Windows open or shut?

We like keeping our windows up all the time, from spring until late fall. The only time windows are closed are during extremely hot days (100+) or when it rains (then only in the direction the wind is blowing the rain). The birds singing, the hummers fighting and the frogs, crickets and other insects are sounds of nature's music to us.

We have no AC, and tho there are a FEW times each summer when every single fan in the house is ON and it's still too hot to sleep, 6 or 7 nights scattered throughout the summer vs. higher electric bills, having to buy one, where would it go, relandscaping the outside to conceal its ugliness... no, thanks, we'll stay as we are. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like MORE fans, like an attic fan, and some hardwired fans in the doorways/hallways to create wind inside (?). But I get clautrophoic in high-rises where the windows cannot be opened, and hospitals! when else would I rather have some of that healing fresh air than when I'm sick? Plus I'm always a little chilly with AC. My DH sleeps without blankets, while I have a down comforter plus.

xxxxxxxx, Carrie

Since we live in FL it is to hot and humid 90% of the year but I would love to open them more than we do.

Open whenever we can!

Here's a little story about something that I found interesting and I think it's kind of appropriate here.

Back in the first quarter or third of the 20th century, it was quite the "thing" to have a sleeping porch, which was exactly what it sounds like - a porch that you sleep on. People would actually have beds out there. In the 19th century, the night air was considered dangerous but by the 20th century, it was considered healthful. I read a story about a guy who lived in upstate New York and his mom was really into the sleeping porch thing. They slept on the porch year round. Mom would not allow anyone to sleep in the house unless he was really sick. The porch was not perfectly weather-proof, so they would lay a tarp over their bedcovers if it was raining or snowing. Some mornings, the boy would wake up and find several inches of snow on top of his covers. When he'd get up, he'd run in his bare feet across the snowy porch to the kitchen. He seemed to have taken it all in stride pretty well.

Magazines always show pictures of houses with the windows wide open and no screens. I don't know how anyone can realistically do that. It isn't all the buggy here, but if you leave the screen door open for any length of time, you're bound to get a fly in the house. It's always one of those iridescent green flies that buzz a lot.

I love to sleep with the windows open. DH does not as the humidity makes him uncomfortable. However, during the day I may sneak a few open.

Lately, we will keep the back patio door open for a while and enjoy some fresh air. In the winter (if you call it that in FL) we will gauge the humidity and sometimes actually sleep with a window open. If only for a night or two.

Kelli,I found your thoughts on this to be interesting. I know when we had to live in Rouen, France, we kept the windows open. There were no screens. At night we kept the windows open but closed and locked the fixed louvered shutters for security.

Ann

LIke many others, living where the humidity and pollen/mold is so high puts a damper on open windows. I'd have them open a lot more but hubby is hghly allergic and so it's difficult. Worst was when storms come through and knock out power. Even I don't like no AC when it's upper 90's with 90% humidity!

In summer I keep them open as long as my computers allow. They tend to get fussy, especially the big gun I use for animation, video editing and vr. I have a mother board alarm on it that goes off when the ambient temp gets over 90 and/or the humidity over 80%. If I could fit my office/work space in a separate room by itself it would and get a room ac for it. Unfortunately it's impossible to do that. In winter, there is always a window open somewhere.

X

We keep them closed most of the time, and sometimes have the air on when it's cool, like today. It's 65 degrees but cloudy and the humidity is 84%. My sinuses don't like the weather here much, we have a very high mold count as well. I can't stand this cool humidity, to me it's worse than hot humidity.

Today, the mold count is 19,846 down from 40071 yesterday. So even though it's only 65 degrees, the windows are closed and the air is on.

Maureen

This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 2:35 PM

We only close the house up when it is over 103 F. Then I turn on the old airconditioner and hide out until it cools off. That doesn't happen very often, but often enough that we still keep the AC.

