Windows

Windows are today's big deal. We know we like awning windows because it rains here and nothing else makes sense. I'm leaning toward Milgard aluminum windows.

Milgard brochure looks like Trees Room.

So, they do 3-high stacks (as shown), and they make sure that operable awning windows have similar frames to the fixed glass. They also make their sliding doors match the windows.

The 3-high stack shown here would total 80" (the height of the sliding door), so each is 26.67" high. My space would make the stack 41" wide, which is just about a golden rectangle.

Looking at the preliminary window schedule, I see that we need about 160 SF of glazing, minimum, with half of it operable. The current A.12 model shows about 337 SF, only 91 SF operable. Most of this is in the Trees Room, where we need 18 SF minimum, and I have 152 at the moment.

A high-end window salesman told me his stuff started at $120/SF, which ended our discussion. But looking at Jeld-wen clad wood windows at Home Depot, they're asking $31.60/SF, so our window budget is looking like more than $10k.

I was curious what the 3-high stack might feel like, so I mocked it up full size.

Pleasing proportion. We could have the top fixed and open the one at belt-height. That would leave the main view window screen-less. The fixed panel at the bottom goes all the way to the floor--it's the tempered panel.

That's the window wall of the Trees Room--the whole room is only 13' 8" wide. It would extend into the dining room almost 2'. I considered centering a generous 8' sliding door, but the windows on each side would be too skinny.

The idea is to frame the head of the slider @80" with a flat 4 x 6, then run another 80" 3-panel up and hit the ceiling @165" The effect is very much like the curtain wall I wanted. With or without the help of the through-beams, I could easily cantilever a header for a butt-joint at the SW corner, but I haven't found a window company that makes a lightweight corner extrusion--you can't butt-joint an operable window, at least not inexpensively. So, screw it--we'll put in a corner post. That's what the Milgard brochure shows, and it looks fine.

I spent some time exploring the view in the backyard. If the SW corner is a post and the windows continue onto the W wall, the view will include the three trees on the property line in that direction (one of which is on the neighbor's property). If the SE corner doesn't have a window, we won't see the neighbor's ugly house until we're almost outside. Also, the shadow study shows a blast of morning sun coming from the east until 10 or 11. No glazing at the basement stairs helps with a lot of things.

Modeling the actual trees shows that this room will rarely get direct sun during the warm part of the year, but I'm still worried about it becoming an uncomfortable sun room/greenhouse. Ah, I told myself, cross-ventilation at the clerestory level will suck the stagnant air right out, regardless of the prevailing wind direction.

Okay, but how do we open those high windows? I measured my reach. I could open an awning window if the handle were @93". If I stand on a chair, @110". If I use my lightweight step ladder, @114". Higher than that, and I need the big Christmas Tree at the White House ladder. Yeah, but, I told myself, I wanted the really high ceiling, I'm going to have to pull out the ladder from time to time. Awning windows can stay open over night.

But there's a flaw there. Say the awning windows stay open during the summer months. I go to the store one day and a burglar climbs onto the roof, where he can easily knock out the screen, crank the window all the way open and drop inside the house. If I can close and lock the windows when I leave, the house is a lot more secure.

So I'm not sure what that means for the E and W clerestories. If the ceiling is @165", the clerestories would have to be 51" high. Two of our 26.67" modules would do nicely, but they would conflict with the roof, I think. I'll go modify the Sketchup model and we'll see.

Update: Here's the model:

May 7, 2pm--The sun peeks between a couple of tall trees. By the way, I can reach the high awning windows using the stepladder--they're @111.67"