I have never acquired an old house that had its original wood window screens. Makes sense. They are rather flimsy items that have maximum exposure to the elements & over the decades, windows fail & the harnessing of electricity has made it possible to use HVAC systems to cool our houses. Opening windows has fallen out of favor as people have come to believe that a house should be all buttoned up & air tight. And with the abandonment of fresh air has come the abandonment of wood window number tacks.
Being the daughter of a gardener, I like to bring the outdoors in so I like to restore my windows & build new wood screens. My little fur friends enjoy sniffing the great outdoors & I kinda live to make them happy.
The tricky part of making these screens is that old houses are seriously out of plumb & the windows vary in size, perhaps only gently, but enough to make it impossible to install a screen to a random window. Each screen must be custom made (measuring twice!) & then it belongs to that window.
I have a sensitive sniffer so I like to have clean screens & the best way to clean them is by removing them & then spraying them with a hose. Of course it’s easiest to pull them all off a side at one time, line them up & squirt them, but how do you keep them sorted? And right-side-up?
For you folks who live in regions that require you to use storm windows, necessitating a bi-yearly swap, this little trick will save you a great deal of time & aggravation.
USE WINDOW NUMBER TACKS
Invented in 1948, these cute & handy little items were used to mark windows with their matching storm windows in winter or their screens in summer. They are little, very sharp tacks made of a metal alloy with numbers stamped on their heads. The stamping is heavy enough that you can paint & disappear them, but remain legible. A tiny barb under the head ensures that they will stay in place.
They are produced in sets that are numbered from 1-25 & second sets if you have more windows (Most bungalows do!) that is numbered from 26- 50. You purchase a set for the windows & a corresponding set for the screens & another for your storm windows, should you have them.
You can occasionally find vintage ones on eBay or Etsy & can purchase new ones from House of Antique Hardware
TIP: I love old windows & doors, so if you’d like to know more about them, click here.
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Ever wonder about awnings for your bungalow? Summer is fast approaching, and with it comes a big electrical bill from the AC running around the clock.
This year, we upgraded one of our AC units to a newer, more efficient model and we’ve added another layer of curtains in the sun facing rooms. Each of these items should help our house stay cooler at a lower cost, but there’s another project I’d like to tackle before the extreme heat: installing awnings over our windows and valances along the east facing front porch. Here in Florida, even the morning sun can be brutal!
You may have wondered why you don’t often see awnings on bungalows. Well, back in the day they were definitely there but the same sun that is overheating and fading you, destroyed them and with the coming of HVAC systems, they fell out of favor. But, as you can see from these images, they are appropriate and attractive and making a comeback as energy costs rise.
WHY DON’T MORE BUNGALOWS HAVE AWNINGS?
This was John D. Rockefeller’s winter home in Ormond Beach, FL. If awnings were good for a Rockefeller, I figure I can’t go too wrong.
Awnings used to be a more common element on old homes before the advent of central heating and air conditioning. However, as old awnings wore out, people became less reliant on passive heating and cooling and didn’t bother to replace them. It’s a shame. I love an old house with striped fabric awnings. It makes for a lively facade, both practical and decorative.
Bungalow St. Petersburg, FL streetscape made even more interesting by awnings.
National Park Service Preservation Briefs provide information on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings. These publications help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work, recommending methods and approaches for rehabilitating historic buildings that are consistent with their historic character.
According to the Department of Energy, awnings can reduce heat gain up to 65% in south facing windows and up to 77% on windows facing east. Awnings reduce stress on existing air conditioning systems, and make it possible to install new HVAC systems with smaller capacity, thus saving purchasing and operating costs. Air conditioners need to work less hard, less often. When used with air conditioners, awnings can lower the cost of cooling a building by up to 25%. – NPS Preservation Brief 44
Mission style bungalow with awnings.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF AWNINGS
Mission style house with both fabric awnings and permanent overhangs. The spear style awnings are most commonly found on Mission & Mediterranean Revival style homes.
