Bathroom Window Solution

Very nice!

That makes a LOT more sense, having a horizontal window higher up. Maybe that'll be a solution down the line.

Meantime I'm wracking my brain. Somewhere I either had some of a near totally opaque glass, or saw some - it was very tightly swirly, the swirls being completely opaque white with only a little bit of non swirl that you could see through. No, that's wrong. It's coming back now, I can see it, it was a big square of pink and white and totally opaque, no see through at all, and it was from an old stained glass store in Westwood (CA). I think it came in different colors..

I've been looking on line and see all these paint your window products, not what I was looking for.

Aluminium wouls easly withstand the water. Sealing the aluminium into the wood frame with a paintable bathroom sealant is done all the time.
However the wood frame need to be properly angled so water from splashes and condensation does not pool back against the glass. Thats pretty easliy achieved as well with moulded frames.
Just thinking outside the box.
Is a Trellis outside the house with a potato vine (star jasmine) growing on it a possibility?

I've stayed in a couple of places where windows gave a good view into the bathroom. Both these places had an ordinary spring loaded pull down blind. I dont know what you call the fabric but it seemed waterproof and I dont think you will have any trouble getting a blind type material thats water resistant. Vertical blinds (you know the strips) are mosty waterproof from the stiffening they use on the fabric.

My feeling is you should hit up a curtain/blind retailer or manufacturer and explain the problem. I really dont see it as much of a problem to get the right fabric in colours and sizes that work for you.

http://www.allbathroomdesigns.com/bathroom-blinds.html
some goood info and ideas on that site

I just saw a pic of a bathroom window where the blind was fixed at the bottom and was pulled up rather than let down to a height that allowed the shower user privacy but did not cover the whole window letting in as much natural light as possible.
Its the header pic on this page and I cant copy/paste it. Obviously you wont be buying from this company as it's Australian but the idea is good.
http://www.luxaflex.com.au/au/en/uniquesolutions/humidrooms/sb.cn

That's very nice looking. Has a contemporary/simple feel which is my preference.

How about getting some privacy from the outside with shutters (they're cheap at Home Depot) or flower boxes with tall flowers/vines?

soz, Grow a plant on the outside that'll cover the window area high enough to shield a naked body. It can be a vine or hedge.

I'm sure you could buy a film of some sort or waterproof fabric that you could velcro up and remove at will at any fabric store. That seems easy and cheap

Are you saying soz is cheap?

uh... mebbe...but I might have been saying she's easy...

oh well thats all right then.
Obviously she is easy if there a no window coverings in her bathroom.
you know what i mean.. it pays to advertise and all that.

The bathroom is on the second floor, so some sort of external thing would be harder. Possible but harder.

A lot of these solutions hit one or two of the things I'm going for but not all of them. (So, what am I going for? I guess:)

1.) Waterproof. Currently the spray from the showerhead hits the wood and glass window. So it has to be quite waterproof (I'm really thinking I'll end up with a clear shower curtain over the window, in some capacity).*

2.) Opaque. Since there is a direct view from 15-20 feet away (our neighbors have a row of windows on their second floor that have an excellent view), the window treatment needs to be opaque on two levels. The plain old see-through level, and the projection screen level. (As in, even if the screening effect is blocked, if there is some light and not enough protection on the window, the neighbors would still be able to see in pretty easily).

BUT

3.) Allows in a lot of light. We have only two windows on that side of the house and the other one is far away, so I really like having light come in that window. That rules out some of the more halfway solutions I think (like the window decals). (The window lights not just the bathroom but the hallway too.)

4.) Cheap and easy. (The project, not me.) Less than $100 max I'd say.


At this point what is looking best is some sort of dark/ truly opaque window treatment that can be moved aside when it is not being used, to let light in. I think blinds with a clear plastic curtain over them comes closest thus far. Possibly paired with a heavy regular shower curtain that also can be moved aside.


* This is approximately what the window looks like (the sill doesn't slope though):



The front part of the sill and the trim are waterproof, but the inner part of the sill and the sashes etc. are all wood and can't be subjected to shower spray on a regular basis.

How about just a plain roll down shade. They make those that block out all light (called blackout shades). Then make a waterproof curtain.

I would install some outside shutters that can be easily closed while
sozlet takes a shower. This way the window can be opened while she takes
a shower and let the steam out. The steam is just as bad for the wood as
the water itself. A pair of shutters is around $ 30 at Home Depot.

That could definitely work, too. I think the main concern would be the hardware rusting (even if there is no direct contact with water, it will still be steamy). What I like about blinds is that they can be plastic. But they'd serve very similar functions. (And I'm not sure yet if blinds can be all plastic, hardware included. They seem to be popular for bathrooms though.)

How would the "easily closed" part work? Remember we are dealing with below-freezing temps for much of the year....

Good point about the steam being bad for the wood no matter what though, sigh.

I took a pic since I wasn't sure if I was explaining things well:

I was reminded of this photo from a real estate website. Your situation isn't identical but I think ehBeth's idea of a shower curtain inside the tub against the window wall might be the way to go: light/silhouette blocking window treatment, full shower curtain to protect the wood, all materials pushed back away from the window when shower not in use to allow the wood to breathe. Is there an exhaust fan in the bathroom? And if not, could one be easily installed?

I know, it get's cold in the winter, but in the "old country" (Europe) the older
houses all have shutters outside. They protect the windows from rain and snow and keep the house warmer...

Now that I am looking at your picture of where the shower head is placed,
one of these might help too in keeping the water away from the window.

I like those too. They help keep out cold and probably heat in the summer, but also noise.

I like those shutters too. They help keep out cold and probably heat in the summer, but also noise.

(love the showerhead)