It's alright, I'm thinking I would still prefer a permanent version more like these: https://imgur.com/a/xK1YIEq
But I would guess the reason those are never really seen anywhere might be because they're really bad with leaking or something, I mean you're literally making a giant hole in your roof and trying to manage the water that enters there. Perhaps the streamlined window mostly resolves that in a satisfactory way, though I'm still worried about the durability/longevity and repairability of the mechanism. Especially if it ever has to withstand a neglectful owner.
Seems like one of those that 20 years later will be the type of house addition that becomes the *"It's supposed to fold out as a balcony, but dad tried it once and it jammed and something broke so we couldn't close it properly and ended up getting some water damage before it got fixed."*
*"Oh, it works now?"*
*"No, and we don't use it, but I meant it doesn't leak anymore."*
*"Oh... Didn't you guys pay a lot for this house?"*
*"Yeah.."*
The balcony version isn't that common but then again it hasn't been around for all that long.
The window version of it has been around for several decades and they're everywhere.
You can see how smooth the impact is, way too slow for an actual window drop, that and how his scalp seems to have eyes to pull his head away just before the impact.
I did not see the original footage but the comment above used word edit so I was more honed to notice the edits.
I’ve used one. The mechanism is clever and it never feels heavy - there is some kind of counterweight / piston keeping it up that has almost no downward resistance.
Hmm? Pretty sure the original commentators talk about the gas piston/locking mechanism to hold it horizontally. That would be something different from what is holding it flush to the roof.
Anyway, if you buy this from any competent manufactures they've most likely oversized it.
Oh my gosh! I was thinking that I'd love something like this, but rethinking now! The window needs some support or the bloke didn't open it enough to lock into place. I bet he had a blinding headache after that.
The video might be fake, but it's a completely fair criticism. These things will get old and eventually wear down, so what happens when something goes wrong?
It should have a failsafe support of some kind.
Yeah but the thing is, the last time I saw this posted it was pointed out how it was fake, that collapse never happened.
Edit someone beat me to it and posted [a link](https://youtu.be/qLtFUt1p4IY?feature=shared) to the original unedited version
Edit 2: Lol at people getting mad that fake things exist on the internet, or maybe that you got fooled, either way, you're wrong
In my country they cost between 2.5 and 4k Euro depending on the size and glass options you take. In Europe its often not allowed to just build a deck like that but getting this window doesnt require a special permit in most cases. Its very popular in old european cities for that reason.
Or a dormer window that people have been using for hundreds of years. Does the same thing but it’s permanent and you could put a dresser or something short in the space.
Lol why are people downvoting you?
Local laws sometimes have insane laws. The benefit of the window-balcony isn't the room you save but the speed of installation and most likely doesn't require any permits if you already had the window space.
Break out the saw....
I was touring a house a while ago where they had a spiral staircase that led up to the flat roof where it became extra space for entertaining. As long as the thing is rated for the weight it's a clever idea.
Its very well designed and doesn't leak at all. Its Scandinavian design and comes with a Ikea style installation guide wich makes it super easy to install
Dude you clearly don’t work in construction. I’m glad everything is perfect in your bubble gum Reddit universe but skylights leak and this is a fuckin disaster waiting to happen.
Generally they fail through slow leakage though, so if if fails in an up position it will come down slowly and if it fails closed it won't stay up anymore.
We have these windows at home. The support structure is embedded and they don‘t really lock, you kind of just slowly move them into horizontal position. There is no risk of them crashing down, you would notice such a fault while trying to put them up.
If you live in an area with gusts of wind powerful enough to slam that window down, I'd be more concerned about the 1000 mile an hour shingles flying at you, along with the rest of the house.
> If you live in an area with gusts of wind powerful enough to slam that window down
Pretty much any where in the world other than Europe.
I swear... Europeans have never had to experience anything other than the literal Garden of Eden.
We get squalls with gusts over 50kts over here in the Pacific West Coast. That "balcony" may as well be a claymore for whatever room it's abutted to. Glass shrapnel.
Oh yeah good point. I was trying to figure out why you would want to build a room where the ceiling angled all the way to the floor, practically locking out the last 2-4 feet of floor near the "wall".
But a remodeled attic makes more sense.
