Outside view of a duplex house with tinted aluminium awning windows

Tips for Renovators

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Window and door replacement is a big part of a renovation job.

As with anything, doors and windows do tend to wear out and quit being as secure as you’d like and don’t do quite as good of a job keep the cold or hot air outside where it belongs.

At Southern Cross Windows and Doors, we have a wide range of door and window options for you to choose from as you renovate your home.

Before you get started on replacing your doors and windows, it’s a good idea to learn what you can expect from the job.

So, keep reading for handy tips you’ll be glad you have.

The Basics

In some cases, a window or door replacement involves putting in new glass and moving parts and the frame remains in place.

If you want to reframe the windows or doors or replace the window sills, you will need to get help from a contractor or carpenter who knows how to do the job.

In this case, it is often better to replace the windows completely as whole units.

We can help you choose the best windows and doors to fit your renovation and what you want from the rooms in your home.

Consider the Options

When it comes to windows and doors, there are plenty of options to choose from.

We offer a wide range of choices, including bifold doors and windows, double hung windows, sliding windows, casement windows, stacker, and hinged doors.

We can help you evaluate your current doors and windows and decide which of our options are the best fit for the space.

Building Codes

If you’re simply swapping out old windows and doors with new ones, you probably won’t need to worry about proper building codes.

However, if your renovation includes reframing the windows or doors or other construction work, you may need to get the work cleared with your city planners.

We can help you decide if this necessary so you know what to expect when you get started.

Installation

Window and door installation is best done by experts. Our trained staff can remove your existing doors and windows, create a larger space for the windows and doors and hang the new ones for you.

If you’re not sure you’re up to the job, it’s better to let the pros do it so you have peace of mind that it’s done right.

Call Us on: 07 5534 3300 at Southern Cross Glass Windows and Doors today for a free quote on new doors and windows for your renovation.

You’ll receive expert and professional advice on all your queries.

Aluminium Sliding Doors

The latest trends in aluminium windows and doors

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Are you thinking of replacing those tired and draughty old wooden doors and windows around your property?

Maybe you are considering changing to aluminium windows and doors instead. Switching to aluminium is an excellent choice due to the latest trends in the aluminium window and doors business.

It is an extremely effective choice and very hard to beat in efficiency and upkeep.

This is where we, at Southern Cross Glass Windows and Doors, can help you.

Customising to your style

People were once shy of installing all aluminium windows and doors throughout their home because they thought they only came in one style and colour.

Luckily for the homeowner, the industry has made great strides in being able to customise the colour and style of aluminium doors and windows, so they can be tailored to complement the existing décor.

Colours now range from light to dark and most colours in between due to the use of powder coatings, which are applied to the aluminium frame then bond with the metal to form a hard-wearing surface.

As for style: from Casement and sliding to louvre and double hanging, our qualified team can customise the frames to fit your existing areas.

Improved Energy Saving and Security

The biggest bonus of changing to aluminium windows and doors on your property is the very nature of how they are manufactured and fitted. Aluminium products already have many features built in, which you won’t find with more traditional wooden products. These types of doors and windows have full locking options, excellent seals and wide solid frames to prevent warping and gaps, therefore ensuring a tight and secure fit to help safeguard occupants from both the elements and homes intruders.

New Thinking and Styling

With the trends and changes in window fittings for modern properties, the aluminium windows and doors trade has come up with some of the most innovative choices to improve both the look and functionality of your home. Australia’s agreeable climate has lead to many changes in styles for windows and doors, with many people now wanting to open their homes to increase their living spaces.

The Australian weather is suitable for bringing the outside in, making bi-folding doors a popular option to improve the flow of your interiors to your outside space.

If you want a better flow of air through a room, louvre windows offer a breezier effect.
A great way to lighten a dull-lit hallway is to remove the solid timber door and install a door with glass panels, along with double-glazed vertical sidelight windows to allow in more light .
All these options can of course be achieved quite easily when working with aluminium windows and doors and give a whole new aspect and value to your property.

