The Pros and Cons of Garden Windows

A garden window is a mini-greenhouse that extends outward from your home. Usually found in the kitchen, garden windows have a fixed window in front, two operable side windows to provide ventilation, and one or more shelves to put plants on. Garden windows also usually feature a glass roof, which is sloped to ensure quick water runoff when it rains and to allow extra sunlight to stream into your home.

Because garden windows extend beyond the house, homeowners should avoid placing a garden window in an area where it would interfere with sidewalks, patios, or other exterior features.

Garden windows, small or large, can be an indoor plant sanctuary | © CC BY-SA 2.0 flickr.com / AA Design Build Remodeling

An Indoor Garden

As the name implies, garden windows allow you to turn part of your home into a small garden. With this kind of beautiful window, you can garden year-round. Garden windows also provide a great place to start plants in the winter before replanting them outdoors in the spring. Similarly, garden windows are a wonderful place for a small herb garden, which will give you convenient access to fresh herbs while you cook. As well as providing an attractive showcase for your plants, a garden window also lets in fresh air and light into your kitchen.

How Long Will Your Garden Windows Last?

Garden windows are designed with durability in mind. Nowadays, they are typically made with durable and maintenance-free vinyl frames, and have bases made of moisture-resistant materials for worry-free plant watering. With proper installation and materials, your garden window will provide enjoyment and beauty for years to come.

Energy Efficiency for Garden Windows

Because they are constructed of glass panels joined together in a box, garden windows can make energy efficiency tricky. The good news is that there are a number of ways to make your garden windows as energy efficient as possible. Garden window frames should be constructed of vinyl, aluminum, or wood because these materials allow the glass panels to fit together securely, keeping out air and moisture.

When considering glass for your garden window, you’ll want to pay special attention to two energy efficiency ratings. A garden window has more glass panels than most windows, so its U-factor (a measure of airflow through a closed window) is an important rating measure. Look for a lower U-factor to ensure maximum efficiency. The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) measures the amount of radiant heat a window lets in, and you’ll want to look for a lower number with this measure as well. For maximum energy efficiency, consider low-E coated glass for your garden windows.

Garden Windows Can Bring the Outdoors into Your Home

Whether you’re an avid gardener looking for a way to garden year-round, or simply want to add light and beauty to your home, a garden window may be the perfect new addition to your home.

Home and garden windows

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House Design

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Buying Guides

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Interior Design

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Kitchens

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Bathrooms

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Home And Garden

DIY Information And Home Decor Products

At Home And Garden, we know that your “Home Is Your Castle” and “Your Garden Is Your Special Place Of Calmness And Relaxation”

If you fancy yourself as a DIY’er and want to save heaps of Dollars on Projects that you have wanted to tackle you have come to the right place for help.

We are putting together a list of Experts in different fields, who can help you achieve your goal with E-Books and Video Tutorials in one place.

Maybe you want to build a Shed or Chicken Coop, Landscape Your Gardens, install an Aquaponic System, De-Clutter your home, its all here plus more.

Indoor And Outdoor Products.

This Category is still work in progress as we will bring you the best products for inside and outside your home.

Click on the Links in the Menu at the bottom of the page and see what you think.

Decorating your home along with your garden can be a daunting task, bringing all the areas of your property together, so they all flow harmoniously with one another.

Think about the type of furniture you may want, will it fit into the space properly, will it tone into the rest of the house, are the colors right. Do you need chairs only or maybe you prefer couches, its all in the planning and you will find all you need, right here at Home And Garden.

What about the walls now, do you want them just one big plain surface that you look at all day, or do you want to jazz your walls up a bit, check out the full range at the home garden store.

You can place pictures in strategic positions, or you go a bit more chic with modern material designs set in frames, or maybe the BIG digital print of some exotic far off place.

In this image, we have an example of a balanced, easy to live in Kitchen / Family Room, where everyone is virtually in the same room at the same time.

The down lights in the kitchen let out a soft light, while the three hanging lights over the bench add a feature and help to separate both areas.

The Kitchen Cupboards are a teak in color, and blend in well with the neutral colored walls. The wooden floor is a slightly darker color than the cupboards, and this really lifts the kitchen up.

Wooden or tiled floors are the best idea in the kitchen, easy to clean, and generally better in the food preparation and eating area.

The carpet in the Family Room floor is a good mix of color, with the darker wooden floor and the neutral walls, the owners of this property knew how to plan their living areas.

This home has lots of windows as well, bringing in lots of natural light, and hopefully keeping the energy costs down. When you are planning your new home, think about the window placement very carefully, try and catch the morning sun to get plenty of light and heat into the room.

The two seater couch has also been placed very well, its main job here as well as a seat, has been to separate the two rooms even though they are one, Kitchen one side, Family Room the other.

Organizing Your Home

Don’t be overwhelmed by Clutter and Mess find out how to let go of all that stuff in your home and get peace of mind.

Click on the Links in the Menu at the bottom of the page and start.