Cost effective way to reduce heat gain
Fixed or operable options so you can retract them in a big storm
Reduces fading of furnishings, rugs, wood floors and window treatments
Protects windows from the elements
Adds to a lively, colorful streetscape
Historically made of canvas duck, but now there are fabrics with more longevity
In the 1950s metal awnings became popular and can still be found on many older homes
This article was written by Jo-Anne Peck of Preservation Resource, Inc. & Historic Shed. Jo-Anne is a historic preservation professional with a degree in Building Science, a Master’s of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation & a licensed Florida Building Contractor with over 25 years experience in preservation. She has kindly provided these photos & this information based on her vast knowledge of bungalows.
These videos show & tell the story of bungalow character defining features, the architectural bits & pieces that separate a bungalow from other houses. They are the features that you expect to see on a bungalow that has been well-cared for, or authentically restored. They are a good guide in planning & performing your own restoration.
The term bungalow refers to the general shape of a building, not its style. In fact, one of the best things about them is that they were built in a variety of styles. This is why you can drive down the street of a bungalow neighborhood & each house is charmingly unique, inspired by a different style from Swiss Chalet to Victorian to Japanesque to Tudor.
I chose this format of conveying this information because it allows you to walk around & through a bungalow, rather than seeing bits of it out of context. I have chosen these particular ones because they contain great information that will help you know a bungalow when you see one, & will hopefully answer the question, “Is my house a bungalow?”
Enjoy the videos!
THE VIDEOS- Bungalow Character Defining Features
“Building with History” – Arts and Crafts Era Bungalow House (6:02)
Brent Hull
Brent trots us through a brief look at the history of the Arts & Crafts Movement, but spends most of his time discussing bungalow defining features. He shows us some bee-you-ti-ful examples of bungalows.
Building & Brews: Arts and Crafts Era (1:08)
Brent Hull
A fascinating, in depth look at the Arts & Crafts Movement.
How this house took over the US (8:20)
Vox
The marketing of the bungalow. An amusing story of how the style made a lotta $$$ for a lotta folks.
Chicago Bungalows: The History and Top Facts (7:35)
The Bloom Group-Keller Williams
The history & details of the adorable style.
If you want to read more about these dear houses, visit my article here.
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My first submersion in Charles Rennie Mackintosh of Glasgow, was at a special exhibit at the Museum of the Arts & Crafts Movement in St. Pete Florida. It was astonishing to see many of the actual items that I had seen in books, only inches from my nose. The life & beauty of each one was overwhelming.
I had known little about the Glasgow School before attending the exhibit. It is an integral part of Mackintosh’s story both in his formative years & later, as his work, when he was commissioned to design the new building for the school.
Like many masters of the movement, Mackintosh had full control over every aspect of the buildings he designed- the structure itself, the furnishings, the art & even the tableware of the tearooms. In this exhibit I was able to view examples of all of them.
The exhibit also introduced me to his wife, Margaret Macdonald both muse & gifted artist. Their marriage was one of equality & romance & together they produced beautiful, innovative works of art. Of her, Mackintosh stated, “Remember, you are half if not three-quarters of all my architectural talents. Margaret has genius. I have only talent.”
THE VIDEOS
Curator’s Perspective: Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Cutting-Edge Tearoom Designs (1:08:33)
Frist Art Museum
Should you find yourself one day, feeling a little dumpish, & in need of inspiration, watch this video. It is a curated tour of the Charles Rennie Macintosh exhibit I was so fortunate to have seen at the museum. I had zoomed home, eager to know more about Macintosh & up popped this video. It rounded out the experience beautifully! It has a long intro. You might want to start watching at 00:10:00.
1/3 Charles Rennie Mackintosh – A Modern Man (:15:00)
Art Documentaries
A comprehensive look at the influences, the career & the art of Mackintosh, of Glasgow. The following 2 sections of the videos flow into one another.
TIP: For the complete Arts & Crafts experience, watch the videos about the Greene Brothers HERE!
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“Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders’ spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground.”
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect
Rather than trying to compose an educational post, I have curated this group of videos on Wright for 3 reasons, the main one being that no one explains Wright’s philosophy & work with more clarity than the man himself.
#2, nothing expresses his genius better than the buildings themselves. (How could you use words to describe Fallingwater? I stammer in my head just considering it!)
