Accent Building Products Blog

What’s that, I didn’t hear you?

Gone are the days of slamming kitchen cabinet drawers shut.  Go to any kitchen cabinet showroom and you are sure to experience the beauty that is silent closing drawers.  Give them a strong push and instead of hearing a slam, you’ll see the drawer catch itself and smoothly guide itself close.  Is it magic?  No, just the utilization of what is becoming the most popular drawer glide for cabinetry, made by the industry leader, Blum.  No more noise!  No more pinched fingers!  No more unpleasant stares from your mother!

What’s more….our silent closing drawers also have full extension capabilities giving you easy access to every inch of your drawer.  Ordinary drawers when open will leave several inches still within the cabinet box, making the contents in the back of the drawer hard to reach.  But with the full extension drawer guides you can fully expose the entire 21” drawer box giving you full view and access to your drawer contents.  The full-extension, silent closing drawer glides are available on the all-wood drawer upgrade, giving you a 5/8” thick maple hardwood drawer with dovetailed joints.  The glides are under-mounted allowing the drawers to be constructed wider, giving you even more storage space. Silence, it’s a win-win situation.

No Comments | Posted in » Kitchen & Bath Cabinets

15 Minutes; That’s a Wrap!

Yes, it’s true. You can actually wrap a post in just about 15 minutes start to finish. That’s all it takes using Fypon’s PVC Column Wraps. The key is the installation kit which includes the two pieces of wrap (shaft), the cap and base cleats, adhesive caulk and instructions.  Standard carpentry and woodworking tools can be used on the PVC for cutting and nailing. Coarse thread, galvanized or stainless steel drywall screws can be used as fasteners. It has a workability consistent with white pine. Best of all, these can be painted. That’s right; this PVC material can be painted using colors with a LRV (Light Reflection Value) of 54% or higher.   With both Tapered and Non-Tapered styles you can choose from 6”, 8”, 10” and 12” shaft widths, and heights of 72”, 96”, 108”, 120”, and 144”. The designs are varied as well; flat, fluted, and several recessed panel options. Custom heights and widths can be quoted as well. For a more decorative feel optional cap and bases are available in styles such as Greek, Craftsman, Prairie and Tuscan. 15 minutes to beauty: that’s a wrap!!

No Comments | Posted in » Exterior Vinyl Accents

Is That Really Vinyl?

Who doesn’t love the look of a classic, traditional, American front porch?  Who doesn’t hate the up-keep of exterior wood products? Who doesn’t actually have something against vinyl except for the fact that it is rather plain, small, and not exactly what you have in mind when envisioning that beautiful American front porch? If you answered “me” to any of those questions then I have the answer to, “Who hasn’t looked at vinyl railing options in a while”. That answer would be you!

Realizing that aesthetics have become just as desired as functionality, vinyl railing has taken bold new steps to fulfill the all important maintenance free need without losing the beauty of traditional design. With the introduction of these larger, more decorative systems we finally are able to leave the wood behind, once and for all. With the addition of full vinyl columns and composite decking you’ll be able to pack up the scrappers and the paint brushes and look forward to a life where the only tool necessary to care for your porch is a garden hose.

No Comments | Posted in » Vinyl Railing

Mix and Match Cabinet Colors

Along with glazing becoming a top trend in today’s kitchen cabinetry, so to is the use of mix-and-match finishes.  Cabinetry is no longer just about wood, it is about using a combination of stains, paints and glazes, all to give your kitchen a personalized and wholly unique look.  For example, accenting your kitchen with a center island that differs in color from the rest of your kitchen cabinets is just one way to implement the mix-and-match style.  This eclectic approach combines comfort and charm into your space infusing your personality and style. You may also choose to accent just your corner cabinets, or you may try having the wall cabinets all one stain and the base something different. If the mixing and matching of cabinet colors is a bit more than you want to experiment with you could always keep everything uniform and just use a darker crown molding. This adds definition and can help “pull in” a large expanse of cabinets. Whatever you choose; make it uniquely yours.

