Let the Sun Shine In With Garden Window
QUESTION: I cannot afford a sun space or large bay window, so I am considering installing a mini-garden window kit over my kitchen window. I want to grow some plants and get more natural light. What is available?
ANSWER: There are many new designs of garden window kits available, with nearly every option and design variation imaginable. If you are handy with tools, it is not difficult to install a kit yourself.
If your window needs to be replaced anyway, a garden window kit is an excellent choice. Installing one can make a room appear more spacious and open. Some models use special curved insulated glass to eliminate the center frame member for a more contemporary open appearance.
Garden windows are constructed to be energy efficient. With the bottom seat and shelf designed to hold a planter or flowerpots, they must be insulated well to maintain the fairly even year-round temperature needed for healthy plants.
Because garden windows extend out from the exterior wall, they catch even slight breezes in the summer for effective natural cooling. In the winter, the super-efficient glass options and airtight seals minimize heat loss.
Side-opening casement window configurations are often used. These can have the hinge side near the house or away. They also have double lock latches on each side for security and an airtight seal when they are closed.
Other window options are a front awning (hinges at top and swings out) and a top venting (hinged at the top near the house). These configurations are ideal in rainy areas so the window can be kept slightly open.
Many use vinyl frames and are available in white, tan and brown. Vinyl is maintenance-free and the channels inside the frame improve insulation. Some vinyl frames are filled with foam for extra insulation. There are also attractive natural wood frame garden windows that can be stained or painted.
If the plants you select are very sensitive to cold, choose a garden window with a special insulated seat (also called muffler) and sides. A layer of rigid foam insulation is sandwiched in the seat and sides.
If your budget is limited, build a do-it-yourself garden window. Because it uses single pane glass or easy-to-work-with clear acrylic plastic sheets, leave your existing window sashes in place for winter efficiency.
To reduce summer heat gain, make a slanted clear roof covered with 1x4 lumber slats mounted on edge and spaced about five inches apart. The slats allow diffused light to enter from above but will block the sun’s direct rays.
Write for Update Bulletin No. 658 showing a buyer’s guide of 20 garden window kits listing frame materials, colors, styles, glass types, features, prices and do-it-yourself instructions for making a low-cost garden window. Please include $2 and a business-size self-addressed stamped envelope and mail to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244. To rush bulletin delivery, e-mail: https://www.dulley.com
Valve Will End Scalding Blasts in the Shower
Q: Whenever I take a shower and someone flushes a toilet or turns on cold water, I nearly get scalded. I keep my water heater set at 120 degrees to save energy. Should I set it even lower?
A: Lowering the water heater temperature will not help much. Your problem is caused by a pressure imbalance when cold water is being used elsewhere.
Your best solution is to install a new pressure-balancing anti-scald shower valve (about $90). It senses a pressure drop when another faucet is opened and automatically compensates to reduce the hot water pressure too.
Leaking Greenhouse Needs a Simple Fix
Q: I have a greenhouse-porch attached to the back of my house. The roof leaks in a hard rain. My budget is limited. How can I permanently fix it myself without special tools or equipment?
A: Greenhouse roofs take a terrible beating from the weather. They are usually exposed to the full sun and have little pitch; the humidity level inside, which reaches the roof, continually changes.
Installing a flexible mobile home “roof-over” is one of the easiest ways to fix it yourself. You can buy the tough flexible skin and trim at a mobile home repair shop. Choose a light color to reduce overheating in the summer.
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Letters and questions to Dulley, a Cincinnati-based engineering consultant, may be sent to James Dulley, Los Angeles Times, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244. To read 150 previous columns, e-mail Dulley at https://www.dulley.com
