As you prepare your home for new renovations, consider adding additions to your home. For example, aside from another guest bedroom or a second living room, adding a skylight or roof window can elevate the house and bring in more natural light. Consider our list on why you should consider installing skylights or roof windows onto your home as a sign you should get one.

Understanding the Terminology

The terms “skylight” and “roof window” go hand in hand, but they often get misconstrued with other similar words. Below are more phrases that can have similar definitions.

Skylight

A skylight is a fixed window that gets placed in the roofline. Usually, the skylight has venting options placed inside, but the window can’t open. (In Europe, many people refer to it as a “rooflite” instead of a skylight.)

Roof Window

A roof window can open by pivoting with an awning-style device. Similar to sidewall awning panels, the roof window can have a screen installed. Many manufacturers call this window type a venting skylight.

Light Shaft

A light shaft refers to a structure’s connection to the skylight or roof window. It acts as a shaft that links trusses and joists to the roof for easy placement. The light tube (or “chase”) is found mainly in one-story homes that have horizontal openings as part of the roof. Keep in mind that the framing system’s price adds up to the cost of installing the window.

Tube Window

The tube window is an inexpensive version of the light shaft, as it lifts a dome-like window from a flexible reflective tube. This skylight style can be seen in small spaces to add natural light to smaller places, such as the closet, bathroom, or laundry room.

Your Skylight and Roof Window Options

There are plenty of roof window or skylight options to pick from. You can also select the best type of glaze and glass for the panes. Other options to enhance the window include the ability to open them with remote control. The motor-powered window is an excellent purchase for properly ventilated windows in a light shaft.

Prevent window glass from breaking by using opt-in or shatter-proof glass. Then, as the weather becomes severe, you won’t need to worry about the windows breaking from hailstorms or tree branches falling onto the roof. Shatter-proof glass also improves your home’s security features.

Installation Options for Skylights and Roof Windows

You can install your skylight or roof window in one of three ways. Below, we’ve listed out three different approaches to install a skylight or roof window onto your home, even if you don’t have experience.

A Homeowner Installation

If you have basic carpentry skills, you can set up a skylight or roof window on your own. It’s even possible to DIY your skylight installation. The same core skills you’d use to install a side window can help place in a skylight or roof window. However, if you have a motor-operated window, hire an electrician. They can ensure the wiring is secured correctly before and after the window is mounted. Before beginning your home setup, consider your strengths and weaknesses to determine an efficient installation strategy.

A Window Company

Looking for window replacement or installation company in your area can lead you to many well-known companies, such as Bear Mountain Custom Painting. At Bear Mountain Custom Painting, our services extend beyond house-painting services. We also take time to service areas with our window installation.

With our services, we can equip you with the skylight or roof window of your choice. Before installation, we recommend picking an area that’s fully framed so the installation process can happen faster. After setting up, the rest of the process is up to you.

Hiring a Carpenter or Contractor

A carpenter, contractor, or handyman can install your skylight or roof window for you. This suggestion is inexpensive and, depending on whom you pick to set everything up, it can help you save money. For example, if you decide to use a contractor, they can plan everything with you, from inspection, choosing style choices, and hiring outside help. A carpenter or handyman will do the job solo or bring on one different partner.

Our best advice is to go with a carpenter or contractor who has good recommendations and is trustworthy. Do a quick background check on them and check that you can contact their references for questions or insight on their work ethic.

Roof Windows and Skylights Limitations

With every renovation project, there’s going to be some limitation on what you can do. However, this list is comprehensive and explains more about understanding your restrictions as you dive deeper into your home remodeling project.

• A building code limits you on what modifications get made to the house. Typically, windows grant easy access to escape a disaster like a fire or a flood. Unfortunately, roof windows or skylights aren’t great in these situations; one has a permanent seal and the other doesn’t have enough space to allow others to go through. Luckily, many window companies offer the option for roof windows to have an extra opening that allows for more space. To have an egress window installed, you also need a ladder attached to the side of your home so people can get down safely.
• Skylights are perfect for people who want to save on energy. Unfortunately, no blinds or curtains are included, so you’ll have to buy them separately.

