Windows let in light. Without much snow before the new year, I found myself turning on the lights during the day when I can usually see fine indoors during daylight hours. Now we've got good ground cover and the days are brighter; and longer. But I have to ask about those gorgeous windows. Are they Marvin Windows? I ask because their headquarters is in Warroad, Minnesota, a special place I've been writing about. Their company history is quite remarkable and their custom windows are stunning.
Isn't it interesting how in the winter, the short days seem much darker without the reflectance of snow cover? We have snow here in the high desert, but it doesn't hang around for long the way it does there--the sun comes out and it melts. But it does make the days brighter when it's on the ground. And yes, those gorgeous windows are Marvins (replacement windows, which are different than the original windows--I've had both in various houses and love them all). They're lifetime windows, and the cost reflects that, but they are beautiful, efficient, and so well-designed. I am a Marvin windows fan, no doubt about that. Now I'll go read what you've written on Warroad and Marvin!
I haven't yet written much about the company but I have about the town. This week's piece featured Cal Marvin "Mr. Hockey" in Warroad and the legacy of Henry Boucha, Ojibway Olympian, who is the subject of a new documentary to be aired on Twin Cities PBS in March. Warroad, population 1800, home of windows, walleye and the Warriors.
I'm due at a meeting soon, but I'll give myself the pleasure of reading your "Mr. Hockey" piece and others--I'm especially interested in your thoughts on allotment--later today. Thank you!
I found this post informative and very likely a help to others considering updates to their homes. Many years in residential and light commercial construction management exposed me to Marvin, Pella, and Kolbe & Kolbe windows and door systems. Thank goodness for the impact of energy codes which in part have improved performance standards for fenestration.
What I’d like to offer, in the interest of bringing more light into one’s home, is a product called Kalwall. I made three huge skylights for a home I built in 1984. The material is translucent and then was available, in rolls, measuring .025, .040, and .060 inches of thickness. Friends remarked, “They”re translucent!” I’ve not know people that spend much time looking through their skylights. Kalwall is very efficient for light transmission and very durable.
Others commented, “Skylights always leak!” I replied, “Incorrectly installed skylights always leak. My construction experiences provided knowledge of high elasticity, high adhesion, and heat tolerant exterior sealants. Methods for using thick aluminum batten strips and properly spaced self sealing stainless hex head screws.
In 1986, Hurricane Kate laid down 13 tall pines and oaks on our property. One of which considerately landed perfectly parallel to the roof surface and across my tallest skylight, 12 feet bottom to top, including some broken off limbs. No damage to the roof or skylights was incurred. Damaged gutter, eave metal, and a few pieces of metal, ventilated soffit.
I apologize for this likely intrusive comment. When on a tight budget some folks can’t make the dollars work. So, lower grade windows replete with fogging problems, and no appreciable increase in light levels in their homes. Your readers are quite fortunate for your experiences across 10 or 11 homes. As am I.
Gary, Thank you for sharing this information. You must have been a blessing to all who worked with you in construction! Anyone who knows and cares about materials and energy efficiency, as well as design and quality, is to be treasured. When I replace my skylights--I have four in the roof of my little house, and yes, they're translucent, not transparent--I'll look at Kalwall. In the meantime, I'm loving my replacement windows, and am perfectly happy to spend a lot less money in other parts of my life in order to have quality in my house, especially the building envelope, which is what keeps it cozy and bright!
Good windows matter! My last house was a new construction and most of the windows didn't open! It was ridiculous, I couldn't let air in at all. I spent quite a lot (which I did not recoup when I sold the house unfortunately), so that I could open it up in the in between seasons. It was worth it, but oof. It's amazing how poorly builders think (or don't think) about windows.
Ugh. My sympathy! There was a time when the fashion in building was keeping the outside out. It was before Sick Building Syndrome became well-known, and we understood that buildings need to breathe so they can be healthy, and so can the people who inhabit them. Sadly, some builders still don't get it. Also, using fixed windows instead of openable ones is one way for builders to save money and sweeten their bottom line. It's very bad for the houses and very bad for the buyers, but not all builders care. My house was a quality job, custom built for the elderly couple I bought it from, but the builder used "builder-grade" windows, which means okay but not good quality. And windows that were okay 30 years ago are not now!
