Home windows already come in versions that are glare-proof, single-paned or double-paned. But smart windows are being developed that have the ability to get darker just by pressing a button, which can be used for privacy reasons or to insulate a home from heat exchange. Although this type of function has been possible in the past, new technology has finally made it affordable for the average homeowner, giving them new, futuristic options for energy conservation and privacy. Windows are one of the major causes of high heating bills in the winter and high cooling bills in the summer, so new technology for energy efficient windows will be welcomed eagerly by many homeowners.

Photochromic glass, which is already available in the window market, automatically darkens when hit with sunlight. But there’s no way to control when photochromic glass darkens (as anyone who has transition eyeglass lenses can testify to). And thermochromic windows will change opacity only in response to changing temperature. New smart window technology, however, can let you darken window glass without waiting for sunlight to hit it or for a temperature change.

The new technology, called electrochromic glass, allows the user to choose when windows should darken, and how dark the glass should get. This can all be done through a control panel, a pre-set timer, or even from voice commands.

Other new technologies are also in development that will even surpass the abilities of electrochromic windows. And the developments aren’t just limited to one or two companies; in fact, several companies are competing in the smart window arena, with new production lines and features expected to hit the market soon. And remember: although the technology might be a bit expensive as new smart windows first emerge, prices will decrease dramatically as competition increases and more solutions are produced.

Smart window technology is something that Bee Window is very excited about. We’re going to keep a close eye on the developments in order to make sure we’re providing the most energy efficient, cost-effective window replacement solutions to our customers.

The post What Are Smart Windows? How New Window Technology Will Lower Home Energy Costs appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

Winter might not be the season most people associate with home improvements, but there are plenty of refurbishing projects that you can work on inside while there’s snow on the ground outside. From kitchen and door refurbishing to painting, the winter months are a perfect time to complete some of the home improvement tasks that don’t get as much attention as the exterior in warmer seasons. Bee Window specializes in replacing exterior home doors in Indiana, but refurbishing the interior doors in your home is an inexpensive project that you can easily do yourself in the wintertime. It’s also a great way to add value to your home and make it look much more visually appealing.

Refurbish interior home doors

Beautifying and “sprucing up” your interior doors is easy to do and doesn’t need to cost much. Painting existing doors with darker colors will make the home look more expensive and sophisticated, while brighter colors will give it a more modern look. Spending a few bucks to change the doorknobs will instantly make your doors look newer, and adding molding to flat doors will give any doorway a more expensive and elegant look.

Get some painting done inside

Winter weather is cold and dry, and dry air is perfect for drying paint. Snowy months are ideal for painting interior rooms in your home, so why not take advantage of it? Go grab a brush and take some time to
beautify those drab rooms that you have been meaning to paint for so long. Remember: painting the ceiling of your bedrooms can add more dimension to the feel of the rooms.

Add a Backsplash to your Kitchen

Installing a backsplash in your kitchen is a winter home improvement project that will be a little bit more expensive and time consuming, but the benefits are many. A new backsplash adds vitality and color to a drab kitchen, and can help accessorize appliances, cabinets and countertops. Visit your local home improvement store to get all of the materials and information you need to install a new kitchen backsplash on your own during the winter months.

The post Winter Home Improvement Projects: Refurbishing Ideas for Wintertime appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

Home bay windows that don’t close tightly can be caused by several different problems, but one of the most common reasons is a “sagging” window frame that isn’t perfectly square anymore. When you try to close an older bay window that has a sagging frame, the edge of the window itself will bang against window frame, preventing it from closing tight.

If you have a sagging bay window, the best way to repair it is by calling a professional window replacement company like Bee Window. However, there are also some easily fixable reasons why a window might not close tightly enough that you can repair yourself with very little work. If your bay window isn’t closing tightly because of dirt that has built up in the frame or because of loose hinges, here’s a quick primer on how to fix it by yourself without calling a professional.

First, fully open your window and use a tool such as a putty knife to scrape loose any debris or dirt that as built up in the window frame (pay close attention to the sides of the window frame and the bottom edge).

Once the dirt has been loosened, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up the debris from the window frame (the crevice cleaning attachment should be perfect for the job). Try again to close the window tightly; if it still doesn’t work, then loose window hinges might be the underlying problem. To repair loose hinges on your window, simply use a screwdriver to tighten the screws that fasten the hinges to the frame and the window edge.

If the window hinge screws won’t tighten but simply spin around and around, you may need to hire a professional for additional assistance. Remember: Bee Window is proud to have served thousands of satisfied customers with their window repair and replacement needs, and we would be happy to schedule a consultation to help you find the best solution for fixing your windows make them close more tightly. Please contact us today for more information or to schedule an in-home inspection.

The post How to Fix a Sagging Window That Doesn’t Close Tightly appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

Besides our very active website, Bee is letting the Midwest know about our business and our excellent lines of remodeling supplies via social media sites too.

