Windows: side opening "Casement" vs bottom opening "Awning"

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Windows: side opening "Casement" vs bottom opening "Awning" - practical considerations

timmmay

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#190962 18-Jan-2016 12:55

We're replacing our windows with new double glazed units. We're getting PVC, to match the couple of windows and doors we already had replaced in that material.

My wife has suggested side opening windows rather than bottom opening, which are apparently quite common in the UK. I don't really mind either way, but I'm interested in peoples practical experience. We will have to have a couple bottom opening, for example above the kitchen bench, because we couldn't reach side opening up there. In practice I'm told both can be left open when it's raining, though I wonder if one is better than the other. Either type can be locked slightly open for ventilation. Side opening can open wider to allow more air in when we're home, which might be helpful occasionally.

Our main aim is just a modern, easy to use window with good thermal and acoustic properties, which both styles will do. As a second priority we'd like a reasonable amount of ventilation when the windows are "locked open", and we want to be able to leave the windows locked open regardless of the weather. We have a ventilation system (a cheap one) and two air conditioners. Our kitchen area, with three windows, gets heaps of sun and can hit 35 degrees in the middle of summer.

Does anyone have any thoughts or practical experience about side opening windows?

Here's a random image from Google of a side opening window to show what I mean by side opening. Ours will open outwards.

Ours will look more like this, with the bottom 2/3 opening, and the top 2/3 fixed glass that won't open. We'll only have one opening part per window, not two sets of two as shown below.

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#1473754 18-Jan-2016 13:23

Whelp. The basics...The top hung awning window can be open when its raining letting in minimal rain.The side hung window will let in more air for increased ventilation.

timmmay

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#1473757 18-Jan-2016 13:33

Dairyxox: Whelp. The basics...The top hung awning window can be open when its raining letting in minimal rain.The side hung window will let in more air for increased ventilation.

I was wondering if the side opening windows let rain in, in practice. They're pretty thick, maybe 2.5cm thick, and their "locked open" position is only 1cm out so I doubt much water would get in if any.

Not too concerned with ventilation when they're wide open, both will be fine. Mostly concerned with the "locked 1cm open" position.

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#1473825 18-Jan-2016 14:11

With side opening windows depending on the length of the windows it may require a latch at the top and bottom instead of the middle. I would check this with the manufacturer first because if you or your wife are short you may not be able to reach the top latch which would defeat the purpose.

BlueShift

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#1473835 18-Jan-2016 14:24

We have side opening windows throughout our house. Where there are two opening panes on a window, it is useful since they catch the wind, you can open or close either pane to increase or decrease the amount of breeze coming in.

The ones in our kitchen, over the bench, are the only ones where the top catch is an issue - at 6'2" I'm the only one who can reach them, so in practice we leave the top catch open all the time.

As long as there's eave cover, rain getting in isn't a problem. If its windy enough for rain to get in, its windy enough to close the window.

djtOtago

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#1473845 18-Jan-2016 14:27

I prefer side opening windows myself.

However the wind can catch side opening windows and pull them completely open. If the wind is from the right direction.

There have been a few times I have left windows open a foot (300mm) or so, only to find while I was out, the wind has come up and caught an open window and pulled it right open. But I still prefer them.

Most side opening windows will also open up to 90 degrees or so, making it easy to stick your head out to ~~yell~~ talk to neighbours, kids or who ever may be outside.

timmmay

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#1473881 18-Jan-2016 15:09

Thanks all, those are the practical things I was talking about.

BTR: With side opening windows depending on the length of the windows it may require a latch at the top and bottom instead of the middle. I would check this with the manufacturer first because if you or your wife are short you may not be able to reach the top latch which would defeat the purpose.

Not really sure what you mean. The handle to open it is in the middle, vertically, and we should be fine to reach it. The windows have multipoint locking, we'd never need to reach the top of it.

BlueShift: We have side opening windows throughout our house. Where there are two opening panes on a window, it is useful since they catch the wind, you can open or close either pane to increase or decrease the amount of breeze coming in. The ones in our kitchen, over the bench, are the only ones where the top catch is an issue - at 6'2" I'm the only one who can reach them, so in practice we leave the top catch open all the time. As long as there's eave cover, rain getting in isn't a problem. If its windy enough for rain to get in, its windy enough to close the window.

We'd only have one pane opening per window. Over our bench would be bottom opening, top hinged, because otherwise we'd be standing on the bench to open it. We have huge eaves, and when it's windy enough for rain to be hitting the windows you're right they'd be completely closed. With bottom opening there's still the option to have them open if it's raining, which might be handy once or twice a year.

djtOtago: I prefer side opening windows myself. However the wind can catch side opening windows and pull them completely open. If the wind is from the right direction. There have been a few times I have left windows open a foot (300mm) or so, only to find while I was out, the wind has come up and caught an open window and pulled it right open. But I still prefer them. Most side opening windows will also open up to 90 degrees or so, making it easy to stick your head out to ~~yell~~ talk to neighbours, kids or who ever may be outside.

