Author Topic: Anybody else have a odd house??...... (Read 2778 times)

tinkster · « **on:** January 21, 2008, 09:40:24 AM »

I sure do... its so frustrating.. I have two huge picture windows, two patio doors and several oversized windows with plant seats and yet not one window I have gets more than a half hour of good sun. How could someone build a house in such a position .. I can never bring things in and get enuff light to keep them alive.

tinkster

marla · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2008, 01:56:11 PM »

That is so sad, could it be due to trees planted around the house. I love the sun and have lived 20yrs in this house without shades, blinds, etc. on most of the windows. When building I took into consideration where we placed windows, less on the cold north side. The family room on one end has patio doors and floor to celing windows on the southish and westish sides, the corner is due south. I love this area in the middle of winter on a sunny day, have a over stuffed rocker/recliner in the corner.

SheilaJ · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2008, 06:01:02 PM »

I have some decent windows for growing plants - this house is not on a shaded lot, unlike our last ones.

However, my next house will be a GREENHOUSE. The only part with walls will be the bathroom and the bedroom. Actually, if I didn't have a family to consider, and had unlimited money, I WOULD do that!

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2008, 06:04:54 PM »

When we were picking out the paticulars with this house we decided to go for the big sun room windows in the family room! Well duhhhhhh we didn't think about where it would be sitting, and that is the south end of the house.

-We boiled in there in the summer. So I had to plant a row of Auzzy trees to get some fast shade. Now it's wonderful!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2008, 09:40:27 PM »

Tink, all you have to do is turn your house around to the right position!!

So I guess I'm the only one who likes shade and cover

purplepshn2004 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2008, 10:27:47 PM »

Tinkster (Joy),

I know how you feel. The trailer we live in is almost entirely surrounded by trees, good for summer cooling, sucks in the winter (no sun light) and the big windows on the front and the back of the trailer are on the sides that get the least sunlight all year round. I only have a couple plants growing in vases with water, otherwise I don't think any would survive. I like the dark for sleeping, but I really would like more light during the day, dark makes me tired, and hard to grow anything. Why don't people think when they build or move trailers...

Anyways, glad this site is back and running smoothly again. Can't wait until Spring!

melissa78 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 22, 2008, 07:53:24 AM »

Tinkster we are in the same boat. Our house is completely surrounded by trees, so it's dark in here year round. Every plant that I have tried to grow in the house has not done well.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #7 on:** January 22, 2008, 08:08:58 AM »

Quote from: miguynmkoi on January 21, 2008, 09:40:27 PM

Tink, all you have to do is turn your house around to the right position!!

So I guess I'm the only one who likes shade and cover

Quote from: happyoutsidegirl on January 21, 2008, 06:04:54 PM

When we were picking out the paticulars with this house we decided to go for the big sun room windows in the family room! Well duhhhhhh we didn't think about where it would be sitting, and that is the south end of the house. -We boiled in there in the summer. So I had to plant a row of Auzzy trees to get some fast shade. Now it's wonderful!

Annette you must of missed this post. I love the sun but not a hot house! I have enough sunlight that my plants do great!

Desertponder · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2008, 09:37:15 AM »

Our is facing North.

I don't understand why people face houses square North, particularly in cold winter regions. If it snows, we have solid snow and ice in the front that we can't get rid of. Makes for dangerous walking, etc.

I have three south facing windows that get good sun. All my plants are there and they do really well.
When we lived in our big house up in the mountains it had tons of big windows for views, etc. Yet, I had the most trouble
growing plants in that house than any other I've lived in. Never could really figure out why.

This place we are in doesn't have a great deal of good windows and light so it drives me nuts. In the winter
I have to have good light and sun or I get SAD.

mcp · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2008, 12:36:53 PM »

Got lucky when we bought this house. Has many windows and 2 French doors facing east.Get the nice bight morning sun. When the sun sets in the west it is behind the hill in back of house so don't get all the afterenoon's hot sun.Can view the pond from dining room window. Have to believe the builders oriented this house to be this way . There are some things I would have done different had I been building it.

SheilaJ · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2008, 02:48:03 PM »

I need good light in the winter too - I have SAD really badly, more daylight helps, along with lots of other things.

If you have a shady house, consider growing under lights. But do some research first, so you buy the proper kind of lights for what you want to grow. It's still a lot cheaper and easier than moving!

I've grown under lights for a big part of the last 35 or so years. It's fun!

barb · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2008, 10:05:11 AM »

Our house faces north, too. Plus we are surrounded by mature woodlands. The only sunny spot is on our deck, where we fry in the summer.

SueSTx · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2008, 05:04:28 AM »

Our house is a little "odd" in the fact that it is really two seperate houses pushed together. I have 2 kitchens, 2 living spaces, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths...

We've lived and raised 2 kids here for nearly 30 years now. Actually the windows couldn't be placed in a better position for the winter blahs. I just use sheers in the winter for the most terrific sun and house plants do great.