Pinterest is a very popular social media site right now where individuals and companies can share visual information on subjects they care about, or promote their own goods and services, via “boards” and “pins” – collections of images and info separated into categories.Bee’s Pinterest page currently features 18 boards populated with images of our products and services, including boards dedicated to home decorating ideas and energy efficiency ideas. Take a look at our Pinterest page and perhaps you’ll decide to start a Pinterest page of your own.

LinkedIn is the Facebook of social media for the business world – a website devoted to professionals of all kinds and the companies who employ them. When it comes to promoting one’s skills and areas of expertise, looking for new employees or looking for a new employment situation, LinkedIn is the place to visit. Bee’s LinkedIn profile exists to let companies in Indiana and the Midwest know about our superior home remodeling and improvements products as well as to generally promote our business on the Internet. With 225 million members and going strong, we think LinkedIn is doing a pretty good job.

We’re enjoying our ventures in social media online, so keep looking for us out there in cyberspace – you never know where we may turn up next.

The post Bee Window Social Media, Pinterest, LinkedIn appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

At Bee Window, we’re committed to introducing and providing valuable home remodeling products and services to all our many friends and clients across the Midwest. We realize that there are many reasons why our loyal customers keep coming back to us year after year for our services and products – great prices, integrity with our installation services, a wide range of product designs, our knowledge in the industry – to name just a few.

As part of our business plan, we continually promote our products and our special sales via our website and other media, but it’s always nice when we find objective, third-party sources who are talking the same message. Recently, we came across this article on the Newsmagazine Network website that discusses current trends in home remodeling.

One interesting trend is that of “aging in place,” which is the strategy “to choose products, materials and design elements that will allow baby boomers to remain in their homes” as they grow older. Tactics such as installing hand-rails in showers, living in homes with a one-floor floor plan, and using carpeting that is low and not prone to tangling (thus reducing the chances of falling while walking) are all good examples of this modern way of thinking about our living spaces.

We were also delighted to see that the article’s first point in terms of remodeling trends concerned kitchen cabinet refacing, which is something Bee has been promoting for many years now. With cabinet refacing, a home owner can simply replace the drawer and cabinet fronts to create a vibrant, new-looking kitchen without nearly the expense that comes from a complete remodel of the kitchen. Dust and construction debris is minimalized and plumbing and electrical systems are not disturbed or in-need of relocation either. Cabinet refacing is truly an efficient way to “retrofit” your home’s most important room at a considerable savings, and we recommend it heartily.

The article also mentions the trend for many home owners to take “advantage of federal and state incentives to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes.” This scenario can play-out in many ways, one of which includes tax incentives for installing energy-efficient replacement windows – one of the mainstays in the Bee home improvement line-up for years and years. We’re glad to see that the design world is catching up to our standards after all these years in business!

The post Home Remodeling Trends Include Cabinet Refacing, Energy Efficiency Updates – Says Newsmagazine Network appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

According to local weather experts like the friendly folks at WTHR.com in Indianapolis, this year we’ve received 4 more inches of precipitation than average compared to last year’s 12 inches below normal and the drought we were experiencing. That’s great news for farmers, home gardeners and landscape enthusiasts but not always the best news for home owners.

When your home’s roofing system gets hit with continual downpours, all that rain has to go someplace. Gutters and downspouts are designed to channel that water away from your home’s foundation – where leaks can develop into your home due to hydrostatic pressure ESPECIALLY if your footer drain pipes surrounding the property are clogged or broken underground. Gutters and down-spouting also help to keep your patio, porches, decks and sidewalks from being bombarded with additional water that can erode the concrete, rot wood as well as generally wreak havoc on your outdoor décor and plantings. That’s IF your gutters are working correctly and are clear of debris from last autumn.

The LeaFree™ gutter protection system helps to make sure your gutters are 100% functional during these extreme rainy seasons. With LeaFree™ in-place over your gutters, you can rest assured that leaves are staying out and rain is going in – safely to be channeled-out to the streets and away from your home’s foundation, walks and décor. Let the thunder, lightning and rainstorms serve as a sweet summer symphony to your ears instead of as an alarming reminder that your house is being deluged with the destructive forces of Mother Nature.

We can help you. Contact us to learn more about great gutter protection from LeaFree™. And don’t forget to take your umbrella with you this summer – it’s a wet one!

The post Rain, Rain for Many Days but LeaFree™ Keeps the Leaks Away appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

At Bee Window we are always looking for new and advanced products to feature in our stores and to install in the homes of our customers. It’s with great pleasure that we announce that, starting in May of 2013, we will be featuring Infinity from Marvin® replacement windows for our customers throughout the states of Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and of course – Indiana!

Infinity from Marvin® replacement windows are an exciting new addition to our line of vinyl replacement windows we already carry, even though technically these high-tech windows can’t be considered “vinyl windows” at all. Infinity from Marvin® windows are manufactured from a pultruded fiberglass material called Ultrex® – a synthetic material that is light yet remarkably strong and durable. Studies undertaken in the North American market that most-closely reflect the weather conditions and temperatures found in our customer states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois conclude that fiberglass windows last 38% longer than vinyl replacement windows, so we see our new line of Infinity from Marvin® windows as being great investments for our customers in the four-state Midwest region.

