Like any other feature in a house, windows can also have their drawbacks:

1. Large expanses of glass increase heat loss during periods of cold temperatures and become a source of unwanted, and at times uncontrollable, solar heat gain during warmer months.

2. In the summer, windows not only let the hot sun in to make the inside of a house uncomfortably warm, but they also permit sunlight to fade the color from carpeting, paneling, furniture upholstery, and practically anything else.

3. In addition to providing views that might not always be pretty, windows can turn a house into a goldfish bowl by enabling outsiders and strangers to see into the interior living areas.

4. Windows require a fair amount of washing — a chore no one enjoys. Every now and then a child’s softball smashes through one, or a limb from a nearby tree gets blown too close, and they must be replaced.

5. Windows are the first surfaces in a house to fog up when the interior humidity rises. They can stream with condensation, which might ruin the finish on the sills.

6. Windows can admit annoying neighborhood noises.

7. When not secured properly, windows provide encouragement to burglars and intruders.

8. Windows become ugly black mirrors from inside when you turn on the lights at night.

9. Windows require expensive curtains, draperies, and blinds that also need periodic cleaning.

10. If not carefully and tastefully selected and located, instead of improving the appearance of a house, they can actually detract from it.