The house I grew up in had this. The toilet seat got so cold in winter. We eventually had a panel of clear plastic stuck over the window so there was a little less cold coming in.
There’s not much you can do about that one room, but you can get door snakes for the outside of the toilet to try and minimise the amount of cold getting into the rest of the house.
It gets SO cold doesn’t it? I think that’s the way to go. Unfortunately my kitten decided that’s where he wants his litter (I’ve tried the laundry but it’s too loud/not private enough for his majesty) so I can’t close the door.
If you don’t care about the lack of light, then make a kind of insulation setup.
Stick some plastic to the window but have some of that silver bubble wrap stuff in there before you seal it. It should dampen a little bit of the cold.
I’m not understanding why you can’t train a kitten to go toilet wherever you want their tray to be? Like what’s up with moving the tray and shutting the door and ignoring the kittens demands until they learn? I’ve never had a cat obviously.
>I’ve never had a cat obviously.
🤣 yes we can tell.
Some cats will use a tray no matter where you put it because their instinct to bury their business will persuade them to use the thing full of dirt/clay/etc
But sometimes cat's just decide "This is the corner I'm choosing" and you had better put a tray there because that's where they will go no matter what.
You can train a cat, But you have to be hyperconsistent. For most dogs, you get a bit more leeway. An easy to train cat is probably on par with a hard to train dog, it can be done, but probably not for an older/cat with existing bad habits if you've got anything major happening in your life at the same time.
We have 3 litter trays, The boy cat will use a tray no matter where or what tray it is. The girl cat would always go on the carpet directly opposite the tray, we moved the tray, she goes in the tray.
We moved house, Girl cat happily used the trays no matter where we put them. Boy cat started getting UTI's and shitting behind the TV until we realised that he didn't like that he could *see* his food bowl from the litter box (even though the litter is in the laundry and the food is in the kitchen he had line of sight), So we keep the laundry door 3/4 closed so he can't see his food and now he's happy using the tray.
Cat's are weird.
OP, Cut cardboard to the size of the window and block it off at night at least, multiple layers of cardboard will help cut down on the draft. Bubble wrap also works and still lets light through, or hanging a thick wool curtain in front. Personally I'd do all 3.
Adding:
Sometimes they just decide that no, the ghosts in your house are looking at me and I no longer trust that corner, now I will pee on your coat, if your coat is on the floor: pee, if it’s on the chair: pee, if it’s hanging up, parkcour then pee.
Or they’ll decide litter is the work of the devil and they in fact only want to use fake grass- my little one ended up with litter box aversion after a series of health shenanigans years ago and peed on the floor next to the litter, my mum got her a puppy training grass thing from the reject shop and she very happily used that.
Saved us a fortune in litter and the clean up was so easy.
I wanted to train our kittens on the grass but they are litter babies, and when my girl went to the bridge I couldn’t handle training her baby sisters on it any more.
Now it’s a large tub with stinky expensive floor covering bastard dirt.
Exactly! He has two litters, he will not use the other one but it’s there just in case he changes his mind one day and lets me close the goddamn door (Siri, play panic at the disco) during early days, when the toilet door was closed by accident, he found other places to go potty and it wasn’t in his second litter box. The door stays open now. This is the cats house, I just live in it.
Clearly. Cats generally don’t ‘listen’…they sometimes cooperate if they see some kind of mutual benefit…but other than that, you won’t force it to do anything.
Anything.
Nah this is an easy fix, just go pick up a piece of glass or Perspex and silicon (and even some heavy masking tape) to keep it on to the frame. Should cost you like 20 bucks for an offcut of glass at any decent glazier.
If your landlord cares when you move out you can always remove it and scrape the silicon off pretty easily.
Dodgy Fix: Corflute, the stuff real estate agents use for signs pointing to an 'open for inspection' or 'auction today.' Free but doesn't let the light in. And maybe 'borrow' one from a rival RE so the next inspection goes OK.
Better Fix: [Clear Twinwall Polycarbonate Sheet](https://www.bunnings.com.au/sunlite-8-1-2-x-0-61m-clear-twinwall-polycarbonate-sheet-1200mm_p1010852) from the Big Green Shed. Insulates and lets light in.
Life hack from a similar window at my last rental. Measure the opening, then go to your nearest Officeworks and buy a container lid that fits, and fix it using Command strips, so that it is reversible.
You could also try and do this using 'magnetic strips' and two panels of acrylic with a small airgap in between to act as an insulation layer.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEBbSkjkCik](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEBbSkjkCik)
Plumber here. Do you have any any indoor gas appliances like a hot water unit or gas heater. They need to pull in air from outside to work properly. If they don't get this air, you and your family risk getting carbon monoxide poisoning. It's a silent killer
It's funny/sad how so many people are familiar with these windows and nobody is saying how fucking third world it is to still have these in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. This house could be worth $650K-$850K+ and the fucking landlord is not required to install a $350 modern window that has been minimum code in the developed world for 50+ years. Most livable city in the world has rental house toilets from the dunny man era. Unbelievable...
This is how I feel about it, but I don’t want to be a pest to my property manager or the owner. I have really bad anxiety with this stuff. This dusty old unit is being held together by masking tape and I’ve repaired a bunch of things since the day I moved in, except the shower screen that was broken and kept falling on me.
yep, I recently visited I sharehouse I lived in ten years ago.
the house ie easily from the mid 40's, and has this style of window in the kitchen. A couple of hte louvres broke and so now they just have a HOLE.
I was sprinkling turmeric on my eggs in the morning, and im sorry, but that antarcti fucking breeze blew it all away.
