Eyebrow arches on windows & vent above toilet

[samir.r.shah]

Jim,

On your section about home construction, you mention this:

"If your designer wants eyebrow arches on windows, consider using rectangular windows and faking the arch with brick or stone. Arched wood windows can be very expensive."

My question to you, Jim, is what about the maintenance of the windows if the eyebrow arches were faked? I'm assuming that the windows would be rectangular in shape and the bricks/stones would be shaped in an arch on the outside to make the window look like an arch. Is that right? Or am I wrong here? Please advise.

Also, you had mentioned that it would be a good idea to have vents over toilets. "They help with the smell and privacy/noise." I don't get that (I'm a little slow, haha). Can you explain to me?

I thank you very much and am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

GREAT WEBSITE!

-Samir

[jamesglewisf]

Here is an example of real eyebrow arch windows:

http://www.imaged2sell.com/agents/rr/mls10480998/detailed.html
http://www.ontarioarchitecture.com/Second.htm

Look at the Waterdown home at the second website. Mallorytown has them also. The problem with them is coming up with window coverings that look good from the outside. You are trying to block sunlight for an arch. They are very pretty, but also more expensive because the windows are arched, and in order to have brick around the windows, their has to be steel reinforcements. If it is arched, the steel has to be arched. It is just more expensive.

You can also have somewhat the same look at a lot less expense with square windows and brick eyebrow arches like here:

http://www.jamesglewis.com/house/housepics/brickstonemiddle.jpg

I'm not going to argue that they look as good. They just aren't ask expensive, but they still look nice.

As for bathroom exhaust fans, this is what I mean - http://hometips.com/articles/ventwork.html or http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/installbathfan.html. In bathrooms with a bathtub or shower, they are required by code to suck out the moisture. In a powder bath they suck the smelly air outside your home, and the noise they make provides a little sound barrier to the noise that the bathroom guest might otherwise be making.

[dreuby]

Those Ontario architecture houses are wonderful - if only houses were built like that today. I suppose it's costs that dictate that all architects use the same set of plans.