The hacienda accidentally got a new front door this week. There was nothing wrong (in my opinion) with the old front door.
Yes, it was single pane glass, and might not have sit too snugly around the frame BUT it did allow a see-through house effect with sight lines from front gate to back boundary and a view of the front sunflower solar array from anywhere in the center of the hacienda.
Unfortunately those advantages are no more. We now have a weather sealed, metal, hollow core, solid front door and four keys to go with it. No more vistas through the house. No more sunflower screen vistas.
I’m sure it’s way more energy efficient this way. That was the point.
Here’s how it happened: I applied for a weatherization grant (a federal benefit to reduce energy bills for low income seniors who own their homes and are US citizens). I specified on the application that I needed window replacement.
Anyone following this blog might have noticed the artful desert archaic, naturally weathered style to all the hacienda windows.
The windows badly need work.
However, after the building inspector assigned by the southern New Mexico administrators for the grant went over the hacienda from top to bottom and front to back with his checklist; then fed the data into a computer it was decided that I be awarded:
a new front door
attic insulation
a box of led energy efficient light bulbs sufficient to illuminate a small African county
battery operated carbon monoxide, particulate and noxious gas detection alarms throughout the hacienda
weatherization of all external doors.
And no new windows.
I guess it’s back to me to work on the window renovation project myself. In cooler weather. After monsoon mosquito and gnat bug season is done.
That free (to me) attic insulation certainly is a huge boon and I probably will appreciate it more come winter.
All the work went to local southern NM construction contractor teams so helped the local economy (a little bit)
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometime
You’ll find you get what you need…