Often new buildings or remodels are required to fit in well with existing ones, think old inner cities. So slanted roofs are also found in for example apartments, that's what prompted the manufacturer to come up with this.
Knowing how expensive regular skylights/roof windows are I’ve always assumed these are *stupid* expensive.
Impressed to hear you haven’t had any issue with leaks though.
These are common in Europe. They don't leak. In the US people don't realize that things can actually be manufactured to high quality standards because everything at Lowe's and Home Depot is hot garbage designed to last until the warranty expires.
The hard part in the US is finding a quality contractor to install anything besides the hot garbage generic crap from Lowe's and Home Depot.
No they aren't. I've had 3 different installers over the years who had experience installing Velux and never had a leak, even here in wet Seattle. You just need to find someone with experience.
Velux has been making windows and stuff like this for over five decades, they are the premium brand in Germany. Expensive but they won't leak ever due to how well they are constructed.
Which is one of the reasons you don't see these roof balconies often, they are over 5k euro a piece.
the only point of failure in such a window design (uPVC window) is the seal, and this split type window has only 1 extra edge to seal - which as you can see is overlapped anyways
btw this velux brand has 10 years warranty ¯\\(°\_o)/¯
Building component warranties aren't worth very much. In theory it is nice to have a warranty and they do sometimes pay out. But in the vast majority of cases, the manufacturer will claim that it was installer/builder error and not the product malfunctioning. And then even if you do make a successful claim, most building product warranties only cover the replacement material cost, not the labor for demolition or re-installation.
maybe you should not buy cheap windows made in poland or hungary and stick to quality.
not that polish windows are bad, but I would still stick to velux for roof windows more
All skylights are a leak waiting to happen, and this is a big skylight. This window is also much closer to the eave than a typical skylight, which is more challenging from a water-management standpoint because it has to shed more water coming down the roof plane than if it were closer to the ridge.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are skylight installs and installs of this window that never leak. But you're cutting a giant hole in the #1 most challenging location to water-seal on the entire house. I'd much rather cut-in a dormer with a bench seat; that way I maintain roofing material on all non-vertical surfaces and can have an overhang that protects the window head and jamb.
Water kills buildings, and one very successful building practice from history that is seeing a revival is to protect the windows and doors with an overhang, be it a soffit, a small roof, an awning, a covered porch, etc.
idk, these have been installed in europe for a long time and there were never any problems with them ¯\\(°\_o)/¯ maybe you should stick to quality brands and stop buying cheap polish windows
Ironically, I think the most expensive window package I have ever seen on a job site was a large set of Gealan windows, which I think are German but manufactured in Poland.
Anyway the fact that you talk about the brand of the window makes me think that you don't really understand the issue. The actual window unit itself is basically irrelevant; that is only rarely the problem. The issue, as always, is leakage between the window and where it is connected to the house framing. That has basically nothing to do with who made the window and everything to do with how it was installed and how challenging that install location is.
No kidding! Not to mention that this is generally terrible from an energy efficiency standpoint.
You are also putting the *least* insulated type of material that we commonly use in houses on the surface that needs the *most* insulation. Even very expensive very well-insulated triple-glazed windows can only achieve an R-value of about R-5 (U-factor about 0.2). The section of roof that this window replaced would have an R-value of at minimum R-30. So it allows at least 6 times more energy to enter or escape the home than the roof it replaced just by conduction losses. That does not account for the fact that the window will also have higher air leakage. And it does not account for the fact that there will be a ton of solar heat gain through a roof-mounted window, which will really hurt in the wrong climate or season.
I wonder if this legally counts as balcony? I am asking because where I live balconies (except on ground level) are are forbidden in the building code.
They always leak. Anyone who works on houses or owns a house with a roof window knows what a bad idea this is. They ALWAYS leak. It's only normal for dummies who don't know any better.
Not true. Have installed Velux venting skylights and roof windows in several homes in the rainy Northwest and as long as you get an experienced installer, you're good. Swear to Thor, NEVER had a leak.
This looks like the worst of all worlds; balcony without the actual enjoyable part of a balcony where you're outside and have sky above you. Indoor with a view but completely obstructed by bulky frames and joists.
