Window and Louver Testing
A major feature of the design for this tiny house are the rows of windows covered with a slatted louver system. The angled panels should filter and deflect light through the windows and into the space. The computer renderings I have done so far have been difficult to determine the full effect of the panels through the windows, so I decided the best thing to would be to build a model and see what happens.
Unknowns:
Spacing and size of the louvers- Wanted to find out if the spacing between louvers was going to allow enough light through and into the space. What is going to be the overall thickness of the louver panels? Need to keep as small as possible so I do not go past the 8’6” width allowed on the road without a permit. Also wanted to know will the wood be able to reflect enough light through and into the space or will it mute it out.
Shop made windows- Needed to find out if this is going to be feasible construction method, basically is it something I can pull off? How well can I seal up the windows?
What I Learned:
Louvers- Spacing and size is really close to what I was expecting and hoping for. When the light was placed on the outside at different angles to simulate the sun the shadows and light were strong and striking. In the model I used scrap pieces of barn wood from the shop, I am hoping this will be a close match to stained cedar I am planning on using for the final panels. The wood seems to do a sufficient job of reflecting the light through and into the space.
A characteristic of the louver panels that I had not thought about until I saw the model was the sense of privacy they create. Being placed with a 15° angle the louvers will not only act as a rain screen they will essentially block many lines of sight into the space.
Another characteristic I discovered and loved about the design of the louver panels is what happened when I lit the model from what would be the interior. Looking from the exterior side, the louvers have a light weight and glowing impression. This was striking in the small scale model I can only imagine the effect of the larger full scale panels.
Windows- First thing I learned is that it difficult to clean and keep the glass clean in the shop. The method I used was to simply cut and place 1” square wood to space and hold the panes in place. I sealed it all in place by putting a bead of silicone on the edges of the glass. Unfortunately, this method seems to be too air tight as the inside of the glass is now dirtier than when I first placed it. This “dirt” is more than likely from moisture not having a way to escape. In the next window model I will need to leave some sort of gap in the wood and or silicone to allow the moisture to escape without becoming a “drafty” window. Also the window in the model is tight against the wood frame. This concerns me as this house will be on a trailer and if the walls or the wood of the frame itself wants to move it may easily break the glass.
So long story short with the windows I need to do more testing and research before I can commit to using shop made windows on the tiny house. In the meantime, I will definitely keep an eye out for windows that are professionally made and tested that are also within my budget.
Just a side note
It was not directly on my mind when I initially drew up the sketches for the tiny house but it was pointed out by an old college buddy, this louver system is very similar to a system we designed and built in college for a chapel in Germany. I think this experience has given me many ideas from what to expect from the panel system I have designed for the tiny house.
Check out Professor Frank Flury website for more information:
