Ten Reasons to Consider Gliding Windows for Your Home

There are several styles of windows from which to choose when building or remodeling your home. The three main types are gliding windows, casement windows, and hung windows. Here are some reasons to consider gliding windows:

Gliding Windows: Chief Advantages

1. Gliding windows are generally the least expensive of the three main window types. Gliding windows are the default style for most home builders, so they are produced in huge volume, keeping the price low relative to other styles.
2. Gliding windows, although generally less expensive than hung or casement windows, are available in double and even triple panes, and come with energy efficient glass. Not only might you save money when you buy them, you are likely to save money over the life of the windows as well. And speaking of saving money, you may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $1,500 on new windows purchased in 2009 or 2010. Details are available at at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.
3. Gliding windows come in standard sizes, so if you are replacing old single-pane windows with energy efficient ones, you will most likely not need much, if any, wall work.
4. Gliding windows can be custom made.
5. Gliding windows come in a variety of configurations. For example, think of a large living room window. Often there is a stationery center pane with side panes to the left and right which glide open. This configuration is referred to as quarter/half/quarter. Another example is a bathroom window which usually has one stationery and one gliding pane, referred to as a half and half. Many bedrooms have one glider and a double sized stationery; this configuration is referred to as, you guessed it, quarter/three-quarter.
6. Gliding windows can be mounted to open from the right or from the left, enabling them to accommodate the convenience of the user.
7. Gliding windows do not protrude from their frames, so you can jump up from planting tulips under the window without fear of knocking yourself silly.
8. Gliding windows can be easily removed for cleaning. And since they can be popped completely out, their tracks can be cleaned as well. Neither of the other two styles of windows can be removed for cleaning, although some hung windows have a feature allowing you to fold the windows in for cleaning. Even with this arrangement though, the tracks of hung windows cannot be completely cleaned.
9. Modern gliding windows come with built in screens that can be removed only from the inside. This arrangement serves as a deterrent to stealth entrants.
10. Gliding windows now come with locks that are much more sophisticated yet just as easy to use as the old-style ones. The new locks automatically engage when the windows are closed. They require light but firm pressure to release. Gliding windows are much more secure than they used to be, so don't lock yourself out and hope to crawl in through a window!