Installing a skylight or roof window is an exciting venture to take when improving your property value and energy costs. However, it’s essential to keep costs in mind before you go and install a window on your roof. There’s more than style to choose from; you can decorate how you want it or even decorate the room to make the window stand out.

At Bear Mountain Custom Painting, we do our diligence to ensure all services we provide get adequately done. We let you be the deciding factor when you’re figuring out the style of your windows—or even house painters in Cummings, GA. Now that you’ve read about why you should consider installing skylights or roof windows, contact us for more information. We can help you improve the interior and exterior of your home.

Say goodbye to ordinary swinging doors and say hello to sliding barn doors. Barn doors are a new modern approach to use in a home because of their functionality, space-saving abilities, and much more. Read on to discover our list of the benefits of installing sliding barn doors.

Barn Doors Save Space

Do you need a new system to help divide rooms into separate areas? Sliding barn doors are what you need. Having barn doors can allow tight spaces to feel more spacious rather than swinging doors that take up an entire room. You won’t need a ton of floor space when you have a barn door since it rests up against the wall. Barn doors are especially ideal if you have a tiny home or apartment.

Barns Door Are Easy To Install

Compared to other door types, barn doors don’t need to get measured before installation. Measuring for a traditional door requires cutting down the doorway before placing the door in, but a barn door is installed in a simpler way. Because it’s simpler to install, attaching it to your wall won’t take a long time.

Barn Doors Are Functional

Your space can become more open due to the functionality of barn doors. They’re made from lightweight materials and are easy to open if you have your hands full. With them, your doorway develops into a walkway that doesn’t require you to prop the door open. They’re also useful when you need to move furniture or other items through the doorway.

Barn Doors Match Every Style

They’re chic, fabulous, and entirely up for interpretation on taste. A barn door is multifunctional and can suit every homeowner’s style; they range from rustic to shabby chic. They can even match different finishes, configurations, and wall colors.

When you’re looking for door and window replacement services, consider replacing your doors with barn doors. They match every home style and make life easy. Our contractors at Bear Mountain Custom Painting are more than happy to help you learn more about the benefits of installing sliding barn doors. Contact us, and we’d be glad to help discuss more options for you and plan your next door replacement.

Dry rot is a type of dampness primarily found in aged homes and buildings. If left untreated, it can cause wooden structures to weaken and the building’s foundation will get disturbed. Normally, rotted wood is found in ignored areas and isn’t discovered until the damage from flooding or humidity makes it impossible to ignore. Here is more on what happens when you leave rotted wood unaddressed.

The Structure Gets Damaged

Many people ignore or dismiss rotted wood as nothing more than a sign of age. However, it shouldn’t be ignored. If rotted wood isn’t taken care of, permanent structural damage will happen. Your timber—or any other material in your home—will deteriorate and collapse. Buildings can fall apart if they have problems with rotten wood that don’t get taken care of immediately.

The Signs of Rotted Wood

Early signs that your wood has begun to rot include cracking, cotton-like fungus, and darkening and shrinking. The late signs that your wood is decayed—and it might be a sign the wood is unsalvageable— are continuous fungal growth, peeled wood pieces, and a musty smell. There is, however, a difference in rot. Rot can either be wet or dry. Read more about the two kinds below.

• Dry rot affects timber and can cause wood to crack along its grain, which gives the wood a spongy, soft texture. Think of dry rot as a virus; it can live in walls and travel between enclosures to spread itself elsewhere.
• Wet rot, on the other hand, doesn’t spread like a virus. Instead, the decay stays in one damp area, creates a pungent stench, and discolors the wood around it.

Both dry rot and wet rot can manifest in a home’s structure to the point of creating irreparable damage.

How To Fix Rotted Wood

Rotted wood can be taken care of (as long as the damage isn’t too extensive.)

Fix rotted wood by reaching out to a company with professional carpenters in Cumming, GA. The professionals will determine the best course of action. Bear Mountain Custom Painting can replace your rotted wood and even apply a protectant to help protect the wood from rotting. Don’t let your home’s structure suffer through moistened and weak foundations. Instead, get it replaced to help enhance the structure’s life.

