I’m talking about windows! I’m in the process of putting new windows in my 40 year old house. Holy Cow! This is more difficult than buying a car!
Double hung or single hung? Double hung windows are easier to clean. But are they worth the extra money? What do really care if I raise the lower window OR lower the top window. I don’t open my windows that often anyway.
Should I get a grid installed? I’m thinking maybe yes. At least for the front of the house where aesthetics matter. If so, they come in three varieties… 1) inside where they snap in and out for easier cleaning (doesn’t seem like a good idea to me). 2) outside permanently attached to window, 3) between the double panes of glass. (Easiest to clean, but most expensive)
Who wants to give me their opinions and pitfalls of buying new windows for my house?
We have both double hung and casement (crank out) windows in our house. We were lucky enough to buy a house that had very high end windows installed.
I’ve looked at the cost of the windows with the grid (aka muttons, mullions) between the panes and couldn’t understand the additional cost. Didn’t seem like a good value to me. Mine are the interior snap-out kind and they work just ducky. Plus I like the look.
Special “doo-dads” such as blinds on the patio doors, are between the storm pane and the exterior pane. Makes it very nice to keep them clean.
At least one manufacturer makes a roll-down screen that looks like a marvelous idea to me. Storing screens is a pain in the arse.
As fun as it is to make titles that are double-entendres, you might get more responses from carpenters and such if you ask the mods to change the title to something more descriptive.
The management just replaced the old rotting double-hung windows in my apartment. They stalled a long time, saying they wanted to stay with double-hung. In the end, the used single-hung.
Which made me happy. I have never seen the alleged ‘allure’ of the double hung window. I mean, what difference does it make? None, to me.
I installed vinyl single hung Milgard windows in our 90 year old stucco bungalow about 5 years ago. We chose grids on the windows which face the street. The extra cost was something like 20 per window.
If I did it again, I would choose double hung. Being able to lower the top sash really would improve ventilation and facilitate cleaning. The outsides of these windows can only be cleaned properly from outside the house. Not a big deal. I considered the brands which feature a lower sash which swings out for cleaning, but I thought that it made for a weaker window. That may or may not be true, but it was my perception.
Choose the windows with the widest gap between the two sheets of glass, all things being equal. If you live in a very cold climate, consider triple glazed windows.
Shop around. There are a lot of overpriced outfits out there. Drive a hard bargain. Do not hesitate to tell dealer Y that you can get such and such a price from dealer X. We drove the price per window down to about $150-200/window. That is the price for the window only. Do not take the measurements yourself. Make the dealer do it. It is easy to get the measurements slightly off and then your are screwed if you took the measurements. If the dealer did, it is on him.
Consider installing them yourself. It is fairly easy to do if you are handy with tools and you will save a bundle.
I used to work at Pella Window Corp[sup]TM[/sup]. When we were remodling our house we went with double hung windows. As Galen said, being able to lower the upper sash makes for better ventilation. It so easy to clean a double hung window, both sahses tilt inward, and snap back in place so easily, the windows were never dirty. The house we recently moved into has a pair of casement windows in the kitchen. I like them, but not as well as the double hung windows.
The only other advantage to a double-hung window is if you have small children that might fall out the window. You might consider a tilt-turn on the ground floor (if you have one) for added security.
We have vinyl double hung windows in our house and like them real well. They are more convienient to clean because you never have to go outside. We chose them for cost and maintenance. No painting inside and out and they have not discolored in 12 years. I never liked the grids that were in between the 2 panes of glass although it is easier to clean. We don’t use them. We chose Certainteed windows.
Anderson windows - double hung - easy to clean and double paned (with some sort of gas in the middle). We have mullions on the front of the house, but not on the back because we didn’t want to obscure the view.
I contract install for both Paceseter and Home Depot.
As noted earlier, the ease of cleaning it what seems to sell the double hung, but it’s the Spring and Fall ventelation capabilities that people truly value after several years of living with double hung.
I usually recommend those adjustable burglar stops, too. You can leave the windows down about 3 or 4 inches with little worries. Close and lock 'em when you want the most safety of course.
Spend the extra money for double paned, gas filled, low-E glass. The aesthetics of moulions or not are debateable, in my opinion…
I have a large penis.
Stately Mercotan Manor has both the crank kind of windows and the kind of windows that don’t open at all and are accessible only to actual window-cleaning professionals with special ladders and implements and such. The crank kind have always seemed pretty easy to clean to me.
My apartment, being university-owned, has suicide prevention windows that only open a few inches. Fortunately, I’m not responsible for cleaning them.
Double paned, gas filled, low-E gas is definitely going to happen. I’m just trying to justify the cost of double hung windows. And I’m wondering if I should bother with window grids on the back of my house. I’m trying to save money, but I’m trying to decide if I’ll regret it later.
