Windows: double hung or casement...preference?

[fiataccompli]

So, This is a rather easy one. My stick built garage I have three windows and it is time to pick out what kind. From a practical standpoint is there any preference I should have over double hung or casement style? My gut feeling is casement, realizing that they are slightly more money but in the great scheme of things it’s a very minor difference in cost.

Thanks in advance

 

[The Cobbler]

depends on the look you want IMO, casement are easier to operate , again,just IMO
casement can grab a lot of air if the breeze is blowing the right way too .

 

[aaronmn]

Casement has better performance. Double hung or glider don't open proud of the exterior. Up to you on what you want.

Sent from my SM-N950N using Tapatalk

 

[fiataccompli]

Actually in this case, except for the screen being inside or outside (I prefer in, which is casement), the aesthetics are nearly the same...ordered with whatever arrangements of panes we want.

Ah, yes, makes sense for airflow. To the converse, I suppose double hung is better for a traditional box fan?

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

For most people it's an esthetic contemplation. For me, it's a performance difference- casement windows "air seal" is far superior to single/double hungs.

 

[HenryAZ]

Yes on the box fan. But a double hung will only give you half the air flow opening per window size (a 3ft tall double hung will only open 1.5ft open air flow, whereas the casement gives full height air flow). Personally I like double hung, for the traditional look.

 

[yeldogt]

Modern windows are tight -- all styles. It's really personal preference .. not performance today.

I have mostly casement at the beach and don't find them any better as far as venting vs the double hung at my other places. It all a question of size .... when venting. I have a mix in my new build ... but they are all wood .. open in the rain is not possible.

Don't get me wrong I like the look of a casement or french casement from the outside -- and the Andersen 400's I have at the beach have all clad sash -- so you don't have to worry if it rains and the window is open. Be careful with a casement in any area where people walk -- they are dangerous when open. Also -- inside screens get very dirty if you are making a lot of dust.

What's on the house?

 

[Monza Harry]

I bought "Casement" for the house, but what I really wanted was "Awning"
as they can be open in the rain without leaking inside except on real windy days. Construction is similar to casements typically, with a stronger hinge/frame arrangement. Awning windows aren't very common around here (anywhere?) hence the settling on casements. Inside screens will not etch the glass as fast as outdoor screens in my experience. Just some more info to confuse things....I mean help out, yeah, yeah, that's what I meant Harry

 

[jkeyser14]

I prefer casement on houses I stay in on vacation, but prefer double hung at home. The biggest downfall with casement windows is the crank mechanism. I have yet to find a casement window with a crank/hinge that doesn't turn into a broken or sticking piece of garbage after 10 years.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I would match whatever you have on your house.

 

[lilredex]

These windows have no cranks and have a forty year guarantee.

https://magicwindow.ca/

 

[ford33]

I have both on my properties. I like the look of a single hung window and it offers the ability to put in a window air conditioning unit if you ever need one in a hurry. I also like the idea of the bug screens being on the outside of the glass window. One other thought, a casement window "looks open" when it is open whereby a single hung window may not be obvious to someone snooping around to steal something.

But I can live with both. Pick what you like.

 

[The Cobbler]

, but what I really wanted was "Awning"
as they can be open in the rain without leaking....

I wish I would have ordered casment for all of my house but I ordered double hug & 2 casment for my kitchen ,by mistake they made them Awning. I really like them , and since it was an order error, I got a refund on the Awning windows for less than the casement price .

 

[tonyciambrone]

I like casements and awnings better. I prefer the look, screens hold up better, they seem to seal better and honestly I don't open my Windows hardly at all so no opinion on that.

 

[MushCreek]

In our house, we used all casement except in the front, where we went with double hung SDL for the traditional look. I like the casements for the reasons already posted, plus they offer an unobstructed view. We are in the woods with lots of privacy, so no drapes at all, just a lot of great views. With tall ceilings, the top of our windows are at 8', so they let in a lot of light and air.

