Category Archives: Home Improvement

Avoid Winter Repairs

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With the winter months looming ahead, you don’t want a home disaster to happen when it gets here. Weatherize before “weather” hits…and now is about as perfect a time as it gets! Don’t put off weatherizing until it’s cold out and your energy dollars have already gone up the chimney. The best way to prevent expensive home repairs is to be prepared BEFORE winter weather hits.

Window Wizards and Pro Master present a list of preventative projects to do right now:

  • Protect Your Plumbing.  Keep those pipes from freezing!  Both plastic and copper pipes are subject to freezing as outside ambient temperatures fall below 20°F, especially when positioned near the exterior of your home.  When pipes freeze, they often burst not from the ice expansion as typically understood, but the increased water pressure caused by the ice blockage.
  • Prune Those Trees. When large limbs accumulate ice, they may break and come crashing down on your roof, take out a fence, or destroy your car.
  • Pets In, Pests Out. Even animal lovers don’t want bats, squirrels, rodents, and other wild pests as house guests.  Cold temperatures drive these creatures indoors in search of food and shelter.  In the process of clawing, chewing or burrowing their way in, they cause unbelievable damage to homes. Such damage to soffits, siding, eves, and trim is usually discovered in the spring time, leading to costly home repairs on top of the bill from the wildlife removal specialist.
  • Prepare for Power Outages.  For under $1,000, a homeowner can purchase a battery backup sump pump and small portable generator to keep their furnace running.  Such cost is a cheap insurance policy to protect your home against the next power outage. If you need some more information on household generators, check out this website:  Electric Generators Direct.

For other projects such as window washing and gutter cleaning, let somebody else do the work! Window Wizards is one of Dallas’ most trusted and dependable service providers. Call us or check out our Facebook page today!

Home Projects Before Thanksgiving Guests Arrive

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There’s nothing like preparing for guests to come over to jump start home improvement projects. When guests come, the house get’s cleaned and fixed up.

Window Wizards has out together a list of simple home improvement projects do get done BEFORE entertaining on Thanksgiving Day.

  • Window Cleaning. A clean window gives you a perfect view of your property and an exterior that exudes a shine that is hard to miss and envied by all. It is recommended that windows are cleaned at least twice a year and interior once a year.
  • Gutter and Downspout Cleaning. Gutter and Downspout cleaning is a critical service that needs to be completed on a bi-annual basis, especially if you have trees near your home. This service removes leaves and debris from gutter systems allowing them to protect the roof, home, and foundation as they are designed to by properly moving water off and away from the house.
  • Deck and Fence Refinishing. Here in Texas, the fall weather is not unbearable. In fact, it can feel quite refreshing after the hot summer. So when your guests want to head outside for coffee, make sure your deck and fence look their best. The outcome of a pressure treated fence or deck staining project will depend on the skill of the technician applying the stain, and by the quality of the product they use and should only be performed by a trained technician using professional equipment and products.
  • Interior Light Fixtures. Chandeliers command attention.  Do not let a dull appearance take away from your beautiful fixtures.
  • High Dusting and Cobweb Removal. High ledges and exterior foyers can present dangerous or inconvenient cleaning challenges for homeowners.  Empty bird nests in hard to reach areas can create other eyesores that we can safely remove and clean out in these high areas.

Have no fear! Window Wizards can come to the rescue! For more information about services, check out our Facebook page!

Chimney Safety

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When you live in Texas, like we at Window Wizards are,  the weather can be somewhat unpredictable. But nonetheless, cold weather is coming! Before you start cutting firewood and lighting it up in the fireplace, make sure your chimney is cleaned and safely ready to warm your entire home.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers tips to keep wood burning fireplaces and wood stoves clean and clear from the top of the chimney to bottom of the firebox:

  • Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary, by a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys. To locate a certified sweep, visit the CSIA Web site at www.csia.org or call 1-800-536-0118. A certified sweep can also perform maintenance on your wood stove or help remove gas logs from a fireplace.
  • Keep the top of chimneys clear of tree limbs or debris.
  • Install a chimney cap to keep debris and animals out of the chimney.
  • Fuel the fire safely. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose well-seasoned wood that has been dried for a minimum of six months to a year and stored properly.
  • Build it right. Place firewood or firelogs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate. To start the fire, use a firelighter.
  • Keep the hearth area clear. Debris too close to the fireplace, or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire.
  • Use a fireplace screen. Use a metal, mesh or screen in front of the fireplace to catch flyaway sparks that could ignite.
  • Be careful not to overload the fireplace. Add one manufactured firelog at a time or no more than a couple of pieces of firewood. Never burn garbage or glossy paper products.
  • Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Place detectors throughout the house and make sure to check the batteries each month.
  • Never leave a fire unattended. Before turning in for the evening, be sure that the fire is fully extinguished. Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces.

