photo courtesy of hgtv.com

The fun part about this mirror is you can use shells you’ve collected from past vacations.  If all else fails, you can always purchase shells at your local craft shop, but maybe this is just the perfect excuse for a beach getaway in the near future.

Flowers

Photo courtesy of familycircle.com

Maybe tulips are your favorite flower or maybe roses remind you of your wedding.  Why not create a floral mirror that symbolizes a special memory?

Tile

Photo courtesy of sandandsisal.com

What’s really cool about decorating a mirror with tile is you can go in so many directions with this.  You can go a little retro, mosaic or even metallic.  There are so many options.

Clothespins

Photo courtesy of inmyownstyle.com

A mirror using ordinary clothespins is just simply fun.  But how about painting and decorating the clothespins?  And who says you have to use one color scheme or one design pattern? Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Cutlery

Photo courtesy of flamingotoes.com

Creating a frame for a mirror using eating utensils is both wacky and ingenious in the most awesome kind of way.  You can certainly use a complete set of matching utensils if you want, but what if you made this into an estate-sale scavenger hunt to find mix-and-match cutlery?  That would be so cool.

To be honest, this is just the tip of the ice burg with what you can do with a mirror.  Jump on these ideas or if you come up with something different, let us know.  We would love to see pictures of your masterpiece.

- See more at: http://blog.glassdoctor.com/diy-decorative-mirrors/#sthash.fp3Y1tMe.dpuf

Sunscreen Your Windows

Sunscreen Your Windows

Most people are aware of global warming and concerned with constant weather changes. With global warming comes higher UV Rays, and the need for lots of sunscreen. Many of us take safety precautions outside to prevent sun damage, but did you realize it is also important to keep UV Rays outside of your home?

Harmful Rays

There are two types of radiation that can harm the skin and in some cases can lead to possible skin damage and even cancer; UVA Rays and UVB Rays.

According to studies, at least 50% of the sun’s rays penetrate through your windows and blinds. There are now products available that keep your skin protected when indoors, such as window films. These films block most of the UV rays from entering your home. Studies say that these films can block up to 99.9% of UV radiation.

If you are unaware of the damage that sunrays can do to your skin, take a look at furniture or an object in your house that has been left by the window for a while. Usually the color of the object will fade, and your skin is no exception.

Keeping The Sun Out

Window films are not just there to block out the sun’s UV Rays and prevent damage to your furniture, but it also helps your home’s energy costs.

Another option to consider is some sort of “safety” film. These safety films help glass windows from being shattered, which is great for anyone who is concerned about break-ins and property damage.

As you can see there are many benefits of installing film for your windows. Consider these options today and cut down on the risk of sun damage to your family and to your home.

- See more at: http://blog.glassdoctor.com/sunscreen-your-windows/#sthash.4e2z9NVD.dpuf

How To Remove Fingerprints From Glass

Picture this…it’s a beautiful sunshiny day.  The curtains are open just enough to let the gorgeous, natural light beam into the room.  You sit down with your morning cup of coffee and gaze out the window at your picturesque backyard.  The children are playing; the puppy’s running and the hummingbirds are feeding.  You would love to sit back and enjoy the moment, but there are fingerprints all over the windows.  These aren’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill fingerprints.  These fingerprints are vicious.  They’re practically shouting at you and insulting your house-cleaning abilities.  These insidious fingerprints cut you to your very core.  With a huff, you’re determined to take out the intruder.  As your coffee cools, you struggle to find your window-cleaning supplies.  What once was a glorious morning has now turned in to a frustrating, fingerprinted mess.

Your Glass Doctor® professionals don’t want you to fall victim to intruding fingerprints.  Let us help you fix your glass-cleaning panes by helping you prepare a glass-cleaning kit, so you won’t ever have to let a cup of coffee cool unnecessarily.

Glass-Cleaning Kit

• Glass Cleaner
• White Cotton Cloth
• Old Newspaper
• Microfiber Cloth
• Dish Detergent
• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
• Grapefruit
• Salt

Windows: glass cleaner, white cotton cloth, old newspaper

Photo courtesy of mom4real.com

TV Screen: microfiber cloth

Photo courtesy of goodhousekeeping.com

Stove Tops: dish detergent, white cotton cloth, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Photo courtesy of howtocleanstuff.com

Shower Door: grapefruit, salt

Photo courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

Glasses: white cotton cloth

Photo courtesy of lifehacker.com

Being prepared is the first step.  Don’t let unsightly fingerprints catch you off guard.