KSD Blog

There are many components to a window: head, grids, weather stripping, and hardware just to name a few. However, one window component that is often looked through and overlooked simultaneously is the glass. Even though many people don’t realize it, the glasswork is a very integral part of the window. Glass has a number of multipurpose characteristics, such as security, aesthetics, privacy and much more. At KSD Custom Wood Products, we put our heart and soul into every custom wood window and door that comes through our shop. With an onsite glass shop, we take special care of your order, designed the way you want it. Here is what goes into creating your perfect custom wood product.

Service
Every window contractor is not created equal. Where some excel in designing and fabricating modern windows, others specialize in the production of historic wood windows. A shop like KSD can help create the specific window design and glasswork that you’re looking for. Additionally, with their onsite glasswork shop, you get custom, quick service with a special attention to detail. Many contractors hire subcontractors who do the work offsite in their own shop. As a customer, you have little to no way to know how well the project is coming along until it’s too late. You may even come across hiccups in the timeline and delivery that come with a glass shop that is separate from the contractors. At KSD, our onsite glass shop makes it easy for us to create orders perfectly and timely every time. We can guarantee that all aspects of the project are completed to the proper specifications that you want.

Product
When choosing a window contractor, you should take a close look at the scope of their work beforehand. KSD has a stocked portfolio of different products and projects that we have completed over the years. Everything from remodeled doors on world-class breweries to historic wood windows on beautiful college buildings, KSD Custom Wood Products has done it all. The right glasswork will be able to perform the all of its essential functions in a beautiful and strong way.

Warranty
Finally, the last part of selecting a highly skilled window contractor and glass shop is the warranty. The last thing you want is to spend your hard-earned money on a custom wood window; designed how you want it, and then something happens to it. A comprehensive warranty is your best bet against risks, errors, and accidents that may happen. At KSD Custom Wood Products, our glasswork comes with a 10-year warranty, protecting you for the long run against anything that may happen.

Installed on the outside of the home, door and window casings are the molding that sheathes the doors and windows. For as decorative as they are, casings also play an important role. Their main function is to seal the windows and doors to the frame of the house while blocking out cold air from entering the inside of the home.  Casings, in large part, affect the safety and energy efficiency of the home. If improperly incased, windows and doors can become a hazard and either drive up your energy bills or become an easier access point for burglars. This is why it is of the utmost importance that you choose the proper window and door casings for your home.

There are a number of different casing styles that you can choose to install around your architectural windows or doors. Below, we list and explain the most popular styles from which you can choose.

Modern Casings
If you’re looking for a minimalist design and clean lines, the modern casing is the best option for you. With modern casings, you can easily blend in your windows to the home rather than have them stand out. It’s all about the glasswork and installation.

Traditional Casings
Combining simplicity with efficiency, the traditional casing is quite similar to a low profile as it lies flat against the exterior of the home as well. However, they tend to be a little more decorative with the options, incorporating flanking columns and header molding. Traditional casings can also be found on older homes.

High-Profile Casings
In terms of installation and appearance, your high-profile casings are the most versatile of the group. High profiles can be installed in a number of ways, whether as a pediment or encasing the entire window. You will typically find high profile casings on older traditional and Victorian homes.

Low-Profile Casings
This style of casing is not as decorative as it is efficient. Low-profiles lie flat against the walls of the home. This creates a very blocked, yet simple look for the window. It may not be as beautiful as other options, but because of how it lies, it does an excellent job of effortlessly blocking air from entering or exiting the home.

Complete Casings
A complete casing is exactly how it sounds. It’s the style of molding that completely surrounds all four sides of the windows. Complete casings can be easily stacked offering a great value in security as well as decorative appeal.

Window and door casings are commonly used on the inside of the home to match the trimming and molding found throughout the interior. They are the finishing touch to an installation and exactly what you need to compliment and secure your architecture windows and doors.

If there is one style of architecture that stands out noticeably amongst the rest, it’s the Tudor style of home. Love them or hate them, you have to admit that Tudors have a particular charm that you would be hard-pressed to find in any other style. This is in due part to the fact that Tudors combine elements of late-medieval and early-Renaissance architecture wrapped in a Craftsmen encasing. The Tudor home is a combination of styles, but nevertheless, achieves a look all its own.

Unfortunately, the majority of Tudor homes in New England and around the U.S are unbelievably expensive. This is in large part to the type of materials required and the amount necessary to perform the job. Fret not. If a Tudor home is what your heart desires, you can still achieve a Tudor-inspired home in your existing house. From historic reproduction doors to the design of the roof, we show you what it takes to turn your existing home into a Tudor home of your own.

Materials
A home designed in the Tudor style typically incorporates a multitude of materials that can be divided into two sections: top half and bottom half. The materials for the top half of the home are usually wood and either stucco or plaster. This creates the decorative timbers that are indicative of Tudor architecture. For the bottom half, you can incorporate brick, stone or wood, with brick being the most common.