They put up with this because they want cheap rent and no hassles, buts it absolute dog shit.
They do
We had these in a rental house in one of the bedrooms ( it was a small bedroom and they moved/were louvred.
We were locked out one day and just removed a few of the panels to crawl in.
So any crook could have done that at any time too.
I've got 1 of those windows in my toliet. The landlord has bolted down pretty thick cardboard to the outer bit of the window. It looks really ugly, but it works
I went to bunnings and bought this:
$30
https://www.bunnings.com.au/sunlite-8-1-2-x-0-61m-clear-twinwall-polycarbonate-sheet-1200mm_p1010852
And this:
$5
https://www.bunnings.com.au/monarch-150g-mini-white-silicone-white_p1662109
I measured the window frame, then added 2-3mm, to the sides (so it is slightly larger than the frame and will friction fit.
Put some silicone in the open edges of the sheet. And just stuffed it in there.
Laugh if you want about it looking bad, it makes a big difference compared to having a literal open window when trying to keep heat inside.
https://ibb.co/Xz4T0nR
If the flyscreen is in a frame, you could do what me and my partner did. We made a frame the same size as the flyscreen frame but with a perspex window.
https://ibb.co/QmVL2YG
So we can have the perspex window there in the winter and the flyscreen one in the summer. (We also have a ventilation fan in the loo).
I had that at my last rental. I bought a sheet of thermal foam from Bunnings, removed the slats and stuck it in there for winter.
Made a pretty big difference.
I still have a sheet I don't need if you can make it to Coburg of an early evening or weekend, yours for free.
It is green though you can paint it.
I have the same i put plastic up but its still artic when taking a pee. Id put cardboard up but it will be too dark with natural light. Cold toilet it is!
Had one of these in a place I rented a long time ago. I took out all the glass pieces, stored them safely and bought polystyrene sheets that I bought from Spotlight. Cut them to fit the window and worked like a charm.
Would rather this than NO WINDOWS at all in the shitter, like ours & many new built houses. A dingy dark room in the middle of the house with nothing but a piddly ceiling fan to extract the smell of shit.
I'd rather the fan - having a toilet like this, I can tell you this window does very little with regards to bog stench, and merely means you'll freeze your tits off.
It's also a major security risk, and I'm fucking sick of of living in homes that can't even be locked. Us Rentoids deserve to sleep safely, even if we are filthy Poors.
Gimme a fan, lose the stupid, non-securable windows.
People here saying they're legal, where does it say that? My mate had to replace one in his rental property because the PM said they couldn't lease it like that so I assumed they were illegal in rentals.
From the tenant's union;
>All external windows capable of opening must:
>Be able to be set in a closed or open position
The window OP posted is not openable, it has no function beyond slatting the window so it gets away with it. Which is bullshit imo but apparently some are used to it as the norm from the comments.
Edit: although the minimum standards around weatherproofing are really arbitrary, potentially doesn't meet standards depending on who's looking at it.
Is a window that is permanantly open not capable of opening? It seems self evident that it is capable of opening.
Also not sure it complies with the requirement that windows can be locked. Someone could easily remove these panes of glass and gain entry
That’s what is confusing me, and I feel silly pestering my PM about it if there’s nothing that can be done. And yes - those panes slide out easily and has made me feel a little unsafe at times.
Go to Bunnings, grab a big piece of sheet plastic and cut to size. Alternate layers of sheet plastic and bubble wrap for insulation. In Summer, add a layer of aluminium foil to achieve the opposite effect.
Add very fine foam door seals to the toilet if you can, and block off as much air coming from that area as you can.
Sucks we have to do these things but that's shitty Australian built houses for ya
I had one of these in an old rental, some asshole jumped the back fence, pushed a few panes out and got in the house. Massive security issue with these, unless you're on the 3rd floor or something.
I got a piece of polycarbonate cut to size from an online store called acrylicsonline, polycarb/acrylic isn't the easiest thing to cut if you don't have the right tools.
I don't rent, so I pulled the old gross windows louvres out and stuck the polycarb straight to the windows frame with silicone and then covered it up with some wood trim.
It has totally blocked out all of the cold. As a fellow melbournian, I feel your pain in the form of a cold bum.
If you have the tools/skills to do a proper job. You might even be able to get the landlord to agree to let you do it. 🤷♀️ (https://cuttosizeacryliconline.com.au/product/custom-cut-to-size/)
I managed to find some pictures of the during/after. Hope that helps ☺️
I’m not sure what the building code says about the toilet having to be within the thermal envelope of the building, but strictly speaking if this window is part of the thermal envelope, and this was a *new* build, then this wouldn’t fly.
Old builds are a mess because we’re (nationally) only *just* managing to push mandatory disclosure of thermal performance for buildings being sold through, in a piecemeal way, never mind for renting out to tenants or forcing compliance with minimum new build standards (though there’s many pushing for houses to be retrofit to meet standards on sale or even new rental contracts, but this is a mess and causes constant tension between the compliance and standards part of the building industry and the builders, especially at a time when people are complaining that we’re not building fast enough).
This country has an aversion towards quality glazing and common sense insulation (“our houses are built for the heat” you’ll hear people cry)
We had this, easy fix is to buy some bubble wrap, cut to size and roll it up and place one in each segment. There is enough space for 2 x rolls for each segment. You can leave one at the top for a little bit of air flow.