I, too, am grateful for my windows. Living on a floating house on the Columbia River, I can watch the real life Nature Channel and Animal Planet for hours. As I write this, Canadian geese and a variety of ducks are basking in the rare morning sunshine on the deck of the house next to mine. And for the first time in weeks, I can feel the warmth of sunshine on glass from the window in my writing spot. But on this winter day, I am especially thankful for the four exterior doors we replaced last Fall. They are almost full glass so we have clear views upstairs and downstairs to the river. They replaced 40+ year old doors that had warped and become drafty. Our house is so very quiet now - except when rain pounds the windows or waterfowl call out to one another. Worth every penny. And beautiful to look through.
What a joy to think of you there in your house-on-water, feeling the sunshine and watching the water birds and other wonders! I think the only way to live in a city would be to live where you can have wildness right nearby the way you do on the river, and I am so glad you found your home (and your sweetie) there. And congratulations on those new full-light doors with their view and their quiet and weather-tightness! I have an idea of how much they cost from my various window- and door-replacement projects over the years, but the joy and comfort they bright is indeed worth every bit. xo to you and James!
I'll have to say that good windows and natural light are right at the top of my list. Although this old house (1918) isn't well situated for solar gain, plenty of windows make the sunlight and moonlight wonderful. I replaced the majority of them, and added one in the bathroom. They are not the highest quality, but my comfort level shot up, not to mention my mood when I could finally watch deer, antelope, birds, the occasional elk and coyote, the changing light over the hills and ridges, and the ever changing Wyoming cloudscapes. Grateful every day...
I'm glad you could put new windows into your old place, Barbara. Even new mid-grade windows in a house that's got more than a century on her bones make a huge difference. And they give you such a window on that extraordinary world. Say hello to the sagebrush country for me!
Love our oversized windows! - due to advancing technology as you point out. Plus pencils. Plus pantries - the walk-in kind…so much is so accessible and yet out of sight unless you open the door.
I love your list of gratitudes! Oversized windows to give you a wide view of the outdoors. And pencils--so much creative energy in a wood tube filled with graphite. And pantries--accessible but tucked away, like a lovely surprise. :)
Windows and light were at the top of my Must List when I built Creatrix Cottage three years ago. How right on that was within the framework of surrounding trees, as I watch each cold morning in profoundly grateful silence as magnificent birds gather on the back deck to feed and grace my life. I love this post, Susan!
Mary Jo, I am so glad that Creatrix Cottage gives you that intimate view of the surrounding trees, and fills your spirit with connection to the winged ones who are part of your community! Good for you for knowing what you needed and building with that in mind. Blessings!
Windows are so important! Glad you wrote about this. Thank You. We got new windows two years ago and it has made such a difference, and I am mindful of remembering to be grateful for them.
Thanks, Linda! It's easy to take the ordinary bits of our lives for granted, isn't it? I think any exercise in gratitude should include finding at least one thing every day that we depend on but habitually overlook and being grateful for that quotidian thing. Having my windows replaced and feeling and seeing the contrast made it easy for me to be grateful for the new ones (and also for the old ones for their useful lives).
I’ll add to the window praise here by saying that when we bought our 1912 house, four years ago, I walked in, saw the new windows, and told my husband let’s take it. I’ve lived in plenty of old houses, which felt like tents in the winter because of bad windows, so these are a wonder.
Today, I’m grateful for the quiet of my house, while my daughter is at school and for all of my house plants, which help me miss my garden less in the cold months.
Quiet is a wonderful gift, as are new windows in a house that's over a century old. And yes to the company of indoor plants too! Blessings to you, Emily!
What a lovely lesson about windows, Susan. Thanks for that and the lovely pictures. So nice to see Arabella looking beautiful and in bloom. And yes, as a matter of fact, I am happy to say I spent a marvelous, but definitely not prosaic time yesterday enjoying your company and that of several other fascinating and enlightening women. So I'd like to thank you for that treat as well. So I guess you could say I was enjoying seeing the light via Susanphilia!
Liz! It was a delight getting to celebrate your birthday yesterday with the other LLs. I'm always honored to get to let a little light into your world, and thanks for the laugh about Susanphiia. xo
I live in a very drafty house, so I’m with you regarding good windows! Sadly it is not possible to replace them at the moment, but I am getting a new one for my bedroom (which will hopefully be finished and installed in spring!)
