Old Houses vs. New Houses

Houses are built to reflect the way people live in them at the time they were built.

Not a very important statement in itself but think of some of the changes over the last 50 years. Fifty years ago, almost no one had central air conditioning. Some stores had it, they even advertised it on the front door! "Come in! Air Conditioning Inside!". Some newer church buildings had it, I really believe that is why our attendance on Sunday night was the same as Sunday morning! But very few houses had it. I remember when our neighbor bought a window unit...all the kids in the neighborhood lined up to visit the new room!

But then, they were built differently too. Houses had windows on all sides, great for getting that summer breeze inside no matter which direction it came from. The west and east sides of houses usually had large porches to keep the hot sun from super heating those breezes. Some houses had transoms to let the hot air escape to the ceiling and then on to the outside. My grandmother's house was built around a large central hall with doors on each end. You opened up those doors during the summer and got a great wind tunnel effect! Our favorite place to play.

There were large trees all around the house to keep cool outside (which is where we spent a LOT of time growing up) and some houses even had sleeping porches for those unbearable nights!

I now live in a house that is only 5 years old, in a newer subdivision built about 5 or 6 years ago. Practically all the trees were cut down and scrawny 'specimen' trees were planted in the front yard. No front porch to speak of, only a small covered area to get out of the rain when you unlock the door. We have a covered back deck, but it is so small the kids only use it to eat their Popsicles and then scoot back inside.The front of our house has only two windows! TWO WINDOWS!!! And they don't have screens on them (HOA rules!) so they are useless for breezes. Both sides of our house have only one small window each...unless you count the window in the bathroom that doesn't open. How useless is that? So all our windows are on the back of the house. This wouldn't normally be a problem because we back up to what once was a wooded area (new subdivision now going in...don't get me started!), but the sun seems to shine in those windows constantly!

Why does all this rate a blog entry you ask? Because my air conditioning went out on the main floor! Yes, we still have cool air in the quilt studio and in the basement apartment, but since my son moved back home this week, the apartment is kind of occupied. We have opened all the windows we can, used every small fan we could find, and turned on all the ceiling fans, and the temperature in here at 10:45 this morning is a stifling 95. You say it isn't that hot outside? How can that be? I think I slept during that part of science, but I think it has something to do with how wonderfully our house is insulated... meaning it is GREAT at keeping in the heat...

Some time around noon the Air Conditioning guru will pay us a visit, tell us what is wrong, how much it will cost to fix it (like we have an option!) and how long we have to wait for the parts to come in...remember this is a holiday weekend!

While I am waiting, I'll guzzle a gallon of sweet tea (no sipping in this heat!) and try to figure out how I can convince my family I NEED to be quilting!

Stay cool!

Nini