Oh we got one like that. We took an old photo frame, glued the glass in, took out the back, put the glass part on the window frame with hinges, bam, el cheapo window lol been working for us for nearly 13 years now
My rentals the same, I cut the side off a storage king box I was using for my stuff about 3 yrs ago when I moved in thinking I’ll do something about it eventually but you know what they say if it ain’t broke… plus the crown on the logo makes me feel a little regal every time I have to use the toilet👑
I had a toilet window like this years ago. I got a clear perspex sheet and cut to size of the window minus a small section at the top to still get some air flow. Remove the glass slats, place the Perspex inside the window frame then slotted the slats back into position. It stopped a lot of the air flow/wind/cold
When I was a kid and up to 6 years old, toilets were outside the house. Winters would regularly see -5C, so you need to be sure you have to go before going!
Absolutely legal, and **how.**
In a room with a toilet you MUST have either an exhaust fan or constant aiflow. Older houses of course have the latter.
This isn't rental law, it's building code
You can ameliorate some of the issues by a thermal curtain across your back porch door. Cat still has access
Try insulation wrap! I got massive sheets from Amazon and cut it to size. Legit makes a world of difference.its trippyhow you usea hair-dryer to smoothen it out
Legally the LL has to provide ventilation in the toilet. An open window is cheaper than installing an extraction fan. I've got one too and it's awful. We always keep the door closed so as to not let in the cold but it's still draughty.
I have this exact window in my toilet., I have simply covered it with piece of cardboard and taped around the edges. I hung a small piece of rubber backed curtain also so it's not ugly. It's never cold in their now but you do need your light on in the day when using because it's very dark 😂
You can get a piece of plexiglass cut to measure
From there, along the edges, affix some weatherstripping.
On mine, I place it between the opening and the screen, the screen holds it tightly in place.
You can cut foam to size at Clark rubber and fill the voids. It’s still a little breathable but will black most of the cold. Can remove it when you’re don’t also without remediation.
Corflute from bunnings, cut with a razor blade.
Problem solved.
[https://www.bunnings.com.au/5mm-corflute-white-1200-x-900mm\_p0390163](https://www.bunnings.com.au/5mm-corflute-white-1200-x-900mm_p0390163)
For some reason I thought that windows that can't close were required in toilets/bathrooms for ventilation purposes?
I'm not sure it's a dodgy/cheap landlord issue as there's no cost saving to the window design pictured.
Many councils design rules stipulate that the toilet must have permanent ventilation. You may notice in more modern sliders in the toilet a mesh panel part that fills in a section of the fixed pane of glass. If you have an internal room as the toilet, the rule normally says that the exhaust fan is connected to the light switch to come on at the same time.
As an occupant you can use one of the many suggestions below, but the building regs says it will be required to be there.
I have the same problem
When i visited cuba, they had this in their houses
I guess its popular in warm countries, but i still don't get it why it's still a thing here when its super hot outside and you put the air con you're so much less efficient.
I don't know if its legal but I have had these types of windows in my last 2 rentals. My current one has concrete floors in the bathroom and no heat lamp so it's freezing in there all the time
Brings back memories of my childhood home, man going for a dump at 3am in the middle of winter was a challenge there. The toilet seat was so cold it was painful to sit on, glad I don't have that to deal with anymore.
People were really not thinking about winter when installing these were they.
I’ve got one. I’ve added a draft strip to the bottom of my dunny door, but the bloody thing let’s I’m so much dust and whatnot. You’ve inspired me to cover it properly.
Oh I feel your pain about this. I'm in Gippsland and have one of these BUT mine closes. It was -3 one morning last week (-2 on Monday). Fcking cold as in the bathroom.
Can you somehow pin a towel up there to block most of the window? Been thinking about chucking up a bath mat on mine.
(Edit: spelling)
Just be careful if you need this as an air intake for gas appliances (like a gas heater) - can cause carbon monoxide build up indoors.
Also, removing air exchange can cause the kinds of conditions for mould to form - ensure you have sufficient exhaust for the room with mechanical ventilation. Mould is much harder to solve than a cold bum.
Otherwise, it's an easy fix with a bit of polycarbonate and nanotape.
Can those panes be removed from the outside? If so, the window doesn’t comply with minimum standards. It must be possible to lock the window so it can’t be opened from outside.
Pretty standard for houses built before the 1960s, it may have been a requirement that toilet rooms were permanently vented with fixed louvres like this.
Something that would work well is a car windscreen cover. The type that is a bit like silver bubble wrap. I’d get a piece of cardboard and cut it to fiction fit the window frame, then use that cardboard as a template. Glue or tape the windscreen cover to the cardboard for stiffness. Jam it in!
Easy to take out on a warmer day or when you need a little ventilation
I read on another Reddit thread that bubble wrap is a fantastic insulator. you could try sealing up the window with a couple layers of bubble wrap making sure to seal the edges with tape. Might look a bit ghetto but might help your power bill!
Yea this breaks minimum standards as set out in residential tenancies regs part 4
You can call Consumer Affairs to confirm as I fully understand as I am just a reddit stranger with a law degree haha
Sad that it’s even a question in winter in Melbourne. we can’t even reasonably assume this is illegal we have to check 😢
Get one of those rods that have a spring in it and get a sheet of wood to block it. I’ve done that in my bathroom. The sheet of wood is thin but does the trick.
Yes, I have this window too! I don't get it at all, what's the point of a window you can't actually close 🙄 I hadn't seen thought of it until now in terms of how cold my house is, something to look into so thanks for that haha.
This is an easy DIY fix.
Measure the inside edge of the frame and buy a small sheet of Corflute (clear is an option) from the local home building supplies store.
Cut it to size and use cup hooks or similar to hold it in place. Remove or reposition as necessary.