When it comes to cleaning your fireplace, always remember: safety first. And when it’s time to clean your windows, let the professionals do it! For more information, LIKE our Facebook page!

Scratch and Acid Graffiti Removal

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Are you throwing away glass? Tons of glass and millions of dollars are wasted each year when glass becomes scratched in production, shipping, and installation or through post-installation use and vandalism. Until now there have been no viable alternatives except to throw glass away and start over.

Now Window Wizards uses Shat-R-Proof™ Scratch Removal that offers a revolutionary process that allows you to remove scratches quickly, cleanly, cheaply and on-site. Shat-R-Proof™ Scratch Removal works excellently on all types of glass including tempered, annealed, plate, laminated, insulated, and even mirrored! The system even works on curved glass and can maneuver around corners and edges. Here are some of the many features that benefit your bottom line:

  • Cost Effective – Saves money in manufacturing, distribution or fabrication environments by reducing scrapped glass. Cost effective in the field by saving the cost of removal, replacement, and reinstallation!
  • Mobile – Use where scratched glass occurs: in the manufacturing plant, on building sites, in offices, homes or parking lots. Requires only a 110-volt outlet.
  • Versatile – Perfect for laminated, curved, tempered, annealed, insulated, plate, and mirrored glass.
  • Clean – The system is self-contained and vacuum seals to the glass. This eliminates splattering and mess associated with other scratch removal systems.
  • Efficient – The Finer System is designed to remove deep scratches where there is chipping or flaking of the scratch. The Finer can even remove glass cutter scratches. The Polisher System is designed to remove lighter scratches that you can feel with your fingernail. It is also designed to remove fining marks.

For more information about Window Wizards‘ services, check out our Facebook page!

Interior Upkeep

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When it comes to the value, appeal, and health of your home, it goes much further than exterior looks. Yes, at Window Wizards, we know first impressions are extremely important, but it’s what’s on the inside that makes your guest feel welcome. And in today’s real estate market, you don’t want to take any chances when it comes to selling your home. Even if you are thinking of selling in the distant future, there are ways to keep your home up-to-date and sell-worthy…as well as comfortable and livable.

Window Wizards has put together a list of interior jobs that need to be completed on a regular basis to keep your home up to par and running smoothly:

SCRATCH REMOVAL: Scratched glass, tabletops, or acid vandalized windows are an eyesore. No one wants to look out of the window only to see a huge scratch across their view. Save yourself money later on and fix these as they come. They can be polished or “resurfaced,” creating substantial savings over replacement costs.

MIRROR CLEANING: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? If it’s a smudge or stain, you’re missing what’s really there, YOU!  See yourself in a new light after having your mirrors professionally cleaned for a truly beautiful reflection.

INTERIOR LIGHT FIXTURE CLEANING: Chandeliers command attention. They are a major focus point in any room and add class, grandeur and extravagance.  Do not let a dull appearance take away from your beautiful fixtures. Clean your lights to a like-new shine.

LIGHT BULB REPLACEMENT: Dealing with burned out bulbs in high light fixtures? Why? You don’t want to change a difficult light when it’s wet and cold outside! During our visit, we can replace the hard to reach interior bulbs or exterior flood lights for you.

CEILING FANS: Indoor (and outdoor) fans need to be cleaned regularly to maintain a proper appearance and to operate efficiently. If your fan is lopsided and rattling, you are wasting money on the energy it takes to power it. When a fan runs smoothly, it runs efficiently. It also runs cleanly. Fans collect a majority of the dust and allergens in your home; keeping them cleaned decreases this.

HIGH DUSTING / COBWEB REMOVAL: High ledges and exterior foyers can present dangerous or inconvenient cleaning challenges for homeowners. Empty bird nests in hard to reach areas can create other eyesores that we can safely remove and clean out in these high areas.

You’re home can run efficiently form the inside out! For more information about Window Wizards’ services, LIKE our Facebook page!