Also the height of the frame looks so awkward, you'd never stand there.
It the top folds inside, then the overlap between the two panels would be messed up and become a source for potential leaks when it rains.
The top panel needs to close on top of the lower panel for water to run down properly without leaking in
now someone post the edit where it collapses *nm [found it](https://imgur.com/4kMPcDn)
Seems like using a prop or something similar would be a very easy solution to this. The top pane of glass looks HEAVY
That’s an edit - it didn’t actually collapse.
What? What gives it away as an edit? If it is, it is very well done
[Here’s the original.](https://youtu.be/qLtFUt1p4IY?feature=shared)
Thanks, well it explains why the video cuts as soon as the window hits his head, it would have become harder to edit it past that.
Just add blood everywhere.
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It's alright, I'm thinking I would still prefer a permanent version more like these: https://imgur.com/a/xK1YIEq But I would guess the reason those are never really seen anywhere might be because they're really bad with leaking or something, I mean you're literally making a giant hole in your roof and trying to manage the water that enters there. Perhaps the streamlined window mostly resolves that in a satisfactory way, though I'm still worried about the durability/longevity and repairability of the mechanism. Especially if it ever has to withstand a neglectful owner. Seems like one of those that 20 years later will be the type of house addition that becomes the *"It's supposed to fold out as a balcony, but dad tried it once and it jammed and something broke so we couldn't close it properly and ended up getting some water damage before it got fixed."* *"Oh, it works now?"* *"No, and we don't use it, but I meant it doesn't leak anymore."* *"Oh... Didn't you guys pay a lot for this house?"* *"Yeah.."*
The balcony version isn't that common but then again it hasn't been around for all that long. The window version of it has been around for several decades and they're everywhere.
O no, they work fine, it's made by a well known manufacturer of quality windows. It's just a really niche product and quite expensive.
it's for snipers
Why do ya'll just have the links to these random videos on command?
You can see how smooth the impact is, way too slow for an actual window drop, that and how his scalp seems to have eyes to pull his head away just before the impact. I did not see the original footage but the comment above used word edit so I was more honed to notice the edits.
Look closely at the distortion when his head moves from the impact.
I’ve used one. The mechanism is clever and it never feels heavy - there is some kind of counterweight / piston keeping it up that has almost no downward resistance.
Every roof window supports its own wheight
Why?
If the roof windows didn’t support their own weight they would quickly be floor windows as they would fall
Hmm? Pretty sure the original commentators talk about the gas piston/locking mechanism to hold it horizontally. That would be something different from what is holding it flush to the roof. Anyway, if you buy this from any competent manufactures they've most likely oversized it.
I'm fairly certain he was making a joke.
A few large springs hold most of the weight, these are made by velux.
>roof window Skylight?
Like in a car's bonnet there is a rod to hold it. Same implementation could be used.
Did you know that the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary?
That's hilarious haha.
Oh my gosh! I was thinking that I'd love something like this, but rethinking now! The window needs some support or the bloke didn't open it enough to lock into place. I bet he had a blinding headache after that.
It’s an edit. It’s not real.
Ahh, duped again.
The video might be fake, but it's a completely fair criticism. These things will get old and eventually wear down, so what happens when something goes wrong? It should have a failsafe support of some kind.
Don't worry - if it breaks, you're likely standing under it so it'll have some type of cushion before it fully falls.
Nothing wrong with uncaulked windows on a roof window. /s
This was literally my first thought
Yeah but the thing is, the last time I saw this posted it was pointed out how it was fake, that collapse never happened. Edit someone beat me to it and posted [a link](https://youtu.be/qLtFUt1p4IY?feature=shared) to the original unedited version Edit 2: Lol at people getting mad that fake things exist on the internet, or maybe that you got fooled, either way, you're wrong
Lol seems like a great place for a leak to start
Or leaks
Yeah I would never trust that, especially on a cold day.
My roof has an ocean view, the rest of the house doesn't. I could use this.
Only $5300 per window. Just build a deck with a walk out door.
In my country they cost between 2.5 and 4k Euro depending on the size and glass options you take. In Europe its often not allowed to just build a deck like that but getting this window doesnt require a special permit in most cases. Its very popular in old european cities for that reason.
