Types of Windows :: Replacement Windows

Built By Althea Crowe for Building Moxie & Published October 15, 2012.
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Windows serve as the elemental source of ventilation and passage of light for any room or building. When choosing the right kind of window, you should take into account both the style and the functionality. With the wide variety of styles and designs available, it’s not really difficult to choose the right replacement windows for your house. Let’s take a look at the different types of replacement windows that are used.

Types of Windows (Replacement)

• Double-hung Windows: This type of window is ideal for small spaces. This design allows either the lower or the upper half of the unit to be opened.
• Single-hung Windows: As the name suggests, this design only allows the bottom part of the window to be opened, whereas the top part remains fixed. Both single-hung and double-hung windows are popular in homes across the USA.
• Bay Windows: Bay windows look good in spacious living rooms and bedrooms and offer a good view of the outdoors. These are usually made of three panels, with the middle panel being the largest, set at different angles to each other, which protrude from the outside wall of the room. Then there are also bow windows, very similar in design to a bay window, but curved.
• Jalousie Windows: These are also known as louvered windows, and are made of clips and parallel glass slats which allow them to be opened and closed in a fashion similar to Venetian blinds. They can be kept open during wet weather as the arrangement of the louvers keeps water from flowing into the room. They are popularly used in places that have a tropical climate.
• Casement Windows: These windows comprise a hinged sash that can be cranked open like a door, and the sash can either be bottom-hung, top-hung or a combination of both. Casement windows are large and are installed in areas that open out to wide spaces, and are particularly useful in letting in cross breeze.
• Awning Windows: These are a type of casement window that are hung in a horizontal manner, so that the window opens outward like an awning. They are smaller than casement windows and are usually placed high on walls. As they project outwards, it’s best to install them in open spaces. This type of window is useful in letting in fresh air and can also be kept open during rains as they keep the water from coming in.
• Sliding Windows: These windows are made of two panels fitted in one sash with some space between them for insulation and can slide horizontally. There are two types of slider windows – single slider, where only one panel slides, and double slider, where both panels can slide.
• Hopper Windows: These windows have hinges on the bottom which allows them to be opened inside vertically. Because of their unique design, these are suitable for basements as opening the window inward prevents water from entering the room. They can also be used in small places like bathrooms.
• Storm Windows: Storm windows are attached to the outside of a glass window and are used to protect the glass from getting damaged during hurricanes and rough weather. These can be temporary in nature.
• Picture Windows: These are usually large, fixed and do not open. They are used with the intention of giving onlookers an unobstructed view of the outdoors, like viewing a picture frame, and can be used in large rooms with a scenic outdoor.

Vinyl and glass are the most popular materials used in making windows. Glass is available in different types, from tinted, to tempered and semitransparent. If you need replacement windows, make sure to carefully choose a company that sells quality products and offers good customer service.

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Althea Crowe has worked for 6 years as a real estate agent.  Her interest in interior decoration and home improvement led her to pick up practical tips on home repairs and renovations. From replacement windows and doors to siding, roofing, landscaping, re-modeling patio rooms and sun rooms, Althea shares her knowledge through articles that she hopes will provide her readers with the information they’re looking for.

Here she recommends Champion Windows Dallas or Champion Windows Fort Worth as well as Champion Windows Atlanta or any of their other locations for a free in-home estimate.  She says, “Quality replacement windows will eventually turn out to be pocket-friendly.”

All images via Champion Windows.