With many homes more than 15 years old, it’s a good idea to consider updating old windows with more energy efficient replacement windows. Older windows can often be worn out, leak air, and not function or operate well. Replacement windows are more energy efficient, are more durable, are low maintenance, and are easier to operate than the windows installed in the home when it was new.  

New windows on an older home are a great investment which can increase your home’s value as well as decrease your energy usage and lower your energy bills. Choosing the right windows is key to making sure your investment pays off. Working with a good replacement window installation contractor will help you make the right decision when selecting your replacement windows. Make sure you work with someone you trust who is willing to help educate you on the various types of windows available.  

In addition to replacing inefficient windows, when considering replacement windows you also have the opportunity to change the style of your windows and possibly add a bay window or a bow window. A few simple changes can make a huge difference in the appearance of your home.  

When selecting the glass for your windows, be sure to pay attention to Low-E coatings. Low-E is a coating that keeps heat in during the winter and out during the summer. This will increase the energy efficiency of your replacement windows by decreasing the amount of energy that can get through the glass.  

Your replacement window installation contractor will also help advise you on the different types of framing materials available for use in your older home. Vinyl is the most common material for home use and is sturdy and low maintenance as well as being energy efficient.

When selecting replacement windows for your older home, be sure to enlist the help of a reliable replacement window installation contractor or specialist. Do your homework, make sure the contractor is knowledgeable and is someone you trust. Don’t always go for the lowest bidder because as we all know, you get what you pay for. Make sure the contractor is licensed and insured and is someone you feel comfortable with. When you find the right one, they can help make your window replacement project a success.

“To be recognized and honored by our customers for providing great service is the highest praise,” says Terry Stamman, president of Twin Cities Siding Professionals. “It is especially rewarding that this acknowledgment comes from our customers, who are the ultimate judges of our products and service.”

Stamman and his wife, Kristen, founded Twin Cities Siding Professionals in 1995.

The ACE Award for Achievement in Consumer Excellence is a consumer rated award program that recognizes NARI of Minnesota members who provide exemplary service. The award is based on consumer ratings. A total of 14 companies statewide were the first to earn the NARI of Minnesota ACE Award.

Twin Cities Siding Professionals, Inc. is the number one James Hardie Siding installation specialist in the Minneapolis/St Paul region. For more information call (651) 255-2844 or visit www.tcsidingprofessionals.com.

Naturally, when winter arrived the ants survived quite well, snug in their anthill. But the grasshopper suffered terribly from the cruel weather and lack of food.

The moral of the story? Make hay while the sun shines!

The same applies to your home. It is tempting to enjoy the nice weather and ignore those household tasks we know need attention. After all, won’t there be time later to fix those loose shingles, or caulk that drafty window? How quickly we forget the chilly drafts and high heating bills of just a few months ago!

The moral of this story is similar:  Prepare your home now for the winter weather that will be returning all too soon.

Now is the time to make the changes necessary to make your home warmer and more energy efficient for years to come. The favorable summer weather makes scheduling easier, and off-season pricing makes home improvement even more affordable.

The investment you make this summer in home improvements like insulating siding and energy efficient replacement windows will pay off in a more comfortable home and lower energy bills.

Don’t be a grasshopper! Let us help you get ready for winter.

Call Twin Cities Siding Professionals at 651-255-2844, or visit our web site at: www.tcsidingprofessionals.com

Marvin windows and doors are a premiere manufacturer of customized wood and clad products. Offering over 11,000 standard sizes, Marvin customizes (using different shapes, styles and sizes) their windows and doors to the specifications of the buyer, leaving you with a window that’s unique to the look and feel of your home.

Marvin has two divisions of products: Infinity: Replacement Windows and Integrity: Windows and Doors. Both of these Marvin divisions design their products using Ultrex, a durable, maintenance-free fiber-glass material that is far superior to all other window materials.

The majority of Marvin customers prefer vinyl replacement windows due to their low level of maintenance and durability. They are also energy efficient allowing your home’s energy cost to significantly decrease. When you use vinyl replacement windows, you can be assured that there will be no cracking, dry rotting, peeling paint or warping of the wood. 

Along with material, design is another crucial aspect to the Marvin customized product. Window designs include: special casement windows, glider windows, awning windows, bay windows, double hung windows and many more.

If you are worried about the weather and its affect on the home replacement windows, it is time to stop your worries. Marvin windows offer excellent protection from storm and rough weather conditions. There are different varieties and specialties of storm windows that you can select based upon the location of your house.  

Marvin products are used for residential, commercial, and industrial establishments. Whether your home was just built or is a historic landmark, Marvin windows are molded to fit the architecture and design of your home.

With Marvin’s “Built Around You” promise, you are guaranteed a superior quality product from a company that prides themselves on excellence.

