windows

[Oberon]

Okay, in the interest of starting a new topic that might result in a fun (and hopefully interesting and informative) thread, I am proposing that "you guys", as window professionals, talk about your favorite and least favorite windows - not brands, not companies, but windows as in double hungs, casements, awnings, etc...whatever window style that you happen to like the most and whatever style you happen to like the least. Preferably, you will simply list every style that you can think of and then either praise the ones you like or bash the ones that you don't. Commenting on more obscure styles - old or new - would be a great added bonus.

It would be another bonus if you would give reasons (factual or otherwise - within reason of course) why you like or dislike a particular style of window. For example one style may be the easiest to install and best energy performer on the market, but you think it looks like *$%# in a home and that's why you personally really dislike it. Heck, it may be that your brother broke a window when you were a kid and you got blamed so to this day you hate that particular style. If you really like a style, praise it to heaven - if you really hate a style then send it the other way.

And I am going to propose that if this thread actually gets going, we keep it interesting and educational, but also that no one gets a thin skin if any of their favorites gets blasted by someone else...enjoy the back and forth and take it for what it's worth.

And for you non-professionals who are reading this and who might be interested in offering their opinions, PLEASE chime in with you ideas as well. It's always possible that we all might learn something.

So, any takers? Anyone interested? Anyone want to be first?

[TheWindowNerd]

I like clad wood windows, the classic look and ability to paint or stain each rooms interior to match its decor is great. I like the tilt in models for easy cleaning.
It is just hard to believe that the most can not make a unit with a 50 year warranty or at least 30 years(what was a standard mortgage).
Also drives me crazy that the major companies that historically were/are wood companies never really understood that they need to strive to make energy saving windows.

I don't get tilt n turn windows. Never installed one in 35 years.

I have never installed a pocket window either but have run across a couple of them over the decades. Those I find very interesting and cool.
Anthony

[Windows on Washington]

As a style, I love Tilt n Turns. Maximum visibility, supremely air tight, functional ventilation (even in the rain), external screen, great egress, and extremely efficient (i.e. thermally broken by design - i.e. the way the sash meets the mainframe).

As materials go, vinyl is the king right now but I think the composites are coming along well. More options in the vinyl and composite lines will further steal market share from wood and pretty soon wood will be historic applications largely.

Old favorites...steel pans. Great visibility and sturdiness over time. Bad thermals but who cared back then.

Least favorite style of window is the slider for me.

Most interesting technology would probably the development of energy producing windows or radiant windows.

[TheWindowNerd]

3 questions about tilt n turn:
Egress? this could be a good option for basement applications?
Screens? are most companies including screens and do the screens affect egress?
Since the hardware is a little more involved how important is it to have great hardware and is it serviceable?

[Windows on Washington]

Egress - great option for basements or bedrooms and as a matter of fact, it is far easier to operate and get out of as compared to a casement.

Screens - I haven't yet ordered one that didn't come standard with a screen.

Hardware - The hardware is actually less prone to failure (in my opinion) than a casement and appears to be serviceable.

[Oberon]

Double hung - I love the look of a double hung window. Classic and functional. The perfect design for most style of building.
Although it seems to be a dying concept since the advent of almost universal air conditioning, the abilty to pull the top sash down and lift the bottom sash up was the best solution for summer comfort.

Downside - potential for air leakage, especially at the meeting rails.

Casements - I don't care much for casements. I don't like the inside screens, I don't like the handles, I don't like how they open and hang out in the wind and rain, and I especially don't like how when closed the sash/glass is outside the plane of the wall when the window is closed.

I believe that casements are more prone to failure than any other stlye of window.

Single hungs - fake double hung that is generally intended for lower end applications when someone wants the look but not the cost of a double hung. With an exception....

In the case of hurricane impact units it can be very difficult to pass a double hung because both meeting rails move (it is easier when one can be anchored to the sash). So, using a single hung allows the look of a double hung and the abilty to pass impact. And since most of these windows are going into air conditioned homes the abilty to open the top sash isn't that important (except during a power failure).

[Oberon]

I thoroughly like the look and function of a mulled fixed over (or sometimes under) either a transom, awning or hopper window, which leads right into my favorite style which is also the tilt/turn. I would use tilt/turn in any application I could think of. I like the look, ane especially I like the performance of tilt/turn windows.

I have said this before, but the tilt/turns I installed in my daughters house had DP 100, .003 cfm, and U.17-U.19. Not half bad numbers.

But, not everyone is going to like the idea of the sash opening inside the room. Furniture placement and window treatments are going to an issue for many folks.

I think few people outside of the industry are really aware of hopper windows, and I think most window companies don't think uch of hoppers either...but I might suggest there could be a much larger market for hoppers, in the right applications, if people really were more aware of them.

Gliders or sliders....How many of you guys ever played with a Shuco glider? How many of you have ever seen or operated an Andersen 400 series glider?

Sliders are much maligned, and often for good reason, because they tend to be the bottom feeder of windows. Usually the simplest, least expensive, and forgettable option out there. But, once again, I think the slider can be a really good choice in the right application.

Hoping for a lot more input....

[HomeSealed]

I have a few scars on my head that remind me of why I dislike casements... That, and the fact that I probably service them more than any other configuration. The newer models are easy enough to adjust, but I feel terrible every time that I have to tell someone with (40) ten year old Pella designer series windows in a 3/4 of a million dollar home, that their sagging casements have no provision for adjustment... Not to pick on one brand though, that one just happen to be a recent experience.
I agree with Oberon's comment on sliders: they can be a good choice in the right application.

[Randy]

Never sold a tilt/turn, and never seen one in Texas. Same with hoppers.

I do, however, agree with Oberon on the single hung. There could be a nice market for a manufacturer that would produce a premium grade window in single hung. It's the most popular window in Texas by far.

One problem with casements is that if you have them open for ventilation on a night with a lot of bugs, when you close the window you now have trapped bugs between the sash and the screen that will die and require cleaning out.

For me, sliders are a necessary evil. I prefer not to use them, but they are necessary in many applications. I did sell the Schuco line for a while and I really liked their slider, though my installers weren't as fond of them.