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So first of all I'd like to thank everyone for some of the advice I have gotten on threads that I started on this site. I have an accepted offer for a house in Apex. However, i have one more question for the board. The house did not have screens on the windows (although they clearly did initially).
The homeowner claimed he got rid of them a long time ago. Not a huge deal, but I realized about half the homes in the area also had no screens. The house inspector told me today that it is not uncommon because there are very few days where you can have the windows open. I thought it was strange with the number of nice autumn and spring days, but he said the pollen around that time of the year can be unbearable so many people choose not to open their windows
Is this true in your experience? I would hate to think that leaving your window open is so uncommon that many people do not even bother to have screens on their windows
Typically you will lose a month of open windows in the spring due to pine pollen. Fall would be more subject to any allergies you might have.
The majority of our screens are stored in the attic, but we have screens in our rear facing upstairs windows and can open our screened porch adjacent kitchen windows. This provides good air circulation without having to keep screens in all the windows. Houses tend to have much better street appearance without screens.
As others have mentioned, the are a few weeks in April or early May when the "green plague" (pine pollen) is wafting through the air settling on everything in its path. Other than this time of the year, on nice spring and autumn days, I love to open my windows to let in the fresh clean air. Summers are just too hot. So, yes, I use my screens.
I also have a screened porch so I can also open the door in my kitchen leading to the porch to get fresh air. Friends of our built a new home last year and removed all the screens downstairs. They use their porch for fresh air and find that the screens prevent good sunlight.
It is true that you will find many homes in the area without screens on the windows. However, it's not true at all that there are very few days you can have the windows open.
Our last house did not have screens, but the windows were standard size (most are), so it was easy, and cheap, to buy new ones at Home Depot.
For the most part July and August, January and February are the only months that we keeps the windows shut most of the time. That's also not even 100% completely accurate, because on weekends like the last one, when it's over 70 outside in January we open the windows.
The Spring pollen might keep our windows shut for 5 days at most, and even then we'll keep them open at night.
I guess it all depends on allergies, personal preference, and your house setup. I like to keep our house between 68 and 73 year round, and somehow that's pretty easy to do with the windows open a good amount of the time.
Houses tend to have much better street appearance without screens.
This I don't understand. Is it a southern thing? Why would a house without screens have a better appearance? It would seem the opposite to me, to have the option to open a window is ideal imo
If you like fresh air, full window screens are inexpensive. Measure the window and go to Stock Building Supply. They sell screens for less than $20.00 each.
We have our windows open as often as possible. We have screens. . . . and a lot of Swiffer dust cloths. I drive a convertible and have the top down as long as the temperature is above 60F. . . even in light rain. I don't understand people that live all couped up in conditioned filtered environments.
It's true that many people down here never open their windows - as one of my neighbors said, "when you see an open window you know they are from up north".
Sooooo, we are from up north, and I like the windows open when it's nice out. Not being able to open them would make me crazy. My neighborhood was built by different builders, and one of them didn't put screens in the houses, supposedly that's how you can tell who built those homes here.
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