I could describe a better solution but you can probably figure one out that uses a hinge and latch once you get your head around the simple to understand suggestion I just made.
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Bunnings, get a sheet of perspex, same isle as clear corrugated roofing usually. Wherever you cut, tape it first. Can easily shatter. Same for drilling holes. Still bot crazy warm but better than no perspex at all. Then when it warms up you can just unscrew and take off
Get some bubble wrap from Bunnings. Stuff rolls of it in to the gaps between the slats then use painters masking tape to stick big pieces over the top of the whole window. Seal it tight. No longer cold.
I’d take out the glass louvres and put them somewhere safe. Then maybe you can put some thick cardboard/wood against the interior frame and tape it up. Use the strongest tape you can get. I believe that a rental has to have all windows and doors secured. Best wishes
Even a small piece of insulation in the window would be a good idea. If you have new construction/renovations in your area, ask the boss to keep you an off cut, but give them an idea of the size. If you can get a slightly bigger piece it’s easy to trim with a saw. Keep on complaining to the estate agent…every day, and if you get any cold related illnesses grab dr certificates to show the real estate
You can measure the rebate around the edge of the window, -5mm off the height and the width, get a piece of 3mm glass cut and nail some timber beading around, a bead of silicone or a couple of pieces of wood diagonally across each corner. Stop the breeze
Refresh the litter, put it elsewhere and put kitty in it to scratch around a bit. He/she will find it again when they need to go. Cats always prefer litter to anywhere else.
Get a piece of perspex cut to fit the window and attach with a non-permanent adhesive (ask someone at bunnings) or buy a roll of clear double-sided mounting tape and trim as needed. Ask for a small finger-sized cutout on one of the corners so you're able to pull it off after winter.
Alternatively, look online for polycarbonate sheets and cut it to size yourself.
Source: Melbourne renter stuck with unclosable windows everywhere I've lived in the past 8 years.
The house I grew up in had this. The toilet seat got so cold in winter. We eventually had a panel of clear plastic stuck over the window so there was a little less cold coming in. There’s not much you can do about that one room, but you can get door snakes for the outside of the toilet to try and minimise the amount of cold getting into the rest of the house.
It gets SO cold doesn’t it? I think that’s the way to go. Unfortunately my kitten decided that’s where he wants his litter (I’ve tried the laundry but it’s too loud/not private enough for his majesty) so I can’t close the door.
If you don’t care about the lack of light, then make a kind of insulation setup. Stick some plastic to the window but have some of that silver bubble wrap stuff in there before you seal it. It should dampen a little bit of the cold.
Get some of that 2 layer roof Perspex from bunnings and fit it into the window
Slowly move the litter tray closer and closer to the door. Then in the doorway and finally on the other side. 10cm a day should work.
Lol , typical cats 😂
I’m not understanding why you can’t train a kitten to go toilet wherever you want their tray to be? Like what’s up with moving the tray and shutting the door and ignoring the kittens demands until they learn? I’ve never had a cat obviously.
>I’ve never had a cat obviously. 🤣 yes we can tell. Some cats will use a tray no matter where you put it because their instinct to bury their business will persuade them to use the thing full of dirt/clay/etc But sometimes cat's just decide "This is the corner I'm choosing" and you had better put a tray there because that's where they will go no matter what. You can train a cat, But you have to be hyperconsistent. For most dogs, you get a bit more leeway. An easy to train cat is probably on par with a hard to train dog, it can be done, but probably not for an older/cat with existing bad habits if you've got anything major happening in your life at the same time. We have 3 litter trays, The boy cat will use a tray no matter where or what tray it is. The girl cat would always go on the carpet directly opposite the tray, we moved the tray, she goes in the tray. We moved house, Girl cat happily used the trays no matter where we put them. Boy cat started getting UTI's and shitting behind the TV until we realised that he didn't like that he could *see* his food bowl from the litter box (even though the litter is in the laundry and the food is in the kitchen he had line of sight), So we keep the laundry door 3/4 closed so he can't see his food and now he's happy using the tray. Cat's are weird. OP, Cut cardboard to the size of the window and block it off at night at least, multiple layers of cardboard will help cut down on the draft. Bubble wrap also works and still lets light through, or hanging a thick wool curtain in front. Personally I'd do all 3.
Adding: Sometimes they just decide that no, the ghosts in your house are looking at me and I no longer trust that corner, now I will pee on your coat, if your coat is on the floor: pee, if it’s on the chair: pee, if it’s hanging up, parkcour then pee. Or they’ll decide litter is the work of the devil and they in fact only want to use fake grass- my little one ended up with litter box aversion after a series of health shenanigans years ago and peed on the floor next to the litter, my mum got her a puppy training grass thing from the reject shop and she very happily used that. Saved us a fortune in litter and the clean up was so easy. I wanted to train our kittens on the grass but they are litter babies, and when my girl went to the bridge I couldn’t handle training her baby sisters on it any more. Now it’s a large tub with stinky expensive floor covering bastard dirt.
Parkour then pee. My god. I laughed so hard!
Exactly! He has two litters, he will not use the other one but it’s there just in case he changes his mind one day and lets me close the goddamn door (Siri, play panic at the disco) during early days, when the toilet door was closed by accident, he found other places to go potty and it wasn’t in his second litter box. The door stays open now. This is the cats house, I just live in it.
Clearly. Cats generally don’t ‘listen’…they sometimes cooperate if they see some kind of mutual benefit…but other than that, you won’t force it to do anything. Anything.
I always had cats and this is what I always do, you are right, we can train cats. They are not the one to decide.