One thing I am grateful for is my orchid Coralie, who has bloomed for the first time in two years. It feels like a positive blessing for the year ahead 💗
I understand about the cost of replacing windows, and I hope you really love the new one for your bedroom when it is finished and installed! I bet it will make a huge difference.
And yay for your orchid Coralie and her blooming after a pause. May those blooms bring you joy and many blessings!
I am so looking forward to having a big window to take in the views, but that also blocks out the traffic noise! Sometimes it sounds like cars are inside my house 😞
Thank you for your well wishes regarding Coralie -- it’s so wonderful to see her flourishing once again! Plants and flowers bring me so much joy and inspiration 🥰
That kind of noise is bad for your health. I hope your new window comes sooner rather than later!
I live with a 67-year-old Christmas cactus named Arabella for her twirly magenta ballerina-type flowers, so I understand. Arabella has been blooming since Thanksgiving, and she really brightens my winter days. :)
So do I 🤞 it will be nice to get a good night’s rest for once. Oh wow, I had no idea cactuses had such long life spans -- that’s amazing! And how wonderful that Arabella has been blooming for 2 months! Flowers in winter provide so much cheer 💛
Sleep is so important! I'm sending good wishes for that new window to arrive soon. As for Arabella, she's actually a cutting from a plant that was old already in 1932 when my friend Jay's mom first saw her at a ranch house in Wyoming, so heaven knows how old she actually is. She usually blooms from Thanksgiving to April, and has thrived despite the many times I've moved her halfway across the West in the midst of winter in the past six years (which is six times)!
Thank you, Susan, that’s very kind of you 😊 And oh, I see Arabella in the window photo! She’s magnificent, and is a testament to how well you’ve taken care of her over the years 💛 I’ve moved many times across country with plants and it’s certainly an interesting, yet nerve wracking experience (especially when you have to bring them into hotels because it’s too cold in the car). But somehow, they always make it through! I wonder if they think of it as an adventure lol
Windows let in light. Without much snow before the new year, I found myself turning on the lights during the day when I can usually see fine indoors during daylight hours. Now we've got good ground cover and the days are brighter; and longer. But I have to ask about those gorgeous windows. Are they Marvin Windows? I ask because their headquarters is in Warroad, Minnesota, a special place I've been writing about. Their company history is quite remarkable and their custom windows are stunning.
Isn't it interesting how in the winter, the short days seem much darker without the reflectance of snow cover? We have snow here in the high desert, but it doesn't hang around for long the way it does there--the sun comes out and it melts. But it does make the days brighter when it's on the ground. And yes, those gorgeous windows are Marvins (replacement windows, which are different than the original windows--I've had both in various houses and love them all). They're lifetime windows, and the cost reflects that, but they are beautiful, efficient, and so well-designed. I am a Marvin windows fan, no doubt about that. Now I'll go read what you've written on Warroad and Marvin!
I haven't yet written much about the company but I have about the town. This week's piece featured Cal Marvin "Mr. Hockey" in Warroad and the legacy of Henry Boucha, Ojibway Olympian, who is the subject of a new documentary to be aired on Twin Cities PBS in March. Warroad, population 1800, home of windows, walleye and the Warriors.
I'm due at a meeting soon, but I'll give myself the pleasure of reading your "Mr. Hockey" piece and others--I'm especially interested in your thoughts on allotment--later today. Thank you!
I found this post informative and very likely a help to others considering updates to their homes. Many years in residential and light commercial construction management exposed me to Marvin, Pella, and Kolbe & Kolbe windows and door systems. Thank goodness for the impact of energy codes which in part have improved performance standards for fenestration.
What I’d like to offer, in the interest of bringing more light into one’s home, is a product called Kalwall. I made three huge skylights for a home I built in 1984. The material is translucent and then was available, in rolls, measuring .025, .040, and .060 inches of thickness. Friends remarked, “They”re translucent!” I’ve not know people that spend much time looking through their skylights. Kalwall is very efficient for light transmission and very durable.
Others commented, “Skylights always leak!” I replied, “Incorrectly installed skylights always leak. My construction experiences provided knowledge of high elasticity, high adhesion, and heat tolerant exterior sealants. Methods for using thick aluminum batten strips and properly spaced self sealing stainless hex head screws.
