Thanksgiving is a good time to remember why we’re thankful

At Northern Illinois Windows, we’re thankful for the opportunity to clean your windows. It’s our way of giving people a clear perspective on the world outside. But there is a lot more to be thankful for than that.

Many families enjoy a Thanksgiving tradition of going around the dinner table to share that which they are thankful for. It’s a good idea to remind ourselves of what we are thankful for. Certainly, living in America, we have a lot to be thankful for. Losing touch with gratitude is often daunting. This is why, here at Northern Illinois Windows, we think it’s important to reflect on the reasons that we’re thankful.

With the approach of the Thanksgiving, since we won’t have a chance to join all of you over a holiday meal, we would like to take this moment now to share why we are thankful.

For us, gratitude starts with our customers. Along with the gratitude we feel for the opportunity to clean our customers’ windows, we’re also grateful when they call on us to clean their gutters, and/or install their holiday lights. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see where we would be without them and all the thousands of other customers we’ve served along the way.

Our customers have allowed us to keep the doors of our business open all these years and to grow our business in the process. Our customers have provided the means for the Thanksgiving dinners on our own tables the second-to-last Thursday in November since 1991.

We are also thankful for the employees who have helped us to serve our customers all these years. Some have come and gone. Others have been with us for years and some are with us yet. But, regardless of how long they’ve been with us, one characteristic is common; their dedication to quality service built our reputation where our customers know they can count us to clean their windows, and perform other services, safely, efficiently and proficiently.

Other employees in the office have helped to serve our window cleaning crews so that they have all the tools and information they need in order to do their magic at the homes, stores and offices of our customers. In other words, we’re thankful for the great team of employees who work together to deliver the services our customers count on.

Gratitude is contagious. It’s energizing. It gives the grateful a sense of peace and purpose. And we are thankful for the opportunities we’ve had to feel the empowering sense of the season.

Yes, those gutters need to be cleaned but at what price?

Gutters are designed to conduct rain and water to downspouts that discharge the water at or below the ground. When gutters get clogged, they’re no longer able to perform this essential duty. Nothing clogs gutters faster, or more completely than falling leaves in the autumn.

At the very least, when gutters are clogged, rain will flow over the gutters and create a curtain of dipping water all around the house. Someone coming to the door is dripped on. Flower beds are dripped on. Over time, the water creates a divot in the dirt all the way around the house. But, that’s not really the worst of it, by any means.

The real problem is when the temperature drops. When the temperature drops, the water can do damage before it ever hits the ground.

Imagine snow is piled up on your roof. Heat from the roof is melting the snow closest to your home’s shingles. That water would roll down into the gutters and down the downspouts. But, with the gutters clogged, melting snow or ice can’t follow the path that was designed for it. The melting snow or ice backs up on the roof where shingles are not designed to stop the flow.

Shingles stop water from getting through to the plywood below with the expectation that the water is coming down from the sky as rain or snow. Otherwise, snow and ice on the roof, when it melts, falls under the control of gravity and flows downward. But, with the gutters clogged by leaves, the water builds upward and under the shingles.

You need the leaves cleaned from your gutters but what about climbing ladders and falls?

Considerable damage can be done to a roof when gutters are clogged. This is why it’s essential to clean your gutters. But, with the risk of falling from a ladder, is it worth climbing up to clean those gutters yourself?

Fortunately, there are professionals who are trained and experienced in climbing up ladders to clean gutters. They’ve studied safe ladder usage, including safety factors about reaching out while on a ladder. These professionals will bring the appropriate equipment, will wear the appropriate clothing, and will clean leaves out of gutters safely.

Don’t risk the fall this fall – let professionals clean the leaves from your gutters

Thinking about getting the ladder out and cleaning the leaves out of those gutters? You might want to think about this first. The cost of having professionals clean leaves out of your gutters is low, particularly when compared to the risk of falling for a homeowner.

Why wait for the holiday madness: arrange professional holiday lighting installation now

Wouldn’t it be great if you could enjoy the holiday a little more? But, there is so much to do that hectic doesn’t adequately describe the days leading up to December 25th. How much more would you enjoy the festivities if you could take even one of those pre-holiday chores off your ‘To-Do List,’ such as putting up the holiday lights and decorations outside?

You could put that off to the last minute, and then send your spouse out to do a frigid, death-defying, high-wire act on the extension ladder while putting up lights, knowing half of them will cease to light once they’re up. Or, you can make arrangements for professionals to come out and handle the entire process for you. They’ll put up the lights in time for the holiday while you’re cozy inside, and they’ll take down the lights while you enjoy the early days of a new year.