Doors and Windows
The doors and windows that are incorporated in Tudor homes are very distinct. Using the right doors and windows is extremely important for pulling off the entire look. Instead of traditional double hung windows, you’ll find that Tudors use casement windows arranged in tidy rows instead. The door of a Tudor home is typically wood paneled and often rounded. This is why many people opt for historic reproduction doors and windows to guarantee that the look can be achieved successfully.

Post and Beams
Just like the doors and windows, post and beams are equally as important to the overall look of successfully creating a Tudor-styled home. This is a major part of the character to the home and is what makes a Tudor home readily identifiable no matter where you are. To achieve this look, the post and beams need to be arranged as the frame and then filled in with the stucco or plaster.

Creating the Tudor home of your dreams isn’t far from reality. These simple changes can all be easily adapted for your existing home; turning your current home into a dream castle.

One of the first things people associate with New England, aside from the Patriots, is the architecture. Reminiscent of simpler times in American History, New England-styled architecture is popular the world over for its character, charm, and history. In fact, many of the buildings and homes that we see today are historic and in their original state from the 1700s while others have a few cosmetic touches and historically reproduced pieces to restore the homes to their original glory.

With over 400 years of history behind them, the New England style of home is just as diverse as it is respected. From farmhouse styled homes to primitively designed shops, classic American culture is preserved in the very woodworked frames of the many styles of the New England home. Even those with modern updates and historical reproduction doors or windows still hold the basic charms that serve as reminders of gorgeous New England architecture. While there are a number of different styles, the most common types include seaport, farmhouse, coastal, and of course traditional.

Seaport
This style is also referred to as the Federal/Adam Style and dominated much of the architectural scene from the late 1700’s through the mid-1800’s. Typically found in areas such as Portsmouth and Boston, it’s a re-imagined version of the Georgian style home. Seaport styles are usually brick homes with boxed windows, white trims, and adorned with cast iron lamps. While many of these historic homes have seen updates and historically reproduced doors, windows, and exteriors, many of these buildings and homes are still standing in their original condition, remaining as constant reminders of true American architecture.

Farmhouse
Farmhouse styles are exceptionally trendy nowadays. Everyone wants a traditional farmhouse styled kitchen or bedroom straight from an HGTV episode. But in New England, large, airy farmhouses are a cultural staple. Nothing evokes feelings of what true American hard work means more than a farmhouse styled-home. Aside from the medium to large plots of land, farmhouses homes are idealized for their white woodwork, central hearth or fireplace that could be used for cooking, and colonial styles as well.

Coastal
If you’re familiar with towns such as Nantucket and even the Hamptons, you’re familiar with the coastal style of home that is a staple in New England. Even if you’ve never personally visited the area, you know all too well the style that is surrounded by crystal blue waters and weatherworn wood. Rising to popularity in the late 1900’s, expansive driveways and meticulously manicured lawns are just small pieces to the world of coastal homes. If the beautiful water view isn’t enough, you’ll know a coastal home when you see neutral shingles surrounded by white trim, verandas, and colonial revival styles on sprawling homes.

Traditional
It’s practically impossible to discuss the beauty that is architecture found throughout New England without discussing traditional styled homes. When you see these gorgeous homes, you know exactly where you are and what you are looking at. Traditional New England homes are colonial in design and typically denoted by columns, dormers, white built in cabinets and kitchens. These iconic homes are what many build their American dreams around.

Whether New England homes have your favorite style of architecture or not, the fact still remains they are historically beautiful in their own right. A tour through New England is a tour through an American time capsule.

The brewery and craft beer market is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive. At KSD Custom Wood Products, we’ve worked with some of the largest breweries in the nation to help them improve the aesthetics of their building and bring in more business.

While the market might be somewhat flooded these days, there are several ways brewery owners can make their craft beer business standout—here are a few:

It all starts with the door…

Your front door is a great place to start when sprucing up your brewery. The front door should set an inviting tone and standout as one of the most aesthetically pleasing parts of the building, even from the road.

KSD Custom Wood Products has a trusted reputation when it comes to creating and installing custom architectural entry doors for breweries. KSD can upgrade your brewery’s entire exterior by also installing custom architectural windows.

Create a logo…

Any successful brewery has an eye-popping logo that reflects its brand. A strong logo is crucial to a brewery’s brand awareness and can be incorporated into many aspects of the building and business front. Great logos should be simple, memorable, timeless and appropriate. Also be sure to choose colors that align with your brewery’s brand.

But perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when coming up with a logo is to create one that is truly unique and doesn’t resemble any others. You don’t want to have your craft beer confused with the competition.

Offer interesting bottle/labels…

Much like the logo, a brewery with bottles or labels that engage customers can go a long way in the business’ brand awareness. Work with professionals to design bottle that are uniquely shape or that provide a better pour. Add some interesting labels to the bottles and attach a witty name to it and you have yourself a craft beer and a brewery that will keep people coming back.