02-18-2006, 11:01 PM
Aloha,
Other than folks building what they are used to, windows are more expensive than walls.
The building code requires ten percent of the floor area of each room in "glazed exterior openings" with five percent of the square footage of the room in openable ventilation.
You can save on your window budget by installing several windows of fixed glass. Just loosely frame in a sheet of glass with wood, then caulk it to hold it in place and weather seal it. (The loose frame is to keep it from cracking in earthquakes.) No screens necessary, a lot cheaper than windows and the view is great. Add louvers above, to the side or below for ventilation.
For Puna climate, the best way to keep your house cool is with wide eave overhangs. Three feet should be a MINIMUM overhang. Ideally would probably be lanais all the way around or at least on the side which gets the sun.
A hui hou,
Cathy
Other than folks building what they are used to, windows are more expensive than walls.
The building code requires ten percent of the floor area of each room in "glazed exterior openings" with five percent of the square footage of the room in openable ventilation.
You can save on your window budget by installing several windows of fixed glass. Just loosely frame in a sheet of glass with wood, then caulk it to hold it in place and weather seal it. (The loose frame is to keep it from cracking in earthquakes.) No screens necessary, a lot cheaper than windows and the view is great. Add louvers above, to the side or below for ventilation.
For Puna climate, the best way to keep your house cool is with wide eave overhangs. Three feet should be a MINIMUM overhang. Ideally would probably be lanais all the way around or at least on the side which gets the sun.
A hui hou,
Cathy
Kurt Wilson