Home Improvement Tips – Home Decoration Idea's – Western Decoration Idea's

Archive for August, 2011

Casement windows are a type of windows that open like doors, commonly used in all households. It’s made in such a way that either the left side or the right side of the window is hinged and the other side which is not hinged is fitted with latches that can lock the window. These types of windows are generally low maintenance and can be managed pretty easily. The hinges might have to be lubricated once in a while to ensure perfection while opening and closing. There are mainly two type of casement windows, or let’s say it varies on the basis of its working. An outward opening which is the English style and the inward opening is the French style in design.

Casement windows are the one of the most contemporary style of windows. The ease of its use makes it popular. Well, the glass work on the window can be made translucent, clear or frosted glass according to one’s preferences. The panels of glass work on the window are usually referred to as ‘light’. It is also seen that they are easy to fit it and can be fixed into an existing window space.

Casement windows are of different types. There is Single Frame which is the basic style of casement window, which is side mounted on hinges and operates swinging outward. It’s quite common in newer homes and they allow the view outside. The next type, Double Casement Window is a French style of casement window. In this design there are two windows, which are hinged on either side and it opens from the center. Most of the double windows open outward. Well, the inward opening design is not very commonly used. There is yet another type called the Push Out casement window which makes use of a handle.

If you would like to hire a professional, you can get window estimates online from local installers who will be more than happy to assist you.

Wood Frames for Replacement Windows

Wood frames are the first choice mainly because of the finish and the look they present on the outer coating of the house. Generally, they are pricey than the other options available in the market. Their downside is that they need to be constantly cleaned for maintaining proper shine of the wood. Wood has other problems attached with them too which can include presence of small insects in the wood, rot and warping etc. there are many ways to protect wood from temper. This adds to the price that is required for having woody frames for the window frames of your house. The other options are very economical as compared to this one. Even because of these problems with using wood, the woody frames still remain the first choice for the people. In reality, woody frames are not the best choice in terms of overall contexts. You can go for other options which are available at much more reasonable price.

Composite Frames Made of Fiberglass

The fiberglass is the way to go than the wooden replacement frames. They provide enough assurance that they are considered materials of the future. Whether they prove what they are expected of, still remains to be seen. These are very strong as compared to the other alternatives present in the market. Fiberglass has to be screwed together, leading to weak joints in the moveable sashes. These have to be painted as they become faded with passing time. These frames are still relatively new to the industry and hence one got to think before using these for the window frames of your house.

Hollow Window Frames Made of Vinyl

The vinyl hollow frames give many advantages. When it comes to window frames made of vinyl there are many options available in the market. Their limitations are that they are available for only a small amount of sizes. They are energy-efficient, easily customized, competitively priced, and they require very little maintenance. These do not possess high strength but that problem can be overcome by stiffening the vinyl with rigid extruded reinforcement rails.

To make it easier for you to determine which type of house windows would be best for a particular room or area in your home, you should make sure that you are familiar about some of the basic types of house windows that you can get. Here is a guide to the different types of house windows that are available today.

Casement Windows

Casement windows are hinged on the side of the window jamb and can be opened using a crank or a slider bar.

Bay Windows

This type of window is usually made up of three or more separate windows which come out of the exterior wall of the house. Generally, the middle section is bigger than the outer sections which flank it. Also called bow windows, bay windows are often in casement style.

Double Hung and Single Hung Windows

Double hung windows are those windows which can open from the top or the bottom and can move both up and down. The bottom portion of the window is on the window sill, while the top portion of the window is on the top of the window jamb. Both double hung windows and single hung windows are constructed the same way and the only difference that they have would be that single hung windows only open in one direction, usually from the bottom.

Hopper Basement Windows

This type of window has hinges on the bottom portion, allowing the top portion to swing outward. Hopper basement windows are great for basements since opening from the top would prevent standing water from going inside.

Jalousie Windows

Also called louvered windows, jalousie windows have parallel slats of acrylic or glass which open and close in a way that is similar to Venetian blinds through the use of a lever or crank. They are most commonly used in homes which have a tropical theme.

Picture Windows

These are large fixed windows which typically do not have glazing bars or are glazed only with perfunctory glazing bars at or near the window edge. This type of window is mainly intended to offer an unobstructed view, and act like a frame to that view.