In 1986, Hurricane Kate laid down 13 tall pines and oaks on our property. One of which considerately landed perfectly parallel to the roof surface and across my tallest skylight, 12 feet bottom to top, including some broken off limbs. No damage to the roof or skylights was incurred. Damaged gutter, eave metal, and a few pieces of metal, ventilated soffit.
I apologize for this likely intrusive comment. When on a tight budget some folks can’t make the dollars work. So, lower grade windows replete with fogging problems, and no appreciable increase in light levels in their homes. Your readers are quite fortunate for your experiences across 10 or 11 homes. As am I.
Gary, Thank you for sharing this information. You must have been a blessing to all who worked with you in construction! Anyone who knows and cares about materials and energy efficiency, as well as design and quality, is to be treasured. When I replace my skylights--I have four in the roof of my little house, and yes, they're translucent, not transparent--I'll look at Kalwall. In the meantime, I'm loving my replacement windows, and am perfectly happy to spend a lot less money in other parts of my life in order to have quality in my house, especially the building envelope, which is what keeps it cozy and bright!
Love that description. Must look for that documentary. Excited to read your articles, too.
Good windows matter! My last house was a new construction and most of the windows didn't open! It was ridiculous, I couldn't let air in at all. I spent quite a lot (which I did not recoup when I sold the house unfortunately), so that I could open it up in the in between seasons. It was worth it, but oof. It's amazing how poorly builders think (or don't think) about windows.
Ugh. My sympathy! There was a time when the fashion in building was keeping the outside out. It was before Sick Building Syndrome became well-known, and we understood that buildings need to breathe so they can be healthy, and so can the people who inhabit them. Sadly, some builders still don't get it. Also, using fixed windows instead of openable ones is one way for builders to save money and sweeten their bottom line. It's very bad for the houses and very bad for the buyers, but not all builders care. My house was a quality job, custom built for the elderly couple I bought it from, but the builder used "builder-grade" windows, which means okay but not good quality. And windows that were okay 30 years ago are not now!
I, too, am grateful for my windows. Living on a floating house on the Columbia River, I can watch the real life Nature Channel and Animal Planet for hours. As I write this, Canadian geese and a variety of ducks are basking in the rare morning sunshine on the deck of the house next to mine. And for the first time in weeks, I can feel the warmth of sunshine on glass from the window in my writing spot. But on this winter day, I am especially thankful for the four exterior doors we replaced last Fall. They are almost full glass so we have clear views upstairs and downstairs to the river. They replaced 40+ year old doors that had warped and become drafty. Our house is so very quiet now - except when rain pounds the windows or waterfowl call out to one another. Worth every penny. And beautiful to look through.
What a joy to think of you there in your house-on-water, feeling the sunshine and watching the water birds and other wonders! I think the only way to live in a city would be to live where you can have wildness right nearby the way you do on the river, and I am so glad you found your home (and your sweetie) there. And congratulations on those new full-light doors with their view and their quiet and weather-tightness! I have an idea of how much they cost from my various window- and door-replacement projects over the years, but the joy and comfort they bright is indeed worth every bit. xo to you and James!
I'll have to say that good windows and natural light are right at the top of my list. Although this old house (1918) isn't well situated for solar gain, plenty of windows make the sunlight and moonlight wonderful. I replaced the majority of them, and added one in the bathroom. They are not the highest quality, but my comfort level shot up, not to mention my mood when I could finally watch deer, antelope, birds, the occasional elk and coyote, the changing light over the hills and ridges, and the ever changing Wyoming cloudscapes. Grateful every day...
I'm glad you could put new windows into your old place, Barbara. Even new mid-grade windows in a house that's got more than a century on her bones make a huge difference. And they give you such a window on that extraordinary world. Say hello to the sagebrush country for me!
Love our oversized windows! - due to advancing technology as you point out. Plus pencils. Plus pantries - the walk-in kind…so much is so accessible and yet out of sight unless you open the door.
I love your list of gratitudes! Oversized windows to give you a wide view of the outdoors. And pencils--so much creative energy in a wood tube filled with graphite. And pantries--accessible but tucked away, like a lovely surprise. :)
Windows and light were at the top of my Must List when I built Creatrix Cottage three years ago. How right on that was within the framework of surrounding trees, as I watch each cold morning in profoundly grateful silence as magnificent birds gather on the back deck to feed and grace my life. I love this post, Susan!
