If you’re planning to replace your windows soon, you’re already aware that new windows are a big investment! Plus, with so many options for materials, colors, and brands, choosing which windows will offer the best appearance and performance for your home can be challenging.
However, before you can get into the nitty-gritty details, you need to select the best window styles to complement your home. Your window’s style impacts its energy efficiency, curb appeal, and ventilation options, so it’s an important decision!
Choose from these popular window styles to enhance your home with effortless elegance, top-notch performance, and beautiful views.
Popular Window Styles to Choose from to Enhance Your Indianapolis Home
1. Awning Windows
Awning windows are hinged at the top of the frame and swing outward when cranked open. They’re popular among homeowners because they provide refreshing ventilation and seal well, making it difficult for intruders to break into your home. They also can be kept open in the rain, making them popular in wet climates like Indianapolis.
Awning windows are popularly placed above or below another larger window, like a picture window, to add visual interest. They’re often installed in hard-to-reach places, such as above the kitchen sink, since they’re easy to crank open. You may also find awning windows in bedrooms and below-grade rooms, like basements.
2. Casement Windows
Like awning windows, casement windows swing open with a crank but open to the left or right, like a door. They offer excellent ventilation and allow beautiful sunlight to filter into your home since the entire window can be opened (unlike siding windows). Casement windows also have a tight seal to keep intruders and drafts away from your home.
Casement windows can be placed in locations that are difficult to reach since they crank open, like awning windows. They’re typically found in contemporary homes and offer a more modern look than double-hung windows.
3. Single-Hung Windows
You’ll adore single-hung windows if you want to add classic appeal to your traditional home. Single-hung windows feature a fixed upper sash and operable lower sash, so you can slide the bottom pane up and down, but not the upper pane.
Single-hung windows offer no-fuss operation and are great for places where a top sash would be challenging to reach, like above a kitchen sink. They’re typically more cost-effective than double-hung windows and are more energy-efficient too, since only one sash can move.
4. Double-Hung Windows
Double-hung windows also have two vertical sashes. However, unlike single-hung windows, this classic style has two operable sashes you can slide up and down.
Double-hung windows have tilt-in sashes for easy-breezy cleaning, offering more ventilation since both frames can be open simultaneously. Double-hung windows are popularly used in upstairs bedrooms since they’re easier to clean, and since they’re such a popular style, you can typically find them in a wide range of brands, materials, and colors.
5. Sliding Windows
Sliding windows are durable, simple, and versatile, making them an excellent option for most home styles, although they are often found in mid-century homes. As the name implies, sliding windows glide open like single-hung and double-hung windows but operate on horizontal sashes, so they open like a sliding glass door.
Sliding windows are ideal in high-traffic areas where you will need to open and close your windows frequently, and they’re straightforward to care for, saving you time, energy, and hassles. They are available in single and double slider varieties to find the perfect match for your home’s unique needs.
6. Bay and Bow Windows
Bay and bow windows are different types of windows, but they’re often listed together since their configuration is similar. Both these styles feature a series of windows that protrude from your home’s exterior, creating undeniably attractive curb appeal. Bay and bow windows offer ample natural light, so they’re ideal for opening up a living room or master bedroom, and the windowsill can often be repurposed as a reading corner or a breakfast nook.
Bay windows feature one large, fixed window in the center and two smaller, venting windows on the sides, creating a “square” shape. Bow windows feature four or more windows that gradually curve, known as a “bow.” Typically, bay windows are used in contemporary architecture, and bow windows are found in historic-style homes.
7. Picture Windows
Large picture windows provide a gorgeous view of the outdoors and allow natural light to enter your home in abundance. Picture windows are ideal if you have a scenic view or beautiful backyard that you’d like to showcase from the inside of your home. They are also favorably low-maintenance and energy-efficient since they are fixed and don’t have operable sashes.
Picture windows are often found in living rooms since they’re a “statement” piece. If you’d like to have the option to enjoy ventilation from your living room, you can install two operable windows, such as double-hung or casement windows, on each side of your picture window.
Invest in Beautiful, Energy-Efficient Windows with JD Hostetter
Whether you’d like to upgrade your home with simplistic sliding windows, classic double-hung windows, ornate bow windows, or a combination of all of the above, our expert team is happy to help.
JD Hostetter & Associates is a Pella Elite Platinum Certified Contractor, so regardless of which window style(s) you install, you can be confident we’ve undergone extensive training and certification to complete your window installation the right way!
Learn more about our replacement window services to discover how we can help you transform your home with the stunning, low-maintenance, energy-efficient windows you deserve.
