Regardless of which style you choose, your selection will have a big impact on the overall look and usefulness of your window.

There are a few broad categories of window treatments to choose from, namely blinds, shades, curtains and shutters, or some combination. After you have chosen a fundamental type of window treatment, there are choices in style and options, and of course price. For all of these decisions, the same primary factors apply.

The sections below are intended to guide you through these considerations to help make the most informed decisions and have the feel and function that you desire, considering the full selection of what is available instead of just what your local decorator may offer.

Shades, Blinds, Curtains and Shutters – Choosing a type of window covering

The overall type of window treatments that you choose may be somewhat of a foregone conclusion. If you are looking for window treatments for a single window and every other window in your home already has horizontal blinds, then you can simply consider styles and options. If your interior style isn’t yet set, we encourage you to consider your style preferences and the functional needs of the window before choosing ‘automatically’.

Identifying your style

The broadest considerations for styling are color, material and construction. Do you already have a color theme for the room? A material selection or a ‘feel’ that the window coverings must integrate with, complement or contrast? Fundamentally, the material selections are: fabric, wood (natural and faux), man-made (fabric-like), natural (bamboo, woods), metal and vinyl.

Materials are specific to a window treatment and are listed here in general:

Material options:

• Fabric options: Roman shades, Curtains
• Wood: Horizontal blinds
• Man-made: Cellular shades, pleated shades
• Natural: Woven wood shades
• Metal: Horizontal mini blinds

Color options are too varied to list-when you are shopping, begin with the feature (color or material) that is most important to you first.

Exterior style

Interior and exterior style do not have to be the same! Some products are available with distinctly different appearances on the inside and outside. Virtually all types of shades are available with a different color on the outside. Typically, roman shades and woven woods have a white or very light color lining available on the outside, or ‘street side’. While blinds are usually uniform on both sides, there are a few aluminum mini window blinds that are available with light colors on one side and a variety on the other (interior side).

Light colors facing the outside have a benefit beyond the aesthetic – since solar energy will be absorbed more by dark colors, a lighter color facing the outside will reduce the heat build up on your windows and in your home.

Energy efficiency

Generally, the window treatments that are the most energy efficient are cellular shades. Cellular shades have air pockets (the cells) that block heat transfer. Also, cellular shades tent to fit snugly in the window frame and do not have gaps like horizontal blinds to. With new, energy-efficient windows, this may be a smaller consideration. Essentially, having great quality windows makes energy efficience a lesser concern and opens up your window treatment options to be more solely based on your style preferences.

Function

The primary function of a window treatment is blocking light, but doing so just the way you like it. Blinds allow variable light blockage and are more than sufficient for light control in most cases. If you prefer shades or have a greater need for privacy, window shades offer privacy linings.

These linings are good for privacy, but not total light blockage. If you want total light blockage, such as for a media room or home theater, you’ll need a shade with a blackout lining.

Options to consider:

* For skylights, arched windows that are high on a wall or simply for luxury, motorized, remote-control is available for many window coverings.

* For households with children and pets, cordless lift is strongly recommended. The cords, especially looped cords, are a proven danger to children and pets and have resulted in recalls and safety warnings from consumer protection agencies. Cordless lift also provides a cleaner look and very simple operation and is normally a no-cost option.

* One type of cordless lift is called top-down, bottom-up. This lift option allows you to open the top of a shade by pulling down in addition to the more common operation of lifting up from the bottom. Often, this is a great way to allow in light without sacrifing privacy.

Firstly lets look at underfloor heating which in my opinion is the most efficient, practical, and safe method. There are two types of underfloor heating, either by hot water, or electric heat mats. Using the hot water method needs to be considered during the planning of your conservatory as the pipes needed to distribute the hot water, have to be laid within the concrete screed (floor). Heat mats can be applied after the conservatory is built. The initial cost of the hot water system can be quite high, but the costs over time will be cheaper than using an electrical system, as gas is the cheapest form of domestic energy. If your boiler is quite new, and has excess output to the size of the house, expanding it into the conservatory should be no problem. If this is the case costs will be quite low, and should be considered as your main option. If your current boiler would not be able to cope with the extra demand, and a new boiler would be needed, then the costs are quite high and might not be a feasible option. The long term costs can easily be controlled by having a separate thermostat in the conservatory so you can control the temperature. Electric underfloor heating is the other option, and has a cheaper instillation cost. It can be installed either during the conservatory build, or before laying your selected floor choice. The long term costs will be more expensive depending on the size of the conservatory. The heating is connected directly to the consumer unit (fuse box), and can be easily controlled with a separate switch and thermostat so you can keep a constant temperature. Below is a guide to the running costs depending on the size:-

             Size        Power          Cost/Day*        Cost/Week
            9sqM      1kw                 £1.12                £7.82
          18sqM      2kw                £2.24               £15.65
          30sqM      3kw                £3.35               £23.47

*based on 8 hrs a day at the National Average rate of 13.97p/kWh (Dec 2009 tariff) for a unit of electricity.