 

[HoosierMark]

I have casement. Only problem we have is washing the high ones. If you have a pair of them, you can reach out one side and wash the other. If you have three unit window with fixed center panel, you cannot wash the ends. I like casement as they give me a larger opening and I like the look.

 

[yeldogt]

Traditional "four square" houses need a window much taller than wide - double hung is the ticket. Casements work better when the window gets wider and not as tall .. too wide and you need to get a french casement. Awnings are great when the widow is wide and not very tall. My current project has all three -- it's all about the size.

 

[mike93lx]

my last house had casement windows and I hated them. don't like the look or operation.

I would do double hung with full screens and tilt ins. you can remove both sashes for a ton of air movement or moving things in or out of a window (less helpful in a shop, but i make use of it in my house every once and a while).

They are also far easier to clean the outside of.

 

[tymbo]

I have recently become aware of European Tilt/turn windows. Very cool design, but not catching on in the US market yet.

 

[fiataccompli]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like it boils down totally to personal preference.

To be clear (probably more clear than the original post that I wrote while slightly distracted), I was not asking about the aesthetics (by themselves, or relative to our house), but if one has a nice advantage over another for a garage/workshop & it sounds like even that is mostly personal preference.

I've usually thought of casements as single pane, relatively modern windows, but slightly ironically we have a classic MCM ranch house with mostly huge, multi-pane wood double hung (mostly can't be opened) windows and a few tall/narrow casements on the end. The windows for the garage will also be multi-paned so generally match what is predominant on the house (wife's preference, i'm ambivalent) so the only aesthetic differences would be screen inside/outside & a larger center divider for double-hung.

So, aesthetics aside, my thinking is:

Casements probably win. Screens on the inside mean I can leave them out a lot of the time which is nicer since I don't like screens. I guess I can put a fan in a window for either type & they are in a location where I doubt casements would cause much grief for people outside the window then they are opened. They are enough of a wash cost, aesthetically & efficiency-wise that it comes down to function as the only difference.

 

[yeldogt]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like it boils down totally to personal preference.

To be clear (probably more clear than the original post that I wrote while slightly distracted), I was not asking about the aesthetics (by themselves, or relative to our house), but if one has a nice advantage over another for a garage/workshop & it sounds like even that is mostly personal preference.

I've usually thought of casements as single pane, relatively modern windows, but slightly ironically we have a classic MCM ranch house with mostly huge, multi-pane wood double hung (mostly can't be opened) windows and a few tall/narrow casements on the end. The windows for the garage will also be multi-paned so generally match what is predominant on the house (wife's preference, i'm ambivalent) so the only aesthetic differences would be screen inside/outside & a larger center divider for double-hung.

So, aesthetics aside, my thinking is:

Casements probably win. Screens on the inside mean I can leave them out a lot of the time which is nicer since I don't like screens. I guess I can put a fan in a window for either type & they are in a location where I doubt casements would cause much grief for people outside the window then they are opened. They are enough of a wash cost, aesthetically & efficiency-wise that it comes down to function as the only difference.

If you see from my example all the windows match -- the squares all match up. be it the door, double hung or casement -- you can't see the awning in the sketch. That's the back -- with a double hung the meeting rail often throws it all off. Start looking around and you will see how off most houses are.

The one benefit of a double is they allow for small amounts of ventilation -- with no water getting it.

 

[stonesg]

Speaking of advantages in a shop environment....

If you will be having a a bench in front of the window, operating a double pane is a pain without resorting to a stool or something.

A crank casement would be much easier. I have this problem in my garage.

 

[86turbodsl]

One downside for casement that i haven't seen mentioned. If you leave them open during a storm, the materials they are made of get soaked.
My only set of casements on my house got installed due to code requirements in my daughters room. She leaves them open all the time. I had to remove the cranks because the oak case members were getting soaked all the time. $1000 windows are going to fall apart doing that.

Before any trolls give me a hard time with this - i gave her permission to throw a chair through the window in event of fire.