SPOTLIGHT WINDOWS Closer to the Outdoors BY RICK KENNEL
“ Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
A
lthough you may have occasionally hunkered down in a darkened room with no desire to commune with the outside world, those are
probably not the times you recollect fondly. Everyone seeks shelter for comfort and protection, but we are in fact creatures of nature and, as such, always long for some interface between ourselves and our natural en- vironment. Fenestration products (windows, doors, skylights, etc.) can help us achieve a balance between the natural and the built environments that improves quality of life.
Scientists at the Lighting Research Center (LRC), in Troy, N.Y., for example, have reported that natural lighting increases productivity and comfort, and provides the mental and visual stimulation necessary to regulate human circadian rhythms. It’s is prety obvious that we feel beter and more alert in well- lit areas. In the past we oſten had to make a choice between enjoying ample light or climate control.
Bringing in the “Right” Light Modern technologies, however, permit larger and more windows that contain color spectrum-selective coatings, which allow only beneficial light to penetrate a room Tese coatings moderate the harmful effects of the far ends of the light spectrum, heat build-up caused by infrared and color fading inflicted by ultraviolet, while allowing greater access to the desirable visible light. It is even possible to vary a product’s solar per- formance from one side of the structure to another without substantially altering the building’s aesthetics.
Fenestration products can bring the outdoors in by providing the perception of greater space and closer contact with the world outside. Tis is typically achieved by installing projected windows in which the outermost pane of glass extends well beyond the home’s outside wall. Tis requires installing a seat or ledge to extend the windows outside the plane of the exterior wall. Te presence of this seat board pushes your focus beyond the outside wall, which creates the perception that the room has become larger. Te increased glassed-in area also extends your view of the outside on the leſt and the right, thus adding
14 create | A REMODELING RESOURCE FROM NARI METRO DC
to the impression that you have increased nature’s presence in your home.
Projected windows are available in three basic con- figurations: Te bay window, composed of three wid- ows, the center section of which is larger than the two ends, the bow window with three to five equally sized sections and the garden window, which has a a glass roof and shelves for plants.
A concern many homeowners who are considering adding a projected window to “open up the room” is the higher cost of such installations compared with that of a conventional window. But those who make the switch routinely ask themselves once they’ve started to enjoy the results: “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
Stand Up to Mother Nature We are fortunate here in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, to experience a striking change in the sea- sons every year. Who hasn’t heard when talking about the weather, “If you don’t like it today, wait a couple of days, it will change”? As a result, fenestration products installed locally must perform in many types of weath- er but rarely in extreme conditions. Ideally you should purchase windows and doors from a regional manufac- turer whose products are designed to perform in your local climate. Always ask where your building materials came from. Buying those that are best suited for local weather conditions will ensure high performance, ad- verse environmental impact, repair and replacement and may allow you to buy locally, which is always a plus.
To enjoy the positive effects of outdoor exposure rather than the negative ones.. usually requires installing high- quality double-glazed units with spectrally selective soſt-coat low e glass with argon gas fill. You should order enough of them to permit ventilation where and when desired. Tese windows should be easy to clean and maintain so that they are awelcome interface beween indoors and outdoors. Good luck and enjoy the weather.
Rick Kennel of RJT Industries can be reached at rick@
rjt-industries.com, 703.643.1510, or visit them online at
www.rjt-industries.com. RJT Industries is an active member of NARI Metro DC,
www.narimetrodc.org.
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