The first month of the year is all but done and, if you haven’t already, it’s time to plan your home improvements and get the most from your living space this year. As a Which? Trusted Trader, West Norfolk Glass has all you need to upgrade your windows and doors, increasing energy efficiency, updating its appearance and making it a more comfortable, enjoyable space to spend time with family and friends.
Put a cap on raising energy bills
The average Norfolk home has a D energy rating falling below the national average C rating for England and Wales, and as anyone on the North Norfolk coast will tell you, it often feels like Siberia-next-the-Sea when the wind is blowing a gale!
It’s estimated that poorly fitting windows and doors or those with perished seals are responsible for 25-30 per cent of heat loss, so if your units are old, damaged or low grade it’s easy to see how your energy bill could be unnecessarily high.
Quality double glazing consists of two panes of glass to trap warm air and double or triple glazing will keep your property better insulated, reduce draughts and heating bills. It also keeps noise out, improves security and reduces condensation.
While it is hard to quantify the amount of money double glazing will save, it’s worth choosing the best double glazing you can afford – windows are energy rated between A++ as the best and E as the worst according to the British Fenestration Rating Council’s grading and our team can help you to select the right product for your home.
If your property is listed or you wish to keep timber frames, it is still possible to improve your home’s energy efficiency with custom-fit secondary glazing. Used extensively in heritage buildings, secondary glazing has many of the benefits of double glazing, reducing noise and improving security, yet enables you to retain the integrity of the property’s original windows.
Customise your windows and doors with colour
A growing number of homeowners are choosing to use colour and texture to create a unique look for their property. Colour bonding means that it’s now possible to choose any shade, whether you prefer a traditional, heritage aesthetic for a period property or a softer coastal palette for a house by the sea.
Agate grey has been popular in recent years, but putty and cream are also great alternatives to standard white frames. Pantone announced Peach Fuzz – a soft shade between pink and orange – as its 2024 Colour of the Year, and some interior designers have already incorporated the hue into design schemes.
Alongside colour, another way to customise your home’s aesthetic is to use wood grain effect foils to add texture to your door and window frames. Emulating the look of natural wood, without the cumbersome and costly requirements of timber, grain effects work particularly well in period properties.
Whether traditional or contemporary, by using colour and texture you can enhance and add appeal to your home’s façade while simultaneously improving its energy efficiency.
Low maintenance home improvements
Spring is traditionally the moment when homeowners review their property’s exterior and, after a long winter of wet weather, visible signs of cracked and leaking guttering and damaged fascias often reveal themselves. West Norfolk Glass’s roofline products are available in standard PVCu, a range of colours and a premium, cast iron effect style to suit any property.
Hugely popular in North America, cement board cladding is a great way to add a stylish, contemporary look to your home. Perfect for porches, to cover render and add character to a property, West Norfolk Glass is an approved installer of Hardie® Plank and Cedral Click cladding which are both weather resistant and low maintenance – all that’s needed is a wipe over with water and soap. Both are available in a wide range of colours, again a super way to create a unique design for your home.
Add more light to your home
Glazing is a fantastic way to add light to your home and make more of your living space. Open plan has been a growing interior design trend in recent years, and by removing dividing walls you can often make a more sociable hub. However one disadvantage of open plan living is a lack of privacy. A superb, contemporary solution is aluminium internal doors which are easily fitted and can help to reduce energy loss and zone areas, without sacrificing the light gained by an open plan design.
Bi-fold doors are another hugely popular trend and premium quality products, correctly installed, can help to blend your indoor and outdoor spaces. With the doors open wide in the heat of summer, nothing beats the blend of home and garden, particularly while entertaining guests. Don’t overlook sliding patio doors though which are enjoying something of a renaissance – with slim, lightweight frames these are a great way to maximise sight lines onto the garden.
An old conservatory can be an eyesore and even a waste of your home’s square footage, but if you’ve inherited an ageing extension and are looking to improve the efficiency of the space there are ways to upgrade the existing structure. A replacement roof can significantly reduce energy loss and condensation while simultaneously reducing sun glare in summer, making it a usable space year-round. With a range of systems and styles available, it’s important to install a roof which the existing structure can withstand and West Norfolk Glass’ team can advise on the best solution for your property.
Whatever your home improvement plans for 2024, let West Norfolk Glass give you a helping hand and realise the true potential of your property this year.
