Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 17, 1991 TAG: 9103190042
SECTION: TODAY'S HOME PAGE: TH-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Wide windows that make a statement, a fresh paint job, the accent of a beautiful door, the jeweled colors of stained glass are details that not only add to the value of a home but make it more attractive to the owner and potential buyers.
One of the major changes in a home's exterior is the windows - and in today's market, that means changing from the old screen-and-storm-window inserts to the new insulated, easy-to-clean designs that are more energy efficient.
"The idea of today is to eliminate storm windows," Bill Snead, owner of Southwest Virginia Window Co., said. Forty and 50 years ago, storm windows were the rage, he said. Now, the custom replacement windows actually are two panes of glass, with dead-air space between to create superior insulating and to reduce heat loss. All come with screens and are easy to maintain, either by tilting in or cranking out.
But there are a number of considerations - other than color and style - when shopping for windows. Snead recommends that a homeowner choose a reliable manufacturer. "Will the company be here in 20 years?" he suggests considering.
Another consideration is the reputation of the contractors. Thatcan readily be established by references from the Better Business Bureau and the Remodeler's Council.
As for the windows and their construction, consider whether they are reinforced with metal and what type of the many new high-performance glasses should be selected. Different areas of the country mean different window systems, such as the Pella Sunblock for warm climates and the Heatlock for cool areas.
New window ratings established by the building and architectural industry have taken into account the whole window when establishing its efficiency. "The R-value is how much heat and cold is transferred through the glass," Sue Davis of Pella Windows in Roanoke said. "We can't just rate the glass, but the overall performance - high tight the unit is." She pointed out that air filtration occurs through the frame as well.
As for the design, whether bay or bow, casements, awning windows or horizontal slides, stained or leaded crystal glass, "people want more variety, and look for custom colors," David said. "They want it to be their house, to make them special."
One way to do this, to both windows and doors, is to highlight them with a spot of stained glass.
Karen Francis of Paris Mountain Glass in Elliston has been designing and cutting stained-glass windows for three years in this area, with previous experience in Atlanta. She said that, although homeowners in the Roanoke Valley are more cautious and conservative than in Atlanta, stained glass is in demand.
One idea - 5 feet by 8 feet arched windows above doorways - "look gorgeous in leaded glass with bevels," Francis said, but her customers are hesitant. "Until someone else does it, no one else will. They're afraid to go out on a limb in this area." But, she said, she's starting to see more entranceways with stained-glass accents.
Francis does all the work, from consultation to design to the actual construction and installation. "I do all designing and working with colors," she said, and her customers often use magazines and photographs for inspiration.
She said homeowners should choose something appropriate to the style of their home, not, for instance, put a Victorian glass design in a contemporary home. Old farmhouses can be spruced up with cut glass in the doorway and throughout the interior. From kitchen corner cabinets to bathroom skylights, glass designs can reflect wallpaper patterns, or show off nice crystal and china.
"From the inside, you can get a wonderful amount of light and a refraction off of the beveled planes to give rainbows. On the outside, cut glass adds class and elegance," Francis said.
Doors, also, can become an accent for the exterior of a home. Even storm doors count. They now are more energy efficient and allow homeowners to open their doors to sunlight without losing heat or air conditioning.
Snead said storm doors often are preferred with full-length glass to show off the prime door. As for design, people in this area are still demanding simplicity, he added.
Davis said that entrance doors are a focal point of the house and that people are moving toward wide heads and stained wood doors. Again, stained glass and leaded glass can be added to sidelights, in a transom, or in the door itself.
But nothing beats a good paint job, at least according to Gene West, of Gene West Painting Co., who said he's a great believer in painting the exterior of a house, instead of covering it with siding. He said buyers will wonder why it's been covered up and then start to question if weak spots on the inside also have been covered up.
"The best bet is to paint the house exterior, and the buyer's can see what they're getting." Besides, West said, siding is not maintenance-free. "I've got two calls today to clean vinyl siding."
Perfection, said West, is the reason he's been in business for 23 years. "We do work for all the interior decorators in the Roanoke Valley, and when you work for them, the job has to be the next thing to perfect. Any painter can open up a bucket of paint, but the secret is to use the right paint for the job."
And that, he said, is oil-based primer and oil-based finish coat for the exterior. It adds two years to the life of the paint job. Oil-based painting will last eight years as opposed to about four years for latex, he said.
West added that using the highest grade paint, no matter what brand, is another trick to adding life and beauty to a home. "On all jobs, the painter should use the very best grade. It costs a little more, but in the long run, it's cheaper. Anyway, it's the labor that's expensive, because a good, professional painter doesn't come cheap," he said.
What does a good paint job do? It helps sell a home, if that's what you're interested in doing. It also increases the resale value. "To sell a house, if you paint it before you sell it, you can double your money on your paint job. If you pay $1,000 for the job, you can up the house by $2,000," West said, adding that the Realtors he works with do that.
He emphasized that the paint job on a house, ultimately, is important to the exterior appeal. "You can skimp on the yard and roof, but painting is the No. 1 thing to do to sell a house." He also added that white is the best color to attract buyers.
But no matter whether it's painting trim, the whole house, or the brick, the exterior is a first impression. "They see a bad paint job," West said, "and they're going to really check that house out close cause they'll figure if you didn't keep the paint up, you didn't keep other things up."
by CNB