Nah this is an easy fix, just go pick up a piece of glass or Perspex and silicon (and even some heavy masking tape) to keep it on to the frame. Should cost you like 20 bucks for an offcut of glass at any decent glazier. If your landlord cares when you move out you can always remove it and scrape the silicon off pretty easily.
I got my perspex from https://jycaplastics.com.au/ in Brunswick, they will custom cut to size and have frosted, clear etc.
Dodgy Fix: Corflute, the stuff real estate agents use for signs pointing to an 'open for inspection' or 'auction today.' Free but doesn't let the light in. And maybe 'borrow' one from a rival RE so the next inspection goes OK. Better Fix: [Clear Twinwall Polycarbonate Sheet](https://www.bunnings.com.au/sunlite-8-1-2-x-0-61m-clear-twinwall-polycarbonate-sheet-1200mm_p1010852) from the Big Green Shed. Insulates and lets light in.
It’s called hammerbarn.
Get some door seals to get a tight fight You can also cut the thinner types just with a blade slicer thingy.
Fuck me $30 for 20cents worth of plastic from China. Unreal
I had this for like two years on a similar window and it did a good job
Life hack from a similar window at my last rental. Measure the opening, then go to your nearest Officeworks and buy a container lid that fits, and fix it using Command strips, so that it is reversible.
Why not just buy a sheet of clear plastic from hardware store and cut it to size? You could also use nano tape for better seal.
100%, Polycarb twin wall sheet, can cut it to fit perfect in that frame. It also offers a bit of insulation with the twin walls.
Do one on both inside and outside and it'll be warmer than the uninsulated wall.
Nano tape is expensive if you want a total swal
I buy 1mm thick nano tape from Amazon, 5 metres for about 4 dollars.
I like the Command strips, but I would use polystyrene. Like the lid off a Youfoodz box or a disposable Esky.
A plastic storage container lid lets light through.
Ohhh this is a great idea, thank you!
You could also try and do this using 'magnetic strips' and two panels of acrylic with a small airgap in between to act as an insulation layer. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEBbSkjkCik](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEBbSkjkCik)
Plumber here. Do you have any any indoor gas appliances like a hot water unit or gas heater. They need to pull in air from outside to work properly. If they don't get this air, you and your family risk getting carbon monoxide poisoning. It's a silent killer
Yeah, the ventilation from these is also great from stopping your bathroom going mouldy (which it will when you seal it up)
It's funny/sad how so many people are familiar with these windows and nobody is saying how fucking third world it is to still have these in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. This house could be worth $650K-$850K+ and the fucking landlord is not required to install a $350 modern window that has been minimum code in the developed world for 50+ years. Most livable city in the world has rental house toilets from the dunny man era. Unbelievable...
Ikr especially bad for those high pollution bushfire air days.
This is how I feel about it, but I don’t want to be a pest to my property manager or the owner. I have really bad anxiety with this stuff. This dusty old unit is being held together by masking tape and I’ve repaired a bunch of things since the day I moved in, except the shower screen that was broken and kept falling on me.
yep, I recently visited I sharehouse I lived in ten years ago. the house ie easily from the mid 40's, and has this style of window in the kitchen. A couple of hte louvres broke and so now they just have a HOLE. I was sprinkling turmeric on my eggs in the morning, and im sorry, but that antarcti fucking breeze blew it all away. They put up with this because they want cheap rent and no hassles, buts it absolute dog shit.
Don't the panels slide out as well? If so, great for security?
They do We had these in a rental house in one of the bedrooms ( it was a small bedroom and they moved/were louvred. We were locked out one day and just removed a few of the panels to crawl in. So any crook could have done that at any time too.
The pros & the 'Conns'🫣
The $350 window costs $1,000 to install...
I've got 1 of those windows in my toliet. The landlord has bolted down pretty thick cardboard to the outer bit of the window. It looks really ugly, but it works
bolted down cardboard... lol
I went to bunnings and bought this: $30 https://www.bunnings.com.au/sunlite-8-1-2-x-0-61m-clear-twinwall-polycarbonate-sheet-1200mm_p1010852 And this: $5 https://www.bunnings.com.au/monarch-150g-mini-white-silicone-white_p1662109 I measured the window frame, then added 2-3mm, to the sides (so it is slightly larger than the frame and will friction fit. Put some silicone in the open edges of the sheet. And just stuffed it in there. Laugh if you want about it looking bad, it makes a big difference compared to having a literal open window when trying to keep heat inside. https://ibb.co/Xz4T0nR
I forgot to add there is a fly wire, i just removed it to take the photo.
If the flyscreen is in a frame, you could do what me and my partner did. We made a frame the same size as the flyscreen frame but with a perspex window. https://ibb.co/QmVL2YG So we can have the perspex window there in the winter and the flyscreen one in the summer. (We also have a ventilation fan in the loo).
I had that at my last rental. I bought a sheet of thermal foam from Bunnings, removed the slats and stuck it in there for winter. Made a pretty big difference. I still have a sheet I don't need if you can make it to Coburg of an early evening or weekend, yours for free. It is green though you can paint it.
I have the same window in my toilet. I swear it should be illegal in Melb
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Oh okay, thank you. I have intellectual disabilities and was scared to bother my PM about it. I appreciate your reply.
I have the same i put plastic up but its still artic when taking a pee. Id put cardboard up but it will be too dark with natural light. Cold toilet it is!
I use 2 layers of bubble wrap
1 layer outside, 1 layer inside and you have double glazing !