Mary Jo, I am so glad that Creatrix Cottage gives you that intimate view of the surrounding trees, and fills your spirit with connection to the winged ones who are part of your community! Good for you for knowing what you needed and building with that in mind. Blessings!
Windows are so important! Glad you wrote about this. Thank You. We got new windows two years ago and it has made such a difference, and I am mindful of remembering to be grateful for them.
Thanks, Linda! It's easy to take the ordinary bits of our lives for granted, isn't it? I think any exercise in gratitude should include finding at least one thing every day that we depend on but habitually overlook and being grateful for that quotidian thing. Having my windows replaced and feeling and seeing the contrast made it easy for me to be grateful for the new ones (and also for the old ones for their useful lives).
I’ll add to the window praise here by saying that when we bought our 1912 house, four years ago, I walked in, saw the new windows, and told my husband let’s take it. I’ve lived in plenty of old houses, which felt like tents in the winter because of bad windows, so these are a wonder.
Today, I’m grateful for the quiet of my house, while my daughter is at school and for all of my house plants, which help me miss my garden less in the cold months.
Quiet is a wonderful gift, as are new windows in a house that's over a century old. And yes to the company of indoor plants too! Blessings to you, Emily!
Thank you Susan!
What a lovely lesson about windows, Susan. Thanks for that and the lovely pictures. So nice to see Arabella looking beautiful and in bloom. And yes, as a matter of fact, I am happy to say I spent a marvelous, but definitely not prosaic time yesterday enjoying your company and that of several other fascinating and enlightening women. So I'd like to thank you for that treat as well. So I guess you could say I was enjoying seeing the light via Susanphilia!
Liz! It was a delight getting to celebrate your birthday yesterday with the other LLs. I'm always honored to get to let a little light into your world, and thanks for the laugh about Susanphiia. xo
It's all true -- I love the font of knowledge that is Susan. XOXOXO
I live in a very drafty house, so I’m with you regarding good windows! Sadly it is not possible to replace them at the moment, but I am getting a new one for my bedroom (which will hopefully be finished and installed in spring!)
One thing I am grateful for is my orchid Coralie, who has bloomed for the first time in two years. It feels like a positive blessing for the year ahead 💗
I understand about the cost of replacing windows, and I hope you really love the new one for your bedroom when it is finished and installed! I bet it will make a huge difference.
And yay for your orchid Coralie and her blooming after a pause. May those blooms bring you joy and many blessings!
I am so looking forward to having a big window to take in the views, but that also blocks out the traffic noise! Sometimes it sounds like cars are inside my house 😞
Thank you for your well wishes regarding Coralie -- it’s so wonderful to see her flourishing once again! Plants and flowers bring me so much joy and inspiration 🥰
That kind of noise is bad for your health. I hope your new window comes sooner rather than later!
I live with a 67-year-old Christmas cactus named Arabella for her twirly magenta ballerina-type flowers, so I understand. Arabella has been blooming since Thanksgiving, and she really brightens my winter days. :)
So do I 🤞 it will be nice to get a good night’s rest for once. Oh wow, I had no idea cactuses had such long life spans -- that’s amazing! And how wonderful that Arabella has been blooming for 2 months! Flowers in winter provide so much cheer 💛
Sleep is so important! I'm sending good wishes for that new window to arrive soon. As for Arabella, she's actually a cutting from a plant that was old already in 1932 when my friend Jay's mom first saw her at a ranch house in Wyoming, so heaven knows how old she actually is. She usually blooms from Thanksgiving to April, and has thrived despite the many times I've moved her halfway across the West in the midst of winter in the past six years (which is six times)!
Thank you, Susan, that’s very kind of you 😊 And oh, I see Arabella in the window photo! She’s magnificent, and is a testament to how well you’ve taken care of her over the years 💛 I’ve moved many times across country with plants and it’s certainly an interesting, yet nerve wracking experience (especially when you have to bring them into hotels because it’s too cold in the car). But somehow, they always make it through! I wonder if they think of it as an adventure lol
Just recommended your site on my page!
Thank you so much, Mary!