AUGUST 2020 | 19
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
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Tiny house windows
However, May’s concerns do raise a
number of technical points; not only storage
but also ways of ensuring that every
part of a tiny home can deliver on the
potential it has to offer to the market, the
economy, the people of the UK and the
environment.
While I am not qualified to comment on
storage, I can advise on choosing windows
for a tiny house and there are several
things to consider. Picture windows are the
cheapest option, but when the occupants
of your home get to summer, they will appreciate
your forethought in specifying single
hung or casement windows instead.
There are other temperature and weather
factors that are essential to address.
Naturally, you should always opt for double
glazed units and, if the plan is to take
advantage of the mobility a tiny house
offers, the glass should be tempered, and
shutters should also be specified.
Most modern windows are reinforced
anyway, but if the tiny home will be mobile
in the long term, composite supports
can be lighter than galvanised steel, while
the latter option will be cheaper. PVCu
or composite materials will provide the
longest lasting choice for the frame, which
in context is probably the most sustainable
option as well.
High specification does not have to
add to building cost because the entire
window unit can be built off site, using a
factory thinking approach, and delivered
as a fait accompli in line with a just-in-time
construction schedule.
A tiny home also presents an architect
with unusual window specification
challenges that a traditional building does
not. Two opening windows positioned
opposite each other could create a strong
cross draft. As a result, trickle ventilation,
to allow air to circulate even when the
windows are shut is good practice.
There is also a strong likelihood that
you will want either dormer or awning
windows in your second story or loft.
However, when they, or other windows
are left open, the wind forces more air
into the building, making the door slam
as the rush of air exits, pulling the door
shut behind it. In a normal house, this can
make you jump. In a tiny house, just like
a caravan or regular mobile home, it can
make the pictures come crashing down off
the walls!
Finally, frame colour and handle choice
are key considerations. As much as tiny
homes could be a political option, allowing
the UK the tackle the housing shortage
and homelessness in a sustainable way,
they can also be a style choice. For many,
they represent an alternative way of living,
just as a canal barge or eco home would. If
you are designing for this market, aesthetic
considerations come into play even more
strongly.
The future of tiny homes
Tiny homes are not only faster and more
cost effective to build, they are also, well…
tiny. As a result, the footprint they occupy
is ideal for inner city environments, where
a small plot, that would normally only deliver
three or four affordable homes, could
instead provide nine to twelve, or six with
substantial outside space.
I doubt whether, in ten years’ time,
we will all be living in 1000 square foot
homes, but wouldn’t it be great if, by 2030,
everyone had affordable access to a comfortable
place to live and our nation had
achieved that in a sustainable way?
When she was talking about her 1997
book recently, Susanka said, “Not So Big
doesn’t necessarily mean small. It means
not as big as you thought you needed”.
I think this nicely summarises the tiny
home’s potential for the UK housing market;
the crisis might not be as big as we
thought, if we consider solving part of it
with smaller solutions.
www.euramax-direct.co.uk
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