ᐅ Windows between precast concrete basement and a timber frame house?
Created on: 11 Oct 2020 10:37
R
rdwlntsHello,
I have a basic question. Currently, our stairwell, which faces northeast, does not have a window. According to the current plan, it would only be indirectly lit by the hallway or entrance lighting. At the moment, we have floor-to-ceiling windows at the top and bottom of each staircase flight. However, since we occasionally worry that it might be too dark and the lights would almost always need to be on, we are now considering adding windows between the landings (a split-level staircase).
The window would likely be installed between floors that, in our case, are made of precast concrete (basement) and timber frame construction (ground floor). After extended research, I haven’t found any examples of this setup, and I’m concerned that because of the different materials and thermal expansion, installing windows there might be somewhat problematic.
What do you think? Is this concern justified, or are we overthinking it and is this a common practice nowadays?
rdwlnts
I have a basic question. Currently, our stairwell, which faces northeast, does not have a window. According to the current plan, it would only be indirectly lit by the hallway or entrance lighting. At the moment, we have floor-to-ceiling windows at the top and bottom of each staircase flight. However, since we occasionally worry that it might be too dark and the lights would almost always need to be on, we are now considering adding windows between the landings (a split-level staircase).
The window would likely be installed between floors that, in our case, are made of precast concrete (basement) and timber frame construction (ground floor). After extended research, I haven’t found any examples of this setup, and I’m concerned that because of the different materials and thermal expansion, installing windows there might be somewhat problematic.
What do you think? Is this concern justified, or are we overthinking it and is this a common practice nowadays?
rdwlnts
rdwlnts schrieb:
The window would probably end up between the floors, which in our case consist of precast concrete (basement) and wood panel construction (ground floor). Even after a long search, I haven’t found any examples of this. I’m concerned that installing a window between these different materials and their thermal expansions might be problematic.
What do you think? Is this concern valid, or are we overthinking it and is this nowadays quite common? Physics doesn’t follow trends. I believe your concern is justified, and you probably didn’t find any examples because this approach is generally avoided. However, I also don’t see any reason or requirement to install one continuous window spanning the joint—simply install two separate windows one above the other.
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Ok, thanks for your assessment and confirmation. I have always had reservations about such a window. A general contractor, with whom we negotiated for a long time, once sent us a draft like that. It wasn’t our request, but he strongly recommended it, saying otherwise the stairwell would be “pitch dark.” However, he also seemed to struggle to integrate it into his architectural software without tricks. It just looked faulty. In any case, since it seemed generally strange to me, we didn’t pursue it further. Now, however, despite larger windows in the hallway, it seems a bit too dark in the stairwell.
If you stay within the concrete section, you would end up with a narrow window near floor level. Well, I’m not sure if that would look very attractive. The windows are generally located to the side of the stairs. A long, horizontal window in the wooden section would be relatively high to allow a view from the landing. Maybe the window would start at around 1.6–1.7m (5.25–5.6 ft) height. Of course, that would let nice light in. From a slightly higher position, you could actually look outside. I’ll think about it and continue sketching in this direction. Thanks!
If you stay within the concrete section, you would end up with a narrow window near floor level. Well, I’m not sure if that would look very attractive. The windows are generally located to the side of the stairs. A long, horizontal window in the wooden section would be relatively high to allow a view from the landing. Maybe the window would start at around 1.6–1.7m (5.25–5.6 ft) height. Of course, that would let nice light in. From a slightly higher position, you could actually look outside. I’ll think about it and continue sketching in this direction. Thanks!
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