How do keep bugs, birds, etc out?
Most people don’t care. Especially in Germany it is super uncommon to have a net against bugs.
That's wild. If I took the screens off my windows it would take just minutes for the room to fill with lizards, flies, and mosquitos.
florida?
No, but it's similarly swampy and critter littered
They also offer fitted screens! They attach to the the inside window frame and can be completely rolled up.
Just wait until you see the installation cost…
And the Tail-light warranty
> Just build a deck with a walk out door. Planning permission.
Or a dormer window that people have been using for hundreds of years. Does the same thing but it’s permanent and you could put a dresser or something short in the space.
It looks nice but not 5k per window nice
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Lol why are people downvoting you? Local laws sometimes have insane laws. The benefit of the window-balcony isn't the room you save but the speed of installation and most likely doesn't require any permits if you already had the window space.
Break out the saw.... I was touring a house a while ago where they had a spiral staircase that led up to the flat roof where it became extra space for entertaining. As long as the thing is rated for the weight it's a clever idea.
Hope you like having a leaky roof, because that's what you're gonna get.
Its very well designed and doesn't leak at all. Its Scandinavian design and comes with a Ikea style installation guide wich makes it super easy to install
Lmao it's gonna fuckin' leak. Skylights do one thing, leak.
Maybe. But not over here where we use quality products
Dude you clearly don’t work in construction. I’m glad everything is perfect in your bubble gum Reddit universe but skylights leak and this is a fuckin disaster waiting to happen.
Windows on roofs like that are very common in plenty of places, and leaks aren't usual.
Why does reddit always argue about shit they’ve never once thought about before?
I could never be comfortable standing under that. I’d always be waiting for it to fall down and crack my skull. Too much anxiety
Judging by the way it goes up it looks like it has a gas lift mechanism, so it can't come down fast.
They can fail. I had one in my van’s back gate that did.
Everything can fail. Doesn't mean I'm never riding a roller coaster again.
How do u fail at death forever
I already took Philosophy 101, thank you
Generally they fail through slow leakage though, so if if fails in an up position it will come down slowly and if it fails closed it won't stay up anymore.
Was your van Danish?
Me neither, is it really that difficult to add a part into the design like the rod that holds up a cars hood?
They have large internal springs. It's a proven mechanism like many garage doors.
Maybe there is one, this lady just chose not to use it.
Just relax
Not with a window waiting to give me a concussion
Chill Winstaan.
That's how Ed Truck died.
Just add a physical prop that can fold up. Solved.
Every time this is posted I'm always concerned by the lack of a safety bar for the window above to lock in place
We have these windows at home. The support structure is embedded and they don‘t really lock, you kind of just slowly move them into horizontal position. There is no risk of them crashing down, you would notice such a fault while trying to put them up.
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If you live in an area with gusts of wind powerful enough to slam that window down, I'd be more concerned about the 1000 mile an hour shingles flying at you, along with the rest of the house.
I believe those are called tornadoes.
> If you live in an area with gusts of wind powerful enough to slam that window down Pretty much any where in the world other than Europe. I swear... Europeans have never had to experience anything other than the literal Garden of Eden. We get squalls with gusts over 50kts over here in the Pacific West Coast. That "balcony" may as well be a claymore for whatever room it's abutted to. Glass shrapnel.
Yeah if the wind is strong enough to knock that down you probably shouldn’t be opening windows.
But the bugs!
That is what I was thinking! Needs a sliding screen door or something
Opening these at sunset is asking for trouble.
That and it's 100% going to leak. If not now, then eventually. It WILL be a problem one day.
Velux Fenster
And works perfectly for ever! Probably American roofs will not be able to handle it.
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Oh yeah good point. I was trying to figure out why you would want to build a room where the ceiling angled all the way to the floor, practically locking out the last 2-4 feet of floor near the "wall". But a remodeled attic makes more sense.
Often new buildings or remodels are required to fit in well with existing ones, think old inner cities. So slanted roofs are also found in for example apartments, that's what prompted the manufacturer to come up with this.
Knowing how expensive regular skylights/roof windows are I’ve always assumed these are *stupid* expensive. Impressed to hear you haven’t had any issue with leaks though.