More and more people are recognizing the value of having professionals install their holiday decorations outdoors. They’ve discovered there are distinct advantages to having someone else, who is at ease on a ladder, come out and install their holiday lighting professionally, such as:

• They use quality lights that stay lighted
• The lights they use are energy efficient (compare your holiday electric bill from past years to other months and you’ll see the importance of this benefit)
• They take all the risks you or your spouse would otherwise have to take
• They plan and design holiday lighting for a truly outstanding presentation

While you relax with a cup of cocoa and your favorite Christmas movie, the professionals you hire will come to your house (or business), take measurements and, based on your preferences, return with options for you to consider. You’ll choose the design you like most and, when they’re done, the decorations will look just like what you expected - spectacular.

When the season is over, rather than having the lights hang out there through the rest of the winter, the professionals will come out and promptly take them down. Some companies will even store the lights for you until the next year. The following Autumn, you’ll receive a call to schedule the installation of your holiday lights again.

Oh, and there is one other wonderful benefit; your holiday lights will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Tinted window film lets controlled sunlight in while keeping most UV rays out

Certain times of the day, the glare of Northern Illinois’ summer sun is almost blinding in some of your rooms. You could almost find yourself sitting at the kitchen table wearing sunglasses. It’s also difficult keeping the temperature under control as the sunlight challenges the ability of the air conditioning to moderate the heat. One solution is to pull the shades. But, if you prefer not to recede into a cave-like dwelling, there is another alternative – tinted window film.

During the summer, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. The sun bears down on the region in ways that can drive the mercury to 100 degrees and above. The Ultra-Violet rays of the sun are at work throughout the year but, during the summer, there’s a greater duration of sunlight, with longer daylight hours, and the sun is delivered more directly.

Those UV rays help to heat the earth, but they also give people sunburns. What they do to the flesh they also do to other surfaces, such as floors, walls and furniture.

In terms of the non-animate surfaces mentioned above, UV rays have a bleaching effect. It’s as though they suck the color out of everything they touch.

Often, you don’t see the effects of the sun on your floors and furniture because the change happens gradually. But, if you pull a cabinet out from the wall, or flip up a corner of a rug, you’ll see the floor below, where it was protected from the UV rays, in its original state. You’ll find the contrast, protected-floor vs sun-bleached floor, dramatic.

Tinted window film offers a protective barrier that lets reduced sunlight in while blocking UV rays

Tinted window film is a remarkable material. You can choose the amount of tinting you want, so that a desired amount of light comes through but, regardless of which film you use, you’ll block 99.9 percent of UV rays. You can block 99.9 percent of UV rays even if you apply a clear film.

Unlike drawing the curtains, or pulling down the shades, window tint doesn’t hide you away from the world outside. You can still look out on a beautiful sunny day but you won’t have to shield your eyes and squint to do so.

Window tint is also a friend to your air conditioning and your electric bill. You no longer have to pay to remove the heat that the UV rays pump into your home or office.

Installation of window film is not a Do-It-Yourself kind of project. It’s amazing to watch a professional expertly position the film and roll all the bubbles out. Unless you have the technique down, however, rather than amazed, you’re likely to experience frustration.

When that professional is finished installing your tinted window film, you’ll enjoy a nearly glare-free view on another beautiful Northern Illinois summer. And, you’ll only need your sunglasses when you go outdoors.

Window cleaning is a Mother’s Day gift that lasts

How much time will you spend thinking about what to buy Mom on Mother’s Day? Your schedule is busy but you would still like to give her something special, right? How about something different? How about something she wouldn’t expect? How about window cleaning for Mother’s Day?

Think about all that Mom has done for you over the years: the cuts she bandaged, always followed by ‘a kiss to make it better’; the way she supported your dreams, chased away your nightmares and brought a smile to your face when you were sad, the favorite cookies she baked for you, the way she stayed awake watching out the window until you came home late at night.

Mom has always been there for you. The biggest problem with Mother’s Day is that it only comes one day each year. In a real sense, every day should be Mother’s Day.

Considering all Mom has done for you over the years, don’t you want to go beyond the candy and flowers? Candy and flowers are great. Mom loves them. But, do they go far enough to tell her how special she is to you?

The candy will last a few days. The flowers may last a little longer. During that time, they’ll remind Mom of how you thought of her and they’ll bring a smile to her face. This is why window cleaning is such an excellent gift for mom for Mother’s Day.

Those dirty windows are a nuisance. Mom doesn’t think about them constantly. But, every time she looks out the window, she can’t help but notice a winter’s worth of dirt, streaks, and spots on the glass.

