The Inside Outside Guys ~ See the Light with the Right Windows and Coverings

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein

DETROIT, April 13, 2023 ~ Windows and window dressings have a long and interesting history in homes and buildings. It was a gamble to place any opening in the thermal envelope centuries ago when increased exposure to changing weather and loss of security were genuine risks. Narrow horizontal slits covered in oilskins were often used more to fend off potential attacks than to allow enjoyment of the landscape.

Placing glass windows on all four sides of a house was an acknowledgement of our prosperity in the late 1800s, but it came at a cost: literally. As recently as 1929, Sears advertised SealAir storm windows claiming they could save 30% on your annual heating demand of 10 tons of coal at $90 per year. Steel frames and sashes made it possible to incorporate large, ventilating windows in factories and homes.

PODCAST:

April 13, 2023 ~ Chuck “The Inside Guy” Breidenstein and Ken “The Outside Guy” Calverly offer the knowledge and resources you need to make the home of your dreams a reality. Catch them every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon on 760 WJR.

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Then, in the 1980s, we began minimizing windows in home designs due to the threat of global cooling and installing insulated Roman shades to retain heat while exploring various new technologies including one that used expanded polystyrene beads blown between panes of glass in the evening, then evacuated the space at sunrise to allow the view.

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For housing advice and more, listen to “The Inside Outside Guys” every Saturday and Sunday on 760 WJR from 10 a.m. to noon, or contact them at InsideOutsideGuys.com.

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