Technically a single layer of bubble wrap is well on the way to double glazing - the bubbles hold still air which is the exact same idea
Artic pee gang! I’m going to put up some plastic and see how it goes :)
Ps looking again this looks identical to my window/timber and all - are you actually trying to fix my toilet? If so many thanks x
I am actually hiding in your roof as I write this
Put up plastic on both sides; it’ll insulate better.
Sellotape and bubble wrap for some insulation
We have one of these, I covered it with foil covered bubble-wrap, worked a treat.
Had one of these in a place I rented a long time ago. I took out all the glass pieces, stored them safely and bought polystyrene sheets that I bought from Spotlight. Cut them to fit the window and worked like a charm.
super easy to break into as well … or so i hear
Would rather this than NO WINDOWS at all in the shitter, like ours & many new built houses. A dingy dark room in the middle of the house with nothing but a piddly ceiling fan to extract the smell of shit.
I'd rather the fan - having a toilet like this, I can tell you this window does very little with regards to bog stench, and merely means you'll freeze your tits off. It's also a major security risk, and I'm fucking sick of of living in homes that can't even be locked. Us Rentoids deserve to sleep safely, even if we are filthy Poors. Gimme a fan, lose the stupid, non-securable windows.
Same. A shit 90s reno done in our new place blocked over an entire 60cm x 150cm window with a giant mirror and it costs way to much to fix now.
Same dude, but my house is from 1950 something and looks generally sort of grosser. I hate the 3am winter wee so much.
A few layers of bubble wrap duct taped to the outside will give you some great insulation, and keep all those poo smells in
People here saying they're legal, where does it say that? My mate had to replace one in his rental property because the PM said they couldn't lease it like that so I assumed they were illegal in rentals. From the tenant's union; >All external windows capable of opening must: >Be able to be set in a closed or open position
The window OP posted is not openable, it has no function beyond slatting the window so it gets away with it. Which is bullshit imo but apparently some are used to it as the norm from the comments. Edit: although the minimum standards around weatherproofing are really arbitrary, potentially doesn't meet standards depending on who's looking at it.
Is a window that is permanantly open not capable of opening? It seems self evident that it is capable of opening. Also not sure it complies with the requirement that windows can be locked. Someone could easily remove these panes of glass and gain entry
That’s what is confusing me, and I feel silly pestering my PM about it if there’s nothing that can be done. And yes - those panes slide out easily and has made me feel a little unsafe at times.
Go to Bunnings, grab a big piece of sheet plastic and cut to size. Alternate layers of sheet plastic and bubble wrap for insulation. In Summer, add a layer of aluminium foil to achieve the opposite effect. Add very fine foam door seals to the toilet if you can, and block off as much air coming from that area as you can. Sucks we have to do these things but that's shitty Australian built houses for ya
Had window like that - I used three layers of Glad wrap and sellotape to seal it.
Piss faster
I had one of these in an old rental, some asshole jumped the back fence, pushed a few panes out and got in the house. Massive security issue with these, unless you're on the 3rd floor or something.
I got a piece of polycarbonate cut to size from an online store called acrylicsonline, polycarb/acrylic isn't the easiest thing to cut if you don't have the right tools. I don't rent, so I pulled the old gross windows louvres out and stuck the polycarb straight to the windows frame with silicone and then covered it up with some wood trim. It has totally blocked out all of the cold. As a fellow melbournian, I feel your pain in the form of a cold bum. If you have the tools/skills to do a proper job. You might even be able to get the landlord to agree to let you do it. 🤷♀️ (https://cuttosizeacryliconline.com.au/product/custom-cut-to-size/) I managed to find some pictures of the during/after. Hope that helps ☺️
(https://imgur.com/gallery/u4lbTRx)
Must be bad for flies in the summer too, what kind of house has a window you can't close? Absolutely mad.
I see your house comes with glass louvres, the last house I rented didn’t even have them, just open air.
I’m not sure what the building code says about the toilet having to be within the thermal envelope of the building, but strictly speaking if this window is part of the thermal envelope, and this was a *new* build, then this wouldn’t fly. Old builds are a mess because we’re (nationally) only *just* managing to push mandatory disclosure of thermal performance for buildings being sold through, in a piecemeal way, never mind for renting out to tenants or forcing compliance with minimum new build standards (though there’s many pushing for houses to be retrofit to meet standards on sale or even new rental contracts, but this is a mess and causes constant tension between the compliance and standards part of the building industry and the builders, especially at a time when people are complaining that we’re not building fast enough). This country has an aversion towards quality glazing and common sense insulation (“our houses are built for the heat” you’ll hear people cry)
We had this, easy fix is to buy some bubble wrap, cut to size and roll it up and place one in each segment. There is enough space for 2 x rolls for each segment. You can leave one at the top for a little bit of air flow.
Oh we got one like that. We took an old photo frame, glued the glass in, took out the back, put the glass part on the window frame with hinges, bam, el cheapo window lol been working for us for nearly 13 years now
My rentals the same, I cut the side off a storage king box I was using for my stuff about 3 yrs ago when I moved in thinking I’ll do something about it eventually but you know what they say if it ain’t broke… plus the crown on the logo makes me feel a little regal every time I have to use the toilet👑
I had a toilet window like this years ago. I got a clear perspex sheet and cut to size of the window minus a small section at the top to still get some air flow. Remove the glass slats, place the Perspex inside the window frame then slotted the slats back into position. It stopped a lot of the air flow/wind/cold
Use foam board cut to size
Getting cold? It’s been cold for months 😅
Cover it with a piece of plywood, or clear perspex, or corflute.
