Window Styles Explained
Double hung, casement, slider, awning and garden windows. What each one does well and where it belongs in a Capital Region home.
Double hung is the default in upstate New York and suits traditional architecture. Casement seals tightest and is best on exposed sites. Sliders need no exterior clearance. Awnings vent during rain. Each one solves a different problem.
Window Styles we work with
How to pick a style for an opening
Style is not mainly an aesthetic decision. Each one seals differently, ventilates differently, and needs different clearance outside. Work through these four questions per opening and the answer usually picks itself.
- Is there anything outside the window? A deck, walkway, air conditioner or neighbouring wall rules out casements and awnings, which swing outward.
- Do you have to reach across something to operate it? Over a kitchen sink or behind a counter, a crank-operated casement beats lifting a double hung sash.
- Is the opening wider than it is tall? That is a slider proportion. Taller than wide is a double hung or casement proportion.
- Is it in a bedroom, especially a basement bedroom? Then net clear opening governs, and a casement gives the most clear area for the smallest hole in the wall.
- Is the wall exposed to prevailing wind? Compression-sealing casements and awnings outperform sliding-seal double hungs and sliders on air leakage.
- Does the house have a consistent style already? Mixing proportions on the same elevation reads as patched even when each unit is good.
Sealing performance, ranked
All else equal, this is how the styles rank on air leakage in a windy Capital Region winter. Glass package and installation quality still matter more than style, but on an exposed elevation this ordering is worth knowing.
| Rank | Style | How it seals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fixed or picture window | Nothing moves, so nothing to leak through |
| 2 | Casement | Compression gasket on all four sides |
| 3 | Awning | Compression gasket, smaller unit |
| 4 | Double hung | Brush weatherstrip plus a meeting rail |
| 5 | Slider | Brush weatherstrip past a sliding panel |
Ranges reflect typical Capital Region projects and are for planning only. Every Sundog quote is written, itemized, and free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common window style in upstate New York?
Double hung, by a wide margin. It suits the vertically proportioned openings in almost all pre-1960 housing here, both sashes tilt in for cleaning, and it is what historic review boards expect to see on older homes. Installed cost runs $450 to $900.
Which window style seals the best?
A fixed picture window, because nothing moves. Among operating styles, casements and awnings seal best because they compress against a gasket on all four sides when you crank them shut. Double hungs and sliders seal by sliding past brush weatherstripping, which cannot be as tight.
Can I mix window styles in one house?
Yes, and most houses should. A casement over a kitchen sink, double hungs in the bedrooms, a slider in a basement and an awning in a bathroom is a sensible mix. What matters is keeping sight lines and proportions consistent within a single elevation so the wall reads as one composition.
Which style is best for an egress window?
A casement. The sash swings fully clear so nearly the whole unit counts toward the 5.7 square foot net clear opening requirement, which means a smaller and cheaper hole cut in the foundation. A two-panel slider only opens to half its width and needs to be roughly twice as large.
Do casement windows break in the wind?
They can if left open during a gust, because the operator arm and hinges take the load. The fix is behavioural: close casements before a storm. Modern operators with a locking worm gear resist being blown open but are not designed to hold a fully open sash against a strong gust.
Related reading
Want help choosing?
We will walk the house and tell you which option fits the architecture, the exposure and the budget.