Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
This cabin created from two separate pens has
the second front door converted to a window.
Additional windows in the knee wall let in light
from the west.
Kolbe — are much higher in price, but the workman-
ship and materials are better.
Today, most building codes require double-
thickness windows. Check your area for confirmation.
When you make the switch from recycled single-thick-
ness glass to new double, the price goes up dramati-
cally. Your local weather will help you decide if the cost
and the look of the better brands are necessary. Dou-
ble glass cuts heat loss, although it's still high. The
thing you'll notice first is that the reasonably priced
double-glass (insulated glass) windows will have no
muntins (the dividers between panes). They come
with some plastic or wood snap-ins that don't look
remotely real. Other choices include real divided
lights, which are muntins heavy enough to take the
dual-glass sandwich. These are the most expensive
windows.
You can also get winter weather protection from
recycled single-pane-glass, divided-light windows if
you make careful choices. Limit the number and size
of windows on the north face of your house and add
more to the south face, to take advantage of solar gain.
Plan for detachable storm windows over divided-light
sashes. Some companies make snap-in or fitted panels
(smaller storms that don't cover the whole window
assembly) to create double-glass protection.
The better windows have features like pop-out
sashes for cleaning and more precise milling of better-
quality wood. The cheaper ones usually do all right if
you heat with plenty of wood and don't air-condition.
We have always used dual glass with electric heat or
air-conditioning to cut heat loss or gain. The two or
three times the cost eventually saves enough on energy
to make sense.
Ironically, about the time milled windows became
common in the remote areas, the style had changed
from the earlier classic small-paned ones to the large,
single-paned sashes of the late Victorian period. So,
many cabins were given these windows later, and
many built in the later 1800s and early 1900s had
single-pane windows.
I see single glass by the 1870s. I examine the work-
manship carefully because these sometimes are
replacements. By this time, a popular style was a two-
over-two, which replaced earlier multiple panes.
Keep the same style, if not size, windows in the main
house and addition. If your house is large enough for
dormers, use the same style sashes there too.
