Comments on: Old is the New Green http://livingsmallblog.com/2010/03/04/old-is-the-new-green/ Life, Literature, and the Subversive Power of Living Small Thu, 10 May 2012 18:35:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: woolysheep http://livingsmallblog.com/2010/03/04/old-is-the-new-green/comment-page-1/#comment-40625 woolysheep Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:15:55 +0000 http://livingsmallblog.com/?p=2156#comment-40625 I know what you mean about the windows painted and caulked shut. A lot of that happened. In reality being sealed up so tight you can't open your windows doesn't save you that much. With windows that don't open you have to run the a/c in months where you could just open everything up and let nature keep you comfortable. I'd almost betcha that you don't lose as much air around the little cracks in mobile window as you use during a mild/warm weather month with no openable windows. I know what you mean about the windows painted and caulked shut. A lot of that happened. In reality being sealed up so tight you can’t open your windows doesn’t save you that much. With windows that don’t open you have to run the a/c in months where you could just open everything up and let nature keep you comfortable. I’d almost betcha that you don’t lose as much air around the little cracks in mobile window as you use during a mild/warm weather month with no openable windows.

]]> By: cmf http://livingsmallblog.com/2010/03/04/old-is-the-new-green/comment-page-1/#comment-40538 cmf Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:10:46 +0000 http://livingsmallblog.com/?p=2156#comment-40538 Isn't it astonishing? A couple of years ago, I was back in the midwest helping my mom find a new apartment. We looked at a number of really cool refurbished buildings -- old department stores and office buildings that had been converted to apartments. Most of them had enormous windows and really high ceilings, and even though they'd been retrofitted, windows that open. It makes such a difference. My house is 1903, and the air circulation is pretty good -- or has been ever since I chipped open the sealed living room windows -- the older people around town all caulked shut their windows during the same timer period when they added dropped ceilings and the ubiquitous green shag carpeting. Isn’t it astonishing? A couple of years ago, I was back in the midwest helping my mom find a new apartment. We looked at a number of really cool refurbished buildings — old department stores and office buildings that had been converted to apartments. Most of them had enormous windows and really high ceilings, and even though they’d been retrofitted, windows that open. It makes such a difference. My house is 1903, and the air circulation is pretty good — or has been ever since I chipped open the sealed living room windows — the older people around town all caulked shut their windows during the same timer period when they added dropped ceilings and the ubiquitous green shag carpeting.

]]> By: woolysheep http://livingsmallblog.com/2010/03/04/old-is-the-new-green/comment-page-1/#comment-40537 woolysheep Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:52:08 +0000 http://livingsmallblog.com/?p=2156#comment-40537 I can definitely see the difference in architectural 'attitudes' when comparing the house I used to live in across town with the one live in now. The other house was built around the time of WWII when resourses were scarce do to the war and A/C was still considered a luxury by the majority. It is very plain and there were windows and lots of natural light in every room. The windows and doors when left open created a good breeze through the house in the warmer months. This house I am in now was built in 1957 when the consumer culture we now live in was being birthed. It has very poor natural light and can't pull a draft worth a flip. It was built for electric light and window unit air conditioners. There were spaces built into the walls for the units. One of the orginial A/C units is still in my oldest sons room. Even more modern houses have windows that don't open at all to 'save resourses' by keeping chilled or heated air in and that rifraff unconditioned air out. I can definitely see the difference in architectural ‘attitudes’ when comparing the house I used to live in across town with the one live in now.

The other house was built around the time of WWII when resourses were scarce do to the war and A/C was still considered a luxury by the majority. It is very plain and there were windows and lots of natural light in every room. The windows and doors when left open created a good breeze through the house in the warmer months.

This house I am in now was built in 1957 when the consumer culture we now live in was being birthed. It has very poor natural light and can’t pull a draft worth a flip. It was built for electric light and window unit air conditioners. There were spaces built into the walls for the units. One of the orginial A/C units is still in my oldest sons room.

Even more modern houses have windows that don’t open at all to ‘save resourses’ by keeping chilled or heated air in and that rifraff unconditioned air out.

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