No Comments | Posted in » Kitchen & Bath Cabinets

Glass Blocks, Not just for factories anymore!

In recent years Glass Block has seen somewhat of a resurgence in popularity. Traditionally used for more industrial type settings glass block is now considered stylish enough for the home, offering a sleek and modern look. Along with looking great they are a multipurpose building material. They can be used to borrow light from another room, as a privacy partition in your bathroom, or even to create a dramatic entrance way to your home. No longer confined to just one style, glass block is now offered in a few different patterns. The Decora blocks have a slight wave to them, and are the design most typically thought of when one thinks of glass blocks. This block provides maximum light and subtle visual distortion. The Delphi pattern, otherwise known as the diamond design, offers maximum privacy but does not allow as much light to come through. Another popular style is called the Icescapes. This pattern allows the light to come in to the room but still offers privacy. All three patterns are available in 3″ thickness (the Thinline Series) and a 4″ thickness called (the Premiere Series).

The Premiere series has been around much longer and therefore offers more styles to choose from. In addition to the 3 standards this series carries a block called the Decora LX Filter. This block offers maximum privacy and adds significant thermal and light characteristics. The Argus pattern has rounded perpendicular flutes which offer a very unique look. Another block that has an interesting pattern to it is the Essex. This has a fine grid line design and offers some light transmission of a moderate degree with maximum privacy. For the applications where you would like to have no distortion to the block and to allow the most light to come through you would use the Vue pattern. This is a smooth undistorted block that looks like a regular glass window.Whatever pattern you choose you’ll find glass block to be a great product; easy to work with, and highly versatile.

No Comments | Posted in » Glass Block

Spring Projects -or- More Curb Appeal / Less Effort

It seems as though spring is thankfully upon us, and that means it is time to lay out your game plan for what exterior home projects your going to tackle this year. Traditionally spring seems to be the time when homeowners think about shutters and other exteriorvinyl accents such as door headers, pilasters, decorative trim, mounting blocks and vents. There are several really good reasons for you to consider making shutters part of your springtime exterior makeover.

Individuality: The color and style of shutters can set a house apart from a cookie cutter neighborhood. Shutters can give your home a finished look with texture and hue, providing an added dimension.

Spotlighting : Your windows can look taller or wider just by adding shutters. The whole front of the house can look more proportionally fit with the addition of other embellishments like door surrounds and exterior dentil trims. Use a unique combination
to break out of the mold.

Affordable: Because pre-colored vinyl products require little or no maintenance, in the long run they will save time and money. In the short term vinyl is much less expensive then wood, doesn’t need to be primed or painted, and you’d be hard-pressed
to damage them during installation. No additional material is necessary for installation as the patented easy lock fasteners are always included with the shutters.

Ease of Installation: If you would much rather be participating in other outdoor activities (basically anything but yard or house work) you’ll be very pleased at how easy vinyl shutters are to install, how little time the entire project takes, and the enormous payoff in curb-appeal that something so simple can provide. Typically a drill, a rubber mallet, and a ladder (unless you are extremely tall or live in a rancher) are all that is required for tools, making clean up a cinch after your job is done.

No Comments | Posted in » Shutters

Caring for Acrylic Blocks

Acrylic Block windows and panels are a light weight alternative to traditional glass block, but do require a bit more TLC regarding cleaning and maintenance. It is highly recommended that you use only a non-abrasive cleanser such as mild soap and water, or an approved acrylic cleaners like Fantastik®, Windex® or Clorox Clean Up®. To give the windows some extra shine and “season” them for easier cleaning next time they can be wiped down with Pledge®. This product can also be used to remove slight scratches on the block, that may occur over time. Harsher cleaners that contain anything abrasive, straight bleach or ammonia should never be used on the Acrylic Block. They should also never be scrubbed with brushes. Harsh cleaning products can not only damage the block, but in time will weaken the window seals as well.

No Comments | Posted in » Acrylic Block