Though we often experience comfortable autumn weather here in Durham, NC, it’s more common to see rainstorms and other inclement weather in the fall months. Without a covered outdoor area, you’re often resigned to sitting in the house during a drizzle when you could be outside breathing in the fresh air.

At Kingsford Home Improvements, our goal is to make your outdoor space comfortable and usable for as many months throughout the year as possible. We have helped many customers over the years by assisting them with choosing the right awning for their homes. With a wide variety of commercial and residential awnings to offer, we’re confident that we have exactly what you are looking for.

Customize Your Dream Patio or Porch Awning Today!

From your style, specific needs, and budget, the team at Kingsford Home Improvements is here to help you choose an awning that will give you the shade and comfort you deserve. Even in the brightest sunshine or on those days when the rain just won’t go away, you can relax outdoors in a space where you’re protected from the elements.

We offer an extensive selection of awning types, including detached awnings, stationary awnings, and retractable awnings that make it easy to either use or store. Plus, with a variety of colors, platings, and valances that we can help you select, your awning will be customized to your exact needs.

What better way is there to create a comfortable outdoor space for friends and family to enjoy while also increasing your curb appeal and adding value to your home? If you’re ready to start customizing your patio awning today, contact the team at Kingsford. We can’t wait to hear from you!

As much as you may love summer, it doesn’t change the fact that sometimes the heat in Durham, NC can be overwhelming. If you don’t have a pool to splash around in during the hottest days of the summer months, it can sometimes feel as though you are forced to escape the harsh sunlight and heat by heading back inside your home.

Instead of spending your summer days stuck either in the air conditioning or struggling to find comfort outside, call Kingsford Home Improvements today to talk about a custom awning. At Kingsford, we’ve been serving the Durham community for years, and we know just how much an awning can improve an outdoor living space and create a comfortable oasis for you and your family.

Not only does an awning provide coverage and shade during uncomfortably hot days, it can also make your house feel cooler by keeping direct sunlight off of sliding glass doors that connect your patio to a four-season room or back hall.

For your convenience, Kingsford carries a wide variety of awnings including:

• Retractable Awnings
• Metal Awnings
• Stationary Awnings
• Patio Covers
• Porch Awnings
• Patio Awnings
• Detached Awnings

Whether you are interested in a retractable awning that can be easily closed up during bouts of wind or rain, or you’d prefer a stationary awning that provides low-maintenance comfort, we’ve got you covered. Plus, our friendly team members are always more than happy to walk you through the different styles to ensure that you’re getting exactly what you want to make your backyard feel just right.

Interested in seeing how an awning can improve your backyard space? Call the team at Kingsford Home Improvements. We can’t wait to help you fall back in love with summer and the outdoors.

If you live in North Carolina, you know exactly how hot it can get in the summer months. Though the sunshine, warm temperatures, and cloudless skies can be fun for beach days and outdoor relaxation, your home should be a place where you can escape the hot air if you need a break. However, if you have old, worn, or damaged windows, the summer heat may end up trickling in while your windows release the cool air produced by your air conditioning.

When this happens, not only does it create an uncomfortably warm environment inside your home, but it also decreases your home’s energy efficiency. After all, if your windows or doors are not doing their job to keep the hot air out and the cool air in, your air conditioning system ends up working double-time to do its job. Ultimately, the outcome of this is a higher AC bill and a less manageable indoor temperature.

Invest In Your Durham, NC Home With New Window Installation Before Summer

As we come into summer, there’s still time to start your new window installation project with Kingsford Home Improvements. Over the years, we have proudly served customers all across Raleigh and Durham, NC to give them the updates they need to keep their home looking and feeling great.

Many of the windows we carry are made with advanced glass and have features such as light protection to provide additional privacy and aid against UV ray damage. Plus, because they are all energy-efficient, they will better insulate your home in both hot and cold weather so that the internal temperature is always reasonable and comfortable.

Though we carry a wide range of windows, we can also customize your replacement windows to suit any space’s unique needs. Whether you’re looking for garden or bay windows or even casement windows, Kingsford is the team that will come through for you.

