# Would You build a House With Fixed Windows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228 "2009-07-07T18:11:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/1 "2009-07-07T18:11:50Z")
Fully funtional windows are expensive. Suppose you decided to have the builder make your windows out of sheets of insulated glass? They could be framed in pretty cheaply…and then you could have any shape of window you wanted. Of course, a new owner might not like having fixed windows. But with air conditioning becoming common, how often would you want to open the windows anyway? I was thinking of doing this I think I could save a lot of money this way. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/2 "2009-07-07T18:16:32Z")
You’d regret it moments after the first person burned popcorn in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/3 "2009-07-07T18:31:36Z")
Why on earth would anyone want windows that don’t open? If I wanted to live in a hermetically sealed environment, I’d buy myself a little bubble. My windows are open any time the temperature is between 60 and 85 degrees. I don’t want air conditioning, I want _air_. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/4 "2009-07-07T18:33:42Z")
The only way I’d buy a house with fixed windows is if it was so cheap I could immediately pull them all out and put in real windows. Who the heck wants to live without fresh air? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/5 "2009-07-07T18:34:35Z")
Isn’t that against the fire code? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/6 "2009-07-07T18:35:52Z")
Your house won’t pass inspection if there aren’t 2 means of egress in the bedrooms. ETA: Great minds think alike. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/7 "2009-07-07T18:36:46Z")
Not throughout the house, but I’d sure do it if the window was located in a spot I couldn’t reach without a ladder; for example, high in a stairwell or a dormer. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/8 "2009-07-07T18:38:02Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] Isn’t that against the fire code? [/QUOTE] Yep. You need secondary egress in habitable spaces, so a sealed house wouldn’t fly, so to speak. As it is, I curse whoever it is that went cheap and put a fixed pane on one wall of our den. For some stupid reason, all of the windows on the north and south faces of the house open, but there are no windows at all on the west face, and only that one non-opening window on the east side. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/9 "2009-07-07T18:42:33Z")
In an upstairs living room we got a wall of fixed windows during a recent remodel. They’re attractive, I guess cheaper than the alternatives. However, we regret it. We have skylights that open in that room, and a small window on one side that does open, but I like lots of open windows. I’m not sure why we allowed out contractor to do it this way (but, in his defense, he was replacing windows in the same location that didn’t open either) Short answer, probably not a good idea for every window. Might be okay for some of the windows if you have enough that do open in the vicinity. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/10 "2009-07-07T19:19:25Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Yep. You need secondary egress in habitable spaces, so a sealed house wouldn’t fly, so to speak. > > As it is, I curse whoever it is that went cheap and put a fixed pane on one wall of our den. For some stupid reason, all of the windows on the north and south faces of the house open, but there are no windows at all on the west face, and only that one non-opening window on the east side. I had to rip out a very large fixed window in my old living room. It was a huge single pane of glass. Man, it was so much more of a pain than taking out the old regular windows. Plus, it was absolutely jammed in there with pennies stuffed under to make it as tight as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@Brainiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/11 "2009-07-07T20:02:17Z")
Two thirds of my windows don’t open. The ones up in loft ceilings and along staircases, and the side pane on 3-panel windows. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/12 "2009-07-07T20:16:17Z")
First off as noted it is against code. But you would regret it mainly in terms of comfort and mold control. See one of the issues many new buildings have these days is they are ‘too’ air tight, thus promoting mold build up. Old buildings leaked but they also drained and dried out. Many new buildings leak but are so air tight that they don’t drain properly or get enough fresh air and thus get mold growing in the walls. Air tight windows contribute to this. In fact many windows now actually have a mechanism that allows fresh air into the rooms because of this. Usually it is a small sliding switch that when open allows a small amount of fresh air into the room. All houses and enclosed spaces need fresh air exchange. Plus in the new green concepts you should limit air conditioning as much as possible and use natural ventilation to cool your house to a comfortable temperature, only using air conditioning if/when weather conditions require it. My advice–don’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/13 "2009-07-07T20:23:27Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Not throughout the house, but I’d sure do it if the window was located in a spot I couldn’t reach without a ladder; for example, high in a stairwell or a dormer. We have such a window in our two-story foyer - with a nice dirty screen :smack: I was unable to budge it open with the force I was willing to apply while standing on my extension ladder, so it will have to remain there until I brave going out on the roof under the window. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/14 "2009-07-07T23:11:01Z")
There’s another issue. You didn’t say where you live, **Ralph** , but if the weather ever gets too hot or too cold outside, you’ll want to have double-pane windows. Those can’t just be two pieces of glass cut into the same shape and stuck together with a few spacers in a hole in the wall. They must be sealed properly to avoid condensation in between them. I’m painfully aware of this because several of mine have sprung leaks and you can barely see out of them in humid weather. ---
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/15 "2009-07-07T23:21:05Z")
We always joke that whoever built our house must have gotten a sale on large ‘picture’ windows, because we have six of them in the north side of our house. They are great for having a landscape view, not so hot for ventilation. I wish we had more that opened. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/16 "2009-07-08T02:54:17Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Fully funtional windows are expensive. Suppose you decided to have the builder make your windows out of sheets of insulated glass? They could be framed in pretty cheaply..and then you could have any shape of window you wanted. Of course, a new owner might not like having fixed windows. But with air conditioning becoming common, how often would you want to open the windows anyway? I was thinking of doing this I think I could save a lot of money this way. There really isn’t any such thing as sheets of insulated glass. What you are refering to are insulated glass units. These are custom made to size and are 2 panes of glass held apart by a spacer and sealed with inert gas inside. They are cheaper than framed windows and can be wood-stopped in and removed when they fail and fog up. But it is better to have a framed insulated glass window. They have better support and fail less often. When you are building a house the cost savings by having non-operable windows are really small. And as mentioned, would be illegal. The egress codes usually require a minimum of a 2 X 2 opening in all bedrooms and any other room with only 1 door. If you are turning an older house into a rental you may have to cut a hole in the wall to add windows. Codes vary from state to state and city to city. You have to check with the building permit people in your area. In simple terms, you must be able to stuff the average person through the window in an emergency, such as a fire, that may be blocking the only other exit. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-build-a-house-with-fixed-windows/502228/17 "2009-07-08T16:59:55Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > When you are building a house the cost savings by having non-operable windows are really small. And as mentioned, would be illegal. The egress codes usually require a minimum of a 2 X 2 opening in all bedrooms and any other room with only 1 door. Just to be specific, it would be illegal _where you live_ for a house being built right now. The rules change from country to country, state to state, county to county, city to city. They’re also different for old houses and new ones.