HOT TRENDS for Home Improvement in 2013

RealtorMag, the online magazine for Real Estate pros across the country, profiled the hottest trends in housing in their Dec. issue.

Automated Controls and Home Security Systems were #1 and OUTDOOR LIVING ROOMS are #2. They said, "The trend that began a few years ago continues to inspire homeowners..."

Maybe you've seen it too. Homeowners want to add value, equity and extra space to their home. One of the easiest and most cost effective ways is with an outdoor enclosure. Whether it's a hot tub room, patio enclosure or a 3 season room on a deck, Eze-Breeze windows can help your customers get the most fun and value.

Archer Lion can help you with the experience and knowledge. You get the information to assist your customers in their choices, fast quotes and free delivery of fully boxed windows to your business address.

Once you order, we take care of everything, including advance delivery notice so you can schedule crews.

If a 3 season room is in your plans, let us know how we can work for you.

From Porch to 3 Season Screened Porch in a DIY Day

Yes, the EZE-Breeze Sliding Window panels are so easy to install that you can DIY in a DAY.

Today, we are going to talk about the Outside Mount 4 Track window by PGT from Archer Lion. This type of unit is mounted to the exterior of your porch. Each unit has a full screen on the exterior side and has 4 sliding panels that move up and down from the interior. They stack over each other in 4 individual tracks, so when completely open, you have 75% clear opening for summer breezes. When closed, you and your porch furnishings are sheltered from wind and bad weather.

So what do you need to create your own 3 Season Room screened porch? Follow these easy steps and your new screen porch windows can be installed in a day.

1. Make a small diagram of your porch and label each opening starting with #1. This is important when you go to install.
2. Use the measuring guide found here. It is important to do 3 measurements of width and height since not all openings are square. Write your measurements on your diagram for each opening. You will use the smallest dimensions for each window when you order.
3. Call or e-mail us your dimensions starting with opening #1, then #2, etc. for your quote
4. Order the windows from Archer Lion - we take credit card payments and PayPal. 
5. Watch for your windows to arrive in about 3 weeks direct from facory
6. Unpack and match your windows to their openings. You will find the number on your packaging.
7. From the exterior, set window in place to make sure it fits, then follow the the easy caulking instructions found here. Make sure the screen is on the exterior.
8. Use round head, self-tapping screws to secure the nail fin to your posts in the order described in the instructions. You can get screws from the local hardware store. Caulk helps make the unit watertight but the screws anchor the window to the porch posts.
9. Go inside and remove the shipping bracket/plastic installation clip(s) found in the top of the window
10. Sit down and enjoy

The following assumptions are being made in these directions:

Your posts are wood but not treated. You have removed any existing screen. The exterior surfaces of all 4 sides where window will attach are flat, level, and plumb. There is not a railing. See other posts in this blog if any of these assumptions do not fit your application. More information is also available at archerlion.com or contact us at info@archerlion.com.

Eze-Breeze 2012 Photo Contest

Just in time for Spring Home Improvement Season comes a chance to win money for the best photo of a PGT Eze-Breeze window application.

Not to mention, completing one of these 3 season rooms will definitely create a more enjoyable summer. Free yourself from nasty bugs and keep your patio furniture cushions dry with these unique windows.

No glass to break, yet they keep out wind, weather and bugs. And they are so easy to install, you can even do it yourself, if you are handy with a level and screwdriver. These window units will increase the use of any screened porch, deck, or patio. They are great for use around hot tubs and pools, also. And there is even a sliding unit to convert your garage to a screen room.

Order your windows now to enclose your porch or deck, or add a new attached or detached 3 season room. All photos need to be submitted by July 1, 2012. Contact us for more details and let's hope you can create the winning photo.

For more information on the PGT Eze-breeze window see www.archerlion.com

Welcome Facebook

The Inside Corner goes social today. Follow Archer Lion and the Inside Corner on Facebook.

June update

For a slow economy, there is still a lot of things going on. Some GOOD, some not so nice.

Good Stuff -

1. Archer Lion's first Inside Corner E-newsletter went out this month. You can see it at Archer Lion.com. It covers some of the things I am including here, with a few extras.
2. Our newly redesigned website (ArcherLion.com) grows every day thanks to a very gifted employee (and family member who will remain nameless but she knows who she is.)
3. Tax Incentives - the First-time homebuyer $8000 tax credit has now been monetized. This is a fancy way of saying you can use the money now for your downpayment or to pay additional on your downpayment. According to HUD and NAHB this will really help close more sales for these buyers. read more
4. Leading economists say we may have reached the bottom of the housing crisis. While at the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Spring Board of Directors meeting in Washington DC the end of May, several leading economists held a panel discussion regarding the current economy and what to expect. If you are an NAHB member, you can go to NAHB.ORG, click on Spring Boards and watch all of this panel discussion.
5. The Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) diploma is finally hanging on my wall. Thanks to Karen at the Chippewa Valley Homebuilders Association, I have done a newspaper interview and will be doing a television spot regarding universal design and building/remodeling considerations for senior citizens.

Not so nice stuff -

1. Contractor Licensing - The State of Wisconsin has a new contractor licensing rule that effects anyone who does work on 1-2 family housing which must be complied with by July 1, 2009. This costs $100 and is good for 4 years. It is really important for window and siding installers who do not have a regular WI contractor license to apply for this through the Department Of Commerce. read more
2. Tax Credits for windows - Just released, the Federal government has gone back to the original ruling of .30/.30 in order to qualify for the 30%/$1500 tax credit for all sales after June 1, 2009. Due to "discrepancies", sales prior to June 1 only had to have the Energy Star rating to qualify. But now the official ruling is for u-values of .30 or better and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) of .30 or better. For those that really follow these ratings, the SHGC of .30 is considerably more stringent than the Energy Star and many window manufacturers sis not have windows that could meet the criteria. However, most have now added glass packs or made improvements. There are many that will argue that the SHGC of .30 is not applicable in our climate, but can't fight the minds in DC. read more
3. Unemployment and current bank lending standards are not going to get better any time soon. From that same group of economists in DC that told me some good stuff.

Vinyl Siding goes "green"

Vinyl siding is a great way to get "green building" points according to ANSI and the National Green Building Standard.

At long last, the word "draft" has been removed and replaced with "ANSI approved." And in the ANSI approved ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™, vinyl siding continues to contribute to achieving more points for resource and energy efficiency than other exterior cladding.When the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) — a joint effort of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC) — was approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in late January, it became the only green certification program to receive ANSI approval. In the NGBS, vinyl siding can contribute to achieving points through performance in these categories: (click to see points chart).

12 reason to use vinyl siding on your green project:

1. Can contribute to points in leading green building programs
2. Boosts a home’s R-value
3. Generates less waste during manufacturing
4. Produces little waste when installed
5. Requires few resources to maintain beauty
6. Is engineered to last
7. Offers better environmental performance
8. Balances economic with environmental performance
9. Contributes less to global warming than brick
10. Releases fewer toxic chemicals than other exterior cladding through its life-cycle
11. Emits less dioxin than other exterior cladding
12. Installs safely
    
    To learn more about vinyl siding's sustainability, download
    A Dozen Things You Might Not Know that Make Vinyl Siding Green.

Use vinyl siding and GO GREEN!!

May Product and Service Update

Archer Lion Products and News - May 2009


Instant Screen and 3 Season Rooms

EZE-Breeze from PGT continues to be the hot product for this summer. For a fast, low cost conversion of porches, gazebos, garages and under-deck areas to a fully screened 3 season rooms, EZE-Breeze is the answer. Three colors, convenient nailing flange, and custom sizing makes this the product to ensure bug free, rain free, and wind free enjoyment of the fun summer days ahead.

See more at ArcherLion.com or call us for brochures and price lists.

Energy Tax Credit Qualified products –

Windows
Replacement windows from Alside and Great Lakes meet the requirements for your customers to receive the Energy Tax Credit. If you need information on the Energy Tax Credit call or email us. We will send you the information you need. But if you are doing any replacement windows on a customer’s primary home, they may be eligible to receive $1500 off their taxes. This is a great selling feature for replacement windows.
Doors
Both Acclimated Entry Systems (Masonite) and Taylor Door have provided us lists of their door products that qualify for the Energy Tax Credit. It is important to realize that doors must meet certain requirements – not all doors on the market are created equal!
Siding
Up to $1500 tax credit to homeowner for replacing windows, doors or adding insulation.
Get in on the replacement window action.We expect to be announcing in the next 30 days, the addition of a new siding line that will meet the Energy Tax Credit requirements. This product has a fitted drop in foam backer that is qualified for this credit. You will be able to order most colors of siding and accessories in job lot quantities. More to come.

eContractorbids.com serves consumers

Archer Lion has joined this growing trend to do more business via the internet. We fully support giving the consumer a safe environment for access to qualified contractors. If you are currently listing your company on eContractorbids.com, please ask Archer Lion for bids on your new and retrofit window, doors, siding and other exterior products. And if you have not listed your company with econtractorbids.com, please consider it. Archer Lion is referring homeowners in your area to this site for bids on jobs.

Virtual Home Makeovers

Having trouble getting your customers to visualize the improvements for the exterior of their home? Or, anyone who is having difficulty picking a color?

Our virtual Home makeover software will take a digital photo of their home and show it completely finished in any color combination or siding choice. We can also show different grid patterns on windows or different color entry doors, garage doors, trim, you name it.

Visit our website at VirtualHomeExteriors.com for prices and information. We have access to materials from all the leading manufacturers of windows, doors, siding, cement board, paint, roofing, and trim companies. So no matter who you buy products from, we can get you color photos of all the changes applied to the existing home. This is a great selling tool to show what the job will look like before you finish it and give the customer options to make informed decisions.

