Home Window Styles

There is no such thing as a standard home window style. Picture windows have no working parts, while other windows open and close by cranking, sliding or swinging. The window frame encloses all of the window’s basic parts and may be made of metal, vinyl or wood. Aluminum or vinyl frames are virtually maintenance free, while wooden frames require painting. Wooden frames are preferable in regions with cold weather since metal frames conduct the cold. A window sash is an inner frame that hold the glass panes in place.

The following Legacy Remodeling video demonstrates the differences between double-hung, sliding and casement windows:

Here is a quick look at several common home window styles:

• Double-hung windows, which are the most popular, have upper and lower sashes that move vertically in separate channels. The sashes have meeting rails that are slanted and weatherstripped to form a tight seal between the rails, and they are separated by a parting strip, which is a small piece of wood. The sashes are secured together at the two parting rails by a locking mechanism that minimizes heat loss and air infiltration and creates a tight seal.
• Sliding windows open horizontally and glide past each other on separate tracks that are mounted on the sill and header jamb.
• Hopper windows swing inward and are hinged on the bottom.
• Awning windows swing outward by means of a lever or crank and are hinged at the top.
• Casement windows swing outward via a crank or lever and are hinged on one side of the sash. They are easy to open and provide unobstructed views and full ventilation. Casement windows are commonly used in rooms such as bathrooms or kitchens where heat or humidity can build up or on walls that connect to porches.
• Jalousie windows are made of horizontal glass slats that are connected so that they open or close together when the crank is turned (in a fashon similar to window blinds). Their main drawback is that the cracks between the slats allow air infiltration.