The old expression was that “an ill wind blows nobody good.”  However, for us an ill wind led to a major makeover for our home.  We had discussed adding a sunroom to our home since we bought it ten years earlier.  When we attended the NARI Home Improvement Show in early 2010, we took a careful look at the sunroom displays, but did not really plan on doing anything that year.

Last Spring, we met with Carol and Bob to give them an estimate on their Hartville home located on a beautiful piece of rural property in Stark County.  At the time, we did not know what journey we were about to embark upon with them.  Carol and Bob shared their dreams with us and asked us to help improve their home and lifestyle.  They had a huge, beautiful backyard but really could not enjoy it most of the year with the exception of looking outside from their ranch house.  They had purchased a hot tub, but the current deck could not bear the additional weight of the hot tub and they had to walk down a long set of steps into the yard to even use it.  

Start your spring gardening right in your sunroom or deck or patio enclosure!  Looking to get a jump on your planting?  Why not try out building your own pop bottle subirrigated planters!  It’s fun and easy; a great project to get the kids involved in.

Add some instant color and style to entry doors with a unique spring wreath.  Spring is a great time to add whimsy and color to our front doors and usher out the gloomy grey of winter.  Tired of the traditional round wreath with spring flowers?  Try one of the following ideas or come up with your own unique wreath; it will surely capture the attention of your neighbors.

In honor of the 50^th Anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week, which is March 18^th – 24^th, we want to emphasize the importance of lead-safe practices when installing replacement windows or doors.  If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance that it has lead based paint.  Just a few granules of lead dust are enough to cause harm to a child.

This year’s Medina County Home & Garden Show theme is Tuscan Gardens.  Think of the Old World Charm of Italy with gardens all abloom, blending with the beauty of the structures of their stucco homes and surroundings.  Of course, there are vineyards of bountiful grapes that will soon produce Italian wines we have come to love.  Take yourself there, at the 4^th Annual Medina Home & Garden Show, March 10^th and 11^th.

Hiring a well-qualified home improvement contractor can feel intimidating.  Here are 3 tips you can use to help hire your next  home improvement contractor to help increase your chances of a successful project. 

Window grids are the “dividers” within the window frame that create a pattern.  The most popular pattern is squares, dividing the window into equal symmetric squares, but diamonds and arched patterns are available as well.  Window grids work with many styles of homes including traditional, craftsman, cottage and contemporary.  Window grids are of personal preference and are a detail to be considered when replacing your existing windows.

A year round sunroom has definite benefits during the Northeast winter months.  With the days being shorter and darker, it is easy to get cabin fever and feel a little glum.  Imagine though, that you could spend time in a light filled room enjoying the outdoors indoors.  Having a sunroom in the winter is great for shaking off those winter blues, extending your plants growing season and relaxing bird watching.

As a sunroom exhibitor at many NE Ohio home and garden shows, the most popular question that we are asked is “how much does this sunroom cost?”  That question is difficult to answer because there are so many outstanding variables involved in a sunroom project.  However, at this year’s Great Big Home & Garden Show, it is a bit different.

Starting this Saturday, we are holding a sealed bid auction for our I-X Center sunroom display.  This is an exciting opportunity to get the sunroom of your dreams while saving thousands of dollars!  Our sunroom display is a 266 sq. ft. white vinyl sunroom with a 12’ tall gable roof.  The sunroom features floor-to-ceiling windows with our high performance LoE³ glass.  It has beautiful angled walls that soften the corners and add architectural interest.  The roof is constructed of our deluxe 3 ¾” Climatemaster™ roof with two operable glass skylights and a ceiling fan to create gentle breezes.   The room also comes with our exclusive Insul-deck™ insulating floor system.