#3.These students & scholars of Wright possess 1,000 times more information & insight that I do & they have produced fascinating footage, including tours of his most iconic buildings, that will both inform & intrigue you. I spent a couple afternoons watching these videos & feel that I now understand this complex genius. My appreciation of his work has soared!
HEARING THE WORDS OF WRIGHT & SEEING HIS GENIUS BROUGHT TO LIFE
Frank Lloyd Wright: America’s Greatest Architect? | The Man Who Built America (59:33)
Timeline – World History Documentaries
This video is narrated by a Welsh architect who explores the influence of Wright’s Welsh background as he travels across the United States, visiting homes FLW designed & built. His commentary allows us to deeply understand the influences & philosophy that guided Wright’s eye & hand.
A Conversation with Frank Lloyd Wright (30:59)
Manufacturing Intellect
An interview in 1953 with Hugh Downs about Wright’s thoughts on American life & architecture. As always, Wright’s words are powerful & illuminating.
Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School (53:15)
Manufacturing Intellect
This charming video features a soliloquy critiquing the architecture of the time, seguing into his design philosophy. Delivered in Wright’s own words, it is a charming peek into his brilliance & arrogance.
TIP: I have many beautifully done videos on my playlist from how to repair windows to the history of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Watch themHERE!
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This bungalow has more exposed wood foundation lattice than the average house.
“It’s all in the details.”
These are words to live by, or at least to restore and renovate old homes by. It’s the little things that can make an otherwise well-executed renovation miss the mark. You may not know what part bugs you, but you sense they didn’t get it quite right when you look at a historic house. One of those items that often isn’t quite right is the bungalow foundation lattice.
Pier foundations are a common element in historic homes, often used for porches, or, in warmer climates, as the entire house foundation. The piers are an economical way to support the house or porch, but homeowners have always had to infill between the piers in order to keep critters from making their home under there as well. At the same time, the infill works best when it allows adequate airflow under the house or porch, so it is often a material installed interspersed with openings. Sometimes the foundation is infilled with the same material as the piers, such as brick or stone. Other times a different material is used for for bungalow foundation lattice, such as wood or concrete block.
A mixture of stucco over block and open masonry block used to infill between large brick piers for this porch.
If the original lattice is missing, it most likely was originally made of wood. Making wood replacement panels isn’t a highly skilled job carpentry-wise compared to many restoration jobs, but it is time consuming and with today’s wood prices, can cost more than you expect.
Like most old house elements, there are numerous creative and varied ways that infill lattice has been installed over the years, but there are some commonalities that need to be followed for it to look right, regardless of the type of infill used. Here’s my best tips for lattice that is appears appropriate on your historic house.
CHOOSE AUTHENTIC MATERIALS FOR YOUR BUNGALOW FOUNDATION LATTICE
Pretty much everything is wrong with this lattice from material to installation to effectiveness.
It seems obvious to say you should avoid plastic anything on a bungalow, but how many times have you seen bright white plastic lattice used on historic homes? It jumps out in its bright white plastic-ness from across the street, so it is hard to miss. Yes, it’s ready made and inexpensive and easy to work with, but aside from the aesthetics, it gets brittle and breaks with every rock the lawn mower throws at it. And the lattice is spaced with gaps that really don’t keep much out. It’s basically the cartoon version of foundation lattice.
Clearly, the plastic lattice panels are supposed to mimic wood, which is what most missing lattice was made from (masonry infill usually survives the test of time better). Often, there are premade wood options if you don’t want to build lattice from scratch, which are less flat and flexible than the plastic option. And they are pressure treated, as any wood lattice should be for longevity. However, the premade lattice is thinner and spaced further apart than historic precedents, so the ideal replacement panels should be custom made of real 1x pressure treated wood. And either custom or premade lattice panels need to be installed correctly.
PUT YOUR BUNGALOW FOUNDATION LATTICE IN A FRAME
Too often, people install the premade lattice panels directly to the piers, making it ugly and wobbly. Ideally, lattice panels should be set in a wood frame both for stability and to make it easier to attach to the piers. Built correctly, the frame will be in front of the lattice itself, adding some depth to the panel as well.
Having the frame on all four sides also allows you to attach screening to the back of the lattice panels easily. Most building codes require a maximum size gap in the foundation openings which is quite small. Attaching screen or welded wire mesh to the back of the lattice allows you to invisibly meet the requirements without impacting the design of the lattice itself.
