Design your Home

Design Your Home

     When you are looking to make exterior changes to your home you can  visualize the colors in many ways. There are programs and applications to help easily get to the home design you always wanted. Manufacturers in many of the exterior products on your home have software on their websites to help you visualize your home with the new products and colors.

     The systems that are the easiest to use will let you change colors and styles on multiple products in one program. You can change colors ant styles from the roof to the ground. My favorite is the Dream Designer on the Exterior Portfolio web site. Exterior portfolio is a subsidiary of Royal Building Product which is owned by Georgia Gulf. GGC.  Dream Designer allows you to select from 20 house styles that are already in the program. You can also upload your own home and make changes to it.

     Dream Designer is on the web site of Exterior Portfolio. They are a company that makes siding and siding accessories but this program allows you to change colors and styles of product that they do not offer. This extra easy function makes me recommend this system. It has the ability to change to change to 7 different roof styles and colors. Each area of the side walls have siding which appropriate for that area available. The siding areas have 8 different styles of siding and a 22 color selection. It was just a few years ago there were only 10 or 12 siding color available in 3 to 4 styles. They have 30 different colors for the trim areas.

     The Exterior Portfolio site also has a photo gallery which has over 60 homes pictured with different styles and colors of all the exterior design elements. There are many other items that you can add to your home when completely residing or just fixing up. Many of these items can be found at Great American Building Materials web site under the individual manufacturers links.

     Designing your home can be easy and fun if you have access to the well designed software that is available at no charge. Be sure to spend some time selection the beauty pieces for your home and get the stunning home of your dreams.

5 Reasons to Select Insulated Siding

5 Reasons to Select Insulated Siding
Financial - The value you gain will be obvious from the first day. The cost of installation is lower than alternative products. The primary reason for this is the size of the panels is larger and they install faster than alternative sidings. The ongoing cost savings comes in two ways. The insulated siding will lower your utility bills. It will also eliminate costly maintenance and repairs many sidings require. In the long run it will eliminate spending time and money to prepare your home for sale. Another great little addition is that homes with lower energy bills sell faster than their higher energy bill neighbors.

Environmentally Responsible - The way a product is manufactured and installed has a huge effect on it environmental impact. The vinyl polymer siding and the insulation backer are both made from easily extractable ingredients. They are manufactured in efficient processes and minimal waste is generated in the installation on your home.The carbon emissions that are made due to your energy use will be reduced for the life of your home. This is due to the lower energy use your home will have with the added insulation. Your new vinyl siding does not require any ozone-depleting paints, stains or caulk. Just an occasional cleaning with soap and water will maintain the beauty and appearance.


Easing Life's Concerns - Your siding can affect how much quality time you get to spend with your family. If you are not tied up maintaining your siding you will be allowed precious time with your family. Having more time to do the things  you love, with the people you love, just cannot be beat. If you are adjusting your thermostat to accommodate for hot and cold spots in your home, your siding and insulation are not doing their jobs. Vinyl siding with insulation wraps your home in an energy-conserving blanket, providing you with better indoor temperature control without paying more to the utilities companies. The insulation can actually dampen the sounds from the outside, making for a more peaceful home environment. You can rest easy knowing your investment in vinyl siding with insulation is protecting your investment, and the people in it, for years to come.

House Siding Appearance - Do you want your home to stand out from the rest , or subtly blend in the surroundings? With today's choices you can achieve any look you wish with the selection of styles and colors available. Vinyl siding is the number one choice of exterior cladding across the United States and Canada.  It has been said that "if you can dream it, you can achieve it" and it now pertains to vinyl siding and insulation. The recent additions of darker colors and wider profiles makes great things possible. Spending a few minutes looking at all the optional trims and accessories can give you the home of your dreams. Your house siding should look as good up close as it does from the street. Adding contoured insulation to vinyl siding provides straighter lines, tighter seams, and a better overall appearance.

Durability and Strength - Vinyl siding with contoured insulation increases the impact resistance by up to 300%. The foam acts as a shock absorber to dampen the blow from objects like hail, baseballs, or rocks from your lawnmower.  Insulation attached to your vinyl siding eliminates the void between the siding and the wall which makes it more difficult for wind the get behind the siding. The insulation has channels to run the water off of the wall. Sufficiently drying the wall can eliminate the potential for mold, mildew and rot problems. The combination of contoured insulation and vinyl siding extends the life of your siding, and backed by the strongest warranty in the industry you will enjoy these products for years to come.