Both methods emit radiant heat which gently warms up objects in its path, eg tables, chairs ,sofa’s, and then radiates the heat to the rest of the room. Other forms of conventional heating use convection currents which circulates rising warm air, and sinking cooler air, which is not very practical in a tall glass structure. Underfloor heating also creates many other advantages, for example the floor is always warm, there are no unsightly pipes or wires, furniture can be positioned without any hindrance, and it creates more room allowing you to fully utilize your space. An insulating barrier would need to be put between the heating unit and the concrete floor, wether it would be through water or electric. This would stop the heat being absorbed by the floor. Laminate flooring for the conservatory would be more efficient rather than tiling. Tiles will absorb the heat more, and a significant upgrade in the power of electric underfloor heating would be needed if tiling was your choice.

There are many other options for heating your conservatory, from wall mounted convection heaters, storage heaters, oil filled radiators, and radiant heaters. Most of these types of heaters can also be bought as portable units so they are not only confined to the conservatory. Probably the safest and most efficient of these are the oil filled radiators, whether it is wall mounted or portable. Advances in technology have made these units much more appealing with many now coming with safety cut off switches if they get too hot or are knocked over. It is also worth spending the extra money on purchasing a model with a timer, and its own thermostat so you can switch it on, and the room will be kept at a constant temperature. Convection heaters are not that efficient, and as we talked about earlier heating using convection currents is not practical in a conservatory. The advantages of these types of heaters are that many companies are selling them in sizes specially designed for dwarf walls like you would find in your conservatory. Radiant heaters work by emitting an infrared beam that creates heat on contact with objects. The disadvantages of these heaters are that they can cause a possibility of fire if objects too close get too hot, and they are designed more for targeting heat to a specific place rather than heating an entire conservatory. Last of all is the storage heaters, but to me these are outdated, and terribly inefficient. They work by storing heat at night while electricity is cheaper, and then slowly releasing it during the day. You will find that the heaters will emit a lot of heat in the early part of the day, and then will get cooler as the day goes on. As most people will tend to use the conservatory in the early evening, this type of heating is not well suited for conservatories. All in all I think that underfloor heating is they way forward in conservatories, and if you need any further information please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Firths.

People often don’t understand the work involved in planning, creating, and erecting a conservatory. In the first instance we would help you plan your conservatory around your intended use. There are that many different variants, and options sometimes the choice can be quite daunting. This is where we come in to use our vast experience to suggest some great ideas for you to choose from. Once you have chosen your conservatory, we then need to look at whether planning permission would be needed. In most cases planning permission from the local authority is not needed, but if it is we would deal with this on your behalf. Below we have a summary of the main aspects of planning permission revolved around conservatories, which need to be considered in the planning of your conservatory:-
Planning permission is NOT needed if the following conditions are met,
1) The conservatory must be less then half the area of land around the original house (this includes other outbuildings you may already have).
2) That it doesn’t extend to the principal or side elevation fronting a highway.
3) That it shouldn’t extend higher than the highest part of the original roof of the house.
4) If any part of the conservatory is more than four metres high, where it is within two metres of the boundary of your property.
5) If the volume of the original house is to be increased by more that 115 cubic metres.

Building regulations can be a consideration, but most conservatories are exempt if they are less than 30 metres square in floor space, and built on a single level. They are also exempt if they are separated from the house by external quality doors.

Your conservatory will be crafted from scratch by our expert joiners using the finest wood in our state of the art facility, which can take up to eight weeks. Once the conservatory is made we can then lay the foundations, floor area and build the dwarf wall. You will need to consider whether you want to have underfloor heating in your conservatory at this stage. The most efficient method of heating the conservatory is by having hot water underfloor heating. If you choose this method the water pipes would need to be laid within the concrete floor. There will be more on underfloor heating in our next blog. We can then erect your new conservatory.
Then the finishing decor, which is the part where you take over. I am sure you will love making the finishing touches, and personalizing your new space. So all in all, the process can take up to 5 months (a lot less if planning permission is not necessary), so this is why you need to get the ball rolling now, and have a stunning new conservatory all ready for those long summer days.

The glass has a dual action microscopic coating bonded to the glass during manufacture. Firstly the coating reacts with daylight to breakdown any organic dirt (eg bird droppings) on the glass surface.  Secondly the coating disperses rainwater evenly creating a “sheet” effect when the rain runs off the glass, rather than letting the rain form as droplets.  This means the rain washes the loosened organic dirt away as it rains.

