Is a French Door Right for Your Space?

French door on a patio in Portland OR | is a French door right for your space? | Lifetime Windows & Doors

Looking to add more natural light to your home or office space? A French door could be the perfect option! Stunning glass panes that run the length of the door bring in outside light and open any room that they’re in. No matter what your style preference – modern, cozy, rustic, or a little bit of everything – there is a bright, beautiful French door waiting to make your living or workspace even more magical.

Benefits of French Doors

In addition to filling your home with gorgeous natural light and scenery, these doors are great for showcasing your unique aesthetic. Want to revamp your living area? Make it feel larger and more welcoming by adding a French door. Trying to boost your office productivity? Use these doors to make your space feel more serene and focused. No matter what your goals, these doors will upgrade your aesthetic while enhancing ventilation and bringing in that cool Pacific Northwest air.

French Door Styles

There are various options when it comes to materials, styles, and designs. When you work with our experts at Lifetime Windows and Doors, we can help you customize your options, too, adding sidelights (other glass panels on the sides of the door) or a panel of glass above the door(s). Here are some of the most common style options.

  • Center-hinged: A center-hinged door has two doors, one on a fixed pane and the other one able to swing open.
  • In or out-swinging: Whether it’s one or two doors, you can choose to have your door swing in or out. The type you determine will likely depend on your room’s layout and which one will function most conveniently in the space.

French Door Installation Experts

A French door installation is an upgrade to any home or office space. We are your local French door installation experts and have been installing these products for over 25 years. Your French doors will enhance your space like nothing else can! Call us today to get your quote scheduled.

Home Office Trends to Watch for This Year

close up of a person sitting at a desk, typing on a laptop near an open window.

The pandemic transformed work environments for people in a variety of industries across the globe. Working from home, otherwise known as remote work or just WFH, has become the norm for a large percentage of employees. And because this phenomenon is so common, home office renovations have climbed sharply in 2022. The trend is likely to continue this year, too. Maybe you’re remodeling a shed or garage to be a dedicated home office space, or it could be that you’re simply upgrading an existing space to make it more functional. Regardless, real estate experts everywhere are seeing home office setups become a real priority for people today. Keep these home office renovation ideas and trends in mind in 2023. 

Calming Space

The stress of the last few years has weighed on everyone at some point or another. You can combat this in your home office designs by creating a space with peace and calm in mind. Wood tones, soft pastel colors, and natural greens are all considered one of the best home office setups. If you plan on keeping your office in a shared space, consider adding shelving, a French door, or a room divider to create separation. This helps keep work and home-life divided as much as possible. 

Natural Light

Having a workspace with plenty of natural light is great for your energy bill – but it offers so much more than that. Daylight is important for bolstering creativity and helping with mental and physical health. So in that way it benefits your wellbeing as well as your productivity. In fact, a 2018 study showed that office environments with natural daylight reported an 84 percent drop in symptoms of eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision symptoms. That’s why incorporating natural light is a crucial part of a modern home office where you can work better and feel better doing it.

Access to Outside Living

Think about ways you can provide access to the outside of your home via your office. Maybe a new door can add an easy exit into your patio or backyard. We can help with the installation of all kinds of doors, including sliding patio doors, French doors, or a moving glass wall system. 

Transform Your Office Space

Let our experts help with your home renovation project so you can create an office that is functional, productive, and beautiful. Whether it’s window replacements that bring in natural light to your home, a new exterior door, or a combination of windows, doors, siding and roofing for a shed or garage remodel, we can help. Give us a call today to learn more or to get your free home office estimate.

Going Green This Spring

an open window letting in natural light

It can be intimidating to think about how to save the environment. But you don’t need to know everything about global warming and pollution to really make a difference. If you want to “go green”, you don’t need to look any further than your own home. Here are some great ways to start a journey toward energy conservation and green living. 

Take advantage of natural light.

We’ve all heard it before: turn off the lights when you leave the room. And it’s true – paying for light usage when you’re not using can be wasteful. Instead, take advantage of the natural light that comes from your windows every day. Even during a rainy spring afternoon, there is plenty of light to take advantage of. Doing so not only helps reduce your energy consumption, it also helps bring in warmth from the sun which can help minimize your heating use, too. When you do need to switch on your lights, make sure that your lightbulbs are energy efficient bulbs or LED lighting that will last longer and use less energy. 

Unplug what you’re not using.

Electronics or appliances that are not used regularly will drain energy. Put your television or computer on standby when you’re done using them, and if you don’t use some appliances often, unplug them. This is a small but mighty step toward energy conservation. And it’ll save you money on your monthly power bill, making this choice sustainable as well as economical.

Plant a garden.

