Awning Windows for Shop?

[karoc]

Looking for suggestions for best cheap awning windows, yes I know cheap and best don’t play well together. In my shop I will have 12’ ceiling, I like to add some of those awning type windows to mainly let light in. But I also like to open them just to circulate air, which will require me to have ladder. I can’t spend big bucks but main purpose is light. I have 3’ overhang (as suggested by GJ members) so maybe installing say 3 of these on each side that’s 38’ long. Right now carrying the lap siding up till get to point where need to work on rough opening size. I know these windows don’t go with farmhouse look or craftsman, but looking for some ideas. With all this being said, I’m not above making them out dried treated lumber, but I don’t know how to construct so that windows will open. Anyway, looking for suggestions and maybe design my own help. Thanks

 

[mike93lx]

I would not get something that requires using a ladder. If you can't operate them from the ground, you likely won't use them.

Especially going into retirement, try to avoid using ladders when possible

 

[rust in the eye]

I would not get something that requires using a ladder. If you can't operate them from the ground, you likely won't use them.

^^
Some have remote operators but that will preclude "cheap"
I put clerestory windows(Anderson) in my shop(14' ceiling) and regret not getting some operable from the ground. Especially when a bird finds its way in.

 

[bdbecker]

I was looking to do something similar in my shop a few years ago. I wanted to be able to open the windows during a rainy day so the cool air could roll through without too much worry of water getting in. About the best deal I could find were Tafco brand from Home Depot, but they are pretty basic, white vinyl windows, and there are only a handful of size options. Anything beyond that (as I'm sure you already know), the price goes up in a hurry.

TAFCO WINDOWS 32 in. x 16 in. Awning Vinyl Insulated Window with Screen - White VAW3216B - The Home Depot

The Tafco Vinyl Awning Window in white with insulated glass is a maintenance-free product and the perfect choice to maximize viewing in any window opening. This energy-efficient window opens easily with

www.homedepot.com

I ended up going with fixed pane windows instead. This allowed me to get the wider window that I wanted. If I want cool air in the shop, I just crack the garage door open a foot or so and run a couple of box fans nearby to circulate the air. In the end, I've been happy with that compromise.

 

[larry4406]

I like the idea of high operable windows. I was in a factory long time ago and there were windows similar to this but there was a hand crank instead of a linear actuator.

 

[karoc]

Larry I remember those, in jr high had them in gym and woodshop

 

[karoc]

I ended up going with fixed pane windows instead. This allowed me to get the wider window that I wanted. If I want cool air in the shop, I just crack the garage door open a foot or so and run a couple of box fans nearby to circulate the air. In the end, I've been happy with that compromise.

I like your idea, I tried to google them Pane Window but not what looking for.
What are those windows called?

 

[karoc]

Think I found them at HD for 99.00

 

[mike93lx]

I like your idea, I tried to google them Pane Window but not what looking for.
What are those windows called?

Fixed pane windows are usually called picture windows.

 

[bdbecker]

I like your idea, I tried to google them Pane Window but not what looking for.
What are those windows called?

I've heard them called all sorts of things... fixed pane window, fixed frame window, picture window... I'm not exactly sure which is the proper name is. @mike93lx is probably correct in calling them picture windows.

I don't recall who made my windows. I got lucky and found them at the local ReStore for $20/ea. Brand new, double pane low-e glass, and the exact width I was looking for. I do wish they were a few inches taller, but I wasn't going to pass up that deal.

 

[MushCreek]

This thread has me thinking about adding a couple windows to my shop. My main purpose is to let in a little light, especially when (not if) the power goes out. My shop goes pitch dark when the power goes out, and with all of the **** I have, it can get interesting finding the door. In looking at awning windows, I also found hopper windows, which open at the top, and open in. A simple latch closes them. I'm wondering if I could rig up a long, lightweight handle to work them from the floor? Maybe 1/2" aluminum tubing. The windows themselves are under $100 on Amazon. I don't care about quality or energy efficiency; it's a barn. The windows would be right under the roof overhang, so rain getting in isn't a concern except for during a violent storm.

I also found crank mechanisms for crank-out awning windows so you can operate them from the floor, but the mechanism itself is close to $400 not including the window!

 

[bdbecker]

...My main purpose is to let in a little light, especially when (not if) the power goes out. My shop goes pitch dark when the power goes out, and with all of the **** I have, it can get interesting finding the door...

Emergency backup lights are pretty reasonably priced. Something like this with a plug-in would be easy enough to install while you sort out windows.

Amazon.com

If you work in your shop at night, you might want a couple anyway. No first hand experience with this make/model, just an example I found.

 

[MushCreek]

Well, it would be nice to open them to vent the shop out, too. My experience with emergency lights in the workplace is that they worked when they tested them, but not in an actual black-out. I imagine today's batteries are better, though.

 

[txvwnut]

I bought Pella awning windows for my shop and they are great, unless you want to open or close them then its the typical Pella **** construction. The locking latches won't stay in adjustment and you have to grab the window frame and pull it in while turning the crank to get them to seat all the way.

 

[Jackfre]

When I built my shop I put a couple 6’ long x 2’ slider windows on the side visible from the road. They were on rarely opened but did offer nice lighting. I set them at 7’ so they offered no road side view into the shop. They took up little wall space. That is important. I really loved that shop but found that the other walls had to many doors and windows limiting free wall space.

 

[mytimeyet]

Our place came with crank open windows in the clearstory. The PO also left a long 1x board with a hole in the end that slipped over the crank handle so the crank could be operated from the ground. They do get a but sticky if not operated or maintained for a while.

 

[Steve W.]

When I told my builder I wanted awning windows, he did not understand. After drawing it out and explaining it, he said "oh, you want a Raggedy Ann window". I had never heard that term, and still can't find anything to support it.

Anyway, the downstairs windows (four of them) are about 18" x 36", set as high as possible under the top sill (8 feet). The upstairs windows (two) are much smaller (maybe 16x24), as they are at the gable ends of the attic room. They provide a bit of light and some cross-flow ventilation.

I don't have any idea what brand was used, or what the price difference was, but they are double-paned and what I wanted, so it doesn't really matter. I like them because I can leave them cranked open, even when it's storming outside and virtually nothing gets wet inside.

.

 

[larry4406]

@karoc what window did you end up with?