If you’re interested in increasing your home’s energy efficiency, reducing your AC bill, or investing into your home’s value and appearance, request a consultation today. Our team will discuss your new window installation project with you in-depth so we can fully understand your unique needs and preferences.

Have you been wondering whether a new or updated porch or patio would be worth the investment? Whether it’s an improved quality of life while you own your home or a good ROI when you sell your home, a porch or patio is a good investment. Let’s take a look at why.

What’s the Difference Between a Porch and a Patio?

First of all, what’s the difference between a porch and a patio? Different regions have different definitions of porches and patios, but in general:

Porches:

• Are always attached to the house
• Always have a roof
• Are typically found on the front of the house, but can be at the back or may wrap around the home
• Usually have a wood-framed floor
• Provide a transitional entry into the home

Patios:

• Are usually found in the backyard
• May be attached to or detached from the house
• Typically don’t have roofs
• Generally have a paved floor
• Are usually used for dining or entertaining

Benefits of Patios and Porches

Patios and porches have a number of benefits. Here are just a few reasons you should consider adding one to your home.

Expanded Living Space for Lower Cost

Porches and patios provide places to put more furniture, which expands your home’s living space and makes it easier to entertain. They can offer a private place to enjoy the outdoors, often with a roof or other overhead structure to help give some protection from the elements.

Additionally, porches and patios generally cost much less than adding another room to your home. And, since the space usually isn’t added to your home’s taxable square footage, it won’t raise your property taxes.

Enhanced Curb Appeal

Front porches, in particular, can improve your home’s curb appeal, making it easier to sell when you’re ready to move. People also tend to like porches and patios, so your home is more appealing to a wider variety of home buyers.

Increased Home Value

Adding a porch or patio provides an average ROI of 84%. While it may not make sense to add a porch or patio just to increase your home’s value, that’s an impressive ROI for a feature that will help you enjoy your home even more while you still own it.

Updating your home’s current porch or patio provides a much more impressive ROI, so it may be worth spending the money to improve the porch or patio you already have before selling your home.

Get Your Perfect Porch or Patio in Raleigh, Durham, or Asheville

If you live in or around Raleigh, Durham, or Asheville, NC, Kingsford Siding can build your perfect porch or patio. To learn more about us or to get a quote, click here or call (919) 688-5116.

Every component that keeps your home standing is important, but the difference between a stable roof and an unreliable roof can mean either saving a lot of time and money or spending it all on major repairs. After all, a roof is what keeps us safe from bad weather and helps to regulate the temperature inside our home, so ensuring that it is always in proper condition is crucial.

To make sure your roof continues to do its job, follow the 4 tips below on preventing damage from bad weather and general wear and tear.

1. Watch For Sick or Unstable Trees Around Your Home

Trees are vitally important, not only for environmental reasons, but for giving us comfort, shade, and privacy in our backyards. However, if a tree close to your home is starting to appear sick or unstable, a strong wind can knock it into your house and cause significant damage to your roof, shingles, and siding. Calling a local tree specialist is always wise in this situation, because they can recommend ways to either save the tree and trim it back or assist you in removing it and planting a new one that is a safer distance from your house.

2. Have Your Roof Inspected

You can always perform a visual inspection of your roof on your own, but to truly ensure that it is in good health, call a roofing contractor to conduct a formal inspection. If there are any cracks or damages to the shingles or roof, our contractors will guide you through the process for repairing or replacing the areas in need. The roofing projects performed by Kingsford are covered by a 25-year labor warranty for standard products, as well as a lifetime warranty for labor and materials on luxury products, so you can feel confident that the roof we install will always be in great condition.

3. Keep Your Gutters Clean

Gutters perform an extremely utilitarian function, which is to remove excess water from your roof during storms. If your gutters are clogged with leaves or other debris, the water can’t escape and will instead pool in areas of the roof. Over time, this can lead to significant water damage which can weaken the roof and start affecting the interior of your home. Kingsford offers a variety of gutter services such as cleaning, installation, repair, and replacement, making us the go-to gutter service in the areas of Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and beyond.