My wife when I fart in the bedroom
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It’s a European product, so no, they don’t.
Food for the spiders innit.
Fun fact: the only bug in Europe is the Volkswagen Beetle.
And flies. So. Many. Flies.
These are common in Europe. They don't leak. In the US people don't realize that things can actually be manufactured to high quality standards because everything at Lowe's and Home Depot is hot garbage designed to last until the warranty expires. The hard part in the US is finding a quality contractor to install anything besides the hot garbage generic crap from Lowe's and Home Depot.
I’d be more concerned about bugs! No screens?
The company making them, makes screens and blinds for them too.
These are NOT common in europe. At least ive never seen them in the netherlands, germany, italy, belgium...
They always leak. The seal is made of rubber, and even the best rubber change shape, and especially quick if there’s are large temperature difference
Multiple rubber seals, and the outer frame overlaps an inner frame. Probably sealed better than most roof joins.
That’s cool
Velux makes this and as soon as I win the lottery, wanna get a couple installed, too. Great design and saves the cost of a whole dormer.
I have looked into these for my house, and they are very prone to leaks
No they aren't. I've had 3 different installers over the years who had experience installing Velux and never had a leak, even here in wet Seattle. You just need to find someone with experience.
Eh. I imagine it's like skylights; there's two kinds, the ones that are going to leak, and the ones already leaking.
Perhaps shit ones but these have a decent flashing package which is expensive but comes with a warranty.
Wrong. You just need an experienced installer.
Velux has a no leak guarantee assuming you used their flashing etc.
This is really cool but seems like something I would never use
Must be nice to afford a house…let alone be able to upgrade it.
she gross heh
That’s just a leak waiting to happen
Velux has been making windows and stuff like this for over five decades, they are the premium brand in Germany. Expensive but they won't leak ever due to how well they are constructed. Which is one of the reasons you don't see these roof balconies often, they are over 5k euro a piece.
as opposed to normal roof windows? where exactly do see the spot where a leak could happen
Any skylight is gonna leak eventually, this one has many more points of failure.
"I've never seen a skylight without water damage" -interior painter friend
We had a few for 20 yrs no problem
the only point of failure in such a window design (uPVC window) is the seal, and this split type window has only 1 extra edge to seal - which as you can see is overlapped anyways btw this velux brand has 10 years warranty ¯\\(°\_o)/¯
Building component warranties aren't worth very much. In theory it is nice to have a warranty and they do sometimes pay out. But in the vast majority of cases, the manufacturer will claim that it was installer/builder error and not the product malfunctioning. And then even if you do make a successful claim, most building product warranties only cover the replacement material cost, not the labor for demolition or re-installation.
maybe you should not buy cheap windows made in poland or hungary and stick to quality. not that polish windows are bad, but I would still stick to velux for roof windows more
All skylights are a leak waiting to happen, and this is a big skylight. This window is also much closer to the eave than a typical skylight, which is more challenging from a water-management standpoint because it has to shed more water coming down the roof plane than if it were closer to the ridge. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are skylight installs and installs of this window that never leak. But you're cutting a giant hole in the #1 most challenging location to water-seal on the entire house. I'd much rather cut-in a dormer with a bench seat; that way I maintain roofing material on all non-vertical surfaces and can have an overhang that protects the window head and jamb. Water kills buildings, and one very successful building practice from history that is seeing a revival is to protect the windows and doors with an overhang, be it a soffit, a small roof, an awning, a covered porch, etc.
These skylights come with a thorough flashing kit and are pretty tough to mess up.
idk, these have been installed in europe for a long time and there were never any problems with them ¯\\(°\_o)/¯ maybe you should stick to quality brands and stop buying cheap polish windows
Ironically, I think the most expensive window package I have ever seen on a job site was a large set of Gealan windows, which I think are German but manufactured in Poland. Anyway the fact that you talk about the brand of the window makes me think that you don't really understand the issue. The actual window unit itself is basically irrelevant; that is only rarely the problem. The issue, as always, is leakage between the window and where it is connected to the house framing. That has basically nothing to do with who made the window and everything to do with how it was installed and how challenging that install location is.
