________________________________________________________________________________________________ Outdoor
Living surroundings. Sleek lines and natural colors( more on this momentarily) can create a sense of drama and can further contribute to other popular design trends— think‘ modern farmhouse’— while modernizing what may have once been a dated space.
Embracing modern colors
Nature-inspired color palettes can further contribute to a biophilic space, helping to further evoke a sense of calm and tranquility. This may typically fall to the responsibility of an interior decorator, but such a mindset can be embraced within glass and window systems, too.
Black, bronze, and other dark finishings and framing colors can further contribute to the warmth and modernity of large-format glass structures, creating bold lines that accent tremendous views. They provide a sleek, contemporary look that enhances both traditional and modern home styles, adding depth and sophistication to a home’ s facade and interior. They can also create an eye-catching contrast, especially in homes with light-colored exteriors or interiors. This contrast highlights the windows as architectural features, adding to the home’ s overall design impact.
Such colors can also be functionally beneficial if a monolithic glass system is used to partially enclose an outdoor space, rather than the entire space. For example, if the space is not fully enclosed, it will be exposed to the pests, yard debris and the elements, including rain and humidity( especially in hotter, Southern climates), and may be more susceptible to dirt, mold or mildew buildup. Dark colors will more effectively mask this kind of unsightly marking versus white frames.
Don’ t forget about performance
When helping homeowners realize their dreams of indoor / outdoor spaces that take advantage of large-format glass, it’ s important that such systems deliver the required thermal performance to ensure interior spaces remain comfortable when the weather isn’ t cooperating.
Windows are, after all, inherently less
efficient at insulating an interior space than a solid wall— but today, high-performance options are available that can effectively keep the heat in or cold out. Again, this is especially critical for tall walls or larger-format glass structures. Double- or triple-pane glass with low-e coatings that incorporates efficient spacer systems— which seal argon gas inside the glass units— are a good option here, as are high-performance framing systems that further contribute to thermal efficiency.
Utilizing large-format glass and tall wall patio enclosures are an increasingly popular way to transform modern homes, and professional builders and remodelers can seize this opportunity. Working with the right suppliers can help you help your customers realize their dream home spaces. ■
Melissa Skinner www. greatdayimprovements. com
Melissa Skinner is Vice President of Marketing at Great Day Improvements. Headquartered in Twinsburg, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, Great Day Improvements is a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer provider of premium home improvement products. Great Day has an expanding workforce of 4500 employees across 120 metropolitan markets throughout the United States. The company has been ranked as the fifth-largest home improvement company in the nation according to Qualified Remodeler’ s Top 500 list and is among the fastest-growing private companies for a second consecutive year.
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