A little time, a little research, graph paper--you can design a glass wall and bring the outside into your home. In addition to solving the problem of a dark interior space, a will make a room seem large and airy because it will eliminate the visual barrier created by opaque walls.
Instructions
Designing a Glass Wall
1. Check local building codes before you begin designing your glass wall, to ensure that your design considers code restrictions and requirements.
2. Energy efficiency should be a primary consideration. Using insulated windows or insulated glass doors is an option that will simplify the design process and provide a finished product that is attractive, flexible and energy-efficient.
3. Review neighborhood covenants that might dictate what kinds of changes you are allowed to make to the exterior of your home.
Even if covenants do not exist, the style of the windows or doors you select for your design should be consistent with the style of your home and the existing windows and doors. Exterior continuity will help your project become an asset to your home.
4. Keeping code, neighborhood covenants and style restrictions that define your glass wall project in mind, find products that fit these criteria. Window and door manufacturers publish brochures and catalogues that are available at your local building supply store, or can be requested on line.
5. Use the height and width measurements of the wall you plan to build or replace to draw a two-dimensional scale outline of the blank wall. A pad of 1/4" graph paper will facilitate this task, and use a scale of one inch per foot because it will be large enough to work with. A 12-foot length and 8-foot height will be 12 inches by 8 inches, or 48 squares by 32 squares on your graph paper. Make three or four copies of this elevation outline, and several reverse copies for the exterior design.
6. Add to your elevation outline any interior features that must remain or need to be changed, such as electrical outlets and switches, and HVAC vents. Also allow for building code requirements. For example, if code requires a 12-inch header for each window, you have to allow at least 1 foot at the top of for the structural support of the roof.
7. On a reverse copy of the outline, note permanent exterior features, such as the old oak tree or the large boxwoods that you don't want to move.
8. Use card stock to make two scale templates of each product you selected from the manufacturers' catalogues. A 3-foot by 6-foot window unit will be 3 inches wide and 6 inches high. Write the manufacturer's name and product number on each template.
9. Balance is your primary goal as you arrange and rearrange the templates on your elevation outline. A 2-foot window on one end should be balanced by a 2-foot window at the opposite end. If double French Doors are in the center, the area left of the door unit should mirror the area on the right.
In addition to balance, consider the view of the outside world that each arrangement will create. Structural necessities, such as wall studs, or decorative features, such a window casing or draperies, should not slice through a sunset panorama.
As you create arrangements that you like, draw the templates on a copy of the elevation outline. Note whether spaces between the windows will be filled with molding or wall material. On the back, list the quantity of each item in the design and the manufacturer's name and product number. This information can eventually become your shopping list.
10. Review your two favorite designs from the outside of your home before you make a final choice. This will help you visualize how your glass wall project will look in the context of the rest of your home, and will help you make the correct choice.
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