Eating fresh foods from your garden is a great thing to do for your overall health and wellbeing. Once your garden is planted, you will probably spend even more time outside, which means you may want to consider adding a moving glass wall system to your home. These floor to ceiling walls slide like a patio door but look like a huge window. They’re a beautiful way to connect inside and outside living. We proudly carry Milgard moving glass wall systems, which are cost effective and highly durable. 

Say goodbye to drafty windows and doors.

Leaky windows and doors let warm air escape in the winter and cool air escape during the summer. These drafts throughout the year can cause your heating and cooling bill to skyrocket. If that’s not enough, it’s also a significant waste of energy! Replacing these faulty structures with new Energy Star® certified windows and doors from Simonton Windows and Doors or Milgard is not only a great way to help you go green in your home, but it also adds value and helps increase curb appeal.  

Start Your ‘GREEN’ Project Today

It isn’t difficult to be an environmentalist, and even with a few eco-friendly changes you can make a big difference. So, if you’re ready to go green, let us help with window or door replacement or the installation of a new moving glass wall system. Call us today for a free estimate!

What to Know Before Replacing Exterior Doors

Wooden front door with white trim on a light green house in Portland OR

Replacing an exterior door may seem like a quick and easy task, but there are actually a lot of small details that are easy to overlook. Since your door serves as a first impression for anyone who visits your home, it’s important to consider a few key things before starting your project so you can get the best results possible. To create a beautiful and cohesive look, here’s what you need to know before replacing exterior doors:

Which Material You Prefer

Did you know that standard hinged doors can be customized with different types of glass, unique materials, or additional windows? If you want your entry door to make a statement and flow seamlessly into the rest of your home, then you should be selective when choosing a material. To ignite your creativity, here are some examples of great door materials:

  • Aluminum is one of the most commonly used door materials, and for good reason! In addition to being very durable and affordable, it is highly resistant to wear and tear from bad weather, insects, and other environmental factors. It can also be painted to blend gorgeously with the rest of your exterior. 
  • Wood is full of rich colors and warm details that will set the tone when people enter your home. Since wood is such a timeless material, it adds a classic elegance to any space while amplifying your unique style. 
  • Fiberglass is built to withstand years of use without showing any wear and tear. These types of doors don’t warp with humidity or wet weather, making them a particularly good choice for people in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Additionally, they can be painted to suit your aesthetic.
  • Vinyl is an affordable and thermal-resistant door material that is also highly durable. Since these door types often come in folding, sliding, or swinging options, they are perfect for creating an entry to a patio or backyard.

The Style of Your Home

Your exterior doors don’t stand alone. Instead, they work with all of the other architectural and stylistic elements of your home to create a cohesive final product. If you pick a door style that clashes with the rest of your home, it may stand out for all the wrong reasons. 

However, that’s not to say you can’t mix and match different styles! Rather, we recommend considering how the door will look against your unique home when it is fully installed so you can achieve your aesthetic goals and build something that is true to your vision.

Your Budget Range

As with any project, your budget is important. And when it comes to exterior doors, price ranges can vary pretty significantly. To ensure you don’t accidentally go over budget, it’s best to set a specific range of what you want to spend on your new exterior door. 

When working with Lifetime Windows and Doors, we’re happy to help with this step! Our team is highly experienced in exterior doors and can help you get the most out of every dollar. During your initial consultation, we’ll discuss your budget and show you a variety of high-quality products that are within your range. From paint colors to glass or material options, we’ll also help you find stunning customization options that will bring your vision to life without breaking the budget. 

Start Your Project Today

Are you ready to get your exterior door replacement project completed in 2023? Our expertise is unmatched, and we’ll provide you with a lot of options so you can find the absolute best doors for your space and budget. With quality products from reputable brands such as Therma-Tru, Milgard, and Simonton, you can expect the very best when working with Lifetime Windows and Doors. Just give us a call today to get your free estimate!

Tips for Restoring Your Older Home

Older homes have charm and a unique sense of character. Historic homes or those that were built in decades past have a story to tell and add charm to any neighborhood. Whether you live in a Victorian, a Craftsman, or a mid-century home in Oregon or Washington, restoring it while retaining its distinctive characteristics is important. Here are some things to keep in mind when remodeling an older home.


ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY & KEEP THE HISTORY

Older homes often have ornate windows or doors that hint at times past. Single-pane windows were very common several decades ago, but they are nowhere near as energy efficient as contemporary windows. Replacement windows in fiberglass, vinyl, or wood give you stunning options that can be modern, traditional, or classic in design. No matter what era your home is from, there are new windows that can keep that older home feel, but provide you with the updates you want. New windows also add instant value and curb appeal. They are an investment that helps garner good returns if you want to sell your home later.