4. Secure Items Attached To Your Roof

If you have any items like a satellite dish mounted to your roof, it’s important to make sure that they are securely attached, particularly before a storm. Severe wind conditions can end up ripping satellites, AC units, or other items off, leaving you with a hole in your roof and damage to both the exterior and interior of your home. Before bouts of bad weather, check these items and remove them if you cannot secure them properly.

If you have other questions or concerns about scheduling a roof inspection or preparing your roof for inclement weather conditions, call the Kingsford team today at (919) 688-5006 or fill out the form on our contact page.

Without a doubt! Keep reading to learn why.

Are you considering vinyl siding installation for your home? Wondering if it’s worth the cost? If the exterior of your house looks weathered and worn down, then opting for new vinyl siding is a solid investment that will greatly improve your home in a variety of different ways.

By investing in vinyl siding, you:

1. Add to Your Property Value

Even if you don’t plan on selling your home any time soon, opting for vinyl siding can make a huge difference when it comes to the value of your house. Its a low-maintenance way to increase your home’s property value, which you’ll be thankful for if you ever plan on reselling or refinancing.

2. Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal

One of the easiest ways to give your home’s exterior a bit of rejuvenation is to have new vinyl siding installed. With tons of color options and styles to choose from, you can select a look that appeals to your own unique tastes and budget.

3. Reduce Your Energy Costs

By choosing to invest in vinyl siding, you’re not only adding to your home’s aesthetic appeal and market value, but you’re also saving money on heating and cooling costs. A home that doesn’t have vinyl siding isn’t as well-insulated as a home that does. This extra layer of insulation helps keep your family comfortable all year long, no matter the temperature outside.

4. Protect Your Home

Vinyl siding is more than just an exterior upgrade. It helps protect your house from adverse weather like high winds, heavy rains, and severe thunderstorms. This extra layer of protection also helps fight the spread of mold, mildew, and other spores from growing and spreading across your property.

Still undecided about whether or not vinyl siding is right for you? Get in touch with one of our expert sales representatives to talk about your options. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you select the perfect siding option for your unique needs and tastes.

The first thing that anyone sees when they arrive at your home is your front door. Before guests ever come inside, they’ve likely already made a judgment about you based on your exterior design and paint choice. Do you prefer the timeless look of white? Perhaps you’d rather make a statement with a bold shade of yellow? Whatever color you choose, your front door says a lot about you.

Front Door Color Meanings

White

You’re a traditionalist and prefer to keep things simple. You’re a straight shooter and tend to think people that like to rock the boat can be annoying, if not downright dangerous. Always a safe bet, white front doors are a timeless choice that will never go out of style.

Black

Do you see a red door and want it painted black? Then you’re probably either a Rolling Stones fan or just prefer the finer things in life. A popular color choice, black doors give a modern, serious, luxurious look to the front of your house. When tastefully paired with a brightly colored exterior paint, black doors can even help add an unexpected whimsical touch to your home.

Red

Perhaps the boldest of all colors on this list, a red front door says that you are outgoing and sociable. As someone who absolutely loves spontaneous visits from friends and family, you’re always ready for company and frequently find yourself hosting parties, get-togethers, and cookouts. Red is the perfect color for anyone who wants their front door to match their bright and charming personality.

Blue

Blue doors help add an element of elegance and class to your home’s exterior that won’t go unnoticed. The color blue is known to have calm-inducing effects, which is perfect for the homebodies that typically choose this color for their front door. A blue door signifies that you are a grounded and peaceful creature that prefers the serenity of a good book and a cozy fireplace over the hustle and bustle of a block party. You value your family time immensely and nothing in this world means more to you than making memories with your loved ones.

Yellow

The color yellow is associated with sunlight, joy, and positivity. While other homeowners on the block may scoff at your departure from tradition, you’re just happy to be able to bring a little extra bit of color into the world. If you’re bold enough to have a yellow front door, you likely have an outgoing, enthusiastic personality and possess a generally cheery disposition.

