Weather Vanes

How many of you have been to a farm that has no weather vane atop its barn? Surely only a handful of you guys have been to such a farm. This is because weather vanes are typical things to be seen in farms. But, what are weather vanes exactly? And what purpose do these weather vanes serve?

First of all, a weather vane and a wind vane are one and the same. They serve the same purpose, and that is, to indicate the direction of the wind. Wind vanes are just more direct to the point because of the term wind in itself.

If you have browsed through pictures of weather vanes, you must have surely seen them perched on a high spot. Most of these weather vanes would be found atop the roof of a barn or a ranch. This is indeed the ideal spot on which weather vanes should be situated. The height is a deciding factor for the efficiency of weather vanes because with height, there would be no room for wind obstruction. These objects include buildings, trees, poles, and other tall things that can influence the direction of the wind. You see, when there’s obstruction of some sort, weather vanes would still function well, in terms of turning according to the force of the wind it receives. But there really is no way of knowing if the wind direction it shows is indeed the accurate one. This is because the obstructing things have already influenced the direction of the wind itself. Thus, weather vanes have to be perched on high places.

So, how long have weather vanes been used by people worldwide? Interestingly, weather vanes are known to be one of the oldest ever instruments that have been used. The usage of weather vanes dates way back to 48 BC. This particular weather vane was situated on top of the Tower of Winds in Athens, Greece. Yes, it was used as early as that time. Of course, the main purpose of using antique weathervanes then is still to determine the direction of the wind. But over time, the usage of the weather vane has evolved as well. Today’s weather vanes are not just used for determining wind direction anymore. They are also used to express the different cultures of the people who use them. The weather vane has even been thought of some sort of flag for nations. But more and more people are using weather vanes today, just for decorative purposes.

So, if you’re interested in getting a weather vane for your own house, this is not difficult to do at all. With the many choices of weather vanes today, in terms of design, the only difficulty here would be choosing which would be the best one for you. One thing to consider here would be the design of the structure upon which the weather vane would be set on. For decorative purposes, it would be better to match the weather vane with the building or structure. If metal would be a better choice for your weather vane, then there are many alternatives you can choose from. Weather vanes can come in the following choices of metal: brass, bronze, copper, wrought iron, and aluminum.

And when it comes to designs, there are also a lot of choices! Just take your pick from the many designs in the market right now. There are even colonial weathervanes available, if that is more your forte. And weather vanes are just about everywhere right now. There are even miniature weather vanes that are being sold in the market right now. These miniatures make very good paperweights as well. Yes, there are indeed a lot of things that can be done with weather vanes today.