For more information on Marvin Replacement Windows visit www.tcsidingprofessionals.com or call 651-255-2844.

There are always so many home improvement projects that can be done. Sometimes it’s hard to know what the best choice is and what will give you the greatest return as well as the most satisfaction. New siding is not usually one of the home improvement projects that immediately spring to mind for most homeowners. But James Hardie siding can be a great investment for many reasons. 

Your Home’s Appearance 

James Hardie siding can immediately improve the appearance of the exterior of your home. It’s better than new paint in that it gives the entire house a new look, not just a fresh color. It takes away any look of old, tattered siding. Fiber-cement siding products are available with the ability to be attached to the house with blind nailing. Blind nailing means the siding panels can be attached to the home with nails that are covered when the panels are overlapped, so you can’t see any nail holes. No nail holes in the panels create a smooth and polished finish to the outside of your house. It can not only increase the appearance, but also increase the resale value and the home’s appeal to potential buyers.  For 5 years in a row Remodeling Magazine named fiber-cement siding installation as the #1 return on investment you can make for your home.

Strength, Durability and Longevity 

With the wide variety of new siding products available today, getting fiber-cement siding truly increases the durability of your home’s exterior. It protects against water, weather, wind, fire and pests. And because of the durability of James Hardie siding, it is stronger than older siding, is less likely to crack or warp, and will need less maintenance. Because of this, the life expectancy of it is a great deal longer than older materials or other products.  

Energy Efficiency 

Fiber-cement siding will increase the energy efficiency of your home. You can customize the type of insulation installed with your new siding to increase the amount of air that is able to penetrate the exterior walls of your home. This will help to keep the warm air in your house in the cold months and the warm air out of your house in the summer. Thus, creates a more energy efficient home, reducing your energy consumption, and lowering your energy bills.

With the improved appearance of your home, the strength and durability of fiber-cement siding products available on the market, and the increase in your home’s energy efficiency, the benefits of fiber-cement siding greatly outweigh the siding costs.

 Click here to see pictures of homes that have James Hardie fiber-cement siding installed.

 The Big50 awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Remodeling Leadership Conference in Alexandria, Va., on May 14, 2010. The 2010 Big50 winners are featured in the May issue of Remodeling Magazine, a national trade publication read by more than 80,000 professional remodeling contractors.

The “Big50″ is a remodeling business excellence award for best practices. Every year, Remodeling magazine inducts 50 new companies who have set the standard for professionalism and integrity through smart marketing, exemplary business practices, unique design, and extraordinary impact on their community or the industry at large. Big50 remodelers run successful, growing companies of various sizes that have taken the lead in raising the standards of the industry. To date, more than 1,000 remodelers who have demonstrated such excellence can boast being a member of the Big50.

The Big50 selection process has become increasingly rigorous in recent years, and the result is one of the strongest classes to date. All 2010 inductees stood up to detailed examinations of their businesses and their books, and they all demonstrated an admirably deft ability to restructure, retrench, and hustle to remain viable in a challenging economic climate.

“We are thrilled to be honored by our peers and our industry with the Big50 award,” says Terry Stamman, founder and president of Twin Cities Siding Professionals. “We always strive to do the best work and provide the best customer experience. It is extremely satisfying to have that effort recognized.”

Remodeling Magazine, published by Hanley Wood Business Media, is the leading publication in the home improvement industry. Designed to address the specific concerns of residential remodeling professionals, the magazine is both a business tool and an industry leader for a market that topped $300 billion in 2008. See the magazine online at www.remodelingmag.com.

Visit Twin Cities Siding Professionals’ website at http://bit.ly/ap9Vqs.

When your house is ready for new siding, it’s hard to determine what siding products are going to be the best fit for your home. You need to decide what type of material is the best complement to your home and your neighborhood. You need to figure out what siding product will hold up the longest in the climate you live in. And most important, you need to choose the siding that you like the best! Fiber cement siding is a great choice for a lot of reasons.  

First of all, fiber cement siding resembles wood. For the many homeowners who desire the look of wood without the expense and maintenance, this is an important feature. Aside from it looking like wood, fiber cement siding is more durable than wood siding. It is made up of a combination of cement, sand and cellulose fiber. These components are cured with pressurized steam which is what gives it strength and durability as well as resistance to cracking. It is resistant to termites, water, warping and shrinking, rotting, and weather damage. It’s also fire resistant, which in some cases can even help your insurance rates. And even better, it’s guaranteed for 30 years.  

Fiber cement siding is created to look like wood and has wood grain texture embossed into the finish. It comes in a variety of widths from 4 to 11 inches, allowing a lot of flexibility in the design and appearance of your new siding. It’s manufactured to be durable enough for blind nailing, which means that the siding panels can be overlapped to cover nail holes. This isn’t always possible with wood siding, which allows the nail holes to be visible on the side of the house.  

