(3.5-min read)

Whether you’re looking to protect your front door from particular security concerns or make your home more energy-efficient, storm doors are a great addition. In this piece, we’re going to review some of the perks of installing a storm door on the exterior entrances of your home as well as look at the most popular building materials.

Storm Doors for Security

When one thinks of storm doors, they don’t typically think of security. After all, storm doors are relatively lightweight and not thought to be robust enough to protect your home. What they do provide is a layer of friction to would-be home invaders. Exterior doors typically open inward. While this is handy in terms of protecting your doors from the elements, it makes them susceptible to being kicked in. Storm doors, however, open outward. When a storm door is closed and locked, this creates an additional barrier between a would-be home-invader and an exterior door. It’s true that a dedicated home invader could likely break a storm-door to get to the point of kicking in an exterior door, this would be quite difficult and would attract too much attention before they could gain access to the outer door.

Storm Doors for Energy Efficiency

Storm doors are very popular among homeowners for the added energy efficiency they bring. A properly installed storm door can significantly reduce the draftiness or exterior doors in the winter and help retain the coolness of air condition systems in the summer.

“Very High Strength-to-Weight Ratio”  

There are a wide variety of storm door materials available for purchase. While there are wooden storm doors as well as wood-cored aluminum storm doors, fully aluminum framed storm doors are likely your best option. Aluminum has a “very high strength-to-weight ratio,” according to Frank Costanza, as played by Jerry Stiller on the show Seinfeld. Wood, on the other hand, has an immense amount of flex and is much more susceptible to weather damage.

Storm Door Viewing Styles: Full or Partial View

To protect your beautiful front door while keeping it on display, there are various storm door viewing options.

Full-View Glass Storm Door Window

A full-view glass storm door is a door with a full-length window framed in aluminum. This provides the very best view through the storm door of your elegant front door.

Partial-View Glass Storm Door Window

If you’re less particular about the visibility of your front door or would like additional window options, there is always the partial-view glass storm door windows. These options also allow for a section of sliding glass for a partial screened section for bug-free ventilation. Screened sections are especially popular with those who would like to use their storm doors as screen doors with the weather is favorable.

Cost of Storm Doors

Depending on the level of security options, materials, sizes, and styles, storm doors can run from as little as $170 to as much as $1,300. While moderately handy homeowners can install their own storm doors, professional installation of a storm door can range from $160-$260.

The Perfect Storm Doors for Your New Home

If you’re building a new home, it’s possible to select a storm door that matches your home’s existing style. If you’re looking to build a new home in the Greater Tulsa, OK area, look no further than the home construction professionals at Perry Hood Properties.

 

(4-min read)

Many listings for homes these days will boast of “an additional living room” where, in generation’s past, this wasn’t the case. Why? Because these weren’t considered living rooms. What were they? Dens! Also sometimes called a “study,” these partially secluded spaces have either been advertised as living rooms instead of dens or studies due to a lack of interest in dens. Well, there has been a resurgent interest in dens, studies, and home libraries. In this piece, we’re going to explore the idea of setting up a den/study in your home.

The Downfall of Solitude

Home designs of the past generation or so have largely advocated for open-concept everything. Whereas homes were once compartmentalized, families are now hyperconnected and in their own worlds. Busy schedules and hyperconnectivity have decreased quality time. This decrease in quality has increased the demand of open-concept layouts to fill the void. While these floorplans foster togetherness, they’ve all but removed the option of solitude outside of our bedrooms.

The Perks of Solitude

“Why would anyone want to seclude themselves?” Most of us have all but forgotten about how nice it can be to be left alone. Whether we have a passion project we’d like to work on, a series of books to get through, or just the ability to listen to an album or music without headphones, the occasional bit of solitude is all but a vintage novelty. The perks of solitude include focused reading, deep work, interrupted enjoyment of media, or quiet entertaining.

The Rise & Fall of the Mancave

As men started spending less time working on projects or reading books and more time watching sports or playing video games, the study quickly became the “man cave.” While it is a place of solitude for men, the environment of most man caves rarely provokes a desire to pursue deep work or time with one’s own thoughts. The layout of the room typically encourages focus on a television screen. The redirected focus reveals how the design of the room lends itself to its function.

The Power of Environmental Design in a Room

Like a man cave’s furniture arrangement encourages watching the game, likewise, can any room’s layout encourage any behavior. A stowed television may provoke just enough viewing friction that one may instead fill a page in their journal. A boxing speed-bag or jump rope on the wall may inspire a quick workout instead of a lounging session. A book on the side table next to an easy chair can encourage reading. The environment can be used to reduce the friction of healthier behaviors and increase the friction towards less desirable behaviors. Dens and studies, like home gyms, can be carefully designed to facilitate moments of productive solitude.

What Should Be in Your Den

Knowing what to place in your den depends on what positive solitary activity we hope to pursue. Would you like to read more? You may want to have your favorite books visible and easily accessible. Would you like to pursue writing or art? Align your desk or a corner where picking up this activity is virtually effortless. Would you like to spend less time watching television? Consider having the TV covered by curtains when not in use or not in the room at all. The options are limitless for optimizing your den for productive solitary endeavors.

Socializing in a Den

Though a den is typically thought of as a place to be alone, it can also be a great place for very small-scale entertainment. A den can be a respite for entertaining guests in an active home or a great alternative to noisy or expensive cocktail bars or coffee shops. There’s a certain friendly intimacy enjoyed by a space free of distractions where one can enjoy the company of a dear friend over a soothing beverage.

