If you have a new home building project, then you understand that all the fittings, fixtures, and most importantly, the window styles could either break or make your home’s design.
And if you are taking on the current trends with the home’s façade’s being more window than wall, then you need to be extra careful about the features of the windows you wish to buy. For example, the windows must have features for energy efficiency and good thermal performance.
At the end of the day, your choice for the best windows has to be more than how much more natural light you will have streaming. You also need to take into consideration the design, style, materials, cost, as well as the glazing (which affects the thermal performance and the energy efficiency of the windows). That said, let’s take a look at these considerations for getting new windows.
Window style
While the layout of the rooms and the shape of the house determines the positioning of windows, you need to be specific when it comes to the interior/ exterior finishes of the house. So, while a contemporary, single-story house looks great with narrow vertical windows, an old cottage wouldn’t look as good with the large glazed openings forced in the thick stone walls. To avoid styling horrors, you may want to stick to The Golden Ratio dating back to classic architecture, but still effective today. This rule makes use of the ratio 1:1:618, representing the vertical window sash 800mm wide should not exceed or be less than 1,300mm in height.
You also need to keep the style of the building in mind – is your home’s style traditional or contemporary? And which window styles would you prefer? Your options include open-out casement windows, tilt & turn windows, sash windows, fixed windows, clerestory windows, and roof lights/ skylights/ roof lanterns. These options all feature pros and cons, and you’d have to weigh them against each other while keeping in mind the vision for your home to decide on the best window style for your home.
Window Materials
The options on the market include timber (for the authentic period-style home), aluminum (ideal for contemporary home design), plastic, composite, and metal. Other windows are also made of alloys and other fiberglass. With all these options, you’d have to choose the material that complements your home’s design and style best, the cost against your budget, and the durability of the materials.
Glazing
Will you opt for the on-site double glazing or the factory-double glazing? Generally, the factory glazing streamlines the entire installation process while the on-site glazing of the windows is quite slow and very time-consuming. The latter is, however, cheaper, and the factory option is more expensive.
The other glazing options include triple glazing, which is popular for the low-energy homes, and the Low-E glazing that would prevent the loss of heat through the windows.
But even as you keep all these in mind, you need to remember that the lighting quality is crucial. The first thing we often notice about spaces is the quality of the lighting. Therefore, you might want to think of ways of maximizing the natural light getting into your home. For example, the use of extra-wide bifold and sliding doors has become popular in recent days, and it could be what your home needs. If you are renovating, this could mean having to knock down some walls to make room for more windows, then looking some great replacement windows to bring out the best out of your home.
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