Home Sweet Home - Choosing Windows

There are so very many decisions when building a house. The latest one that we have been working on is windows. We are needing to make some choices now as we are getting ready to build the garage and want to get windows for it that will match what we will put in the house.

 I love windows! I like light and prefer natural light and so windows are essential for me. I very rarely close a blind or curtain as I love to be able to see out. I also love opening them to get in some fresh air. I have really appreciated the large windows we have here and in our next house we are planning on having even bigger/more windows.

But what type of window?

  Currently we have wood framed windows upstairs and vinyl downstairs. Of the two I like the vinyl ones better. We are looking at other options too.

Pros and Cons of Wood Framed Windows:

~They can look very nice (until they rot, mold or discolor)
~They are an efficient insulator - I guess much better than vinyl or aluminum.
~They can rot, mold, discolor and have moisture problems.
~They can be painted or stained different colors according to your taste.
~They require some maintenance.

Pros and Cons of Vinyl Windows:
~They are generally less expensive.
~They are low maintenance.
~You cannot paint to change the color later.
~They are less efficient for sealing up your house.
~The cheap ones can fall apart rather easily.

Pros and Cons of Fiberglass Windows:
~It is good at insulating.
~It does not warp, shrink, swell, rot or corrode.
~They are strong.
~They have not been testing for as long.
~They can be expensive.

We are leaning towards buying Marvin's Fiberglass Infinity windows but I would love to hear from you what sort of windows you have and what you do or don't like about them.

 We also have decisions to make concerning double hung, single hung, sliders or crank outs. My favorite is the double hung because of the ease of washing inside and out. They are more expensive though so I think maybe we could got ahead and get single hung on the ground floor where it wouldn't be that hard to wash the windows from the outside. I have had bad experiences with crank out windows not working well but I guess that isn't always so. Again I would love to hear about your experiences.

 Another thing that we are trying to decide about is the grid in the windows. We think it looks cool but I wonder how practical it is, whether you find it bothers the view or if it is hard to clean windows with it.

I look forward to hearing from you!