Amazing Ways to Upgrade Your Home Exterior
The outside of your house is its face and sets the tone for the entire property. Outfitting your home exterior with well-chosen architectural details brings out the best in your abode. The right shutters, front door and roof can transform your house from forgettable to fantastic.
Get a New Front Door
Replacing the front door of your home is a fast way to give the place a new face. Swapping a battered door with a new one, or switching a small, windowless door for a larger one with glass panes and sidelights will make your home exterior look lovely and new.
Matching your front door to your home’s architectural style will power up your curb appeal. Swapping a colonial front door on a 1950s ranch house with a midcentury modern door will let your house be what it’s supposed to be instead of a design mishmash. Things to consider when replacing a front door include your home’s style, the size of the existing door, the amount of light you want the door to let in and the amount of privacy you want. Do you want a single or double door? Side lights or no sidelights?
Replace Windows
New windows can change the look of a home exterior and make it more energy efficient. Replace your old windows with new ones that are the same size and shape for a moderate change or go big and install larger windows to create the illusion of height and size in your house’s façade. There are four basic types of windows: casement, double-hung, single-hung and sliding. Casement windows are hinged on the side and swing out, allowing for a lot of ventilation. Double-hung windows allow both sashes to open, so you can let air in from the top or bottom of the window. Single-hung windows have a moveable bottom sash and a fixed top sash, so only the bottom can be opened. Sliding windows open from the side and let in more natural light and air than hung windows. Other options include accent windows, picture windows and skylights.
Swap Out Shutters
Since the invention of glass, most homeowners never close their shutters. Despite being vestigial fixtures, these doors for your windows are still a good way to accentuate the architectural style of your home and update your home exterior. Board and batten shutters look rustic and Old World making them a good pick for farmhouses, cottages, Cape Cods and Mediterranean style homes.
Panel shutters look like doors or kitchen cabinets. Their minimalist lines and low-profile blend with a wide range of architectural styles including federal, colonial, ranch, farmhouse and Greek Revival. Louvered shutters have angled slats intended to allow light and air to pass through, so they look more ornate. These are best for Victorian, Georgian, Italianate and Ranch houses.
Replace the Siding
Siding is like your home’s skin. When it gets battered and worn, it makes your house look ragged and old. Ancient siding doesn’t just look bad, it can also fail to protect your house from the elements.
Siding comes in a range of textures and colors that can add personality to your house. You can get artificial or natural stone veneer, wood planks, vinyl siding made to look like wood planks or shingles. You can buy siding in a huge range of colors, or you can paint it. New siding will make your home look great and can make it more valuable when it’s time to sell it.
Put Up Fencing
Good fences make good neighbors. That’s because they separate your yard from your neighbor’s yard, encouraging everybody to respect one another’s property. Fences are a great home exterior update because they provide privacy, security, decoration and safety. A fence can keep your dogs in your yard, keep neighboring kids out of your yard and prevent prying eyes from watching every step you take on your property. Fencing can also set a whole mood for your home’s appearance.
The most common materials for fencing are wood, vinyl, metal, chain link and composite, which is made of wood fibers mixed with plastic resins. The fencing you pick for your home depends on what you need it to do, your budget, HOA rules and local zoning codes.
Replace the Roof
A house with a worn-out roof is a sad sight. Not only are faded shingles and rusting metal roof panels unattractive, but they’re likely to spring leaks and let water into the house. Replacing your roof adds value to your home and is a valuable home exterior upgrade. Whether you go with a metal roof or an asphalt roof, you’ll add major value and curb appeal.
Get New Gutters
Upgrading gutters isn’t very sexy, we know. Gutters are functional, dutifully channeling rain away from your house to keep the water from damaging your foundation. But if your gutters are worn out, replacing them can give your home a fresh look and be a valuable home exterior update. The most common materials for gutters are aluminum, vinyl and galvanized steel.
Gutters come in two styles: k-style and half-round. K-style is the most common. These gutters have a flat side that attaches to the house and a trough that juts out from the roof edge. The trough is designed to replicate crown molding.
Half-round gutters look like a tube that’s been cut in half. Half-rounds have simpler lines that go well with heavy roof materials like slate and tile. Half-rounds gutters are deep and don’t get blocked by debris as often as shallower k-style gutters do. Half-rounds can handle a lot of water, making them a good pick for houses in areas where there’s heavy rain and snowfall. Half-round gutters also look retro cool, because they were the standard before the 1950s.
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