Ah yeah that windy and we'd just close the windows. We don't often open windows all that wide, just on the little vent setting. Good point that the wind could blow it wide open or closed if it's not latched, but that windy and we'd probably close it.

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mdf

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#1473926 18-Jan-2016 15:53

For maintenance free windows (including your PVC and aluminium) I think most things have been covered off.

If you were going for timber, casement (side opening) windows are much much easier to clean and paint. This has been my deciding factor in the past.

bfginger

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#1480296 27-Jan-2016 23:35

If your kitchen area's windows are unshaded, in direct sun and hitting 35 degrees you could get see if you can get low solar heat gain low-e glass to reduce the amount of sun coming in.

Standard double glazing doesn't reduce sound as much as people think. If stopping sound is a high priority there is special glass for it which sandwiches a special sound dampening layer which is two and a half times as effective as double glazing by itself. It can be expensive.

There are many different kinds of windows. The ones that swing out at the bottom are awning windows and are what nearly everyone in New Zealand gets. They aren't so great for ventilation if they're opening at waist height as the hottest air is near the ceiling.

The windows that swing out from the side are casement windows. In Europe the "tilt and turn" windows are popular as they open inwards like casement windows but can also be tilted inward from the top. There are also "tilt and slide" sliding windows which can tilt inward but don't have the wide inward swing of tilt and turns.

Inwardly opening windows may be a problem if there are obstacles in the way but they're also harder to crowbar from the outside.

Unless a window is specially designed for it the "tilt" windows may be your only option for securely open PVC windows. I don't think it's good practice to leave windows unsecured when not in a room.

timmmay

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#1480363 28-Jan-2016 07:12

Low solar gain windows sound interesting. Are they visibly shaded? I'm not sure my wife would agree to reduce the light coming into the room, because of the effect it would have in winter. Worth considering though.

Probably wouldn't go for sound reduction at extra cost. Right now our old wooden windows don't even seal, I'm sure double glazed will reduce noise at least a little.

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#1480372 28-Jan-2016 07:39

We are getting PVC windows installed in a few weeks. ( Homerit )

We were keen on bottom hung inward opening windows for ventilation, however the Venetian blind guy said they would not work so were getting top hung awning windows everywhere except for the bathroom.

Some muppet built a deck and screen before we moved in and built it over the bathroom window, it is not easily moved.

That window is going to be top hung and side opening, this will allow ventilation and easy cleaning.

John

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timmmay

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#1480387 28-Jan-2016 07:49

How's Homerit's service? I'm using Thermalframe in Wellington, good windows but they're INCREDIBLY slow. It can take 1-2 weeks between emails, all we've asked for is to add additional windows to the quote.

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#1480422 28-Jan-2016 08:42

One other strange thing to consider especially for the bedrooms is how easily you can get in and out of the windows incase of an emergency(Fire), Im sure you should be well served by both side and bottom opening windows providing they open far enough.

SATTV

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#1480436 28-Jan-2016 09:02

Homerit's service so far has been very very good, emails are often returned very quickly.

Some times it has been a little hard understanding them ( I dont speak windows / building ) but very good.

They gave us three places in our area that they had done inserts into wooden joinery and I knocked on the door and asked them about their experence and one was positive, the other was not the original owner but was happy with the joinery that was 8 or 9 years old ( just needed a wash )

As insterst still require the wood to be painted we decided to look at full replacement and they gave us another person to talk to, he could not stop raving about them, he said that he was now getting them at his beach home.

They also replaced their front doors with PVC and we are now doing the same.

Overall we have found Homerit head and sholders above any other joinery company we tried dealing with. Most would take weeks or months to get back to you if at all and we contact probably over 15 companies.

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timmmay

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#1480438 28-Jan-2016 09:05

Interesting, thanks. I have found door and window companies pretty awful, Thermalframe were good initially and have good products, I think they're just super busy. I'm also not all that happy with their payment policy - 40% deposit, 55% before it's delivered, so you pay basically the full price before you see anything.

Can you give me an idea how much Homerit charge for any given door or window, supply and / or install? Might be more appropriate by message than publicly.

Jeeves

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#1480514 28-Jan-2016 10:25

A minor thing that may or may not apply to your situation - If you have bottom opening windows on a wall that faces the sun a lot (North West/West) - having a bottom opening window - it can act a bit like a directional vent. The hot air that gets created from the ground and wall below the window will rise up - and the open window will 'guide' the hot air into your house.

I don't know how much of an effect this will have in your situation. But we have a bottom opening window in our kitchen which is on the 2nd floor above a cinder block wall that is west facing and gets very very hot in mid summer afternoons (60+ degrees...). All that hot air rises up the side of the wall and if the window is open, gets guided into our already hot kitchen. It's sometimes more beneficial to have the window closed for us.

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