This is ideal for conservatory’s with all that glass to clean,  especially the roof as this is always the most difficult area to clean.  Activ glass is also a great idea for windows, as it will soon save you on the initial extra cost,  with no window cleaning bills.  With the national average for window cleaning a three bedroom semi-detached at £5.75,  if you have them cleaned every two weeks that’s £149.50 a year.

Barn conversions are getting more and more popular nowadays, and usually incorporate a large feature window. Imagine not having to clean that!!!. All in all Activ is a great breakthrough in technology,  so keep an eye out on the website for its future inclusion.

Wooden gates are not known to be exceedingly durable, especially when compared to other building materials such as steel. However, because they are easier to work with and they are more affordable, they are often a popular choice. You can install wooden gates in your backyard, in your garden, or anywhere with wooden fences. The wooden gate will help keep out unwanted trespassers like children or animals.

If you really wish to install wooden gates that will last longer, you need to learn how to preserve your gates. Wood, by nature, breaks down easily enough. In general, there are two types of wood – hardwood and softwood. Hardwood is more durable because it doesn’t break down as easily. However, hardwood is harder to work with, and wooden items made from hardwood often cost more.

Softwood, on the other hand, is the opposite of hardwood. It’s easier to work with, more readily available, and highly available. Most wooden gates are made from some type of softwood. The problem with softwood is that it wears down very easily, especially when exposed to the exterior. Ultraviolet rays from the sun will damage the wooden gate. The wood will become brittle over time, and cracks will start to appear.

Fortunately, there is a workaround solution. You can learn how to preserve your wooden gate by learning how to treat the wood properly. There are two ways you can do this. You can preserve the wood by applying a transparent film of lacquer or varnish, or you can treat the wood by applying a protective layer of paint.

A transparent coating works well to protect the wood from dust, grime, and insects. However, it does not protect the wood from ultraviolet rays. The rays can still penetrate the film due to its transparency, and damage the wood. Still, a layer of transparent coating will still help to lengthen the life span of the wooden gate.

If you are really particular about the life span of your wooden gate, perhaps an opaque wood stain would do a better job. There are many types of wood stains available in the market. Choose one that is weather proof. The paint will help protect the wood from the weather, the sun, as well as dirt, plants and insects.

The side benefit of using wooden stains to preserve your wooden gate is that you also get to beautify your wooden gate in the process! You can pick your favorite colors, and start decorating your wooden gate. A well preserved wooden gate can last for years, and will save your time and money.

For more information on wooden gates and timber gates, please visit our website.

As well as well as gap and aesthetic reasons you also have security issues to take into account which will be an influence on the third dimension of your timber gate, the depth. One other deciding factor on the width of your garden gate is cost, which unless you are extremely wealthy, will be judgement based on a balancing act between necessity and funds available.

First of all we shall look at what many will see as the most important factor, the gap for which your timber gate is to fit. Now from my experience this is actually one of the least important things to take into consideration when choosing the size of timber gate you wish to go for. There are many things you can do to make room for your garden gate to fit into the area you wish to have it. Some of these could be trimming back a hedge, knocking down part of a wall or even taking a few fence panels down to make room for your timber gates. By the same token you can also extend a fence or wall and plant new hedges or plants to fill a gap should a slimmer garden gate be your gate of preference.

Although making space for your timber gates may be simple enough, once you have created the required gate you then have to make sure that you measure the gap correctly. If you do not get this step right you could have a hand made wooden gate made and then have to mess about re-adjusting the gap so that it fits. When measuring you gap make sure that you allow for gate posts if you are having them to go with your timber gate too.

Now for the aesthetic part which is what I would class as the most important aspect when choosing the size of your garden gate. If you only have a small garden then a 6ft by 6ft timber gate is just going to be too over powering for the layout of your garden. A nice delicate 3ft garden gate would be just the ticket for a petite garden whereas a large 5 bar timber gate would look lovely at the bottom of a garden with a long drive.

Tall garden gates are more suitable as passage way gates where they are up against the side of the house. Having such a timber gate in a normal garden with a smaller wall running around it just would not set the scene of a beautiful garden at all.

These taller timber gates do offer more security though and if you want a gate to keep intruders out then these may be the type for you. A thicker gate would also stop would be intruders gaining access to your premise if they were to try brute force as a means of trespass. Thicker garden gates are also ideal for pet gates which need to with stand the test of dogs and such like jumping on them all day long.

The final decision you have to weigh up is whether each of the above is worth the extra cost that they would take. Taking all of the above into consideration should give you all the answers you need to select the right sized timber gate for your particular need.

