Windows 2013 (and doors, etc.)

Windows didn't capture my imagination much when I was younger.  You just look through them, open them, close them - nothing much interesting there.  Still, having been through quite a process in building a house recently, I came to have more appreciation for the role windows play in making ANY building complete.  You may have already guessed, there are some things about windows in the Philippines which seem a little different from what we experience when constructing a building in the USA.
The energy-efficiency thing is not much of an issue here.  Temperature almost never goes below 60 F.  If you have air-conditioning (refrigeration) it might be nice to have air-tight windows but in fact little consideration is given to air-tightness or to insulation here. (We have roll-polyfoam insulation above all our ceilings.)  The issues with window-design here are light (illumination), ventilation, and security.  We wanted windows which would allow lots of natural light and ventilation, but which would not invite unwanted intrusion, either by other humans or by cats.  It happened that the existing house on our property had nearly ideal windows, so we found a window company which could replicate those windows in our new house.

The windows of the "old" house are steel-construction casement-type.

The glass is translucent; it lets in natural light but doesn't allow a person

outside to see any inside details.  There's a grid-work of  steel bars which

are arranged into a pattern of "H-es", preventing entry or exit via the

windows.  The four  panels can pivot open, allowing lots of fresh air.
This design eliminates the expense of  additional security bars. Also

note we've added bamboo slats to discourage cats entering.

The window company came out and measured, and sketched, and we

received a very reasonable bid.  Two weeks later, the windows arrived

and we began setting them into the rough openings. Above shows one

window and its rough sill, prior to finished cement-work.

More cement, and sometimes cement-blocks are added around the

window, and it is carefully finished using the same methods as the wall-

finish. The darker cement in this photo shows the contour of the opening.

The front- wall window is installed.  It will be finish-color painted before

the glass is installed.  Molding work is partially complete. I had mentioned

to my Bro.-in-law some cement molding I  noticed on another house nearby.

He said, "I can do that,"   soooo - -

He first sketched 3 outlines on pieces of plywood, then cut them out

to use as templates.  The molding outlines came "straight out of his

head;" - he has a natural "eye" for architectural details it seems.  This

template is for the "window stool" molding, which goes below the window.

Re-bar was added where needed, and "mud daubing" began, with

the template being repeatedly passed along the surface to check

contour as the work progressed,  Here, the stool is nearly ready 

for final contouring.  The fluted side-molding is already done.

The front window, molded, painted, and glazed - a marked contrast

from its appearance 3 photos above.  Later the exterior wall will be

painted  cream/ tan color and the moldings slightly darker.

Meantime, my heavy-duty Skil-saw arrived among many boxes of our

things shipped via ocean container.  I bought a transformer/ converter

which converts Philippines 220v/ 50hz into USA standard electricity,

allowing me the use of my old favorite tools.  Here the saw is inverted

 in a table and used to cut stock for door-frames and trim-moldings.

A couple passes with the router, and - presto - we have molding to put

around the bedroom ceiling. The above molding is actually 2-inches wide.

My mom made a great many quilts for about 30 years.  In the USA it

has become popular some places to put gigantic quilt squares (patterns) 

on barns (there are magazine articles which feature this).  I liked this

pattern, not necessarily the colors, on a barn near Bedford, KY, which

I often passed while on my trucking route.

The barn photo became the basis for the design on our 8-foot wide work-

shop doors which are to the left of the front window.  Here the pattern is

extended with a border, much as a quilting housewife might have done

before adding the inner batting and backing to make her quilt complete.

The entry-door porch lamp is provided with a "missile deflection system"

as many youngsters nearby are handy with sling-shots.  An identical lamp

will go between the window and the shop doors, on the front of the house.

I mentioned being a "fan of electric fans" in an earlier posting.  I still

really like fans; but the above subject, while it may seem plain to folks

in the USA, is a thing of great beauty and a joy to behold, for me!

We still have not moved into the house as of this writing, May 2.  There are interior finishing details, especially tile-work in the bathroom, which continually create more construction dust.  But we're real close!  seems likely we will be able to unpack bedroom items and set up in a few days.  We can enjoy resting with our new "Aircon" (the expression used here instead of "AAY-CEE") while the we complete  last details such as cabinet- and closet- work.

We've traveled back and forth from San Jose on errands more times than I can count, these last several months.  But the ride down there and back has never become mundane or boring.  The constant change of scenery from seashore to mountain to farmland to village constantly renews a traveler's interest.  So perhaps in the next blog I'll try to share with  you, at least in part, what it's like to travel through our area.  Thanks for checking in with us!  Have a great day - -

Tim and Bernadette Larson,  Philippines