With window cleaning as a Mother’s Day gift, there’s that initial stark difference between the dirty windows and the clean that she’ll love. But, she’ll have clean windows to love and appreciate long after she initially received the gift. And, just as the flowers and candy will remind her of your love for her, every time she looks out her clean windows, she’ll be reminded of your love again.

It’s not to say you shouldn’t give mom candy and flowers on Mother’s Day. If you live nearby, you’ll probably want to take her out for dinner on that special day, too. But, window cleaning is a Mother’s Day gift that will extend the holiday and the expression of your love for days to come.

Are cleaning the gutters and cleaning the windows on your Spring Cleaning To-Do List?

Spring is upon us and we all know what that means – Spring Cleaning! That’s why you’re rousting your husband and the kids from bed early one Saturday morning. That’s why you’ve got a comprehensive To-Do List, with specific duties for each member of the family. But, who will you assign to clean the windows?

Spring cleaning is a way of sweeping the dirt, and stale air out of the house after a winter’s worth of cabin fever. It can leave you feeling fresh and clean. It’s invigorating. It provides a rebirth of energy and optimism. And, cleaning the windows is a critical part of the process.

If the windows aren’t cleaned right – if they have streaks, spots or someone didn’t get all the way into the corners – those half-dirty windows will nag at you every time you look out the window while spoiling your sense that you’ve done a thorough Spring Cleaning. Instead of looking out into the yard at the flowers budding up from the ground, and robins building their nests, you’ll look through the dirt, streaks, and spots that were left behind when your windows were not cleaned properly.

So, you realize the importance of cleaning the windows and cleaning them properly. But, when you bring the subject up, your husband has a problem with the idea.

“Before we clean the windows, we need to clean the gutters.”

When he points out that you have to clean the gutters, you look at your list knowing in advance that cleaning the gutters isn’t there. You show your husband the list and point out that cleaning the gutters isn’t on the list. But, he stubbornly persists: “We have to clean the gutters before we clean the windows.”

Don’t look so surprised; he’s right. The process of cleaning the gutters will result in old leaves, shingle gravel, dirt and what not falling onto the windows. If you clean the windows before you clean the gutters, you’ll just have to clean the outside of the windows all over again.

You ask the logical question: “Why don’t we skip cleaning the gutters for now” and your husband has an answer to that question, too.

“If we don’t clean the gutters, rainwater will back up and come over the edges of the gutters rather than going into the downspouts. Then, the windows will get dirty anyhow.”

Now you're stuck with two dilemmas: 1. Who can clean the gutters without falling off a ladder and, 2. Who can clean the windows properly, so they don’t spoil all your and family’s efforts with Spring Cleaning? Maybe it’s better to call in professionals for the windows and gutters so the jobs are done safely and they’re cleaned right. You and the family have enough Spring Cleaning to do anyway.

How do you safely take the holiday lights down or should you call in professionals?

Those holiday lights sparkled wonderfully
during the holidays but when are you going
to take them down and how will you do it
safely?

They’ve twinkled with the spirit of the holiday, but the holiday is past. Now, the neighbors are beginning to wonder when you plan to take them down. Unfortunately, those Christmas lights just won’t take themselves down, neatly pack themselves in a box and store themselves in the basement or attic where they’ll patiently wait for the holiday to return.

If the holiday lights are coming down, you’ll have to do something about it; you’ll have to get out there on a ladder and take them down. Or, you could ask your husband, “Can you take the holiday lights down already?” Another option is to hire a professional to take the lights down, then safely and neatly store them so they're ready to go back up for Christmas 2018.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume you choose to take them down yourself (or send your husband out to do it).

The first thing to do is to make sure the ladder is set up safely – on solid and level ground, extending three-feet past the roof and with the feet back by a ratio of 4:1 (i.e., 5 feet back if the ladder is resting against a point 20 feet in the air).

The problem this time of year is that the ground is often buried under snow; finding a solid and level place to set up the ladder requires clearing away some snow. Then, since snow is made of crystalized water, there is a distinct possibility that the ground will be soft. You don’t want one leg of the ladder to start sinking into the ground while you (or your husband) are 20-feet up.

You also want to dress appropriately. This is a challenge since, as cold as it gets this time of year, you’ll probably want to bundle up with layers. Bulky clothes may keep you warm but they’re problematic when negotiating your way up and down on a ladder. They can get in the way. They can snag on the ladder.

In any case, if you want to do it yourself, or send your husband up on the ladder, that’s an option. Still, another option is to have someone else handle it for you unless you want to wait until June to take the lights down.