I've teased DH for years that if we ever get a divorce...we'll just board up the center hall...and he'll get the half with the laundry and kitchen...that way I'll get to keep the south half.

SheilaJ · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2008, 06:52:22 PM »

Now that would be cool! One kitchen for cooking, and one for a giant indoor potting shed!!!

Could be pretty nice for banishing my teenager for a while when she gets on my nerves too - not "go to your room", but "go to your house"!

Loritx · « **Reply #14 on:** January 28, 2008, 03:02:52 PM »

Our house faces North!! Sunroom and backyard on the East - only gets morning sun which is ok in TX in the Summer!! West side only our bedroom window(share breezeway with neighbor and their bedroom windows?)!! South is Backyard and Garage/alley.

And the idiot who had the Windows and Siding put on....put Darkening Screens on all the Windows?? My House is like a CAVE when the sun is shineing!! We have a cathedral ceiling on one half the living room, loft other half. I was thinking about putting in skylights on the slope of the living room - would still face North, but would give more light - but then again we live in a Hail/Tornado area.....so keep rethinking that idea!

And my house only has 5 windows downstairs and 2 upstairs. Not including the Sunroom which is ALL Windows.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #15 on:** January 28, 2008, 03:14:22 PM »

Quote from: Loritx on January 28, 2008, 03:02:52 PM

And the idiot who had the Windows and Siding put on....put Darkening Screens on all the Windows??

I thought most of that stuff could be removed? Some is just a film that peels right off? or if it's actuall screens just replace the ones you neen to?

Esther · « **Reply #16 on:** January 28, 2008, 03:38:48 PM »

My house is OK for sun and shade but I don't like where the doorways and windows are placed in the living room. There is a 10 patio door on one end of the living room an entrance door way, three other windows, a huge stone fireplace and there is very few choices in how to arrange the furniture.

Another thing that can be a pain in older houses is where the wall plugs are placed. Usually they place them smack in the middle of where the couch will sit so you have to crawl behind the couch to plug in the lamps that are on the tables on each side of the couch. Or if it is a bedroom, same thing, wall plug is smack in the middle where the bed sits and you can't get at the em without crawling under the bed or climbing on the bed and hanging your arm down where you can just about reach them. Or the dresser will be covering the wall plug so it's hard to get at the wall plug to plug in anything.

When DH redecorated/remodeled EACH room in this house, he pulled off the outside wall drywall, reinsulated, sealed, put in phone lines, redrywalled, and reran the electrical. 5 rooms out of 10 we put in new oak woodwork and oak doors. Some day we might do the rest of the house with the oak.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #17 on:** January 28, 2008, 03:42:08 PM »

Sounds beautiful Esther! The kids descovered that there up stairs floors were hard wood and ripped out the carpets and refinished them. Nice touch.

pat · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2008, 04:38:15 PM »

We have an odd house. It faces east and we have 2 big picture windows. One in the livingroom and one in the bedroom. We also have 6 trees in the front yard so my plants dont do well inside during the winter. I can only arrange the furniture in the livingroom one way because we also have a huge stone fireplace in there. We needed more closet space in here so we closed off a hallway in the kitchen and made one side of it into a pantry and the other side storage for bedding and the vacuum. I guess you just learn to adjust to what you have.

Esther · « **Reply #19 on:** January 29, 2008, 05:18:08 PM »

My laundry room used to be a bedroom. Then someone added two more bedrooms and a bath behind that room. When we took up the carpet, we discovered they had painted hardwood floors an ugly brown. We carpeted right over it. The dining room, and two other bedrooms have carpeted hardwood floors.

EagleEye · « **Reply #20 on:** January 29, 2008, 07:13:18 PM »

Odd house?????????????????????

Let me tell you about an odd house,

My living room used to be a car port--------My dining room / front hall was outside--------My bedroom was a walk in attic------
My garage was a back porch-----------------my shade garden was my front yard-------------my house was a lake cottage-----------------------

And, if you want more------------I used to live in Arizona, where there was NO ice fishing

Steve

perplexed ponder · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2008, 05:20:42 AM »

Steve, that is one confused house! How do you like WI vs AZ? It's huge climate adjustment!

Our house has a huge addition on the back with a great room. It's really nice but the people put in too many windows. There is a big doorwall at the back and right next to it on either side is a short small window. Then the side wall is almost all window. The opposite side is a laundry area with folding wood doors. So it made the room very hard to cozy up. You can't hang art, etc. I ended up hanging curtains in front of the two short windows next to the doorwall and between the other windows to add some warmth to the room. Then hubby hung art in front of one curtain by putting some kind of L hook above the curtain rod and using picture wire from those to the art. You dont' even see the wire or the hooks, pretty cool effect to have the art hanging in front of the fabric.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2008, 03:15:29 PM »

Kathy, would love to see a picture of that!!!