Green

The color green is the color of life and nature. It is also heavily associated with feelings of security and safety. If your front door is green, then you likely feel just as much of a connection with the numerous plants and shrubs on your porch as you do your neighbors. (And there’s nothing wrong with that!)

Custom Front Door Colors from Kingsford

Choosing a color for your front door that complements the siding, gutters, decking, and windows of your home is an important decision that you shouldn’t have to make alone. Thankfully, Kingsford has been installing custom exterior doors in Raleigh, Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilmington, Asheville and the rest of the foothill and piedmont regions of North Carolina for over 30 years. When it comes to choosing a front door that will reflect your own unique taste and personality, nobody does it better than Kingsford. Contact us to discuss your options today!

If you’re curious as to when to replace vinyl siding on your home’s exterior, Kingsford can help you out. If you see any of the below signs, it’s time to consider replacing your vinyl siding.

You Paint Your Home Often

Do you find yourself having to repaint or restain your home more often than your neighbors? Ideally, quality siding should last for at least 8-10 years, if not longer. If you’re refinishing your exterior more frequently, it’s time to consider investing in a longer-lasting replacement to save on upkeep costs.

Higher HVAC Bills

If there aren’t any immediate or obvious signs of damage or degradation but you’ve seen an uptick in the cost of your heating and cooling bills each month, the solution may lie in replacing your home’s exterior wall insulation.

Rot or Mold

When inspecting a building’s vinyl siding, bring along a screwdriver or some other sharp object and poke around gently under the siding to see if it has become weakened or soft by rot. If you do find that is the case, contact us ASAP so we can come out and start replacing rotted siding before the rot spreads and costs you even more money to replace later on.

Cracks & Holes

Not only are cracks and holes a bit of an eyesore, but they also can cause bigger problems by allowing moisture to collect underneath the vinyl, which can lead to that horrible rot we mentioned above. Be sure to have any damaged siding replaced in order to prevent further damage.

Peeling Wallpaper & Interior Paint Fading

You may be surprised to learn that your vinyl siding can affect the interior of your home as much as the exterior. If you find that your wallpaper is peeling or that your interior paint is fading, it’s a pretty clear indicator that moisture is somehow getting in, most likely due to problems with your siding.

Bubbles & Blistering

Unsightly bubbles and blisters that make their presence known in vinyl siding take away from the visual appeal of your home and is a sign that the siding has been exposed to excessive heat or moisture. Let the Kingsford vinyl siding experts help you figure out the cause and prevent it from happening in the future.

Loose Siding

If your vinyl siding wasn’t installed properly or you often experience severe weather or high winds, your vinyl siding could become loose over time. Since loose siding doesn’t do as good a job at insulating and protecting your home, make sure and address it sooner rather than later.

Vinyl Siding Replacement & Repair in Raleigh, NC

The cost to replace vinyl siding will vary from house to house and is dependent on a variety of factors, such as the size of the home and the type of vinyl siding used. If you see any of the above signs, let Kingsford’s Siding Services solve the problem for you. Give us a call at (919) 688-5116 to speak to one of our experts about a quote today!

You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but let’s face it: first impressions and appearances matter. The siding on your home is one of the first things people will see, and having the right siding can go a long way toward the atmosphere of a beautiful and inviting home. Siding should be more than just durable and functional. It also needs to look good. From the brand and color of siding you select to making sure you keep it clean and neat, a number of factors play into the appearance of your siding. Proper maintenance is important to keeping your vinyl siding looking good. We put together a few tips below for you to follow to ensure your siding maintains that sparkling, brand-new look that you love.

Use a Hose or Pressure Washer

In many cases, removing dirt or mildew from your vinyl siding is as simple as spraying it down with a high-pressure nozzle on your garden hose, or a power washer. This is especially true if you give your siding a cleaning on a regular basis so dirt, mold, and mildew don’t build up too heavily.

Go over the siding with the water stream twice. First, start from the bottom and work your way up. Then do it again, from the top to the bottom this time. This will help ensure that the siding is sufficiently clean and no spots were missed, and finishing with the top-to-bottom direction means that no dirt runs off onto the siding you just cleaned.