• De-Cluttering Information
• Goodbye Clutter
• My House Is A Mess, Where Do I Start

The decision to de-clutter your home can be a bit daunting and scary at first, but its now time to make the big move and get some organization into your home and life.

Messy homes are unhealthy and not a nice look when visitors may drop in. If you write down a “Things To Do List” and go through them one at a time, the benefits of a clean uncluttered home will fat outweigh the actual time taken to complete the project.

When you actually decide to get rid of everything you don’t need, you will be less stressed, calm, with a new lease on life.

Aquaponics, Grow Food Faster

The new way of gardening, no soil what-so-ever and no weeds to contend with. Grow your Vegetables anywhere.

Click on the Links in the Menu at the bottom of the page and start building.

• Aquaponics Systems Information
• DIY Aquaponics
• Home Aquaponics

Gardening at home takes on a whole new scope with Aquaponics, using the nutrients of fish in the water to feed the roots of the plants.

This type of system, can grow plants so much faster than in soil, and the best thing is, it can happen all year round.

Aquaponic systems can be placed inside or maybe in a purpose built enclosure, you do not have to place your systems outside.

Health And Fitness

In this fast paced world that never slows down, we all have to now take the time to smell the Roses and get back to calm and less stress.

We all want to live long, healthy and productive lives, and this all gets back to the food we eat, the exercise we do and staying positive.

Click on the Links in the Menu at the bottom of the page and get your life back on track now.

• Healthy Lifestyle Information
• Best Way To Lose Weight On Stomach
• How Can I Crush Food And Sugar Cravings

As well as feeling good and on top of the world, a healthy lifestyle changes the way you look at everything. Keeping conscious of your diet, the exercise you need every day, your sleeping habits and the people in your life.

In my humble opinion, it all gets back to this:-

• Healthy Diet – Fruit and vegetables, which should make up at least 50% of your eating plan, grain like quinoa and whole wheat bread. Ditch the added Sugar and drink 6 – 8 glasses of water every day.
• Exercise – Keeps your body agile, minimum of 30 minutes a day, improves joint movement and flexibility. Exercising doesn’t mean you have to join a Gym if your not that inclined, it really means a good walk every day, getting stuck into the garden and small things like that.
• Emotional Health – Learn what causes you stress and make changes to your lifestyle. Hang out with positive thinking people, negativity can drive you down and enjoy a happy social life, be happy and keep smiling.

Shed Plans and Woodworking Projects

Plans and Guides for Shed Building or Woodworking projects around your home.

Click on the Links in the Menu at the bottom of the page for thousands of Project Designs.

• Plans To Build A Shed
• Woodshop Projects.

There are so many designs of Sheds and Garages available, from your basic garden type shed to your massive garage workshop and outdoor storage area.

You can build your Shed off the ground on stumps or maybe you would prefer a concrete slab, this is completely up to yourself.

We will be increasing the choice in the category as time goes by.

Landscaping, Gardening and Tools

Everything for the DIY Landscaper or Home Gardener. Lots of Garden Designs, Tools and Gardening Equipment.

Click on the Links in the Menu at the bottom of the page, and start your dream Garden make over.

• Creative Garden Ideas
• Modernist Landscape Design
• What Type Of Grass Should I Grow.

Setting up your Home and Garden takes a bit of meticulous planning. What you have to remember is that the very first thing people see when they come to visit, is your Garden and Landscaping Design. No matter what your home may be like on the inside, its “first impression” stuff on the outside that matters.

If you create a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere in your garden, it will draw and welcome people to your home.

Japanese Gardens

At Home And Garden we have tried to bring the best garden design ideas achievable. Are you the type of person who likes and prefers the Japanese Garden type of format with water plants, ponds, waterfalls and fish. Japanese landscaping is designed around the natural look and the way nature would make it.

“The best example is don’t put a Square Pond in a Japanese Water Garden setting, because nature doesn’t make Square Ponds”

Rocks (Ishi) are the base or first step in creating a Japanese Water Feature, they should always be placed and built in a natural way as in the above image, remember, create what nature would create.

Ancient Japanese culture tells us that Water (Mizu) is said to be “calming and makes us think of the endless and relentless passage of time”

Strange as it may seem, but Plants (Shokobutsu) although a necessity in Japanese Water Gardens for visual and ascetics do not play as bigger part as the Rocks and Water.

This type of approach will pay big dividends in the end, yes its a lot of work, but do it once and do it right. As well as your own piece of heaven, a place to relax in, it will also pay you back big time financially if you decide to sell.

We have so much outdoor decor at the Home Garden Store, such as Garden Statues, Garden Bridges, and plenty of Garden Furniture Sets to choose from, Hammocks to relax in and a big variety of Hose Reels to keep your garden at its best, a true asset to any backyard garden, and plenty of Bird Baths for that final touch.

And a special Thank You to Pixabay for the use of some of the above Images.

At Home And Garden we will try to bring to you, the most beautifully crafted and stylish Indoor and Outdoor Decor to compliment your home.