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I'll admit that window screens are practically rather useful, but I could never explain to my American friends how ugly and oppressive they are: they give a house, and actually whole streets a closed and unwelcoming look, almost like bars, and they kill daylight in a house more efficiently than anything, I think.
In Europe lots of people have transparent net (sheer) curtains that work great as a bug screen, as well as allowing those inside to see out while not letting outsiders see in (in daylight). Those are beautiful, and washed frequently giving the windows a crispy, clean look. They also love to open the windows and let the fresh air in. I don't see much of it in the States where windows tend to be sealed, and people rely on A/C and air fresheners even in cooler weather.
Most Americans never clean their windows, most likely because of the screens. At least, I never saw anyone doing it, except sometimes on professional buildings.
Another unwelcoming and oppressive thing are window blinds. They are always closed. Wonder why even bother to have windows...
Who ever would have thought that a harmless post about screens would elicit the above response, just dripping with condescension. I have big bright windows in all areas of my house. They are opened many times during the year, and they are cleaned regularly. The cleaners simply pop out the screens and clean them as well. And all my neighbors likewise have their windows washed.
Perhaps the intention in the UK with so many homes featuring small windows is to keep the nasty outside out. Here I like to bring the outside in.
Well folks, architecture ain't the same all over the world. Personally, I'll vote for moving to Hawaii, where the outside is in and the inside is out, often one just leads into the other. That's for me!
It's all to do with the climate. If net/sheer curtains alone would keep mosquitoes out, I'd be all for them. But what do you do? Staple the curtains to the window frame? Because if there's any tiny opening, the mosquitoes will get in.
As for blinds, in this climate, we are constantly opening and closing blinds all day long--close them to keep the sun from beating in through the glass like the greenhouse effect, or opening them or pulling them up when it's cool enough at night to open the windows and get some fresh air.
Here in the north, the screens are just for summer and they are necessary. I'd rather have nice cool weather with no mosquitoes but that's just not the case over here. Our climate sucks. Screens do not make a house dark though. Blinds make a house dark but you need the blinds to block the heating effect of sun blasting in through the glass.
We run fans and when the heat and humidity get oppressive, we turn on the a/c.
I can't speak for other parts of the country, but here, we open the blinds and open the windows (with screens) every chance we get. We prefer fresh air. In autumn, we slide the screened section up and pull the storm window section down. Again, with winters like Siberia, we do what we have to do. Your double glazed windows in the UK would probably be a joke over here in our northern winters! Again, it's because our weather 100% sucks.
Wow how parochial. I've lived all over the world and I can appreciate the practical and cultural reasons why things are different.
I'm sure your American 'friends ' appreciate you trying to 'enlighten ' them about how awful and ugly screens are and how much nicer in England it is without them. If they knew any better they might counter with the oppression and unwelcoming feelings and general ugliness caused by the cheap plastic upvc windows (and worse, doors!) that adorn a large percentage of British homes. Anyway I also find this post funny because most British (as opposed to continental) homes are designed without much consideration for the outside- e.g. Small windows, lack of terraces,etc. Very recent blocks of flats do often have terraces attached but those built more than about 10-15 years ago usually do not and have the typical British design of small, high windows. In even the warmer parts of Britain, windows are typically only left wide open for a small number of days and nights per year so screen or no screen isn't really an issue. Usually brits just open windows a crack in useless attempts to avoid the dreaded damp.
Parochial is being intolerant to other people opinion. I didn't try enlighten anyone. It came in discussion and that was MY point of view...
My windows have been open all day because it's so hot. Two in the lounge, one in the kitchen, one at the top of the stairs, and one each in the toilet and bathroom....... oh, and our bedroom window.
No bugs flying round in the house.
Same here. I had all my windows open, and the back door, during the heatwave last week - and nothing flew in at all.
However, during the evening I saw two massive spiders walking around my house! No flies for them to catch though.
However, during the evening I saw two massive spiders walking around my house! No flies for them to catch though.
You just need something to catch the spiders. = ]
My friend in East Sussex says she gets spiders all the time and that they're the big bony looking ones. They make the occasional black widows in my backyard seem tame by comparison.
My friend in East Sussex says she gets spiders all the time and that they're the big bony looking ones. They make the occasional black widows in my backyard seem tame by comparison.
Its not necessarily the big ones you have to worry about! The good thing about the UK is that a spider bite won't kill you (some can be a bit nasty though), in fact the only venomous creature (I think) we have that can do damage is the Adder/Viper snake?
I can't speak for other parts of the country, but here, we open the blinds and open the windows (with screens) every chance we get. We prefer fresh air. In autumn, we slide the screened section up and pull the storm window section down. Again, with winters like Siberia, we do what we have to do. Your double glazed windows in the UK would probably be a joke over here in our northern winters! Again, it's because our weather 100% sucks.
Even more of a joke are old New England homes with single glazed windows, though they usually have storm windows with them.
For some reason I wasn't getting notifications of replies to this thread from nearly three years ago. Thanks for all the input from various people and places.
I visited the friend I mentioned in the original post. It was in September of 2017. And despite her seeming to have a weekly run in with at least one spider (because of no screens) I didn't see any during the 5 days I was there in Seaford. And I've seen photos of the ones she has. They're the long, crunchy kind that I wouldn't want to encounter.
For some reason I wasn't getting notifications of replies to this thread from nearly three years ago. Thanks for all the input from various people and places.
I visited the friend I mentioned in the original post. It was in September of 2017. And despite her seeming to have a weekly run in with at least one spider (because of no screens) I didn't see any during the 5 days I was there in Seaford. And I've seen photos of the ones she has. They're the long, crunchy kind that I wouldn't want to encounter.
In the US most of us don't care much about spiders. Well, probably in some parts of the country there are poisonous spiders and they would definitely worry about that. I remember visiting someone in Arizona and they had lizards! Little lizards were climbing on the screens. Probably in Arizona, with lizards and scorpions they keep the windows closed.
I love going to England where I can have the windows wide open to let fresh air in. No mosquitoes! That's the difference. As far as I know, the only reason we (in the northeast US) need screens is to keep the mosquitoes out. If anyone's ever had a pesky mosquito (and it only takes ONE) whirring around your head with its annoying high pitched whining sound, you'd want screens too. They bite and it can draw blood and do those bites ever itch! Same reason that we can't sit outside in the evening--you get eaten alive!
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No flies for them to catch though.