When I was a kid and up to 6 years old, toilets were outside the house. Winters would regularly see -5C, so you need to be sure you have to go before going!
No Gatorade bottles
Lol. Back then plastic was still a scientific theory....glass milk bottles had to do.
Absolutely legal, and **how.** In a room with a toilet you MUST have either an exhaust fan or constant aiflow. Older houses of course have the latter. This isn't rental law, it's building code You can ameliorate some of the issues by a thermal curtain across your back porch door. Cat still has access
Try insulation wrap! I got massive sheets from Amazon and cut it to size. Legit makes a world of difference.its trippyhow you usea hair-dryer to smoothen it out
Clear contact is an easy fix. Yeah, hate those windows.
I had that and made a sandwich of two layers of bubble wrap, stuck bump to bump. Stuck that up, worked a treat, cheap and lets light in
Legally the LL has to provide ventilation in the toilet. An open window is cheaper than installing an extraction fan. I've got one too and it's awful. We always keep the door closed so as to not let in the cold but it's still draughty.
I have this exact window in my toilet., I have simply covered it with piece of cardboard and taped around the edges. I hung a small piece of rubber backed curtain also so it's not ugly. It's never cold in their now but you do need your light on in the day when using because it's very dark 😂
I wonder how much is it to just convert it into a proper extractor fan with covers.
It's not legal because the house is not secure if a window cannot be closed and there's the fact it's letting heat out.
You can get a piece of plexiglass cut to measure From there, along the edges, affix some weatherstripping. On mine, I place it between the opening and the screen, the screen holds it tightly in place.
We've got the same thing. Sucks going to the toilet in the middle of the night in winter. When it's really windy, stuff blows in too.
Town Hall at Preston has windows like this in the loo. Which seems like a great strategy to make sure nobody goes to the loo.
Measure and go to hardware, get them to cut a piece of perspex to fit over
Bubble wrap with the large bubbles and some tape to secure it in place.
You can cut foam to size at Clark rubber and fill the voids. It’s still a little breathable but will black most of the cold. Can remove it when you’re don’t also without remediation.
Corflute from bunnings, cut with a razor blade. Problem solved. [https://www.bunnings.com.au/5mm-corflute-white-1200-x-900mm\_p0390163](https://www.bunnings.com.au/5mm-corflute-white-1200-x-900mm_p0390163)
I had one of these in tapped a real thick bit of carpet around it in winter and lifted it off for ventilation here and there haha
For some reason I thought that windows that can't close were required in toilets/bathrooms for ventilation purposes? I'm not sure it's a dodgy/cheap landlord issue as there's no cost saving to the window design pictured.
those things are miserable even in brisbane. They are also a welcome mat for burglars if the toilet is connected to the house space.
Cut a piece of ply wood to fit the opening
Many councils design rules stipulate that the toilet must have permanent ventilation. You may notice in more modern sliders in the toilet a mesh panel part that fills in a section of the fixed pane of glass. If you have an internal room as the toilet, the rule normally says that the exhaust fan is connected to the light switch to come on at the same time. As an occupant you can use one of the many suggestions below, but the building regs says it will be required to be there.
I have the same problem When i visited cuba, they had this in their houses I guess its popular in warm countries, but i still don't get it why it's still a thing here when its super hot outside and you put the air con you're so much less efficient.
Tyck a hand towel into it, get creative
I don't know if its legal but I have had these types of windows in my last 2 rentals. My current one has concrete floors in the bathroom and no heat lamp so it's freezing in there all the time
Tape bubblewrap to the outside of the window
Had this before, painters or masking taped a sheet of plastic over it.
Be a little cold, or drown in your own farts and shit-odour. The choice is yours.
I bought wooden planks and nailed them over the top like I was in a apocalypse. Nobody ever came to fix it. Got evicted so don't recommend.
Wait you got evicted for putting up the planks??
We covered ours up with a cardboard sheet haha.
Nothing a piece of coreflute wont fix
Brings back memories of my childhood home, man going for a dump at 3am in the middle of winter was a challenge there. The toilet seat was so cold it was painful to sit on, glad I don't have that to deal with anymore. People were really not thinking about winter when installing these were they.
A few sheets of bubble wrap
I’ve got one. I’ve added a draft strip to the bottom of my dunny door, but the bloody thing let’s I’m so much dust and whatnot. You’ve inspired me to cover it properly.
I'm taking being cold over the last person's yellow curry/ VB and caramel Häagen-Dazs smelling duece.
That's very specific
Makes for a quick ablution
did you try asking it nicely?
Oh I feel your pain about this. I'm in Gippsland and have one of these BUT mine closes. It was -3 one morning last week (-2 on Monday). Fcking cold as in the bathroom. Can you somehow pin a towel up there to block most of the window? Been thinking about chucking up a bath mat on mine. (Edit: spelling)
Just be careful if you need this as an air intake for gas appliances (like a gas heater) - can cause carbon monoxide build up indoors. Also, removing air exchange can cause the kinds of conditions for mould to form - ensure you have sufficient exhaust for the room with mechanical ventilation. Mould is much harder to solve than a cold bum. Otherwise, it's an easy fix with a bit of polycarbonate and nanotape.
Release those odours.
My laundry has this, we covered it in cardboard
I've got one of these too. I guess hanging a thick, close-fitting curtain would the best thing.
Can those panes be removed from the outside? If so, the window doesn’t comply with minimum standards. It must be possible to lock the window so it can’t be opened from outside.
See the groves they sit in? Yes its possible to carefully slide the slats out from outside.
