Had an idea – sometimes, it would look nice on the facade of a house to have a window in a paticular place, but wouldn’t make sense inside.
Thought maybe I could build and detail and water-proof a frame and mullions as appropriate to match, and install glass, back-painted black. Inside would just be strapped, some layers of rigid foam, and DWed over.
Hell, even put a screen on it.
Daytime, the glass would look black, like all the other windows in a house. Nighttime, it would look like no one was in the room.
May have to try that someday
Replies
I had a buddy once, an architect, who did that on occasion. I always thought it would just end up being a problem when the thing needed cleaning and there was no access to it. They do it on commercial structures all the time -- "spandrel glass".
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Well, the inside surface of the glass would be painted black, so no need to clean the inside. Outside would be normal.
Forrest - going to look up "spandrel glass"
Sure you paint the inside, but sooner or later, that paint is going to crumble and peel off the glass. Then, you need to disassemble to perform maintenance.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
McD
I know of one house which has a window like that.
The dead window is much blacker than the rest. Even at a glance, it stands out.
On the other hand, this house can only be viewed from close up. If you have some distance, it might be quite all right.
Ron
Was gonna try somethinglike that for my own house.
When I was designing the addition to our home, I was trying to balance out the window placement. In order to do so I needed a window in the bathroom at the rear of the house. Trouble was, it woulda been in the shower. Actually, the wall opposite the shower head. So there was no way I was going to risk that for mere aesthetic purposes.
Thought about building something fake. My architect actually liked the idea I had of just building a panel detail the size and shape of the other windows.
I was too skeered I wasn't gonna like it and end up having to rework the siding on the back of my house.
In the end, I just did without figgerin' it's the back of the house. Who's gonna see it?
Would love the opportunity to give it a try. You offerin' YOUR house? ; )
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
I havve done that with a new marvin insulated facing NW about 12 years ago. Just used Rustoleum spray black paint. owners loved it and never any failing since.
I have also worked on a house where a window showing to the exterior was walled over with plaster interior from 2-3 generations ago. Forget exact detail now, but I think there was boards panted black inside the glass rather than paint to the glass itself. That one faced south so it had direct sun for all that time and no failure other than that it was a breeding ground for flies and spiders that you would see if you stood within ten feet of it. They had let a shrub of lilac or something grow up in front of it.
Both windows weere placed for architectural symetry, such as would be important for the Queen Annes down your way.
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Hire an architect so it doesn't have to be so janky?
Heck, go a step further and build fake houses:
http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/transformer-houses.html
Empty houses designed to cover electrical substations!
I've seen gabled dormers that are essentially that- a box with a window set on the roof. No access to the house interior, strictly for show.
If I were going to build a dormer, I'd at least open it up into the attic so you'd get a little light.
I have seen what appears to be a window built on the facade of substantial stone buildings but on closer inspection the stone has been painted black and white detail put in to fake the panes of glass. All the detail is there, lintols, mullions etc. These would have been constructed in order to keep the symmetry of the building on the facade though in the inside there might be a staircase or load bearing wall. As an alternative the window would be built with glass but the glass was painted black on the inside.
In Glamis Castle, just down the road, there is a legend about the number of windows on the outside not matching the number you can look through from the inside. The story goes on to say that the idiot son of lord was locked up in a room which had a window but a secret door.
Builders do it all the time in attics. Had one a few months ago, it was a round window in a dormer, no access from the attic and they painted it black. Looked nice till the heat built up and it cracked. No matter how you cut a round it has one exact point where the cut begins and ends that will stress crack. And the best part is since it was glazed from the interior you can't get a new piece of glass through the existing round hole. Boy did that cost a bundle to fix.... But it did convinve them to stop painting the glass.
put some curtains or shades in there.
McDesign.....Had a client ask me to install a mirror window in the attic of a two story.thought he was kidding untill he handed me an octagonal window.said it would reflect nature and look good.
Good excuse to take a road trip and check it out maybe talk to the owner ,been years since I was there and allways nice to talk to old friends.
I cant see myself putting a fake window in a house but I have seen windows in dormers, like someone else mentioned, that do not go to anyplace.
When I lived in TX I saw several stone houses that had the look of a window that had been filled in. I assume to make it look like an older house that had changes/renovations, these were new houses. I liked the look - was much more pleasing to me then a fake window or a broad wall with nothing going on.
Doug
I do like that filled-in stone window thing.
Forrest
And you dont have to worry about the paint falling off the inside of a fake window.
That just plain looks shoddy!
I wish I could post a pic of the ones I've seen but if you drive down the 360 loop, heading south, in Austin TX, just a little south of Lost Creek Blvd, look out to the west, there are two of them in a newer houseing development! You'll know em when you see em!
Doug
Just remembered, drive a little further south and at Stonebridge Rd and 360 loop there is a gas station, Rudys, great BBQ. Just in case your hungry from the drive. That one is free!
Edited 3/18/2008 11:05 pm ET by DougU
I see it done all the time on garages.You build a recess or 2 into the brick and then shutters to match the rest of the house but they are closed.Makes the exterior wall look symetrically correct but protects the garage from prying eyes and holds down the cost.
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If you used heavily tinted glass you wouldn't need to paint it inside, so no flaking. Paint the foam board or whatever on the covering wall black or dark gray or fasten black plastic fly screen across the inside before putting up foam board.