MAKE COMFORT SUPREME

When you stand near your windows, do you feel a draft? Warm air inside will leak out during the winter and cool air-conditioned air can get out in the summer months. Energy-efficient, double-paned windows from reputable, high-quality brands like Simonton Windows and Doors or Milgard help eliminate drafts. This not only keeps your home more comfortable inside with more evenly distributed temperatures, but it also helps with noise reduction. The end result is a quieter, more comfortable home.


CREATE GREATER FUNCTIONALITY

Modern designs can be difficult to integrate into older homes. So, look closely at its overall functionality and make changes during the renovation that make it easier to use. Perhaps adding a moving glass wall system instead of a large picture window could create greater access to your outside living space. Or, maybe your home could simply benefit from new, energy-efficient doors that are safer and more secure.

HOME RESTORATION EXPERTS IN PORTLAND OR

Our team has served the greater Portland OR area for over 25 years and have worked with homeowners on exterior projects all year round, even in the dead of winter! Restoring your old home with modern updates is an important investment in its life and longevity, so call us today to learn more about our services and get a free estimate!

Benefits of Custom Exterior Doors

Your home or business is a reflection of your design preferences and even your personality. If you want to make a statement, a custom exterior door is one way to do that. Here are some benefits of installing a custom exterior door. 

Style

Open the door to something different when you welcome guests to your home, or customers and employees to your business. Doors come in a variety of sizes, shapes, styles and paint colors. There’s more, too. There are panel and glass design choices, different types of woods, and other customizable options available. Our specialists at Lifetime Windows and Doors will walk you through your options so you can customize your door to match your unique needs. 

Endurance

A custom, top-quality door offers protection for many years. It’s not enough to have a door that looks great today. With our top-quality doors, you can rest assured your door will look beautiful for a long time to come. 

Vision

Your exterior doors provide a glimpse into the rest of your home or business Once you determine the best custom door design, many people feel inspired to extend their design vision throughout the rest of the space. Maybe it means getting the ball rolling for window replacement around your home, or even new siding on your home or business exterior. We can help with these improvements too and have over two decades of hands-on expertise implementing them. 

Return on Investment

Much research has been done to determine which home improvements provide the best return on investment when it comes time to sell. New entry doors, new windows, and updated siding are just some of the home improvement projects that yield great returns. In the meantime, you can enjoy the security, beauty and energy efficiency that new exterior doors provide.

New door installation is an easy and very visible home improvement that will catch the eyes of passersby. With different sizes and styles available, let us help you with select a door that’s perfect for your home or business.  

Your Custom Exterior Door Experts

Want to jazz up your exterior door? Turn to the experts at Lifetime Windows & Doors! Our specialists have been helping people choose custom exterior doors for more than two decades! We have an incredible number of quality door options to choose from. Whether you want a custom door, a patio replacement, or a simple front door for your home, we have dozens of style options for you to choose from! Call us today to get your free consultation!

Aging-in-Place Features For Your Home

If you are newly retired or you are thinking about retirement soon, chances are you are crunching numbers and determining what life will look like after working. Many retirees want to stay in their homes as long as possible, so making their home as updated and convenient for aging-in-place is very important. Here are some things your home should have as you set out toward your journey of retirement.

#1: Updated windows.
Chilly winter days and hot summer nights – we have a little bit of everything in the Pacific Northwest.  New windows are energy efficient and can even help reduce your utility costs each month. That’s a real win when it comes to conserving your retirement dollars!  Updated windows also help keep outside noise out, so you can kick back and relax in the quietness of your own space. And last, new windows add value to your home and enhance curb appeal!

#2: New roof.
A reliable roof is one of the most important parts of your home’s structure. A new roof is one of the best long-term investments you can make for your home. It will help keep you comfortable and protected from the outside elements. We use Malarkey Roofing Products in our roofing jobs, a company committed to protecting the environment in their Energy-Star rated roofing materials. One thing is for sure – a high-quality roof will serve you well for many decades! And, you’ll be confident knowing that the roof above you is doing its job to keep you secure and safe from whatever the weather decides to do outside.

#3: Reliable siding.
Is the exterior siding of your home showing any signs of failing? If so, don’t ignore this. This could expose your home to water, which could lead to dry rot and mold. Not to mention, it can take a hit from the sun and cold weather in the winter. Be proactive and make sure your siding is ready to go for your retirement years. If it isn’t, consider replacement with fiber cement siding. This type of siding installed by our professionals at Lifetime Windows and Doors is one of the best things you can do for your home’s exterior. It is moisture and rot resistant, doesn’t crack, split, or warp, and is resistant to pests.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help with your home’s aging-in-place projects! We proudly serve the Portland metro area, Southwest Washington, and Central Oregon. Our experience is something you can count on, so call us today!

