Still bummed about being buried under a foot of snow? If so, then you’re probably already dreaming about the middle of April. You know, that strange time of the year when weeks of windy, overcast days in the mid 40’s magically turn into sunny days in the mid 60’s? Personally, I’m counting down the days until warm weather arrives while I spend long February days staring out the window debating the merits of shoveling my sidewalk against the challenge 14-inches of snow pose to my mail carrier. Anyway, eventually the weather is going to improve, and I’m going to need to get out there and do some overdue maintenance on my tiny piece of suburban splendor.

So what the heck should I do to jump start my spring home improvements? Standard landscaping and up keep aside, I’m thinking about taking some time to improve the exterior appearance of my home. My wife already is doing a great job of maintaining the inside of our home. After taking the beating of holding all that snow this winter, I’m thinking (like I imagine most people are) that the condition of my roof is probably going to need some attention.

Assuming that the roof is where I’m going to focus my time and energy, where the heck do I begin? Shingles are important, but no one is just going to notice that I got new shingles. I’m trying to do something that will make that group of old guys who stand at the edge of their driveway with beers in hand (yeah, just like King of the Hill) take notice of my improvements.

To that end, I’m considering buying a cupola for my crib.

What the heck is a cupola?

A cupola is one of those windowed boxes with a roof that typically sit atop barns, gazebos, and houses. City dwellers will most often recognize cupolas as the dome structures located on top of a old building, like a church or government building.

Now that the real estate market has some life in it once again, I have a feeling many people are going to be working on reclaiming their homes… and, to a certain degree, the value of their home. Cupolas not only provide a classic look to a house, they also improve curb appeal – which, in turn, improves the value of a home on the market.

So, if you wanna follow my lead and shop around for some cupolas as that snow works on melting away over the next couple weeks, here’s a few things to keep in mind as you’re window shopping:

– Weather-resistance. Weather resistance is a lot less important to your grandparents who retired to Arizona than it is to those of us who still experience four seasons. Make sure the cupola you pick and the roofing material you select can handle all our different types of weather. Vinyl PVC board and copper sheeting tend to hold up best against the elements.

– Styling. Almost every cupola has a window and some decoration. The more complex the decoration, the more $ needed to purchase. The most common cupolas in our area come with louvres, which allow for air flow but shed against the elements. Copper sheeting is recommended for the roof of a cupola, but roof designs can be bell-shaped, concave, or crown molded. Pro designers typically lean towards selecting one that closely matches your home roof. Oh, and if you want to top off your cupola with a weathervane or finial, make sure the cupola includes an interior mount.

– Roof pitch. Click here for a handy, web-based roof pitch calculator. Roofs come at a variety of angles. Cupolas need to fit properly on roofs. I don’t think I need to go into much detail here, but make sure you know the pitch of your roof before you buy a cupola.

*Guest post by Jonathan Bentz