tapla, well said. In Florida, almost no one uses glass due to the hurricane building codes. WHen we were considering attaching a greenhouse structure to our home that would have encompassed the swimming pool, we were of course concerned with the aesthetic appearance (ie we didn't want a utilitarian corrugated Lexan addition, LOL) so we explored with a few different contractors the possibility of using glass. For us in the Northern portion of the state, the hurricane danger used to be considered not as bad as that in the lower part of the state, but now the building codes have moved to become more standardized over the entire state and any new structure must have a wind resistance rating of at least 120 mph. Also, since it would have been attached to the home and used as a "habitation area" for people, specifications called for special tempered glass for safety codes. It would have been so expensive we just couldn't do it. I have single thickness corrugated Lexan on my greenhouse. When I built it, I was offered a choice of clear or opaque glazing, or a mixture of the two. It DOES come in OPAQUE. The opaque has the appearance of a frosted light bulb. It offers about a 60-65% light transmission. The company who built my greenhouse for me recommended the opaque to be used on my roof, because I have a 20 foot ceiling and it would be difficult for me to utilize shade cloth up there on a 1750 sq ft structure if I found that the clear offered too much light. They also recommended using the opaque on the Eastern exposure. They recommended it due to the intense sun and heat here in Florida in summer. I still have the sample of it, if you have never seen the opaque Lexan up there in MI I can snap a photo of it for you. Maybe its a Florida thing? But I didn't like the look of it so I chose the clear glazing for the entire greenhouse. I am glad I did because after 5 years I do have some hazing, and dirt buildup on the roof from leaf drop etc. I use a pressure cleaner to keep the walls clean (twice a year)

We put frosted in the basement BR, not really losing a view, cuz it would just be the back of landscaping anyways. But, in the two upstairs BR, we replaced the old frosted glass with clear, and I love the increased light along with the view of the yard. We have a very private back yard, and windows being up higher, I don't think anyone could see much. I am not planning on installing any window coverings.

Assuming these fixtures are controlled by a switch, you can replace the switch with an astronomic timer which knows sunset/sunrise times. Intermatic is one brand.

"I had never heard that term REDRUM before, and we just visited the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park and saw it written in an attic stairwell. Now I know the story!" Ok, I think THAT would freak me out! desertsteph - OMG, don't you dare tell him that. He would want to do it, but there is too much here on his to do list. Also a few more pictures. Here is a closeup of how the trim turned out. And a close up on the floor. This is Allure "White", thought I don't know why the names it that. It is grey. So easy to put down, and easy to clean. Ooops, looks like I need to sweep :)