I love to have the windows open any time, but they get closed up iby 11 am, when it's very hot in the summer, and in winter when the heat is on. If we still had wood heat, I'd have doors and windows open during the winter, too. No AC, just trees and a shade cloth over the deck on the hot side of the house. That really helped keep inside temps down this passed summer, at least 10 degrees different in the house than under the shade cloth, and under the shade it was almost 10 degrees cooler than in the open.

Better than windows open, I like to sleep outside whenever possible.

I only open my windows when the weather is mild.... and allergies are down

We have to have the fresh air in the house whenever it isn't blowing a gale or during a true winter snow storm, even if it is just a crack, no matter how low the temperature is outside, especially for sleeping. This is true for us in Nantucket and in our Vt house. Our visitors always think we are nuts. Because we keep windows open year round, we have lots of 2 dog nights. Patti

Whenever we can. Love the fresh air. However; "whenever we can" means that the temp in the house will remain comfortable (mid 70's in summer, 70ish in fall and winter). Of course we don't get much occasion in winter but it does happen once in a while. :)

Patti, "two dog nights" LOL (they look sweet by the way). You put a grin on my face.

Years ago I kept them open. To many allergies now to enjoy the night air. Sometimes I open them during the day if there is a dry cool day, otherwise the AC is on all the time.

I wont the windows open he wants them shut. I love the fresh air, but he like the air(conditioning) So I open the windows when I can and sometimes the aircondintioning or the heater is on. Cant help it have always like the windows and doors open.

Beck

sorry for the double-post!

This message was edited Sep 13, 2006 4:07 AM

X - post reminds me of my brother! He's like got a built-in fan in his comp, as well as some kind of water, I think. I have no idea what the water thing is about, I always say he sucked out all the computer skills from the womb before I came along.

I'm surprised so many don't have screens- just last year I ended up with a rat in the toilet, and that was because one of the screens on the underside of the overhangs was torn!
If our windows were screenless, we might lose a cat or two and maybe gain a Burmese python.

Last year our windows were open for a long time; the longest being 3 weeks while Florida Power & Light did their mediocre best to repair neglected power lines {hurricane season!}

I love spring and fall when the windows can be open. Of course, our heat and humidity in summer don't allow it, but as soon as it cools off, the windows get opened. I love the feel of fresh air... Probably because so much of the year, it's either too hot or too cold. Thank goodness we're seeing some nice cool weather a little early this year (after such a God-awful hot summer!)

Back in the early '80s, I lived in Lompoc, CA where most residences didn't even HAVE air conditioning. Windows were open nearly year round. Nights in winter might get into the lower 40's, but for the most part, it was comfortably cool at night, and very mild during the day (maybe up into the 70's, but 60's a lot of the time.) But I missed the Midwest's extremes, I guess, 'cuz here I am!

Denise in Omaha

During the spring and fall, on cooler breezy days, I like to air out the house so try to set up cross ventiltion. During the winter, regardless of the temp, I like to have the windows open at least a crack in the Bedroom. DH calls it 'sleeping outdoors', but tolerates it. I love a cold room with extra comforters on the bed to keep toasty.

Whenever it won't freeze us into ice cubes, or drown us in humidity, we open all of our windows. It's nice to get rid of the canned air effect occassionally.

Whenever I know the high temp will be below 80, I open the windows. I LOVE to have the windows open to hear the outdoor sounds, catch a fragrance if one is available, and if I'm lucky, catch a little breeze. Nothing like an open window!! I've already had mine open quite a few days this season. I opened them again this morning.

My husband would nail the windows shut if he could and I would have them open all year. My office is at home so I open them during the day if it's not windy, and then close them just before he gets home.

In New Mexico we have swamp coolers going in summer, and that helps air the house out as well as cooling it. In winter the swamp coolers have to be turned off in order to turn on the furnace. That's when things get stuffy and I just have to open the windows for a few minutes even if it's freezing outside.

