The Hawaiian Home
Window Types

For those who speak Latin among us the manufacturing world sometimes refers to windows as fenestration. The home window has (3) duties it may perform at the same time.

For most people the first is to let in air but keep out weather. Starting sometime in the 1940’s the jalousie window began to replace the double hung sash windows and wood sliding windows that were installed in homes right up into the 1960’s. The jalousie windows advantage is full opening of the “fenestration” and some help in keeping light rain showers out. The majority of residential jalousie windows in Hawaii are of aluminum. Aluminum strip jalousies are inexpensive but the new and improved jalousie hardware is a combination of vinyl and stainless steel. They cost more but have eliminated aluminum greatest weakness, its malleability. Vinyl clips hold there shape which make’s it difficult to remove the glass vane, as well the close tighter and hold the weather out much better than aluminum.

Aside from jalousie there are awning windows which open like large jalousies though there size means they stick out beyond the house wall. Casement which open like doors will also protrude beyond the exterior wall. Sliding windows and single/double hung windows operate within the wall cavity. Awning and casement windows give you full opening while sliders and single/double hung windows open up half way. With larger sliding windows they are sometime available with (3) or more operable sliders though this makes the frame deeper, it achieve a two thirds opening ratio.

Windows are in vinyl, aluminum and wood ideally with vinyl or aluminum exterior cladding for durability and low maintenance. Vinyl is generally in white though other colors may be available depending on manufacturer. Aluminum is best chosen with high grade manufacturers finish electrolytically applied. Clear anodized aluminum reacts with moisture and forms aluminum salt which is the white substance so often seen around decay point on aluminum windows. Custom homeowners often want a wood interior look which can be painted or stained. The exterior cladding is available in a variety of colors to coordinate with exterior house colors.

The Hawaiian Home
Bathroom Showers

Shower Fabrication
Showers are custom made or from pre-fabricated components. The custom shower starts with a framed in shower area where necessary plumbing (shower manifold and floor drain) have been installed. The base of the shower is either a one piece vinyl liner or a fabricated to fit copper pan. The shower drain itself consist of a manufactured plumbing fitting that clamps down between the liner (copper or vinyl) and has a threaded connection for the actual drain which raises or lowers as needed.

I like using the copper pan though I know the vinyl liner is also a safe choice. Older shower often have a tar paper and hot-mop waterproofing base whose decay is the source of leakage and require replacing the whole shower. As previously written I have seen major termite infestation from such leaks going unrepaired where fixing the damage was more costly than replacing the shower.

Once the “pan” is in you install Hardibacker on the walls making sure you remember to frame in soap/shampoo niches if desired. (Another nice alternative to the shampoo niche is the corner shelf either in ceramic or a high quality manufactured chrome.) The screw heads and joints of the Hardibacker are covered with a waterproofing compound for redundancy in leak protection. The shower floor is built up with a bed of concrete mortar, this establishes the drainage for the shower.

Shower Tile and Grout
It’s a good idea to go with small tiles on the floor for traction, if using marble the 12x12 tiles can be cut into 4 sections to achieve the same result. The walls are tiled in the desired materials and grouted. Grout aside from the color choices comes in cement and epoxy. Cement grout needs to be “sealed” which has become an easy chore with new products on the market. Epoxy grout while more costly and labor intensive is known for its hardness and is purported ability to resist long term discoloring.



Pre-Fabricated Showers
Pre-fabricated showers can be fast and less costly than custom built showers. The pan is a one piece product available in cultured marble and an epoxy style material available from several manufacturers. The walls either in cultured marble or various wall systems are glued or attach to the walls around the shower and are sealed to the shower pan. Installation can be a one day affair with 1-3 days allowed for the glue/epoxy to properly set before using.