Kinds of House Windows

The choice of window can add a sense of completeness to your home's style.

Choosing a type of window for your house presents you with a number of different options. The different kinds of windows at your disposal range from the purely functional to those that provide a greater degree of security to choices capable of meeting just about any aesthetic requirement. Your choice in windows should ideally be integrated seamlessly into the surrounding style of the house and the thematic presentation of the room in which they are situated.

Casement Windows

Casement windows swing open much like a door. These windows can swing sideways or upward. Casement windows made of metal are utilized regularly in industrial buildings while wooden casement windows are especially suitable for smaller homes like cottages.

Sash Windows

Those traditional kinds of windows in which one framed area of glass rises across another framed glass area when it is opened are sash windows. Sash windows operate by using counterbalanced weights and pulleys that are hidden from view within a box. Contemporary design of sash windows may use a concealed spring to achieve the same effect.

Sliding Windows

Many patio doors are created from a kind of window aptly named a sliding window. Sliding windows can range from those that are nearly the length of the entire wall to smaller sizes that are used in the same manner as sash windows. Patio sliding windows typically are constructed with metal frames, but this kind of window can also be constructed with wooden or plastic frames.

Louvered Windows

Panels of glass that are tilted open are known as louvered windows. This kind of window is very effective for enhancing ventilation during hot weather.

Skylight

A type of window that is not typically featured in great numbers inside homes is the skylight. A skylight is a window that has been set into the roof and ceiling to provide a wash of natural light from outdoors. Skylights also provide the opportunity to view the nighttime sky from any location inside the house. Most skylights are installed in rooms other than the bedroom because of the sound produced when rainfall hits the glass. This negative component can be reduced by situating skylights in rooms where you will not be very likely to sleep, such as the bathroom, kitchen or family room.

Security Windows

Security windows provide extra safety precautions, courtesy of a number of different options. Some security windows feature locks and bolts that make them more difficult to break into. Other security windows feature wired mesh within the glass panes that reduce the ability of an intruder to get inside your home by breaking the pane of glass.

Bay Windows

Useful for providing the illusion of greater space, bay windows are most often equipped with a deep sill that provides an area suitable for seating or for use as a shelving area for plants or collectibles.

References

• Calfinder.com: Different Types of Windows
• "Stanley Complete Doors and Windows;" Larry Johnston; 2007
• "Window Treatments;" Linda Hallam, Ed.; 1997