At Window Installation Specialists, we talk with a lot of Pittsburgh-area homeowners who assume that if they have double-hung windows now, they should replace them with new double-hung windows.
And in a lot of cases, that’s exactly what we end up doing.
But not always.
We’ve been installing replacement windows around Pittsburgh since 1973, and sometimes a homeowner realizes there’s a better option once we start talking about how they actually use the room.
The kitchen is a good example.
If you’ve ever tried to push a window up while leaning across a kitchen sink and countertop, you probably know where we’re going with this. A double-hung window may have been installed there when the house was built, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to put another one there.
A casement window that opens with a crank may be much easier to use.
That’s why we like to look at the house before getting too far into window styles and options.
Why Double-Hung Windows Are Still So Popular
We install a lot of double-hung windows.
They’re a familiar choice, especially around Pittsburgh where you have everything from older brick homes to Colonials, Cape Cods and newer construction.
A double-hung window has two operating sashes. You can raise the bottom sash or lower the top one, and many newer models allow the sashes to tilt inward for cleaning.
For bedrooms, living rooms and many of the standard window openings throughout a house, they’re hard to go wrong with.
They also tend to look right on traditional homes.
If we’re replacing several windows across the front of a house, keeping that consistent double-hung appearance may be important even if we decide to use something different in the kitchen or another part of the home.
When We Might Suggest Looking at a Casement Window
Casement windows are hinged at the side and crank outward.
We mentioned the kitchen earlier because that’s one of the first places where they can make a lot of sense. You don’t have to reach over the sink and try to lift the window. Turn the handle and the window opens.
But kitchens aren’t the only place we’d consider them.
Some homeowners simply like having more uninterrupted glass. With a double-hung window, there’s a meeting rail across the middle where the two sashes meet. A casement doesn’t have that same horizontal line.
If you’re looking out into the backyard or have a view you don’t want to break up, that can make a difference.
They can also open wide when you want some air moving through the house.
There is something you have to think about, though: they open outward.
If there’s a walkway, deck, shrub or something else directly outside the window, we need to look at the available space before deciding a casement is the right choice.
That’s the kind of detail that’s easy to miss when you’re looking at windows online.
Sliding Windows Have Their Place Too
Sliding windows don’t seem to get talked about as much as double-hung and casement windows, but there are openings where they work really well.
Instead of moving up and down, the sash moves from side to side.
They’re particularly worth considering when the window opening is wider than it is tall. We sometimes see that type of opening in finished basements, bedrooms and additions.
They’re also simple to operate. There’s no sash to lift and nothing swinging out into the yard.
That doesn’t mean we’d start replacing every double-hung window in a house with sliders. It’s more about looking at that particular opening and deciding what makes sense there.
Sometimes the Best Window Doesn’t Open at All
We also have homeowners who assume every replacement window needs to open.
It doesn’t.
If there’s one window in your living room that you never open because you use the windows beside it for ventilation, why automatically put another operating window there?
A picture window can give you more uninterrupted glass and a cleaner view.
We’ve done larger window combinations where a fixed window is used in the middle and operating windows are installed on the sides. You still get fresh air when you want it without breaking up the entire view.
That can completely change the look of a room.
You Don’t Have to Use One Window Style Throughout the House
A lot of homeowners are surprised to hear this.
The windows should look like they belong to the same house, but that doesn’t mean every single one has to operate the same way.
You might have double-hung windows across the front, a casement over the kitchen sink and a picture window overlooking the backyard.
There’s nothing wrong with that if everything works together.
We’d rather help someone choose windows that make sense for how they live in the house than tell them they need 15 identical windows simply because that’s what’s there now.
Walk Around the House Before You Pick Your New Windows
Before you start choosing windows, walk through the house and open the ones you have now.
You’ll probably find a few you use all the time and a few you can’t remember opening in years.
Think about why.
Maybe one is hard to reach. Maybe another doesn’t give you much of a view anyway. Maybe you always open the same two windows when the weather is nice and leave the others closed.
Also look at what’s around them.
Is there a sink or counter underneath? Is the window behind furniture? What’s directly outside? Do you want more air coming through that room, or would you rather have more glass?
Those answers can help narrow down the choices pretty quickly.
There Isn’t One “Best” Replacement Window Style
We install Andersen, Pella and Marvin windows, and there are plenty of choices within those product lines.
Double-hung, casement, sliding and picture windows can all be good choices.
The better question is which one makes sense in that particular spot in your house.
After more than 50 years of installing windows around Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, we’ve worked with just about every kind of window opening you can imagine. Older homes, newer homes, brick, siding, original windows, windows that have already been replaced once before, they’re all a little different.
If you’re considering replacement windows, you don’t need to have every style, material and option figured out before you call us.
That’s part of what we’ll go over when we come out and look at the house.
Window Installation Specialists
724-446-0275
www.windowinstallationpittsburgh.com
Free On-Site Estimates
Serving Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania
