I love being in Berlin. At least three or four times a day I get a brilliant, million-dollar idea. Today’s idea is to bring a window with me back to Canada.
Those of you who are paying attention know that I am planning a renovation of the second-floor bathroom (hence all the talk about toilets). As it turns out, to get the new configuration to work I need to put the shower in front of the window. This is not ideal – showers should not be exposed to windows like that. So I have decided to replace the window with a smaller one. And since I am over here in Germany and I have the time, I’m going to investigate the possibility of bringing one with me (or at least the hardware that will enable me to build my own). 4HWW people pay attention.
On Day 23 I was shopping in the mall when I happened upon this one of those temporary “stores” in the middle area between all the fixed stores. Their specialization was the installation of windows and doors. So I got talking to the guy and he was showing me all their latest technology – some very cool stuff.
As previously mentioned, I love the windows here in Germany. They are much different from the ones we have in Canada – specifically how they open. I could write for pages or I could just show you some pictures.
It works like this: each window has a handle that has three positions
Down is closed.
Down!
Middle is open all the way.
Middle!
Up is open at the top.
Up!
But the best feature of all is how they close. There are between four and six individual locking points distributed around the perimeter of the window. This ensures a complete seal every time the window is closed. Very nice.
A perfect fit!
So the dude at the mall tells me where I can find a company that specializes in window hardware. He gives me a name and a cross street (all of this is conducted in German). So this morning, after a quick Google search, I’m out the door to try and find the window place. It’s tucked away in some industrial street near Heinrich Heine Strasse U-Bahn station. I never would have found it without help.
None of the staff speak English, but I have enough vocabulary to get by. The guy behind the counter prints out all the hardware I will need to build my own window. He tells me they have all the parts in stock and all I need to do is bring him the measurements – height, width and the position of the handle. Sweet.
Guess how much for all this?
Now the only question I have is: can one buy pre-cut wood for the frame? Cause that would be super-sweet. And I need to come up with a plan on how to implement this.
Oh and btw, there are thirty unique parts for the hardware – how much do you think this is going to cost? I look forward to your guesses.
Die Hard Three 
If you get one of these fabulous European windows back to Ottawa — why the bejesus would you put it in a bathroom?
Because the bathroom is in need of a new window 🙂