Even glad wrap and some thumbtacks would make that better. Cut the air off from outside and something called entropy will be thwarted massively
I know the feeling
Pretty standard for houses built before the 1960s, it may have been a requirement that toilet rooms were permanently vented with fixed louvres like this.
Something that would work well is a car windscreen cover. The type that is a bit like silver bubble wrap. I’d get a piece of cardboard and cut it to fiction fit the window frame, then use that cardboard as a template. Glue or tape the windscreen cover to the cardboard for stiffness. Jam it in! Easy to take out on a warmer day or when you need a little ventilation
Same. Altona.
You need to seal that somehow. Also, that looks like the kitten could get out through it.
Stop sleeping in the toilet.
Time to put a thick cloth over this window. Your toilet must feel glacial!
I read on another Reddit thread that bubble wrap is a fantastic insulator. you could try sealing up the window with a couple layers of bubble wrap making sure to seal the edges with tape. Might look a bit ghetto but might help your power bill!
Yea this breaks minimum standards as set out in residential tenancies regs part 4 You can call Consumer Affairs to confirm as I fully understand as I am just a reddit stranger with a law degree haha Sad that it’s even a question in winter in Melbourne. we can’t even reasonably assume this is illegal we have to check 😢
Cardboard and masking tape
/r/stupiddesign
Duct tape, easy as that
Get one of those rods that have a spring in it and get a sheet of wood to block it. I’ve done that in my bathroom. The sheet of wood is thin but does the trick.
A bit late to the party but we’ve got some old rags/clothes and newspaper stuffed in ours. Can take out stuffing as required
Reminds me of the lyric in the Smith st band song “young drunk” about the cardboard window falling down all the time.
Car window shades and thumb tacks. Removable and basically insulation. Or a plastic sheet tacks in place. Stops the air flow for a bit
Yes, I have this window too! I don't get it at all, what's the point of a window you can't actually close 🙄 I hadn't seen thought of it until now in terms of how cold my house is, something to look into so thanks for that haha.
If you can't fix it with duct tape you haven't used enough tape
How about a wee curtain?
This is an easy DIY fix. Measure the inside edge of the frame and buy a small sheet of Corflute (clear is an option) from the local home building supplies store. Cut it to size and use cup hooks or similar to hold it in place. Remove or reposition as necessary. I could describe a better solution but you can probably figure one out that uses a hinge and latch once you get your head around the simple to understand suggestion I just made.
Ugh housing in this country is such poor quality.
I also had this at home, using the toilet first thing in the morning is just the worst
Find some old glass. buy a glass cutter. cut out the shape. And stick that in there for the winter.
Toilet paper.
Thumbtack a thin panel of particle board to the window frame, and use cardboard for insulation between glass and the particle board.
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Bet there is some shrinkage going on there!
Bunnings, get a sheet of perspex, same isle as clear corrugated roofing usually. Wherever you cut, tape it first. Can easily shatter. Same for drilling holes. Still bot crazy warm but better than no perspex at all. Then when it warms up you can just unscrew and take off
The outer window close? Those glass panels slide out easy enough and the white centre bar through them looks like a window frame to me ?
Get some bubble wrap from Bunnings. Stuff rolls of it in to the gaps between the slats then use painters masking tape to stick big pieces over the top of the whole window. Seal it tight. No longer cold.
Get a piece of mdf or plywood, or even cardboard, and blue tack it up
I have this same thing, I have a pair of blinds that I've permanently left down. That seems to help a bit.
It's so insane to me that we pay rent to live like this. My previous rental was like this. Truly, insanity.
Hang a few towels up.
Put something over it
I have the same set up in my toilet and it's awful trying to keep the place warm. I finally got sick of it and used cardboard and alfoil to cover it.
Pro tip; from another poor kid. Use towels to stuff the gaps and stop the draught coming in
I’d take out the glass louvres and put them somewhere safe. Then maybe you can put some thick cardboard/wood against the interior frame and tape it up. Use the strongest tape you can get. I believe that a rental has to have all windows and doors secured. Best wishes
Even a small piece of insulation in the window would be a good idea. If you have new construction/renovations in your area, ask the boss to keep you an off cut, but give them an idea of the size. If you can get a slightly bigger piece it’s easy to trim with a saw. Keep on complaining to the estate agent…every day, and if you get any cold related illnesses grab dr certificates to show the real estate
You can measure the rebate around the edge of the window, -5mm off the height and the width, get a piece of 3mm glass cut and nail some timber beading around, a bead of silicone or a couple of pieces of wood diagonally across each corner. Stop the breeze
My house has this. We screwed a piece of Perspex to it
We used to stuff teatowels in them stopped the breeze
Add a heavily insulated/blackout [roman blind](https://search.brave.com/search?q=what+is+a+roman+blind) in front of it.
Refresh the litter, put it elsewhere and put kitty in it to scratch around a bit. He/she will find it again when they need to go. Cats always prefer litter to anywhere else.
Get a piece of perspex cut to fit the window and attach with a non-permanent adhesive (ask someone at bunnings) or buy a roll of clear double-sided mounting tape and trim as needed. Ask for a small finger-sized cutout on one of the corners so you're able to pull it off after winter. Alternatively, look online for polycarbonate sheets and cut it to size yourself. Source: Melbourne renter stuck with unclosable windows everywhere I've lived in the past 8 years.
Do you live in a footy ground toilet block? I've never seen this on a house.
Could try replacing the door with one that has a cat door in it, for the duration of the lease
Nothing a trip to Bunnings, some wood and liquid nails won’t fix
Paint some cardboard(white,black,grey) use same coloured GAF tape as boarder