The choices are endless.

Contact our experienced team to refresh those old doors and windows, and give you a whole new look for your home.

Our aluminium products come with the peace of mind of enhanced security and low maintenance.

For expert advice on the design and installation of your new aluminium doors and windows, don’t hesitate to contact Southern Cross Glass Doors and Windows on the Gold Coast.

We have a large range of frame colours and glass tints available.

You might also find the following article of interest to help save on power bills over summer:

Slash Your Power Bills with Aluminium Louvre Windows

Louvre Windows

Slash Your Power Bills with Aluminium Louvre Windows

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Louvre Windows

It seems like every year our power bills go up. Apart from turning off lights and appliances not in use and buying energy efficient white goods, a simple way to help reduce your power bills is to install aluminium louvre windows.

How you ask? We’re here to tell you exactly that, plus a range of other benefits you can expect from top-quality aluminium windows, like those from Southern Cross Glass Windows & Doors.

What are aluminium louvre windows?

The best thing about louvres is that they can be attached to almost any existing window or door. With a high-strength frame and easy-to-manoeuvre blades, louvres provide weatherproofing, allowing you to control sunlight, rain and wind. Southern Cross Windows can supply louvres in either glass or wood, we also offer the louver inserts in glass or aluminium and even a fancy timber-look solution.

Control the temperature of your room with louvre windows

Warm sun on a chilly morning. A cool breeze on a hot day. With louvre windows, you can have both of these things. Thanks to being able to control the pitch of your louvre blades, you can keep out sun, rain or breeze (or let it in) without closing your louvers completely.

By adjusting the louvres to the right position, you can help control the temperature in any room, eliminating the need for costly air conditioners. During winter, you can keep the blades closed for added insulation.

Aluminium louvre windows are easy to clean

The slanted blades aren’t just useful for temperature control. Unlike when you clean normal shutters or windows, you don’t need to go outside. Simply clean one side of the louvres then easily pitch your blades in the other direction to clean the other side. It’s as hassle-free as that.

Add privacy to any room without losing ventilation

Normally you need to open a window to allow airflow into your home, which unless you keep your curtains or blinds drawn, lets prying outside eyes see in. By installing louvres, you can have fresh air and privacy. Slanting your blades allows you to adjust your privacy levels at any time.

Interested in having aluminium louvre windows installed in your home? Call Southern Cross Windows now for a free quote. All louvres can be powder coated, come with a 7–year warranty and are tested to Australian standards for superior quality assurance.

For expert advice on the design and installation of your new aluminium louvre windows, don’t hesitate to contact Southern Cross Windows on the Gold Coast.

You might also find the following article of interest if you have existing louvre windows: How To Maintain Your Aluminium Doors and Windows 

 

White bi fold windows over a sink in a modular kitchen

How to make your kitchen look bigger

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Having a small kitchen doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all the fun of current design trends or entertaining. There are many ways to update your kitchen and get it ready for summer entertaining without having to extend. With our simple renovation and stylish tips, you can flawlessly fake a larger kitchen to create the illusion of space when you don’t have the luxury of adding that real extra footage.

Let There Be Light

The first tip to creating the illusion of a larger room is to flood the space with light. Whether your kitchen is painted in pale or darker shades, having light beaming in will help it to feel as large as possible. To allow it as much light as possible from the sun, keep window treatments or dressing minimal or non-existent. Painting cabinets the same colour as the walls can also help to erase visual boundaries and ensures that the kitchen does not look overcrowded. Paint them white for best results, as the combination of this single hue and the natural light will make the room feel even larger.

kitchen windows

Open Up with Bi-Fold Windows

Function and attractive, bi-fold windows provide the best of both worlds for your home. Bi-fold windows can create a moving glass walls that literally opens up your home to the outside world. Enjoy the benefits of fresh air, natural light and beautiful views with no barriers in sight. Bi-fold windows are easy to open, even easier to clean and provide superior security for the home.

