Windows are an essential part of your home's design, insulation, security, and comfort. The right windows can make a house beautiful while also providing an enjoyable view and maintaining your energy-efficient design. Selecting the windows to install can be a complex task. Not only are you matching design and quality, but you are also defining the indoor and outdoor style of your home.
Start by taking into account the architectural style of your home. The style of your home's architectural design can rule out certain types of windows, but it can also inform you about available styles that traditionally look good with your home's design. Classical, rustic, victorian - each style of home has a set of window styles that will look best and blend well with the rest of the home's design.
Once you have explored the family of window styles to choose from, it's time to look at your budget. Every home building project has a budget. If you are building a new home, then your options are more vast and windows must be included in the total price of your construction. For remodeling projects, windows may be the primary focus of the project, an improvement of opportunity, or a necessary part of remodeling or expansion. Consider your budget for the entire project and the percent of that which can be dedicated to purchasing your windows. This will inform your budget and further define your selection for the perfect new windows.
Naturally, your own sense of aesthetics should be a high priority in choosing your new windows. Matching your home and choosing functional features is a great place to start. From there, trust your own sense of style and what will make you happy to see and live in every day. Do you like windows with decorative sashes or clear picture glass frames? Do you prefer rounded tops or decorative cornices? Would you rather invisible or trim-defined lines? These decisions should be made based on your own aesthetic preferences.
Matching the size of your window to the room and the house is important, too. Oversized windows will fit poorly and may make the home look imbalanced, while undersized windows can also create an odd ratio appearance and minimize the benefits of window installation. Use design software and confer with an architect to determine the right size of windows to install and how to attractively space them to look best. Naturally, you want to create an appearance of symmetry and balance with the size and placement of your windows.
The location of your windows also matters in a functional sense, beyond aesthetics. Consider how side-facing windows can look nice in a CAD design, but in practice may face an alley or the blank wall of another house. Likewise, a window that looks nice outside may be placed in an awkward place indoors - like in a closet or bridging an interior wall. The right windows are not only well-placed, they are designed to fit into the spaces where the exterior and interior spaces would both benefit from window placement.
When selecting a model of window to install, it can also help to consider the number of windows you need. A large set of small to medium-sized windows should be selected so that they look good in a patterned design. Many homes choose a slightly different window design for the upper stories to create an aesthetic contrast with the ground floor. Alternately, you can choose to minimize the number of windows you need by choosing a less numerous set of larger windows.
Then there's the question of tasking your windows to dual-function. Some windows can slide open to become deck pass-throughs. Some windows have deep sills for flower beds, decorations, or seating. Deep sills can also create space for built-in cabinets and storage. The windows that suit the style of your home can also be selected for additional functions. If you want deep windowsills for storage or seating, choose windows that accommodate the style.
Local weather plays an important role in window selection. Based on the temperatures and weather common to your area, you should choose the feature priorities of your windows. Anywhere with extreme heat or cold should install double-paned windows that prevent transmission of temperature through the window panes. Homes in damp regions need windows that are designed to be especially moisture-resistant and to integrate with moisture protected building materials. Homes in hot dessert regions need windows that are not damaged by sun exposure and extremely low humidity. Your local climate may also influence your choice for features like opening-and-closing mechanisms, screens, pass-throughs, and window boxes.
The natural direction and quality of sunlight can also influence your window choice. East- and west-facing walls will receive direct sunlight as the sun rises and sets. South-facing external walls receive the strongest sunbeams, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. This allows you to choose your windows based on the sunbeams that will come through them. You can design your rooms for gentle, diffused sunlight with the use of frosted glass and drapes, or you can design your rooms to soak up as much sunlight as possible.
Sunlight direction and strength also influence your home's energy efficiency. Calculate which walls will soak up the most sunlight and whether that is desirable. The right windows can either maximize or minimize the heat transferred into your home. In cold climates, use sun-rooms and insulated windows to soak up the sun without letting in the chill. In hot climates, use windows to minimize the heat that makes it into your home and keep the cool AC air indoors.
