or the beauty of double-hung windows.
We are slowly opening Esperanza’s windows for summer. That sounds distinctly peculiar, but it is the best way of doing it here. First a few doors, here and there, get the storms taken off the rest of the doors, then a few windows, then a few things in the attic, then a few more windows. By mid-June most everything that can be opened will be opened.
Remember this is a house with 17 doors (and two french doors) to the outside.* We are talking about A Lot of doors/windows, and every one is unique.
In any case, double-hungs, are my preferred window. There are problems: the biggest drawback is that, unless you have storms (which we do) you cannot have weather tight windows. I had an office with unsealed double-hungs, newspaper was useful. They also require carpenters with an actual grasp of…you know…Carpentry. However, the configurations of the storms, double-hungs, and screens are numerous. It is quite possible to have an open window that does not ship water, or a window that creates a constant, subtle breeze, or a truly open window. Furthermore, some of those configurations are, while not ultra-secure- very close to it; especially in double-hungs that are opened by means of interior catches in the casement. You can have an open window that is still as secure as an unopened window in that case. Which is rather nice.
It is a Project, of course, I just wrestled open a double-hung that has neither catches nor weights. It will stay open all summer. So five minutes now and five minutes in the fall. I think that is manageable…
*do I have that right? You’d think I’d remember.