RECESS THE LATTICE FROM THE PIERS
Bungalow lattice installation detail.
When installing wood lattice panels between piers, people are often tempted to attach it to the front of the piers, or even across them completely. Yes, it seems easier, but that is not how it should be done. Rather than trying to attach the panels directly to the piers, instead install 2×2 pressure treated nailers on each pier, set about 4″ from the front face of the pier, then screw the lattice to the nailers. This way, it is easy to remove panels for access under the building at all points without repeatedly drilling into the brick. Here’s a detail below:
Pressure treated 2″x2″ nailers attached to the piers, ready for lattice installation
Recessing the lattice panels allows the strength of the piers to show through.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT STYLE OF LATTICE FOR YOUR BUNGALOW
If you either have remnants of the original lattice at your house or historic photos, then it’s easy to know what style replacement lattice panels to build. However, if you are in the same situation we are with our current 1911 house, there is no original lattice left and not a single photo to be found so far. In that case, there are three common lattice configurations that will likely work. In the illustration below, I consider the simple vertical lattice to be easy to build and uses the least wood, so I specify it quite often. The checkerboard design uses twice as much material, but is also simple to build. And it is much stronger for tall openings. I find both styles appropriate for most bungalows in the 1910s and 20s. Similarly, the diagonal panels are strong for tall openings and use more material than the vertical design but are generally more appropriate for homes pre-1910.
The most common styles of foundation lattice.
Very tall porch openings are best served with checkerboard lattice panels rather than vertical for strength.
CHOOSE A COLOR FOR YOUR BUNGALOW LATTICE
When choosing bungalow paint colors, I usually recommend as dark color for the porch deck, window screens, and foundation lattice. The dark color on the lattice makes the foundation feel more grounded and (hopefully) shows less dirt. Of course, your house color scheme may work best with a light color.
GET INSPIRED & HAVE SOME FUN!
So hopefully this gives you some ideas beyond white plastic lattice for infilling between your bungalow piers. And if the simple styles shown above aren’t enough for you, there is plenty of precedent for some much more interesting options. Perhaps there are some fun examples of lattice creativity in your historic neighborhood. Here’s a couple I’ve found worthy of photographing to inspire me over the years.
This lattice is recessed behind the porch beadboard which is cut to make it look like a picket fence. I find it a very darling detail!
The image isn’t that great but the lattice is so lovely I decided to include it. Just squint a little.
Lattice designed by a true craftsman. And I adore that porch railing, too!
TIP: Read Jo-Anne’s article WHAT’S A BUNGALOW ANYWAY to learn more HERE!
This article was written by Jo-Anne Peck of Preservation Resource, Inc. & Historic Shed. Jo-Anne is a historic preservation professional with a degree in Building Science, a Master’s of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation & a licensed Florida Building Contractor with over 25 years experience in preservation. She has kindly provided these photos & this information based on her vast knowledge of bungalows.
STAY IN THE BUNGALOW KNOW!!!
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I have never acquired an old house that had its original wood window screens. Makes sense. They are rather flimsy items that have maximum exposure to the elements & over the decades, windows fail & the harnessing of electricity has made it possible to use HVAC systems to cool our houses. Opening windows has fallen out of favor as people have come to believe that a house should be all buttoned up & air tight. And with the abandonment of fresh air has come the abandonment of wood window number tacks.
Invented in 1948, these cute & handy little items were used to mark windows with their matching storm windows in winter or their screens in summer. They are little, very sharp tacks made of a metal alloy with numbers stamped on their heads. The stamping is heavy enough that you can paint & disappear them, but remain legible. A tiny barb under the head ensures that they will stay in place.
Ever wonder about awnings for your bungalow? Summer is fast approaching, and with it comes a big electrical bill from the AC running around the clock.
These videos show & tell the story of bungalow character defining features, the architectural bits & pieces that separate a bungalow from other houses. They are the features that you expect to see on a bungalow that has been well-cared for, or authentically restored. They are a good guide in planning & performing your own restoration.
My first submersion in Charles Rennie Mackintosh of Glasgow, was at a special exhibit at the 
“Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders’ spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground.”