We got out of the habit of opening windows in our old house because they all stuck so badly and we had central a/c. when we moved into our newly built home 4 yrs ago, i thought we would have the windows open a lot. we started to, but there was so much construction going on around us that the dirt/dust coming in was awful. and the humidity here is bad, too. dh and I are both asthmatic. long story short...windows stay shut.

gram

I keep them closed at all times. The last time one of my friends suggested that I may want to open it for my plants benefit I ended up with Aphids on my sweet pea vine. (She is indoors) Coincidence? I think not!!. The windows stay closed for now on and the plants have there own fan now. See everyone’s happy.
Tonja

We keep our windows closed here, but because the windows are all painted or nailed shut!! LOL

The house we are buying all the windows open and I can't wait!!

Hugs,
Janis

We keep our windows open whenever it isn't too cold or rain isn't blowing in. That would be in the spring and summer. In the summer, a few nights a year, about 5, it is hot enough that we must turn on our ceiling fan as well. Most people here don't have air conditioning, but some have swamp coolers. We don't have either and don't feel they are worth the trouble. But most of the time we don't need even the ceiling fan. We have allergies but not so bad that we have to close up the house and air condition. Bugs aren't a big problem either. We don't have a lot, but we have screens for those we have. We also open our french doors when it is really hot. With french doors and windows on all 4 sides of the house we get great cross ventilation. I say a prayer of thanks for the contractor who built this house every chance I get. I also have thanked the contractor. Our cool dry summers are great.

Open(?) Some of them are still blown out from the hurricanes.

We only have AC in the bedrooms. On top of our hill, there is usually a breeze so all the other windows are open all spring, summer and well into this week actually. If I have to close the windows, that means I have to bring my houseplants, hibiscus, etc. etc. all inside for the winter. Yikes!
Martha

'We' don't agree... 'I' want windows open, but she wants them closed (bad guys, yoiu know).

We love the windows open. The breeze comes in our bedroom window and out the bedroom across the hall. I love the feeling. The only problem is that whe have a gravel pit about a block behind us and the sand loves to make it into the house and all over everything. Sometimes the kitchen table is covered with sand. We clean up and go on because we love the feeling of the breeze.

The dust gets all over the plant leaves also. Wanna see?

Unless there is a real blizzard going on my bedroom windows are open! Northern Minnesota gets pretty brisk midwinter but a second down comforter is just the ticket, 40 to 50 degrees (just in the bedroom)is good sleeping. Those are 2 dog nights for sure- you can find them under the top comforter curled up together. After I'm up they sneak in to cuddle up with my dad for awhile longer. LOL They aren't spoiled- ask them!! Most nights in summer cool down enough to be just right with a fan. Central air is for hot weather days so we come home to cool off before heading outside to the garden

Sometimes I dont have ANY to open OR close. Doors too !
The fun of renovating and restoring .

Try to leave them open as often as possible weather (rain) permitting when they are there.

Holty.....

I have no AC, so the windows are open from spring straight through fall. In the winter, I usually have them closed and keep the thermostat real low. Brrrr!

my windows are open in december, january and february if i'm lucky enough to get some cold weather, otherwise they are shut tight and the ac is cranking, both to keep it cool and to take the humidity out.

Because I have MS, the AC is on year round and cold (I always get hot). The few days in the Spring and Fall that are cool and breezy enough ('dry' air, low humidity, low dewpoint, low temps and strong enough winds from the North) for me, we'll open all the windows. We have 2 adorable Mini Lopped Bunnies and since their cage is under the living room windows, they'll raise their noses and do alot of snifffing when we open the windows. Too cute!

Marilyn



This message was edited Sep 15, 2006 12:08 AM

We keep them open when we can....usually spring & fall when the humidity is at it's lowest, as our basement is a living area, (bedrooms) and without the heat/ac there's just too much of a moisture problem.

Open unless it's hot hot hot, even tho' it ACHOOO makes me sneeze ACHOOO quite a bit, like now. I like sleeping when it's cold with a big down comforter to hide under. (Those are called four cat nights in this house. )