The force from a hose nozzle is generally not going to be high enough to damage your vinyl siding, but be careful if you’re using a pressure washer. Inexperienced users can accidentally crack or damage their siding if the pressure washer isn’t used properly. Use a wide spray pattern to ensure that the water is evenly distributed, and don’t spray one spot for too long.

Scrub Your Siding with a Cleaning Solution

If your siding still looks dirty after being washed with plain water, you might need to use a cleaning solution. You can purchase a vinyl siding cleaning solution, or easily make one yourself (there are a number of “recipes” available online). The cleaning solution can be loaded into a pressure washer or applied manually with a soft-bristle brush. Some products can even be attached right to your hose. Let the solution sit and soak for 10 to 15 minutes, and then rinse with water. Using a cleaning solution will help rid your siding of extra pesky dirt and mold that didn’t come off with just plain water.

Contact the Experts

Vinyl siding can be costly to replace, so we’re happy to provide these tips to help Raleigh area homeowners revitalize their siding without the expense that would come with a complete siding replacement. Of course, sometimes siding is simply too old or too damaged for regular cleaning or a quick touch-up to fix. In those cases, we do our best to provide the most affordable siding replacement possible.

If you think it might be time for new siding, don’t hesitate to contact Kingsford Vinyl Siding for a consultation. We’ll come out and take a look at your home and give you an honest, up-front assessment. We won’t try to sell you new siding if you don’t really need it! If our friendly experts examine your siding and think a quick cleanup would suffice, we’ll let you know. And if you aren’t up for the task of cleaning your vinyl siding in Raleigh or the surrounding Triangle area yourself, we can help with that, too!

Windows might not be the first thing you notice when looking at a property, but they play a big role in the appearance of a home, and old or damaged windows will stick out like a sore thumb. Plus, windows do more than serve an important aesthetic function. They also help protect you and your belongings from the elements. That’s why it’s important to make sure the windows on your house are up to par. Below are a few tips to help you determine whether or not the windows you currently have installed in your house are sufficient, or if it might be time to start thinking about window replacement.

1. Your Windows Appear Damaged, or Show Evidence of Damage

A damaged window should be repaired or replaced to ensure the proper protection of your home. If there’s visible damage to your windows, whether it’s subtle wear-and-tear from years of use or more noticeable damage from a recent storm, you should address the issue as soon as possible. Obvious storm damage like shattered glass, cracked frames, or broken shutters is easy to detect, but other signs of damaged windows include small water leaks, cracks, and chips that might not be noticeable without taking a closer look. In some cases, minor damage can be repaired, but in other cases, your best bet is to install new windows.

2. Your Windows are Drafty

Even if your windows look like they’re in great shape, with pristine-looking glass panes and a fresh coat of vibrant paint on the frame, sill, and trim, older windows simply aren’t very energy efficient. In the winter, you’ll often feel a significant draft of cold air, and in the summer, heat will seep inside, diminishing the effectiveness of your air conditioning and running up your utility bills. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the heat gained and lost through windows accounts for 25-30% of all residential heating and cooling energy use. Newer windows are much more energy efficient, and upgrading to new windows will help insulate your home and keep heating and cooling costs down.

3. Your Windows Don’t Open and Close Properly

If you have a hard time opening your windows, or you can’t manage to keep them open without propping them up, it’s probably time for new windows. Windows should open and close smoothly and effortlessly. Wood windows can swell due to changes in weather, making them nearly impossible to open or shut. Opening your windows shouldn’t be a struggle! If you have old wooden windows and you decide to replace them with new energy efficient windows, you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Contact Kingsford Vinyl Siding Today

The windows on your home play a huge part in the appearance and curb appeal of your property. They also serve an important purpose. If they’re getting old or have been damaged, it’s important to replace them. Contact Kingsford Vinyl Siding for a consultation on window replacement in Raleigh or the surrounding areas. Our team will be in touch with you shortly to go over your options and schedule an appointment!