A few facts and statistics to note about Infinity from Marvin® windows that we hope our readers will enjoy (and perhaps be interested in learning more about) include:

• Ultrex® material has low-expansion due to its material composition, meaning easy use for the life of the window without swelling within the window frame.
• Low thermal expansion helps to ensure greater seal and weatherproofing for even better insulating capacity and energy conservation.
• LoE³-366® glass in Marvin windows is engineered to reject solar heat while letting light in;  homes stay cooler in summer while light and visibility are increased, with up to 95% of the Sun’s damaging UV rays being blocked at all times!
• LoE²-272® glazing in Infinity windows by Marvin actually reflects heat back towards its source – this can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to 30%!

With numerous style and design choices to work with – double-hung, bay & bow, casement and glider windows are just a few of our options available – we’re sure you will love our new collection of Infinity from Marvin® replacement windows (link to: http://beewindow.com/home-windows/infinity-from-marvin-indiana.asp) almost as much as your wallet will love their prices and your house will love its new appearance.

Don’t be the last one on your block to discover these wonderful new additions to the Bee Window family of home improvement products. We are looking forward to showing them off to you when next you visit our showroom, so come on by soon this spring or summer for excellence in window designs and installation!

The post Bee Now Carries Infinity from Marvin® Replacement Windows for All of Indiana & the Midwest appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

Bee Window is excited to announce our new gutter protection system, the cleverly named LeaFree™ gutter protection system. Every few years we comb the market to see what new products might work well with the majority of our Indiana home-owners and this year we decided that LeaFree™ is the one to promote and feature on our site.

We’re enthusiastic about offering LeaFree™ to our new customers as well as to repeat clients who may want to try a

different system on their roofs and gutters in the new year. 2013 is definitely a year of new beginnings (according to the now-famous Mayan calendar at least!) and this seems like a good time to unleash LeaFree™ to our public. Considering how important gutter protection can be for preventing roof damage, patio damage, porch damage and even damage to yards and landscaping, we’re pretty convinced that this product is going to be quite popular in the new year.

What is it about LeaFree™ that has us so excited?

Well, for one thing the new system is virtually invisible from the ground, which adds a nice bit of aesthetic update to the leaf-guard systems we have used in the past. The new system also comes in a variety of colors – home owners don’t have to settle for just white or grey anymore. The ingenious design and aluminum material used for LeaFree™ also means that this system can be adjusted for all roof angles and slopes, which has not always been the case with other gutter protection systems we’ve featured and installed. Lastly, LeaFree™ is capable of handling the heaviest downpours without gutter overflow, which is a boon for landscaping located directly underneath your gutters – especially for new plantings in the springtime when thunderstorms are most prevalent.

Are you curious about what LeaFree™ gutter protection systems can do for your home’s appearance and weatherization efforts? We don’t blame you at all, and with the promise of spring right around the corner, we encourage you to check out this great new gutter protection system for yourself and then contact Bee Window to set-up an appointment to learn more.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you this spring, Indiana residents! Happy 2013!!!

The post New Gutter Protection System is Here for Indiana – LeaFree™ appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

Scouring the Internet recently, we discovered all sorts of interesting facts about energy conservation as it relates to replacing older windows with new, modern windows. Below are some of those fascinating facts we felt you, our readers, might like to know. 

• According to a National Geographic article, “if you have single-pane windows, replacing them with Energy Star-qualified products will save you between $126 and $465 a year, depending on the number of windows you replace and where in the United States you live.” We like that statistic, don’t you?
• In an article we found on the HouseLogic website, some great news was declared for home remodelers: “Window replacement is one of the best home remodeling projects in terms of investment return. For vinyl windows, you can recoup 68% of the project cost in added home value, according to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report.”   That’s a nice percentage point for your home, and your wallet or pocketbook.
• A thorough article in the Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine addressed a recent idea going around with remodelers that it’s actually better to repair windows than to replace them. According to the article, “It’s almost impossible to repair a window or door in a way that significantly improves its energy efficiency. Modern, high-performing, energy-efficient windows combine insulating glass, inert gas fills, low-emissivity coatings, high-performance framing materials, tight weather-stripping and other features to achieve their rated performance. These manufacturing improvements would be nearly impossible to incorporate into an existing window.” Now that’s telling it like it is, don’t you think?

Bee is here in 2013 to keep selling and consulting and helping our many customers across Indiana to improve their homes for a better future. We’re glad the New Year has arrived, and we’re hoping to see you in one of our stores this year so we can help you turn your house into the home you’ve always wanted. Please come by for a visit….and trust your home to Bee Window of Indiana.

The post Facts on Energy Savings Through Window Replacement, Bee Window appeared first on Bee Windows Blog.

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