Make sure you know what type of wood your gate is made from

Its not everyday you look into buying a gate so you may take some aspects for granted like what it’s made from. Wood is wood after all isn’t it? Absolutely not! As with any material there are different grades of quality and some types of wood are more suitable for gates than others. There are too many types of wood to mention hear to give a concise list of what is suitable and how much it would cost but just being aware should allow you to find out whether the price is reasonable or not. For instance you will pay a lot more for a hardwood gate than you would for a softwood gate simply for its durability.

Take the time to find out what depth the wood is that the gates are made out of

Another way of cost cutting is to make the wood that the gate is made out of thinner. Obviously your design aspect or gap requirements dictate the width and height of the gate so you will automatically look out for these dimensions but there is a third dimension to look out for too. The thinner the wood used for making the gate the less strength the gate will have so bear this in mind when deciding on the purpose of your gate.

What finish does the wooden gate come in?

There is nothing wrong with a gate coming with no coating just as long as you are aware that you need to coat the gate when it arrives. Presuming that a wooden gate comes with protection and sending it straight out into the harsh outside climate is only going to send it to an early grave.

Is your wooden gate really handmade?

If you’re paying for a handmade wooden gate you want to make sure it really is freshly carved! One way of making sure that a gate is handmade is by checking their contact details and searching on google maps for them. If their business address is on Google maps they will have had to verify this so if the area is in the middle of a built up area the chances are that it is simply a house address or an office address. If their address is a workshop then it is more likely they will actually be hand making the gates for you.

Some companies simply pretend to hand make wooden gates when the reality is they are just shipping them in from an Eastern European factory for cheap and passing them off as hand made. Most reputable companies will have a link on their website to their premises so it should be easy to check out.

Find out what comes with the gate

Not everyone who purchases a garden gate online wants the full monty, some simply require the gate and will attached it to a wall or fence. This usually means that the bottom line price shown on a website is for simply the gate on its own and gate posts and iron mongery will be extra. If you do want the gate posts you will also have to allow in your measurements for them too. The iron mongery usually consists of hinges brackets and latch which are all handy to have unless you are buying fancy versions separately.

Make sure there is a money back guarantee

A money back guarantee is always something to look out for when shopping online. This is more important when you are buying wooden gates which there is a slight chance may get damaged in transit. Hopefully the delivery company will hold up there end of the bargain and get the gate to you safely but if not it brings great piece of mind to know you can send it back with no fuss.

The most important feature to enhance the beauty of wooden garden gates is healthy green grass. The effect of a wooden gate is somewhat lost if it is surrounded by concrete or paving stones and so is a lot of the enjoyment of having a garden. A garden can soon become a mere back yard if the majority of it is a hard surface and especially for children this is no fun for playing around in in the summer. It may take a bit more effort looking after a garden but the advantages of a nice lawn by far make up for this.

The fencing or the boundary of the garden that wooden gates give an entrance too can have lots of different styles and still complement the wooden gates pleasantly. A rule of thumb for any wooden fencing that is attached to a wooden gate is make sure you varnish or paint them at the same time so that the shadings are very similar if not exact. If either the gate or fence are already painted or you cannot find the exact colour or do not wish to redo both it may be best to paint one of them in a contrasting colour for a bold effect.

If the boundary to the garden is a hedge or bushes make sure they are neatly pruned as an overgrown surrounding could even disguise the wooden gate from view totally. A plastic fence would not mix well with a wooden garden gate and no matter how expensive or luxury either item was the combination will just look cheap. However a combination of iron fencing and a rich coloured wooden gate can have a lovely effect that may even out class the view of a wooden fence and gate blend.

You cannot really fail with a brick wall bordering a wooden gate but there is a right and a wrong way to go about setting this theme for your garden. The easy way would be to hinge the gate onto pre-existing fittings on the wall which would probably save you some money. Although saving money the style would be totally ruined and I would definitely recommend purchasing the matching gate posts when buying a garden gate for this purpose. It is surprising how many people forget to allow space for the gate posts when measuring the gap for a garden gate so watch out for that little pit fall too!

On reflection I would say that wooden gates look most at home surrounded by a matching wooden fence and enclosing a garden with a well kept lawn. Once you have decided on your ideal setting for your wooden gate do not forget to regularly protect it with some sort of coating so that the look stays fresh and also so the wood is preserved for as long as possible.

As a starting point here is a bit of information about Firths. We were formed as a company in 1935 and have been trading at our work shop on Hole House lane, Stocksbridge (United Kingdom) since then. We have two sides to our business area, the manufacturing side and the office side which also has a shop where customers can buy general things for DIY and home repairs.

The manufacturing side is where all of our joiners make our bespoke windows and conservatories as well as the wooden gates that we sell too. We are a national company so you can image this is a very busy area most of the time and quite an interesting place to work too.

We hope you can call back soon to read our future posts which will go into more specific genres of woodwork.