This siding product must be painted, which can be done at the factory (pre-painted) before installation, or at the project site within 90 days of installation.  And you can use either water based acrylic paints or stains for the siding panels. Because the fiber cement siding doesn’t expand or contract with temperature changes the way wood does, you don’t have to worry about the paint cracking or peeling. This means your paint or stain has a much longer lifetime than it does on wood.  

When you decide to go ahead with your new siding installation, your siding contractor can advise you on the right fiber cement siding product for your home and project. Whatever size and finish you choose, this siding product is an excellent choice! 

Twin Cities Siding Professionals works exclusively with James Hardie fiber cement siding.  If you would like to talk to an expert about James Hardie fiber cement siding feel free to give them a call at 651-255-2844.

The Guildmaster Awards celebrate service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting, and real estate professions. Each year, GuildQuality gives special recognition to the companies that demonstrate an ability to deliver a consistently superior customer experience. Twin Cities Siding Professionals was one of only 124 home builders and remodelers in North America recognized for their superlative performance.

“We are pleased and honored to have earned a Guildmaster Award,” said Terry Stamman, who, along with wife Kristen, own Twin Cities Siding Professionals, Inc. “The real judges on this award are our customers, and their opinions are what matters most to us.”

Builders, remodelers, contractors and real estate developers across North America rely on GuildQuality’s customer satisfaction surveying to help them monitor and improve the quality of their service.

Owned by Terry and Kristen Stamman, Twin Cities Siding Professionals, Inc. is the number one James Hardie Siding installation specialist in the Minneapolis/St Paul region.

For more information call (651) 255-2844 or visit http://bit.ly/cnkiaT.

But don’t take our word for it. Read what the experts are saying about James Hardie fiber-cement siding. Then decide for yourself if it is right for your home. 

• paccrestinspections.com says: “Fiber-cement siding has the look of wood siding but has a lower cost and lower maintenance. Market share is approaching ten percent, according to manufacturers. Most newly constructed homes with lap siding will have this type of siding. Additional benefits include resistance to termites and fire. Fiber-cement siding will not rot, buckle or warp and holds paint for several years longer than conventional wood siding. Moisture resistance is a concern, but problems can be avoided if the siding is installed correctly and properly treated.”
• pacrestinspections.com also says: “James-Hardie Company. This product appears to perform very well in moist environments.  Fiber-cement siding manufactured by James-Hardie  Company (Hardi-Plank®, Hardi-Panel®, and Hardi-Home®) have gained product recognition and an increasing market share.”
• Soundhome.com says:  “One newer and promising product on the market is Hardi Board and Hardi Plank. These are concrete composite products and look like bevel or lap siding. The reports, so far, are very promising.”
• About.com says: “Fiber cement siding can have the appearance of wood, stucco, or masonry. This durable, natural-looking material is often called by the brand names HardiPlank® and HardiPanel®. If you want the look of authentic wood with a bit less maintenance, cement fiber is a good option. Fiber cement siding is fireproof, termite-proof, and may have a warranty up to fifty years.”

Want to find out more about this extraordinary siding product? Call Twin Cities Siding Professionals at 651-255-2844, or visit our web site at: www.tcsidingprofessionals.com .

These are not simple, do-it-yourself projects, and hiring a good and reliable contractor is highly recommended. Finding a good contractor can help you define your needs and expectations, get the right information for your project, and make educated decisions about the materials you select for your window and door replacement. It can often seem challenging to find a good contractor as well, but here are some tips for hiring a door contractor and replacement window installation contractor for your home improvement project.  

The first thing you should check before you hire a window and door contractor is their insurance. A reliable contractor will be insured so that you are not liable should there be any damage or injury during the course of your installation project. You’ll also want to hire a contractor that offers a warranty, not just for the materials, but also for the labor and installation.  

A window and door contractor should give you complete information about all of the packages they have available and the prices that will fit your budget. There should be no hidden charges and everything should be laid out with an estimate of the total cost including labor and materials. It’s important to be sure that you have a contract with them and be sure that everything they are doing including labor, materials, time, cost and installation are spelled out on the contract. Also make sure the details of the door and replacement window installation are completely clear and are what you agreed to. This should also include the manufacturer of the replacement doors and windows.  

And finally, one of the most important things about a contractor you are going to hire is that you feel comfortable with them and feel you can trust them. Take time to do your homework and research local door contractors and replacement window installation contractors before you sign on the dotted line. You want to be sure you understand what you’re paying for and where your money is going.

This is your investment, so make sure you find the right contractor to install your windows and doors in your home.