Now, I’m not the biggest baseball fan, but there’s one old adage that always comes around from the people in my life who do—‘Play the ball before it plays you.’ Apparently, it stems from the way you’re supposed to play a ground ball. Once the ball is in play, it does all sort of unexpected things once it hits the ground. It might keep rolling, it might change directions, or it might slow down in the grass. What it won’t do it is roll right into an outfielder’s glove, therefore ‘play the ball before it plays you.’ It’s pretty catchy and is actually pretty helpful in day to day life.
Your new window installation is finally complete! You've added hardware and carefully chosen curtains to complement your décor. You smile every time you walk past your windows until.....you see it......that first hand print.....or perhaps you see a smudge that kind of resembles a nose print. The reality sets in that maybe your windows may not look perfect forever. Or can they? With the proper maintenance, inside and outside the home, your new windows will look great for years to come.
Cleaning
It's always good to check the manufacturers guidelines in regards to what products are safe to use on and around your windows. Generally speaking, using a damp cloth to wipe down wooden frames of dirt and dust build up should be a safe method. Avoid getting the cloth too wet so you do not encourage rot due to excess moisture. Clean around the frames and the nearby walls to prevent dirt from making it's way into the sills and causing jams in the future. Clean your glass panes with a homemade cleaner or your favorite over the counter spray. Using crumbled newspapers is a great way to avoid streaks. Vacuum the inside window sills or use a cloth to wipe away dirt.
The Fourth of July has come and gone. I hope everyone had a great holiday! I spent my time traveling from one picnic to another, enjoying the company of friends and family alike. The benefit to this day and age is the delicious blending of cultures that’s going on in the area. However, it did lead me to an interesting discovery—German potato salad.
If you think a garage is too small of a place to start a business, think again. Jeff Bezos started Amazon as an online bookstore in his home garage where he stored all his books for nearly a year before Amazon made its first sale. Bill Gates and Paul Allen started Microsoft in a garage and with very few resources. Thankfully, not much space is necessary for programming. Walt Disney and his brother, Roy, started their company in their uncle’s garage in 1923. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled fifty computers in thirty days in Jobs’ parents’ garage before getting Apple off the ground. Google was started as a college project in the garage of the current Youtube CEO.
How about that storm? It came up out of nowhere like a drunkard on a bender, trashed your house, and left without even so much as a goodbye. The whole rest of the week, our phones were ringing off the hook with people needing estimates to replace damaged garage doors, windows, and doors. How can hail get that big that fast?
June is garage door safety month. Help prevent accidents and injury by taking a few minutes this week to not only look over your garage door, but the surrounding area for any hazards. We have highlighted some key areas to watch out for as you make the rounds.
“Know what’s below,” sounds like the tagline to a campy horror movie. While it might not be the best advice for dealing with the mole people or the creatures from under the stairs, it’s actually sound advice when beginning summer projects. Every nine minutes, an underground utility is damaged by third-party excavation. If you call 811 three days before beginning a digging project, they will come and mark the underground utility lines for you.
We’ve all heard about them, read about them, had the misfortune of seeing them or stepping on them. Yup, lanternflies—plant-hopping insects native to China, Vietnam, and east Asia—are taking over Pennsylvania. They’ve been invading since 2014 and are now officially established in Berks and Lehigh Counties. They’re nasty buggers that feed on woody plants, stunting their growth and even eventually killing them. They present a serious threat to our industries of grapes, fruit trees, and logging. [Those of you that enjoy wine should especially care since we need grapes to make wine.]
We are all enjoy seeing the transformation our homes undergo during spring time. The exterior comes alive with blossoms on the trees, colorful hanging baskets and perhaps a new welcome mat or wreath for the front door. Make sure this fresh look extends to your driveway and garage areas as well. A clean, continual look is not only aesthetically pleasing, but can also boost curb appeal if you are placing your home on the market this year. Here are a few suggestions to consider.
People all across the Valley are getting their homes ready for warmer weather by cracking open their windows to let the fresh air blow away the remains of winter. As you ready your house, it's a good time to review and apply these tips to make sure occupants, especially children, are safe around an open window.
It was a typical Friday at A.B.E. Doors and Windows… until we found ourselves kidnapped by the dastardly science teacher and infamous serial killer, Miles Fish. Fortunately for us, Miles had stepped out to cover his tracks and left us alone in his alchemy laboratory for precisely sixty minutes. That was all the time we had to put together clues from his previous victims and escape with our lives. The owners of A.B.E. Doors and Windows had booked a team-building experience with Captured Lehigh Valley, an Escape Room.
If you've made the decision to replace your home's windows—congratulations! You are on your way to saving energy, lower electric bills and an updated look for your home. If you hired a professional company to replace one or all of your windows, take some time to prepare your home for the workers arrival and the tasks that will be completed. Here are some tips to make this upgrade go as smoothly as possible.
Clear the Area
Making the area as accessible as possible is your first step. Move all furniture, tables, lamps, etc away from the window being replaced. Clear any clutter off of nearby floors and don't leave anything on staircases or steps. If your whole house is getting new windows, you may want to consider renting a small storage container that can be left on your property.
Outside your home, remove any décor you may have hanging on or around your windows. Clear away lawn furniture or decorative items like bird baths, flags or your favorite garden gnome. The company may need room for ladders and scaffolding if they are accessing a second story window.
We’ve all heard the legends of Saint Patrick. He was kidnapped from his home in Britain, sold as a slave, escaped, hitched his way home aboard a pirate ship, and returned to Ireland later to bring them Christianity. Interesting guy, right?
I hate winter and I’m not the only one—your garage door hates the winter too. The colder it gets, the busier our service gets because the low temperatures wreak havoc on everything.
Come right in! Your front door is probably one of the most hard working features in your home. Greeting friends, opening to trick or treaters and getting shut quickly on solicitors are all situations your entry way will see over time. When the time comes to replace it, the choices may seem daunting. Lets break this process down into three areas you should focus on when choosing a new door.
Cost
Determine your budget with the following things in mind.
View this purchase as an investment. Replacing your front door is a home improvement that has a great return on investment ratio. That means the value you are adding to your home will be offset by the price of the door. If you see your family moving in the next 5 to 10 years, a quality front door will lend curb appeal as well as value to your home.
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