In our guide on what happens when you leave rotted wood unaddressed, we reviewed how your structure gets damaged, the signs of rot, and what you can do to fix it. Bear Mountain Custom Painting provides outstanding services with mending your home’s structure by replacing rotted wood.

Since the days when HGTV’s infamous house flipping shows first aired, the trend of flipping houses has seen a startling rise. What began in the 1980s as a trend influenced by celebrities soon grew to encourage many people to consider remodeling their home instead of demolishing it and building something new. When this house flipping trend first began, hardware stores began popping up in suburban areas, making it possible for families to build new homes and fix older ones. Learn how you can take part in this trend with this ultimate guide to flipping a historic home.

Start With a Plan

We all enjoy watching others flip homes on TV, especially when it involves renovating breathtaking historical homes to their former glory. However, the house flipping process is never as simple as it seems on TV. For instance, it often takes longer to get the approval to convert a historic home than it does to actually fix it. In many cases, before you can get approval for your project, you need to supply a clear plan that outlines your budget, examines the selected area for the home, and analyzes loans and other available resources.

Set a Budget

Like any renovation project, you need to have a solid budget in place before you can begin flipping a historic home. This budget should account for the essential features you cannot live without in the new home and the features, furniture, materials, and maintenance fixes you are willing to compromise on.

Seek Out Loans or Have Cash Ready

After you find a home, figure out how you’re going to pay for it. If you have cash, ensure that all accounts are ready to go with the right amounts in each account. If financing is something you’re looking into instead, start researching your area for lenders and see which ones will offer pre-approval. A precautionary note for first-time home flippers is that having a loan might look safe, but it won’t help you if you’re in a bidding war for a property.

Analyze Local Real Estate

Every real estate market has potential, and doing your research on profitable areas can make or break your plan for flipping a house. For example, check if the area has good schools, substantial property values, and other factors that will impact the worth of the house post-flip.

Understand the Challenges

With every fixer-upper, there are problems that you won’t see coming. However, view things from a professional standpoint and mentally prepare for these challenges ahead of time. Below are several challenges you may encounter on your historic home flipping journey.

Finding a Good Property

There’s a lot to consider when searching for the perfect property. Unfortunately, we often spend more time daydreaming about finding the ideal house than we do actually making moves to secure that house. Start by scouting out potential areas and search newspapers and real estate websites that have current listings available. Additionally, be wary of viewing properties with rose-tinted glasses. When searching for a decent property, one of the biggest concerns you’ll have to contend with involves the repairs and renovations that come with each house. Consider these repairs realistically and factor their costs into your budget before closing on a sale.

Bumps in the Road

Unfortunately, flipping a house in real life is nothing like it is on TV. Most of the time, you’ll be dealing with bigger issues than standard plumbing or infrastructure problems. Certain unforeseen problems, such as weather and theft, are more common than you’d think. Before you purchase a property, make sure you plan procedures to deal with every worst-case scenario and create an emergency contact sheet to help you out in your time of need.

Make the Interior Historically Appropriate

Before renovating a historic home, it’s essential to understand the history behind the property and what’s appropriate to place inside the home. Begin by assessing the items and fixtures that are already in the house, such as the flooring. When conducting your renovations, try to find flooring (and other fixtures) that match the original pieces in the home. If the original hardwood floors in the home have since become damaged beyond repair, try to replace them with new hardwood floors that are similar in style. This will help retain the original beauty of the home.

It’s okay to bend and break some rules, but make sure you’re maintaining most of the historic home’s character by leaving some of its original flooring or walls untouched. When looking at areas of the house to refurbish, be reasonable and realistic about your approach, as some areas will contain obsolete and inoperable amenities. However, you can use these items as decorations or donate them to a historical society or museum.

Style the Historical Home Based on Type

Historical homes have charm and rich histories; if the walls could talk, they’d drone on for hours about the many faces and conversations they overheard. Historic homes are a blessing for every community. As such, the most important part of renovating a historic home, aside from retaining the history behind the property, is to refurbish the interior and make it as historically accurate as possible without losing the home’s original character. Here’s a quick breakdown of common historical home styles and how you can decorate them.

