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Find the Perfect Mother's Day Gift at Valley Forge Cupolas!

4/29/2019

Each May, children and spouses everywhere wrestle with the question: what gift best demonstrates how much you appreciate Mom for everything she does? Most people go for flowers, cards, and jewelry, but what Mom really wants might surprise you. Numerous surveys have been done asking Moms what they want for Mother’s Day, and the most recurrent theme is some quiet, relaxing time to themselves. So this year, why not give your mom what she really wants - a quiet hideaway all her own.

Whether it’s a she-shed, backyard gazebo, attic reading nook, or peaceful garden, crafting a personalized space for your mom to grab some much needed Me Time is a thoughtful gesture she can enjoy all throughout the year. And with cupolas and weathervanes from Valley Forge Cupolas, creating these personal oases is easier than you might think.

Turn a Shed Into a She-Shed

A good cleaning and a fresh coat of interior paint is all an old shed needs to start its new life as your mom’s personal retreat. Add a shed cupola to add extra ventilation and keep the space cooler in the summer months, or let it more natural light. Furnish the space according to your mom’s tastes, with a small sofa or a comfy chair, a small desk or craft table, shelves for books or craft storage, a mini fridge - let your imagination run wild!

Garden Gazebos

Gazebos are the perfect centerpiece to any garden or backyard. They provide a cool, shady place to rest when you’ve been weeding, or a cozy spot to sip your morning coffee and take in the beauty of nature. If your mom loves the outdoors, a gazebo is the perfect place for her to relax and recharge. Gazebo cupolas keep hot, humid air from building up underneath the roof, keeping the gazebo comfortable even in the middle of summer. Top the cupola with a beautiful copper weathervane in your mom’s favorite design for a truly personalized retreat.

An Attic Retreat

If you have a small yard, you can still create a beautiful hideaway for your mom - you need only look up. Converting your attic into useable space may be easier than you think, depending on the age and layout of your home. And a finished attic will not only bring joy to your mom, it will also increase the resale value of the home. Adding a beautiful window cupola to the roofline will flood the space with beautiful natural light, creating a cozy, intimate retreat.

For an Unforgettable Mother’s Day Gift, Call Valley Forge Cupolas

If you need helping picking out the perfect gift for your mother or spouse, call us today at 866-400-1776. Our cupola specialists can help you pick out the perfect cupola to meet your needs, and with our free digital quotes you can be sure it's exactly what you’re looking for!

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What is a Cupola Made of? Learn About Our Quality Materials

4/19/2019

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A common question our customers have is, what is a cupola made of? All of our cupolas are built by Pennsylvania craftsmen out of high-quality, durable materials, such as copper, steel, Western Red Cedar, and Azek vinyl. These materials ensure your cupola will look beautiful for decades to come with minimal to no maintenance needed.

Azek Vinyl

Azek vinyl is a great building material that is high style and low maintenance. Azek vinyl is engineered to withstand the test of time and nature while maintaining its good looks, keeping its color and not yellowing in the sun like other materials. It also resists moisture, mold, mildew, stains, scratches, and dents. And you don’t have to worry about defects or damage from termites or rot! Azek vinyl never needs to be stained or sanded, but it can be easily painted to match your home, if you so choose. With this high-performance, low-maintenance material, you don’t have to worry about climbing on your roof to maintain your cupola - you can just sit back and enjoy it.

Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar is one of the most popular woods for exterior home use because is naturally resistant to moisture, rot, decay, and insect attacks. It is known for its extremely fine, even grain and rich coloring, making it visually stunning. Western Red Cedar is pitch and resin-free, which means it can accept and hold a wide variety of finishes to complement any home (as seen in the photos above). It also offers great flexibility and strength in proportion to its weight, making it a reliable and sturdy building material.

Copper

Copper has been a popular roofing material since the 3rd century B.C., thanks to its durability, resistance to corrosion, and aesthetic appeal. In fact, some copper roofs dating back to the 12th century are still in active use today! Over time copper develops a beautiful patina, which forms a protective coating against the elements and prevents decay. In addition to its longevity, copper has the benefits of being “ductile” (easily shaped), resistant to damage, and considerably strong. All of our copper cupola roofs are built from 24-gauge, 16 0z. copper.

Steel

Steel roofing is a long-lasting, durable material that can be easily matched to any new or existing home. In terms of longevity, Galvalume® painted steel (as seen on the cupola above) has a life expectancy of 60 years! Steel is also extremely durable, able to withstand the most extreme weather conditions without warping or cracking. While many people picture steel as being extremely heavy, it is actually one of the lightest roofing materials, so you don’t have to worry about placing a strain on your roof. It is also available in a wide variety of colors to complement any color scheme.
Have a cupola question? Our cupola specialists would love to answer it! Call us today at 866-400-1776 and let our experts match you with the perfect cupola for your home.

