Change the Look of Your Home with New Windows

As the world goes greener every day, energy efficient windows are becoming more and more important in many home renovation projects.  While replacing your existing inefficient windows with high efficiency insulating windows is certainly a worthwhile renovation, don’t overlook the opportunity to change the look of your home as you select those new windows.

Consider this example.  If the front of your home has six individual double hung windows joined or milled together in a row, from the street they will appear as twelve squares of glass, separated by a continuous horizontal line.  A double hung window has an upper and a lower window; with both moving up and down independently.  They are joined together in the middle when closed, resulting in the look of an extended horizontal line.

Most of us choose to replace older windows with newer ones of the same dimensions to avoid the construction costs involved with expanding the rough opening in the home’s exterior wall.  In our example, the six double hung windows could be replaced with six casement style windows, completely changing the look of your home from a small square look to a large, open rectangle look.  The extended horizontal line is replaced by a series of evenly spaced vertical lines, for a cleaner, more open look.

Your options don’t end there.  Both casements and double hung’s are now available with grill inserts, giving them the look of French Windows.  These inserts come in both wood and pvc and are easily inserted over the window glass.  Some windows have the grates permanently installed within the glass.  Although these make window cleaning easier, they have the disadvantage of being forever the same color – they can’t be removed, repainted, and replaced.

The design variety of these grill inserts are endless – many being compatible with Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style architecture.  To get an idea of how these windows look, spend some time on the Internet doing preliminary research.  Manufacturer’s web sites are a good place to learn the basic window styles available and to see how each can be customized for a more unique look and appearance.

As an even better source for the possibilities of decorating with windows, spend some time at the local library looking through home decorating and home improvement magazines.  Once you have a little basic knowledge of what’s out there you’re ready to take the first serious step – selecting a source where you will purchase your windows.

While you can arrange a home visit from many manufacturers’ sites you’ll find on the net, they will only show you the possibilities with their own product lines.  To get a better idea of the breadth and depth of available window styles and combinations, start visiting major Home Improvement Centers or Window and Door Outlets that offer products from a range of manufacturers.

They’ll be able to tell you what each manufacturer can and cannot do.  Be aware that many of today’s better windows come in aluminum cladding, and their original color is not easily changed.  If you like to freshen up the colors in your home every few years, wood windows would be a better choice for you.  An experienced sales associate can help you find manufacturers that offer the most options in wood windows.

Finally, don’t completely abandon the idea of enlarging your existing opening to allow for adding windows in different geometric shapes to your window configuration.  This is a more expensive option by far, but if you are truly interested in changing the look of your house with new windows, it’s something you should at least explore.