Victorian Homes

Popular between 1830 and 1910, this style was named for Queen Victoria. Budding architects from England brought the style over to the US to share their talents and help add diversity in housing styles. These styled homes boast features that resemble dollhouses. Victorian homes take on many different styles, two of which are Gothic Revival and Folk Victorian.

When painting the walls of a Victorian home, it’s good to go with deep hues such as red, amber, emerald, and dark brown. Victorian Homes are often dramatic, so consider painting each room in a way that gives off some level of drama.

Foursquare Homes

Foursquare homes were popular between 1895 and 1930. Their cube-like appearance was widespread in urban areas; they were small, but the lots they were on made them feel significant. The Foursquare home was also available as a reasonably priced home kit that you could order and build yourself.

When renovating a home like this, it’s important to note the natural light that pours in through the windows. Choosing paint in neutral or grey-toned pastel colors will help make the home’s interior feel more natural to visitors.

Colonial Revival Homes

This style was popularized from 1876 to 1955 and is found all over the country. Colonial revivals are easy to spot based on their seamless lines that dip down. Colonial revivals were first presented at the US Centennial Exposition in 1876 and quickly became a reflection of American patriotism.

Even though individual colonial revival homes change slightly in style, you can help restore the home’s beauty by adding classic neutrals, such as eggshell white, for finishes on walls. To help balance the neutral colors out in every room, you can also add warmer tones such as soft blush pink or yellow.

Flipping a historic home is a long process, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking it on as your next home rehab project. After you’ve completed every step that you’ve learned from the ultimate guide to flipping a historic home, start looking into the finishing touches, such as touching up the home’s paint. When searching for residential painters in Cumming, contact Bear Mountain Custom Painting. We can enhance the look of your historic home by giving a new coat of paint to every room.

The process of selling your home is never as simple as you initially believe it to be. After all, while you might feel like your home would be a catch on the market, there’s never a guarantee that potential buyers are going to feel the same way. This disconnect is what can make it so difficult to have people notice your property. And ultimately, it can increase the challenge of getting your money’s worth out of the exchange. So, if you want to ensure that your home sells fast for the amount you want, you need to understand what individuals desire. These are some easy ways to make your home more appealing to buyers and the impact they can have on its overall value.

Clean and De-Clutter

The first step to preparing your home for showings is to ensure the entire house is clean and free of the clutter you’ve left sitting around in the past. Because it makes your space look untidy, you need to remove clutter for buyers to see your home in its best light. Otherwise, you risk it coming across as cramped and dirty.

Clutter is also responsible for the majority of the dirt and grime collection within a home, which makes an area much harder to keep clean in the long run. Consequently, you must get rid of any objects you don’t need and give the home a deep cleaning as part of the staging procedure.

Use Neutral Color Schemes

While you’re cleaning up the home, it’s also prudent to consider repainting many of your interior surfaces. Years of traffic can leave your walls scuffed and difficult to wash. This can make them appear unsightly to potential buyers and can damage their overall perspective of the home. As such, this task will allow you to freshen up the home while giving it a new aesthetic.

Speaking of which, try implementing a neutral color scheme while you’re at it. Neutrals are typically the better option when selling a home because they make the interior resemble a blank slate. This allows potential buyers to see themselves living in a particular space without the influence of your previous design choices.

Ease up on Personalization

Likewise, try depersonalizing your home as much as possible before you allow buyers to walk through it. Keeping your family pictures and personal items where they’re visible makes individuals feel as though they’re walking into someone else’s house—not necessarily theirs. Therefore, you want to eliminate these things so that their imagination can run wild. It’s through this that a buyer will be able to see all of what a home has to offer them, and they’ll develop a love for it.

Brighten the Home’s Interior

You can make the setting more interesting by finding a few ways to brighten up the interior. Darker spaces typically put off buyers because they’re less practical and energetic. When installing new lighting fixtures or simply replacing window treatments, you can bring in a lot more light and provide an entirely new perspective of the space. Brighter rooms tend to be better at helping an individual maintain focus. They also establish a positive mood.