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Horse Barn Cupolas to Stirrup Your Imagination!

4/12/2019

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Cupolas have been gracing American stables for hundreds of years. Initially added to barns to help differentiate one family farm from another, horse barn cupolas quickly became an integral part of a stable’s construction. That is because the most dangerous thing to a barn and its occupants is warm, humid, stagnant air. Moisture can lead to mold and mildew growth, which can lead to wood rot and jeopardize the structural integrity of the barn. This unhealthy air can also cause horses, cows, and other livestock to become sick or die. Horse barn cupolas help ventilate the humid air, excess heat, and noxious fumes that otherwise build up inside the stable. They can also add natural light to help brighten up a stable and keep hay lofts well ventilated to prevent moldy hay or hay fires.

Horse Barn Cupolas for All Applications

At Valley Forge Cupolas and Weathervanes, we can provide you with the high-quality cupolas your barn needs, no matter the size or number. We can design custom cupolas for a new commercial building, like we did for the renowned Highlander Training Center in Sulphur Springs, TX, or provide you with cupolas that complement an existing structure.

Our metal Sundance cupolas come in a variety of designs, and the roof and base come in 25 different colors to match any color combination. We even cut out your roof pitch on the Sundance models so that you don’t have to worry about needing special cutting tools.

All of our cupolas are built by skilled and dedicated Pennsylvania craftsmen using durable materials designed to last a lifetime. The majority of our cupolas are built from Azek vinyl, a high-performance material that can withstand even the harshest weather. It never needs to be stained or sanded; is resistant to mold mildew, stains and scratches; and can’t be damaged by termites or rot. It can also be painted to match your stable, as you can see in the photo above.

We also have all the accessories your horse barn cupola needs, from lighting to weathervanes. Horse weathervanes gained widespread popularity during the mid 19th century, thanks to the immense popularity of horse racing at the time, and remain popular to this day. The majority of horse weathervane designs are based on the famous racehorse Black Hawk, who starred in some of the most popular Currier & Ives prints of all time.

For Superior Horse Barn Cupolas, Call the Experts!

If you need a cupola for your barn or stable, call us today at 866-400-1776. Our cupola experts love designing cupolas that meet our clients’ exact needs and specifications. Let us take your stable to the next level with a high-quality custom cupola!

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What Size Cupola Do I Need?

4/5/2019

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When choosing a cupola, homeowners have many questions: Should I get windows or louvers? Do I want a concave copper roof or a straight aluminum roof? What accents should I get? And importantly, what size cupola do I need? It is important that a cupola be properly sized, otherwise it can throw off the entire balance of your home’s appearance. Here are some tips for choosing the right width, height, and number of cupolas for your home or building.

What Size Cupola Do I Need? Tips from the Pros

There are four main factors that will influence the size of your cupola: the length of the roofline, the overall size of the building, the purpose of the cupolas, and the overall aesthetic. First, let’s start with the length of your roofline. A general rule of thumb for determining the width of a cupola’s base is to have a minimum of 1.25” of cupola for every foot of unbroken roof ridge line. This gives you a range of sizes to choose from: for example, a 24’ roof could accommodate a cupola as small as 30” wide and as large as 36” wide.
Narrowing down these options takes us to our second factor: the overall size of the building. Single-story, low-pitched roofs look better with a cupola on the smaller end of the scale, whereas buildings with steeper roof pitches or multiple levels may require a cupola closer to a 1.5”/foot ratio. For long roof lines (typically 50’ or longer), using multiple, smaller cupolas often provides a better aesthetic than one large cupola. This is commonly seen on barns, with either a row of small, identical cupolas, or a large center cupola and smaller cupolas on either end.
Next you should consider the purpose of the cupola: is it functional (providing light and/or ventilation) or decorative? If it is decorative, you can skip straight to aesthetics. But for functional cupolas, their end use plays an important role in design consideration. For example, if you are using cupolas to add ventilation to your attic, you may choose two smaller cupolas at either end for improved air flow. If the goal is to let in natural light, you may want a large central cupola with tall windows to brighten up a larger area.
Lastly, the width, height, and number of cupolas you choose must ultimately complement the architecture and design of your home. If the cupola is too small, it will look like an afterthought or a toy. If the cupola is too large, it will overwhelm the visual space of your roofline. At Valley Forge Cupolas, we offer free digital quotes so that you can see exactly how a cupola will look on your home. A properly proportioned cupola is the crowning glory of any home!
To add a stunning custom cupola to your home or building, call us today at 866-400-1776! We look forward to matching you with the cupola of your dreams.