Bathroom Window Solution

Shutters are lovely but they're not too practical in the extreme weather/temperature fluctuations you get in the centre of North America. Definitely a great option in a more moderate climate.

That's one of the reasons you mostly see them as interior options here - they freeze open/shut too easily to use on the exterior of homes.

Yep, might end up having to do that. My main objections are esthetic (I'd like something neater/ cleaner/ more minimalist), the narrowness of the bathtub (it's a smallish, narrow tub) and from experience. I used to have a situation something like that and in the winter time, when I turned on the shower the shower curtains would curve in towards me so I had to keep batting them away or be embraced by curtains on two sides. It was annoying.



There is! That will help.

Replacing the showerhead is an interesting approach, CJ, I wonder how much I could get away with, there. Even if the spray isn't right on the window I think there would need to be some waterproofing, since water still bounces around (especially when she's washing her hair).

Just measured, bathtub is 28 inches across, corner to corner.



The shower curtain (on the left) is outside the tub now, it's inside when she takes a shower.

This is part of why I like the idea of putting something within the window frame, if possible.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5819668_stop-shower-curtain-blowing.html


lots of fixes

Our master bath at home used to have a wooden window etc above the bath too. It started higher than yours (3ft 7in above the tub) but we had some of the same problems.

I used a vinyl mini blind, cut to fit, but found it horrible to keep clean, what with water spots, calcium, etc. I can’t image that a roll up one would be much better unless it were bone dry each and every time you rolled it up out of the way...

I can’t tell if that’s dry wall above the tub surround. If it is, I might just place a curtain rod above that, especially if I could raise the tub curtain bar to the same height, or slightly higher (I don’t know, I’d have to fiddle).

That was my first thought for the outside rod.

We use the really heavy vinyl liner and it definitely stays put when we shower.

Would that be too high? I can't tell how much room you have between the surround and the ceiling.

I've seen those bowed rods. They look like they work really well.

That could definitely work.

Most of the surround stops about a foot short of the ceiling -- there is an extra slab of the same sort of waterproof material that goes above the window that is about 5 inches wide. (That's the "hard to see" part in my labeled pic.) So there is another 6-7 inches of drywall between that and the ceiling. Definitely enough to put a curtain rod there.

The bowed rod and heavy vinyl ideas are both encouraging. Found reasonably priced ones on Amazon:

Curved shower curtain rod:

http://www.amazon.com/Moen-DN2155BN-Inspirations-Decorative-Brushed/dp/B001CJZUTY/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_a

Heavy vinyl:

http://www.amazon.com/Maytex-Mildew-Shower-Curtain-Liner/dp/B001T4ZAX8/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_c

Then could just do whatever random fabric curtain inside the window.

Still bigger/ messier than I would like but solves a lot of problems.

How about a spray-on silicone sealant for the window?

http://www.jdindustrialsupply.com/sprtvsise.html

Cover with a white/opaque film from Home Depot, spray the whole thing with sealant, and you're done.....

I'm guessing not enough light for all except shower time.

I thought of some sort of, er, plasticized "cabinet door or doors" for the window but that would probably be too tacky to bear. Hinges - not all hinges rust, and the house would lend itself to good ones, aesthetics wise. Silly me, I mention good hinges and plasticized mini doors. Slaps self.

Definitely would help with the 'seepage' worry.

I would either etch

http://www.ehow.com/how_6008384_etch-windows-privacy.html

Or paint the window in a stained glass pattern but make sure you seal it and let it cure before you allow the kid to use the shower..

Given the way your backyard looks I think that the stained glass effect would look better from the outside, though it is a lot of work.

etched glass is good to me, but not what interested sozobe for right now.

I did not see that...another possibility is to get a spray can of the instant frost, and then coat it with the sealer used on painted windows. The frost is not water proof, but the sealer might make it so. Using this is like the stained glass paint in that it is cheap and it can be reversed if it is not liked or when selling the house. Etched glass is forever.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2271561_varnish-painted-glass.html Make sure the varnish is water proof!

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=106

Etched glass is often beautiful..

Part of my whining is that Soz lives in a problematic but nice older house and I hate to see her futz it up with plastic this and that. There's my bias up front.

I am with you...most of the ideas offered are tacky and very difficult to keep clean. Ideally this window needs to go, it should be reframed into a different shape and location and then a standard frosted glass window should be put in. In the meantime treat the glass and call it a day.

I got to think about this whilst i was working today.
This may be more expense/work than you are willing to go to but here goes nothing.

a lot of shower cabinets have a triple sliding door with opaque glass. 3 panels about 12 inch in width. The panels slide over (or under each other when fully open the space taken up is only 12 inch. When fully closed the panels extend 3ft or so. They slide on an aluminium frame work.
Having looked at the pics of your bathroom it seems to me you could mount a cut down version on your window sill. Slide them closed when showering and open when not to let in light

I dont see it being a big job to install. I would certainly attempt it. Dampcourse would be required under the sliding frame to protect the wood frame.

The big thing would be getting something in the size (or about) of your window. May not need to be the full height of our window either. maybe cabinet doors would be about the right size. Up to head height.

I'm not sure if a sillouete would show. Dont think so. Opaque glass plus air space plus existing windows. Have a look for opaque sliding glass doors in the bathroom section of your harware store.

Cant find a pic so I hope you get my drift.