Weathervanes, which once were used to tell the directions of winds, are today expressions of man’s creativity and desire. They are delights that are good to look at and own. They take you back to the olden times when technology was at its infancy and farmers and travelers alike relied on this contraption.
When someone is looking for something that they can use on their house that is going to make the house stand out from the others, they want to consider weather vanes. These are items that make people think about simpler times. They make them think of amber fields of grain, milking cows and delicious vegetables picked right off of the vine and eaten. With the world the way that it is right now, being reminded of the good old days can be comforting, and that is something that weather vanes can do for people – remind them of days gone by that we wish could come again. 
The only thing missing on a new house or a renovated rooftop is a beautiful weathervane on a pretty cupola to tell the wind’s tale. From traditional to modern, they come in all shapes and sizes so you get to pick what design you want for your house. If you like a more traditional style, you will go towards cockerels, roosters and horses. If you tend to like more modern items, you can find nifty styles from grasshoppers to choppers, even football. Weathervanes are usually made of copper, steel or aluminum, light enough to detect the wind.
Why do you have to have a weathervane at your home? Simple, there are two reasons. First of all, you will always know in which direction the wind is blowing. Important, especially if you are politically minded. Second, it is a great decorative item, it is all-American, and your home is just not complete without it. You don't have to choose a traditional design, of course, a running horse or crowing rooster show to your neighbors that you are the traditional type, but you are free to choose a motif or symbol that has a special meaning to you. Some cultures consider the symbolism of the sun to be lucky especially when the sun is depicted with a human face. Or, maybe you are into nature and the outdoors, you can get one that is in the shape of a deer, or a fish, or a duck. Today, the choices in weathervane symbols don’t end there. You can get a weathervane in the shape of a motorcycle, airplane, maybe even a Windows or Apple logo. Do you feel like checking out the different weathervane choices now? If so get on the Internet for some serious browsing. When you find what you like, check if it is within your budget, and have it shipped to your home. You will have it pointing in the wind in a week’s time.
Moving air is called wind. Winds are caused because of uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the rays of the sun. As long as the sun shines, winds will be produced. Winds or breeze have been given different names in order to identify them. There is sea breeze and land breeze. Some winds have been beneficial to man. The trade winds for example are so named because they carried merchants to their destinations, facilitating trade. Then we have the Nor’ esters and the Nor’easters. Man has used different methods to harness the power of the winds. Egyptians used wind power to sail their ships across the Nile and windmills to grind their grain. Windmills were also used to generate electricity. Wind direction is measured by a weathervane. A weathervane is a unique device mounted on a shaft which rotates on its axis to show the direction of the wind source. Most people are mistaken that a weathervane shows the direction in which the wind is going. That’s not true. A weathervane actually points to the direction from where the wind is coming. For example if the wind is coming from the south, it will point towards the south. Earlier only the rich owned weathervanes but later the common man began to put it on his rooftops. Weathervanes are becoming more popular in recent times. The Internet is full of retailers who sell a large variety of beautifully designed weathervanes.
More on A weathervane will be used as long as the sun shines
Weather vanes are used to measure wind direction. In the early times they were functional units, but with time, they began to exhibit the beliefs, traditions and tastes of man. Today, they are the manifestation of the creativity of man. A weather vane is a unique fabrication consisting of a metal figure-head responding to air pressure by spinning on an axis, thereby showing the direction of winds. The way the figurehead is designed is no secret. An unbalanced surface area but a balanced mass produces unequal momentum that swivels the figurehead effectively in an attempt to reduce the pressure of air on its surface. The sheer aerodynamics has won the fascination of many. Metal directionals point out in all four major directions. The discerning person occasionally looks at this contraption and figures out which game the skies are playing. He concocts his game plan accordingly in order to ascertain minimum interference. The early weather vanes were hand crafted. Metal sheets were beaten upon in order to give them the desired shape. The use of wrought iron and copper was common. In the bye gone Greek era, weather vaneswere in the shape of gods that blew the winds in favorable directions, thus bringing favorable weather conditions. Cockerels donned the spires of Church building of the Roman era in order to promote religious beliefs. Sailing ships showed the dependence of the navigator on wind. Today, one can see anything from a darting deer to a galloping horse, or even a custom-designed representation of one’s desires.
Never confuse a modern weathervane that the weather forecaster uses, with the traditional weathervanes. Their ornamental value was as high as the ability to point in which direction the wind was blowing. Especially in the American countryside, people’s reliance on the weathervane has been dependent and as important to them as the well for drinking water. At the end of each day and the onset of the next one each morning, people used to look to the sky and checked what direction their weathervane was pointing in. That told them in which direction the dark clouds on the horizon may be headed and thereby how to plan their day. With the horizon of the New World, weathervanes were displayed proudly in farms and in towns, as our ancestors built. With the passing of time, the American weathervanes changed from the old English styles to match the environment and character of the New World. In the Northeast, figures such as seagulls, ships and fish, were the most popular ones. As people moved westward and farming and ranching developed, the weathervanes would depict hens, horses, pigs and other farm animals, arrows and Indian figureheads. If you live in a house, you need a weathervane.
Roof weather vanes have been around for centuries and while today there are more accurate ways of forecasting the weather, they remain very popular as decorative items that can give a house a unique look. While traditional designs like Father Time and a rooster are still among the most sought after, new designs are constantly appearing and using a contemporary design on a traditional fixture like a roof weather vane can create an interesting effect. Copper roof weather vanes develop a wonderful green patina over time and can give even a new weather vane an antique look. If you have a design of your own, there are many artist blacksmiths who can convert your idea into reality.