Residential and Light Commercial Framing Packages

You can now buy panelized framing packages from our sister company DMand Structures. They can be erected by crane on your job site by us or you can use your own crew to set the walls. This is an incredible opportunity to erect a stick built structure in less time, have less waste, and have less exposure to weather. You can still order Archer Lion windows, doors, siding and products for the project. All framing packages can be custom designed by you or us. For more information contact Monica at 800-962-8297 or email us at DMandinfo@charter.net.

EZE-Breeze by PGT - Product of the month

This is the time of year that we start thinking about all those fun summer days outside. If you live in Wisconsin or Minnesota, summer is great - except for the darn bugs!!!

For anyone looking for a quick and easy way to convert a porch, gazebo, underdeck area or even your garage into a screened area, EZE-Breeze from PGT is your answer. Not only will you get a fully screened area, the additional of lightweight, vinyl glazed sliding panels can be used to create a true 3 season room to keep the rain, wind & snow out.

With PGT Eze-Breeze it is almost like adding another room to your house - at very little cost.

If you are tired of bugs, replacing ripped screens, or removing the ugly plastic you stapled over the screening last year, Eze-Breeze is your solution.

And I know many of us use the garage for entertaining in the summer. Make your next graduation, birthday, family reunion or summer party bug free by adding an Eze-Breeze garage door unit. The rugged screen panels slide across the garage door opeining with a touch of the finger. Turn on the lights in the evening, close the screens and enjoy a bug free evening outside in your new garage room.

All Eze-Breeze units are custom made for your application. They can be easily added to most structures that you can drill a screw into. So you can convert a pavillion, gazebo, pergola or other outdoor structure into a fully screened and dry area.

Archer Lion is proud to have this product as one of our low cost/high value home improvement products. Visit our website at Archer Lion.com for more information, pictures and installation instructions. Or call us at 800-962-8297. We can walk you through the ordering process or line you up with an installer if you need one.

Make you summer a truly enjoyable one. No bugs - no wet patio furniture cushions. Summer is short. With Eze-Breeze you can extend the season and enjoy it more.

2009

Archer Lion announces a few new ventures for 2009 to recognize the needs of the Do-it-yourself (DIY) market, the changing consumer marketplace, and the Economic Stimulus Package Tax Credits. While our primary business will continue its emphasis on the professional contractor, we feel we can play an important part in helping homeowners get the best products available and find the right contractor.

First, we are really expanding our entry door offerings. And we are taking it direct to the homeowners in our territory. Both of our major door suppliers have a "consumer friendly" software package that will allow us to help anyone find the right door to fit any budget. Plus, Archer Lion will help line up a qualified installer if needed.

Second, we are also taking our replacement window business direct to the homeowner. This will allow homeowners to to gain access to premium quality windows that professional contractors have had for years. And, with tools like econtractorbids.com, Archer Lion will be able to allow homeowners to get bids from qualified contractors for the install of these windows. (*Some window lines will remain exclusive to the professional installer market, however Archer Lion will be happy to show homeowners windows and get them in contact with the Certified installer in the area.)

Archer Lion has all the documentation to make sure window and door purchases will qualify for the Tax Credit.

And, our third venture is a new product through DMand Structures that will allow us to sell complete framing packages to the OwnerBuilder and Professional Contractor. These homes can be custom designed, are built in a controlled environment, and get you on your way to a GREEN built home. Our packages are delivered to homesites in WI or MN, set by crane (provided) on the foundation and a ready to finish structure is up in 3 days. Framing and erecting walls can be a frustrating part of building a home. Packages from DMand Structures get you to the fun and creative part faster. Homes are built to the building code of the area and you won't have to worry about weather delays, material shortages, and framing injuries. All Archer Lion exterior porducts can be ordered to complete the exterior of the new home. Plus, use our virtual home design tool at VirtualHomeExteriors.com to see how everything will look before you buy any products.

Archer Lion understands just how much each home project means to the homeowner. Whether doing an energy efficient upgrade or building a new "green" home, money and time are precious commodities. Let us help you get the best product for your dollar. Be amazed at what you can do!

2008

Another year has started. We made it through the first 10 years and are started on #11.

From a product standpoint not much is changing. Has everything that can be made in vinyl been made? I'm guessing not, but there is little new to anounce this year.

Price increases continue to be thrown about, but none of our vinyl manufacturers have actually enacted one. Most have been delayed a few times. Next possible is February, but I think they are all afraid to be the first - and then the only. Bad place to be.

Biggest change seems to be in how we can do business. While technology expands the amount of knowledge readily available to anyone, it becomes even more important to make sure we deliver services and information effectively.

We will continue to update our website with a customer only section. We will be bringing in even more training this year. And we look forward to more customer events.

Contact your salesman for your 2008 pricing. Have a great year.