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| Custom triple hung window |
Choosing windows correctly
could become a daunting task; there are
many companies to choose from and even after you find the right company, there
are lots of window types to consider. The following is meant to give homeowners
an orientation of the relevant issues and aspects on this topic. I will
discuss five ideas, in more detail:
1-
Choosing a reputable company.
2-
Understanding the relationship between the
house’s character and the window’s “look”.
3-
Window types: casement, awning, double hung,
sliding.
4-
Understanding the differences between applied
mullions, simulated divided lights, and truly divided lights.
5-
Hurricane resistant windows.
The
world of residential windows is divided into custom designed, semi-custom, and
stock windows. Custom-designed windows are built to the architect’s specifications. Every shape, mullion, and muntin can be
designed to meet specific Owner requirements, window style, and operating
mechanisms. Custom-designed windows are the most expensive, but they can also
be the most beautiful, as well as the most resistant to wear and tear. They are
typically made of wood, bronze, or steel. There are a number of companies in NY
that produce custom designed windows; the most popular are: Zeluck and Reilly.
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| Custom curved windows |
Semi-custom
and stock windows have standard mullions and muntins. You can choose standard
sizes (stock windows) which typically vary in 4 inch increments or you can
customize the window
size to suit your opening. Examples of such companies are: Marvin, Andersen,
and Pella. Some companies such as Weather Shield only make a composite window
consisting of an aluminum or a vinyl clad wood frame facing the exterior and a
wood frame facing the interior.
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| Semi-custom Marvin windows |
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| Weather Shield windows |
Comparing
the different companies could be confusing, so a way to organize this is
to use a spreadsheet. List all the important variables such as: durability of
finishes, recommended maintenance schedule, pricing, warranty, impact category,
size limitations, frame width, etc. and compare these with all the different
manufacturers.
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| Window manufacturer's comparison sheet |
Understanding
the relationship between your house type and your window type is crucial when
selecting windows. In general,
traditional houses require traditional windows such as double hung or casement,
while modernist houses would look better with modernist window types such as
awnings, fixed, or sliding.
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| Double hung |
 |
| Casement |
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| Awning |
There are different “styles” within the
“traditional” category, such as: Shingle Style, Colonial Revivals, or Greek
Revivals. Each style requires a different window expression. Greek Revival houses typically use double
hung windows. Occasionally triple hung window are used, when opening unto a
covered porch, so that the window looks like a French casement door but is more
authentic to the Greek Revival style than an actual French door would be. Shingle
Styles and Colonials may use a combination of double hung and casement windows,
depending on their use, and location in the house windows.
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| Triple hung windows opening to a porch |
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| French casements opening to a porch |
Different
window types are favored in different regions of the world depending on climate
and customary use. The use of in-swing casement windows and sliders seems to be
generally favored in Europe. Sometimes,
houses with these window types also have exterior shutters. Casement windows allow the user to open the
entire window opening. By the same token in a rainy climate these windows offer
less flexibility since, even the smallest opening exposes the entire height of
the window to water penetration.
Double
hung windows tend to be favored in the US. Their practical application is
evident in that one can open the top and bottom sashes thereby allowing hotter
air to escape from the window top and cooler air to penetrate through the
bottom. This arrangement also offers
more protection from water infiltration, even when the window is ajar. Awning
windows are useful in certain applications where one does not need a full sash
opening but simply some ventilation.
Since they are hinged at the top and open outwards, they are particularly
useful when the window is open, even if it is raining. Jalousie windows (a
variation on the awning type) are favored in the Caribbean.
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| Jalousie windows and doors |
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| Caribbean interior with jalousie windows |
Independently
of what type of window you end up with, if your house is traditional you will
have mullions. Mullions give scale to a
window as seen from the exterior and to a room as seen from the interior. Large
expanses of glass are mute regarding their size as they relate to a person and
to the rest of the room. When a window sash is “broken up” into smaller panes
you can relate to it better because each pane is roughly the size of your face.
There are 3 ways to add mullions to a window. The least expensive and least
successful way is to simply glue them to the glass face on the inside or the
outside of the sash. These are called
applied muntins and they only give you the silhouette of what a traditional
window looks like but, not the authentic look of the window.
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| View through mullioned windows |
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| View through open glass |
The
2 ways to keep a traditional window “look” is by using truly divided lights or
simulated divided lights. Truly divided lights do exactly what the term implies
and divide each pane separately. This is how windows were built in the old
days; an eminently practical solution since glass breakage could be easily
repaired without having to change the entire sash. Modern windows are doubled
glazed, for energy reasons. When truly divided lights are used on typical sized
sashes with double glazing, the individual mullions get too large in proportion
to the rest of the sash because, they hold more glass. The problem is
solved by using simulated divided lights which keep the mullion size truer to
the original sources; these are applied to both the inside and the outside of
the glass faces. This is not the same as
using applied mullions because, there is a spacer bar in the space in between
each glass pane which makes them look as if they are truly divided. Simulated
divided lights are a standard feature of all custom and semi-custom window manufacturers.
Regarding
hurricane resistance, simulated divided lights tend to be more resistant than
truly divided lights. Building codes in
coastal areas require hurricane resistant windows to meet a certain category of
wind force or hurricane zone. Window manufacturers usually have pre-tested
several typical window sizes so that they can ascertain how they perform during
a hurricane. Based on the results of these
tests, the assemblies get a rating for certain hurricane zones. The most restrictive zones, in the US, are in
Florida. It is for that reason that you
may hear a manufacturer refer to a window as meeting the “Dade County, Florida,
Code”.
Whether you are choosing custom, semi-custom, or stock
windows, they are a considerable expense, so it is worthwhile investing a
little time in researching your options before you purchase windows. Keeping in mind the points made will enable
you to make more informed choices.
