WINDOWS & PATIO DOORS
Windows are a key, integrated feature of any project. Because they have a substantial impact on the budget, design, and construction timeline, it’s important to identify the right product lines for your job early. While it might seem like there are many options out there, the choices narrow quickly when balancing important factors like materials, operation type, details, lead time, and price.
MATERIALS
In residential work, the gold-standard for window construction is aluminum-clad wood windows, and they perform well by all measures. As the name suggests, these windows are made from wood, but are clad with aluminum on the exterior for durability. Some manufacturer’s offer a less expensive alternative clad in fibreglass.
A similarly performing alternative is all-fibreglass. The main drawback is that options are typically more limited and the detailing is usually not as precisely refined (especially compared to wood on the interior side). One advantage is that these windows are well suited for areas with direct or potential contact with water, like showers and basements.
All the options above are better than vinyl, which dominates the budget conscious end of the market. Vinyl typically has the fewest options, least refined detailing, and is susceptible to significant thermal expansion, and are less durable as a consequence.
WINDOW OPERATION TYPE
CASEMENT: hinged on the side, swinging out. The ease of operation makes this a great choice for most situations, and this option maximizes the openable area. However, these windows create obstructions wherever they open out into, and one must be careful to keep them closed during a downpour.
TILE-AND-TURN: an inswing variant of the casement which has two options for operation activated by the handle, either opening to hinges on the side or at the bottom.
DOUBLE-HUNG: the window is divided into two sashes which push up and pull down. This configuration allows the window to be open without obtrusion. On the downside, you end up with less openable area than a casement, and some people find operating the sashes cumbersome. Alternates include “cottage-style” (top sash smaller than bottom) and “single-hung” (only bottom sash moves). Cleaning is facilitated by the ability to swing the sashes back in along their bottom side.
AWNING: hinged at the top and swings out. This type is often employed above other windows to provide venting or in basements as an alternative to sliders when a horizontal shape is needed. Their configuration is good at shedding water if left open in the rain.
SLIDER: good for horizontally-shaped windows where an awning window would create an obstruction problem. Otherwise these windows can be problematic, as they have a tendency to become jammed.
PICTURE: not operable: just fixed glass. Good for large expanses where venting is provided by other windows.
SKYLIGHT: fixed are cheapest, but venting models can allow for nice air circulation. These come with options for electrical operation and auto-close for sudden rainstorms.
PATIO DOOR OPERATION TYPE
SWING (FRENCH): in most circumstances, swinging doors are better than sliding—they’re more comfortable to open and less likely to jam up over time. Inswing is preferable to outswing, both because it’s more natural to operate and because it keeps the door slab out of the rain, though this is less of an issue under an awning.
SLIDING: sometimes spatial constraints will make sliding preferable to swinging. Keep in mind, though, that only one sash will be operable.
FOLDING & MULTI-SLIDE: sorry, these units just aren’t practical for harsh winter locales like Ontario.
DETAILS
MUNTIN BARS: consider dividing large expanses of glass into smaller panes with muntin bars. This provides a nice breakdown of scale and added character. There are typically options for how these are detailed, spanning from flimsy looking to substantial. We find the best value is simulated-divided-lites with a spacer bar installed within the double-pane glass.
PROFILES: among different manufacturers and product lines there will be variation in the profiles that make up a window’s individual parts. Typically these vary from sleek to more traditional.
EXTERIOR COLOUR: Neutrals are generally the most suitable. Beware of white and black, however, as white will show grime and black will fade and is susceptible to thermal expansion. Grays of all shades are usually appropriate, as are creams and browns. Muted colours can be nice, as well; green and red are commonly used. Sometimes a bolder colour looks nice when it’s limited to the sash, with the frame made a more neutral colour matching the adjacent trim.
INTERIOR COLOUR: wood windows can either be stained or painted. Stained is a significant upgrade, however. It can either come pre-finished or done on site—with a suitable species being the main driver. With painted, it’s most typical to adopt the room’s trim colour, with white being most common. Sometimes a contrast is an interesting feature, and black has become a popular choice.
HARDWARE: For the bits of metal hardware like casement cranks and sash locks, consider matching the metal finish of the room’s hardware. If you’re going with white windows, it’s fine to make the hardware white as well, which helps hide these parts.
WHERE TO SHOP (TORONTO)
Our favoured product line for most projects is Pella Lifestyle aluminum-clad wood windows. It does a great job of balancing value, quality, and lead time. For more options and higher quality, both Andersen E-series and Marvin Ultimate price well against Pella’s Reserve line, though lead times are always an important consideration, particularly for projects with shorter timelines (less than 8 months).
For some window locations, including at showers and basements, it often makes sense to use fibreglass units for extra durability. Most large window manufacturers (including the three mentioned above) also carry a fibreglass line.
When considering windows, it’s worth it to visit the showroom. For our clients, please reach out to our company rep Frank Marsili at Pella Windows to schedule an appointment: 416-998-3364; marsilif@pella.com. We can also help arrange for visits to Andersen and Marvin as desired.
