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need advice - bathroom window treatments

post #1 of 18
9/12/11 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 
Some background: we live in a little (800 sq. ft.) farmhouse in the city; it was built ~1900, and is pretty rustic nothing fancy.

The bathroom has one window that overlooks the back yard. Problem is the deck is under the bathroom window, so if you are standing on the deck you can look into the bathroom. This doesn't bother us but can make guests uncomfortable.

Bathroom side of the house has only the one window (with screen) that we can leave open. (The same side has two sets of french doors that we can't leave open for safety and kitty reasons.)

Does anybody have ideas for the window treatment for the bathroom? Since it's the only window on that side, I like to leave it open for air to circulate in the house and to help steam from the shower escape, but we also need privacy at night and for guests.

It had wooden shutters on the bottom half of the window and that seemed work, except they were always warped and never closed right, they are now broken in several places so I took them down. Curtains would blow open and offer privacy only if the window is closed. Blinds would block all the light from the window (and lots of breeze) when closed.

Please help me take down the pillow case I have tacked to the window right now! Any suggestions? What window treatment do you have on your bathroom window?
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post #2 of 18
9/12/11 at 10:21am
My mom had the same problem.

Her solution was stained glass paints.
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post #3 of 18
9/12/11 at 10:49am
I have an older house that has a good sized window in it and I made a curtain for it so that's my solution.
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post #4 of 18
9/12/11 at 11:02am
Home Depot stores carry spraypaint that you can use on windows that make it look like it's frosted. i believe it comes in different colors too, not just white
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post #5 of 18
9/12/11 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by goonie View Post
Home Depot stores carry spraypaint that you can use on windows that make it look like it's frosted. i believe it comes in different colors too, not just white
I have to chuckle, as right now I work at Home Depot in the paint department. Our store only carries one product that sprays on like frost. I'm sure you could scrape it off with a razor blade down the road if you don't like it, but the problem is that you wouldn't be able to see out that window unless it were open. It distorts your view if that is important to you.

I put the cellular blinds in my bathroom (it faces the street) that are cordless. You can push them up and pull them down very easily. While a bit pricey, it was well worth the purchase. You can get pleated blinds, but those don't offer very much privacy. The cellular ones are much better.

Just my 2 cents.
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post #6 of 18
9/12/11 at 12:01pm
If I understand correctly, you often have the window open so treating the glass isn't going to do anything when they are open. You can buy a mactac type of thing to frost the glass for when it is closed.

The only thing I can think is that you could get a weighted blind that would stay down when the wind blows in and you would have your privacy.
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post #7 of 18
9/12/11 at 12:41pm
someone wasnt thinking when they designed out house. We have a bathroom window... in the shower... and not like up high where you cant see anything, I mean right where you stand, and on a ground level room. When we bought the house they had blinds in there, which may have looked okay, but they end up wet and moldy very quickly. Gary went to home depot and found some window film that is frosted so it lets in lots of natural light, but keeps from putting on a peep show everytime someone showers! But that doesnt really help you for keeping the window open... not real sure what you could do for that except a shutter similar to what you have now!
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post #8 of 18
9/12/11 at 1:10pm
I would think you could use a curtain or sheer of some kind and add weight to the bottom (like use some washers or something sewn into the hem) to help them not blow open.
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post #9 of 18
9/12/11 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles View Post
I would think you could use a curtain or sheer of some kind and add weight to the bottom (like use some washers or something sewn into the hem) to help them not blow open.
Oooo idea! Something like this:

Where there is the rod at top and bottom, but you wouldnt really need it gathered unless you just like the look of it.
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post #10 of 18
9/12/11 at 2:20pm
Check this link. It talks about solar screens and shutters.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...4055341AAH15Az
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post #11 of 18
9/12/11 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by capt_jordi View Post
Oooo idea! Something like this:

Where there is the rod at top and bottom, but you wouldnt really need it gathered unless you just like the look of it.
I actually have those kinds of rods and a sheer over my front door because it has a big glass insert. I don't like the idea of just anyone walking up to my door and being able to see in. And it's a good thing I do because the clean laundry was in the livingroom the other morning and someone rang my doorbell just as I walked out past the door in my bra!!
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post #12 of 18
9/13/11 at 5:19am
We just have a regular curtain and valance in our bathroom window. And there's a blind underneath. People know that they can just reach up and pull the blind down if they want to, but with the way our bathroom is, you really can't see inside, unless you're purposely trying to do so. There's no tie or anything fastened to the blind (that's just a cat enticer, IMHO, and cats like to hang out in the bathroom window).

Rick and I hardly ever use the blind. When taking a shower, we'll undo the curtain ties and shut the curtains. When we're finished, we'll just re-tie the curtains.

Take some pictures of whatever you decide to do!
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post #13 of 18
9/13/11 at 5:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles View Post
I would think you could use a curtain or sheer of some kind and add weight to the bottom (like use some washers or something sewn into the hem) to help them not blow open.
I just made a shower curtain for my bathroom and looked into washers to weigh down the bottom. The problem with washers is that to prevent them from rusting and ruining the curtains, you need to find stainless steel ones. The problem with stainless steel ones is, not only are they very expensive, they weight less than normal metal washers, so they need to be huge to hold down the fabric. And btw, you can't find them at Home Depot - you have to go to specialty stores like a Farm and Fleet.
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post #14 of 18
9/13/11 at 8:06am
Thread Starter 
Thank you very much for all the suggestions!

Somehow the old shutters are looking better again, they did work before just were broken. I might clean them up and repair them, there are two places that have cracked on the wood where the hinges are (after inspecting closely, they aren't actually warped). There's also some split wood on the sill, so I might do some repairs with spackle and paint and move the hinges and reinstall them.

I guess the person who lived here before found the shutters as a good solution, but should have used a drill for the screws so the wood wouldn't split. I think I'll try to fix that. (I don't like spending money if I don't have to! )
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post #15 of 18
9/13/11 at 11:02am
In our old house, there was a window in the shower wall in one bathroom. I used a window shade there. Just pull it up or down when you want privacy.
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post #16 of 18
9/13/11 at 12:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by capt_jordi View Post
Oooo idea! Something like this:

Where there is the rod at top and bottom, but you wouldnt really need it gathered unless you just like the look of it.
That's the same set-up (but not gathered in the middle) we had in our bathroom for years before getting the windows replaced - now we have frosted glass in the bathroom and powder room. We don't have double-hung windows, though.
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post #17 of 18
9/13/11 at 1:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SwampWitch View Post
Somehow the old shutters are looking better again, they did work before just were broken. I might clean them up and repair them, there are two places that have cracked on the wood where the hinges are (after inspecting closely, they aren't actually warped). There's also some split wood on the sill, so I might do some repairs with spackle and paint and move the hinges and reinstall them.

I guess the person who lived here before found the shutters as a good solution, but should have used a drill for the screws so the wood wouldn't split. I think I'll try to fix that. (I don't like spending money if I don't have to! )
Spackle really won't hold screws very well. Look for a wood filler or plastic wood that hardens firm enough to be able to hold screws, but just make sure that whatever you buy is paintable.

Is the shutter painted already? If it is stained/varnished, you will need to put a primer on it first before paint will stick to it.

I coach people on projects like this all day long. Give me a shout if you need some help.
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post #18 of 18
9/13/11 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
Spackle really won't hold screws very well. Look for a wood filler or plastic wood that hardens firm enough to be able to hold screws, but just make sure that whatever you buy is paintable.

Is the shutter painted already? If it is stained/varnished, you will need to put a primer on it first before paint will stick to it.

I coach people on projects like this all day long. Give me a shout if you need some help.
Thanks for the help!

The screw holes on the window frame and on the shutters are pretty bad, along with the split wood around the holes. That's why they were hanging wonky so I think it's best to move the hinges and relocate them to a stronger wood area.

The spackle will be for cosmetic purposes... The shutters are natural wood so I'm going to leave well enough alone there.
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