Address Any Foul Odors

Another easy way to make your home more appealing to buyers is to cater to their sense of smell. Every home has a strange odor or two floating around. While you could mask them with aerosols, buyers walking through your house won’t have such a luxury. This is why you’ll want to tackle them at their source if you want to maintain any lasting interest in the property. Some of the most common causes of foul smells include mold or mildew, filled garbage disposals, and unsanitary surfaces. So, you’ll want to be on the lookout for these things and address them before having anyone enter inside.

Hone in on Pet Damage

If you have, or have ever had, pets, you need to consider that as well. Pets can cause several different types of damage to a home, whether they’re from bathroom accidents or chewing. For this reason, you should frequently be on the lookout for areas that you might need to redo. Typically, this will mean replacing the soiled carpet or fixing any sections of material that your pet turned into chew toys. Curtains and blinds are particularly common hotspots for destruction for both cats and dogs. So, you’ll want to check in these places too.

Focus On Curb Appeal

Remember that a home’s outside appearance is the key to getting individuals to want to look at its interior. Curb appeal is one of the most impactful features of a property because it’s the image an owner projects to the world. The nicer a house looks on the outside, the more interest you’ll see when it comes time to do showings. As such, things like a paved walkway, a welcoming front entrance, a manicured lawn, and a healthy garden can make a large difference.

Work on the Little Things

But, most importantly, take the time to work on the small issues. Though every home has a few minor problems, letting them pile up can force the new owner to undertake a collectively large repair job. Problems like pipe leaks, siding cracks, and broken window seals are all examples of things that can worsen over time if left unchecked. Buyers are even more likely to turn away from the deal upon noticing them. Therefore, tackling them now is one of the best ways to guarantee a quality property for whoever owns it next.

Getting your home ready for buyers can be a lot of work. This is why we at Bear Mountain Custom Painting seek to take some of that labor off of your plate. Our professional house painting services can take care of any interior or exterior painting you might need, while our siding and gutter installation contractors in Cumming, GA can tackle pressing repair work. We make it a point to be as accommodating as possible to the needs of each specific homeowner. Due to this, we can ensure that you’ll always see the results you need for future success.

Wooden siding is one of the most beautiful and protective finishes you can have on your home. However, despite this, it can still deteriorate quickly with frequent sun and rain exposure. This could lead you to not only spend more money on repairs and replacements but also sustain damage along your interior walls. Fortunately, from the time your siding is installed to several years down the line, there’s plenty you can do to mitigate this risk. These are a few ways to make your home’s wood siding last longer and keep your property protected.

Choose the Right Style

Believe it or not, promoting the longevity of your siding begins with the type of siding you initially pick. Not all materials can withstand the same conditions. In fact, wood siding is particularly susceptible to heavy rain and sun. Because of this, you’re already setting yourself at a disadvantage should you choose wrong. On the plus side, there are several types of wood that are more resistant to moisture and will hold up better over time, such as redwood, western cedar, or cypress.

Install It Correctly

It’s also important that you get a qualified professional to Install siding in Cumming, GA. When siding is left with a series of gaps or divots between the boards, it becomes easier for it to develop water traps. As the name suggests, these areas trap rainwater and prevent it from draining away from the house. This gives it a chance to seep into the wood and start the rotting process. Therefore, hiring someone who knows how to avoid these traps will be essential.

Protect It With the Right Paint

Another effective way to make your home’s wood siding last longer is to use the right paint and sealer products on it. As mentioned above, water and sun are the primary threats when it comes to the overall lifespan of your wooden siding. For this reason, you want to use paint, sealing, or staining formulas that were created for blocking out these elements. Make sure you research your options thoroughly or ask a professional for advice on which would work best for you.

Clean and Repair It Regularly

Most importantly, stay on top of your regular cleaning and maintenance duties. Siding will deteriorate more quickly if you leave it covered with dirt and broken from past storms. So, you’ll need to spend some time doing repairs and washing away debris to ensure your siding will hold up. This process also gives you the opportunity to check for wood rot and address these issues before they become larger problems.

If you’re looking for a team of professionals that will install your new siding the right way, reach out to Bear Mountain Custom Painting. Our siding installation contractors in Cumming, GA have worked with dozens of different materials on a variety of homes. As such, we’re confident that we can complete your project in a way that maximizes its lifespan and saves you money in the years to come.