It’s the middle of Spring and the glorious South African weather has set in. Even as we put our heads down in the mad rush towards the end of the year, we can’t help but look up and notice the sun-drenched view.
We’re losing the heavy jackets and coming out onto balconies and patios. Neighbourhoods reverberate with the sound of spring cleaning. Cobwebs are cleared out, taxes are filed and the old is sold or given away to make way for the new. It’s a great time to spruce up our homes in readiness for al fresco dining and braais with friends.
The trend experts have told us that this year’s style is all about bold, contrasting colours that match the variety of the great outdoors. Green is the new black: fresh, clean and signifying abundance.
It’s not just the colour green that’s in vogue. Green living is the aspiration, to turn the tide against climate change and use innovative technology to improve quality of life while sustaining our natural heritage. Now is the time to dig that borehole, get that solar powered geyser, find out about recycling options in the neighbourhood, like we’ve been planning to do since we moved in.
For some, it’s time to use their spring courage to make a more significant investment in their homes: to finally renovate the lounge and put in those sliding doors, to replace those small, cracked and rattling steel windows with new, large frames that let in the view.
Renovations are a great opportunity to look into energy saving options. Everyone’s heard of double glazing, which can be quite a costly investment. However, choosing single glazing with uPVC window and door frames can provide similar insulation at a lower cost to double glazing in traditional frames. Yes, you read that right! uPVC offers that much more insulation than other framing materials. If electricity bills were through the roof due to the aircon last summer, it might be worth combining uPVC frames with double glazing.
As with all new technologies, it is worth doing your research. Some homeowners have had bad experiences with white uPVC fading or turning yellow. Reliable window suppliers like Teva Windows use a type of uPVC that is specifically formulated to withstand the South African sun, as they have been proving for over a decade. It’s also low energy to manufacture and is completely recyclable.
Keeping your home cool through summer, living green, reducing energy consumption and opening up the view from your home are some great options to end the year on a bang and make the most of the summer ahead.
How to Go Green and Spruce up for Summer