How to Stay Comfortable While Working from Home

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people go about their daily lives. It’s also changed work environments around the country. Many offices have shut down and told their employees that working from home is the new norm. If you are working from home, you’ll want to be as comfortable as possible. Our team at Lifetime Windows and Doors can help. Here’s how.

#1: We can update your space.
Did you know that your windows play a key role in keeping your home’s heating and cooling evenly distributed? Old, energy inefficient windows can leak outside air in. That means your heat during the fall and winter months can make its way outside and cold outside air could create cold spots in your home. That means your heating and cooling system must work harder to keep the temperatures evenly distributed. Because of that, your utility bills will likely increase. So, consider window replacement for your home! We have a variety of options that will fit your home’s unique style and most importantly, your budget.

#2: Replace your doors.
Your exterior doors are also an important part of creating a comfortable home and work environment. We carry a variety of brands including Simonton, ThermaTru, Simpson! These doors are affordably priced and can even be ordered custom. Our team of installation specialists can take a look at your current doors and make recommendations for replacement based on your style preferences and budget guidelines.

Home renovations like these will not only make the space your beautiful and comfortable, but they can help increase your home’s value! That means when it comes time to sell it, you will have a greater return. The money you spend now is well worth it, because it will create an opportunity for a easier, smoother home sale later down the road.

Contact us today to talk about your home improvement projects. We have been working with customers around Oregon and Washington since 1998. We have the products you need and the experience you can count on.

Tips to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer

Summer in the Pacific Northwest is stunning. The weather is warmer, the days are longer, and it’s a great time to sit outside in your yard and enjoy the day. But when you come inside, you want a place to cool off. Here are some tips on how to keep your home cool, while minimizing your use of air conditioning.

Reduce sunlight:
Sunlight lifts the spirits, but direct sunlight heading into your home for hours on end could increase your home’s temperature. Adding some drapes, blinds, or reflective panels to your windows can minimize amount of sunlight that goes into your home. That will help decrease your home’s temperature and make it more comfortable.

Make sure your ceiling fan is rotating the right way.
Did you know that if you set your ceiling fan to rotate counter clockwise during the summer, it will help move heat away from the room and push the heat to the ceiling rather than down toward you? This will keep things cooler and more comfortable.

Utilize cross ventilation early in the morning.
Fresh air is great. But, if your doors are open while the temperature is hot outside, that heat will make its way inside. Open the doors in the morning when the temperatures are cooler, then keep them closed for the remainder of the day as the temps heat up. At the same time in the morning, open windows on both ends of your home. This will allow for cross ventilation, and cooler air will be able to move freely throughout the home.

Maybe your windows and doors are not energy efficient or easily opened. Perhaps they are decades old, have cracks or other damage, or leak that precious cold air inside your home out. The solution: new replacement windows Portland, OR. Contact the experts at Lifetime Windows & Doors today for more information!

3 Things to Do Before Remodeling Your Home

Remodeling your home is a big job, but if you plan well, things will go smoothly, and it can be more exciting than stressful. Here are some important things to do before remodeling your home.

#1: Outline your project goals.
Homeowners have lots of different reasons for remodeling their home. Maybe things are out of date or the style is simply not something they connect with. Maybe there needs to be more added space, or you’re looking to increase the resale value of the home. It’s important to outline what your overall goals are before you pick up the hammer and start demolishing. Perhaps one of your project goals is to enhance your living space and create greater views to the outdoors. If that’s the case, plan for new, updated windows in the space that are energy efficient. Maybe your backyard space is important in your remodel. In that situation, consider what exterior siding could help enhance the home.

#2: Bring in the pros.
Maybe you will work with a contractor or you plan on doing a lot of the work yourself. However, bringing in the professional for some of the biggest jobs like window or door installation or roof replacement is very important. These people have the experience and knowledge that it takes to get the job done with accuracy, attention to detail and efficiency. These professionals will also help advise you on what windows or doors will help you improve the overall design of the home while adding value and curb appeal.

#3: Narrow down timelines.
Home renovations take time, so figuring out a general timeline is key. Working with professionals on the project will help, as they will see if there are any limitations or restrictions on the timeline you’ve proposed. They will be able to talk to you about that and come up with a reasonable completion date so you can stay on track and minimize frustrations along the way.

Your home is a sacred place that should be cared for well. A home renovation project should be planned carefully so the result is exactly how you envisioned it. We work with homeowners from around Portland, southwest Washington, and central Oregon to install beautiful, updated windows, doors, roofs, and siding! No matter what your budget, we will work with you to find top quality products that will help you enjoy your home for years to come. Contact us today to talk to us about your upcoming project!