Double Up with Bi-fold Doors

Instantly increase the space of your kitchen by using bi-fold doors along an exterior wall. As with bi-fold windows windows, these will combine the indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces to create an expansive kitchen space, rather than 2 individual spaces. Not only do bi-fold doors add an abundance of natural light to the space, they create a great social, spacious entertainment area for the host or chef to enjoy those summer barbecues and Christmas gatherings while preparing food in the kitchen.

Smarter Storage

In order to make your kitchen appear larger, you need to include plenty of vertical storage space. This will allow things to be removed from the counters and stored out of sight to prevent the kitchen appearing visually cluttered and small. Increase available shelf space, overall kitchen space and add depth by building cabinets or shelving into the wall between studs. You can even enhance the perception of depth by painting the carved space a deeper shade of the wall.

If carving into the wall isn’t an option, replace existing cabinets with taller versions that reach the ceiling. This will subtly draw the eye upwards and make the overall room appear more spacious. You can also incorporate open or glass shelving into furnishings, which further reduce visual weight and lend to the illusion of a more expansive kitchen.

Get In Touch

Need more ideas or advice on how to create a bigger kitchen without a full renovation? Contact us today.

Modern bedroom with green color bed & curtains

Easy Window Makeover Ideas

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Making over your windows is an easy way to breathe new life and a fresh new look into your home. Updating the style of your windows can be as easy as installing new window dressings and treatments in stylish new trends or classic, sleek aluminium products. The days of heavily draped windows, tab curtains and gathered valances have given way to dressings of simplicity and understated style. With an emphasis on crisp, clean lines, the focus for windows is once again creating the flow of natural light and space in and around the home.

Curtains

Printed curtains are making a huge comeback in home décor, but don’t panic — they’re not the same nauseating patterns that were popular back in the eighties. Recent designs have been pared back to subtly add colour and character to any room. Current curtain trends include geometric patterns, trellis designs, large-scale florals and single, bold block colours. Even sheer curtains are once again having their moment in current home design, thankfully minus the frills and lace that were once the go-to choice for everyone’s grandmas back in the day. If you’re not yet convinced about statement curtains, perhaps ease yourself in by choosing curtains or drapes with a stripe print, as stripes tend to never go out of style.

A clever trick to add classic romance to your bedroom or visual width to living room windows is by mounting drapes that rest beyond the window frame. Drapes that are longer and wider than the windows themselves make your windows appear larger in scale. Using luxurious materials like velvet and silk add to the decadence of this look.

makeover your home

Casement Windows and Shutters

For a coastal feel (or to complement your coastal home, Queenslanders), opt to install casement windows. Designed for extreme weather conditions, their stainless steel fastenings minimise corrosion whilst opening your home up to the outdoors. Casement windows subtly bring attention to the windows with their traditional appearance, whilst also providing ventilation. Also traditional in appearance, window shutters are one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to improve your home, as there are endless ways to customise them to perfectly suit your style and decor.

Go Natural

Add a fresh, natural feel to your living space by incorporating natural materials, textures and colours in your window dressings. Bring the outdoors a little further indoors with organic materials like wood, grasses, bamboo and reeds. Bamboo blinds, for example, are stylish and made to shade indoors. The subtle imperfections in these materials have a natural, simple beauty.

Bi-fold Windows

Increase natural light, ventilation and provide unobstructed views by installing aluminium bi-fold windows. They can be used to create a moving glass wall, opening the interior of your home to the outdoors. The innovative designs of bi-fold windows make them ideal for updating and creating defined entertainment areas. With fixed hinges and no visible screws, bi-fold windows can ensure a flush appearance that blends into an existing home design. Aluminium bi-fold windows are powder-coated for better durability and are available in a wide range of colours.

Get In Touch

Speak to an expert at Southern Cross Windows today for more advice and window makeover ideas. Contact us today.