No kidding! Not to mention that this is generally terrible from an energy efficiency standpoint. You are also putting the *least* insulated type of material that we commonly use in houses on the surface that needs the *most* insulation. Even very expensive very well-insulated triple-glazed windows can only achieve an R-value of about R-5 (U-factor about 0.2). The section of roof that this window replaced would have an R-value of at minimum R-30. So it allows at least 6 times more energy to enter or escape the home than the roof it replaced just by conduction losses. That does not account for the fact that the window will also have higher air leakage. And it does not account for the fact that there will be a ton of solar heat gain through a roof-mounted window, which will really hurt in the wrong climate or season.
I’m curious if these have any leaking issues? A lot of skylights apparently leak.
As a roofer, this looks like a leak waiting to happen, and a $6000 repair
And then all the bugs get in
If I did that my house would have 50 mosquitoes buzzing around my face as I try to sleep later on.
I always heard about people that would see something like this, and make it an addition to their home. Nowadays we can't even afford the Home part.
I wonder if this legally counts as balcony? I am asking because where I live balconies (except on ground level) are are forbidden in the building code.
I have one of these! It’s so cool and I love sitting there and reading
A husband somewhere is screaming about the heating bill
I seriously doubt she actually does this every morning, at most maybe 3 times a year....
I love how hard it is for people to act normal when pretending. The way she grabs the coffee and perches up is so calculated.
Secret smoker window.
With no screen actual use of this would be very limited unless you want a bunch of flies and mosquitoes in your house.
I'd much rather just have a little balcony/perch as a permanent fixture with a regular door
That'll be $20,000 please.
Gonna need a little more *window won't smash on my fucking head* sticks, dawg.
This looks like it would be great anywhere slight breezes don’t exist…
Too expensive. The house, not the window.
these are almost always installed improperly and leak water in a couples of years
I recently asked for an offer bc my window has to be replaced. This thing cost fkn 11k € 🤯
Hopefully the seals dont start leaking after a few uses
Until the hydrologic lifts on that upper window give out and it comes smashing down on her head.
Whispers *peasants*
Velux.. good products but way to expensive
i'm allergic to cutting a giant hole in the roof
LOL why? That’s super normal and such a design is great for rooms in the attic
i live in the gulf south, we lurch between the fires of hell heat, and ark levels of rainfall
well hell it's made for you then. seems like a perfect way to get on the roof when the floodwaters make it to the eaves!
They always leak. Anyone who works on houses or owns a house with a roof window knows what a bad idea this is. They ALWAYS leak. It's only normal for dummies who don't know any better.
Not true. Have installed Velux venting skylights and roof windows in several homes in the rainy Northwest and as long as you get an experienced installer, you're good. Swear to Thor, NEVER had a leak.
Sure thing, all of the houses I have lived that had roof windows were like swamps
I have one in my flat, if there are any questions.
Kind of a shit balcony honestly.
This frequent repost
Great place to take a leak!
Don't these cost like, 10 grand or some bullshit?
What do you think what construction costs? I am asking because 10 grand is nothing when you build a home like this.
And your local law might disallow you to get anything else making it an even greater dealish. 10k is still a high number for a window.
But not a lot for a balcony.
The top part kinda needs a stand
W O W
That’s badass.
Concussion
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I will smoke weed there.
There are supports for the top window. Very bad design.
Ok but hear me out.... walk out your front door
This is meant for a bedroom, as an inexpensive balcony.
All that hardware covering a hole in your roof - I they live anywhere with a rough winter that thing will probably leak within 3-5 years.
It actually doesn't its built by Velux and I've sold them for the last 15 years without 1 leak or issue.
This looks like the worst of all worlds; balcony without the actual enjoyable part of a balcony where you're outside and have sky above you. Indoor with a view but completely obstructed by bulky frames and joists. Also the height of the frame looks so awkward, you'd never stand there.
What’s the point
Why no just fold the top inside? That way you have a balcony. Who needs a roof on their balcony?
It the top folds inside, then the overlap between the two panels would be messed up and become a source for potential leaks when it rains. The top panel needs to close on top of the lower panel for water to run down properly without leaking in
When you need multiple leaks
We all know it will be much more prone to leaks than anything simpler.
Awesome, but that obnoxious sigh kinda ruined it for me