Designing Your Den Oasis

If you’re looking to build a new home and feel that you’d enjoy the comfortable solitude of a den, it’s never been easier to include one in your plans. If you’re looking to build your dream home in the Greater Tulsa, OK area, the home construction professionals from Perry Hood Properties can make your plans come to life.

 

(3-min read)

Whether you’re looking to buy a new home or build your dream home, the location of the house is crucial. Even beyond finding a neighborhood that meets your needs, the portion of the neighborhood that you decide upon can be equally important. In this piece, we’re going to look at the various perks of living in a cul de sac. 

What Technically is a Cul De Sac?

Lifted from the French expression for “dead end,” a cul de sac is a street that does not allow for thru traffic typically with a large circular area at its end. Cul de sacs are especially popular in suburban neighborhood layouts where there is a decreased need for as many thru-traffic roads. 

1. Safety

Because of its reduced presence to thru-traffic in a neighborhood, living in a cul de sac is safer on several levels. From the perspective of burglary, theft, or vandalism, criminals will prefer residential targets with an easier escape route—something a cul de sac does not allow for quite as easily. From the perspective of family life, being off of a regularly traveled road means that you can feel better about the safety of those enjoying a game of basketball in the driveway, a little one cruising the sidewalks on a big wheel, or wandering cats. 

2. Less Traffic

One of the greatest appeals of cul de sac is the decreased traffic in front of the house. Not only is this important from a safety perspective for family members, but also noise inside. Less traffic in front of your house also means the ability to park a car safely on the street without as much fear of it being hit by a passing vehicle. 

3. Enhanced Relationship With Neighbors

Cul de sac living allows for an enhanced relationship with more of your neighbors. If you had lived on a regular street, you might not have much interaction with a neighbor four houses over. The design of a cul de sac layout puts the homes in closer proximity to one another. These enhanced relationships have lasting benefits—including children having friends nearby, the organization of neighborhood events, and instances of neighbors looking out for each other in the instance of a dangerous event such as vandalism, burglary, or fire. 

4. Property Values 

Depending on your location, the property value of a home located in a cul de sac may be slightly higher. This is especially true in more suburban neighborhoods with less thru traffic. This may be the opposite, however, in more densely populated urban areas, where having quick access to a thru street may be more appealing. 

Considering Building on a Cul De Sac

If you’re considering building a home and would like to see about building in a cul de sac in the Greater Tulsa, OK area, the home construction professionals from Perry Hood Properties can help. 

 

(3.5-min read)

Whether your home backs up to a high-traffic area or you live in a neighborhood where the houses are closer together, privacy fences can provide a much-needed buffer. Upon shopping for privacy fencing, you’ll soon notice an abundant variety of materials available. In this piece, we’re going to weigh the pros and cons of wood, chain link, and vinyl privacy fencing options.

Wood Privacy Fencing

There’s nothing quite as residential as a wood fence. This classic choice in privacy fencing remains popular even in the face of ever-evolving metal and PVC vinyl options.

Pros: When adequately treated, installed, and cared for, wood privacy fencing has quite the lifespan. Wood can also be updated to reflect the changing color pallet of the house with new finishes or even paint schemes. In terms of color, your options are relatively open. Wood fences are also reasonably simple to repair for the amateur carpenter if they incur damage—unlike PVC vinyl or metal options.

Cons: Though the resilient, because wood is a natural material, it is among the most susceptible to damage due to changing weather conditions. Also, to keep a wood privacy fence looking its best requires periodic sanding, refinishing, repainting, and sometimes the replacement of damaged components.

Chain Link Privacy Fencing

When one thinks of privacy fencing, chain link isn’t typically the first thought. Despite this being the case, there are ways to convert this pragmatic form of fencing into a privacy fence with inserts or screens.

Pros: Chain link fencing is among the toughest, most rugged forms of fencing on this list. A properly installed chain link fence can last for decades with little to no maintenance. Also, due to the flexibility of the chain-link sections, installation is easy and sound.

Cons: There’s really no nice way to say it—chain link fences are ugly. Their flexible nature and practical application can make them an eye-sore. Though there are ways to make them look a little less prison-like, they will always follow function over form.

PVC Vinyl Privacy Fencing

Among the most advanced material on this list by far, new vinyl PVC privacy fencing options are continually being released.

Pros: Vinyl PVC privacy fencing comes in a variety of styles designed to match the aesthetic of any property. Most options come in a variety of colors that are “baked” right into the material, making repainting largely unnecessary (most options wouldn’t take a coat of paint if you tried). They’re also relatively maintenance-free, usually only requiring a quick garden-hosing or wiping down to restore their original luster through dirt and dust.

Cons: Vinyl PVC privacy fencing is neither cheap, nor is it as tough as the other options on this list. Many material types of PVC don’t stand up very well to impact. When they do break, they are expensive and difficult to fix. Also, the aesthetic of these fences are not all that changeable as they are usually too slick to hold onto a coat of paint.

When deciding upon which material of residential privacy fence is right for your property, there are several questions to ask. Does it need to look nice? Does it need to provide the maximum amount of privacy? Are you OK with periodic maintenance? Does your neighborhood’s home owner’s association have guidelines concerning fencing styles and materials? It’s important to weigh what you need in a fence before weighing your options.

---

For additional help with any home construction project in the Greater Tulsa, OK area, feel free to reach out to your friends at Perry Hood Properties.