How to pick the right window? How would the pricing vary? Why does the pricing vary at all? How does aesthetics play into picture?
Windows come in different types. Most popular ones are sliding, casement and fixed. uPVC windows are the new normal. One of the common pitches, our team at Mason does when speaking to homeowners is, trying to explain different types of windows, use cases, and pros vs. cons of uPVC. Generic benefits of easy maintenance, termite resistant, corrosion free etc., are mentioned everywhere on the web.
The decision of windows purchase springs into picture only towards the wrap-up of a home construction. From our observation, most homeowners are pressed against time in terms of moving-in to their new homes. Hence, the decision happens considerably faster than the rest of the construction process. Same is the case with the budget, because of unseen expenses along the way, homeowners usually set aside little budget for windows. We hope this guide comes in handy for that exact situation in helping make a little more informed decision.
Sliding, as the name suggests is a slider that slides left and right. Most common variants being 2Track (2T), 2.5Track (2.5T) and 3Track (3T). A 2T sliding window consists of two panels of glass fitted in an outer frame. A 2.5T on the other hand, comes with an extra track which usually fits another panel for a mosquito mesh. The two glass panels (for both 2T and 2.5T) slide on rollers to provide a maximum of 50% opening.
Either 2T or 2.5T is a common choice of window for any of 3 ftx3ft up to 5ftx5ft. In contrast to the above, a 3T is a rare choice, which is usually opted in cases of extremely large openings.
Most seen use case is with sliding doors for width and length exceeding 6 ft. For some of the large aperture situations, a 2.5T would just suffice, but in other cases aesthetics demand a 3T for obvious reasons of larger gauge sizes (3T>2.5T>2T). Some homeowners might also fancy a 3rd glass panel in the 3rd track of the 3T, making the maximum provisional opening to be a 66%.
Casement window is the most aesthetically pleasing that most homeowners should be thinking about. A casement window is primarily inspired from the traditional outward/inward openable wooden windows. The uPVC touch to this traditional variant, only enhances the original look and feel. Simply, these windows are expensive than the sliding windows discussed above.
There is a right reason why. Consider, all the hinges and handles that are needed to handle the load of the window for the outward/inward opening capability of a window. That is where the cost adds up.
At times, these costs can run up to 50% or more when compared to that of their sliding counterparts. A top-hung casement window is another variant, which is suggested for smaller apertures. One of the other major advantages of the casement windows is that the maximum openable area is almost a 100%.
The main use case of fixed windows is in façade beautification. As the name suggests, the windows are fixed. As the hardware required for this type of window is minimal when compared to the above two variants, the cost is also significantly cheaper than sliding/casement variants. A special combination of all two of these three(sliding/casement/fixed) are also a common occurrence, based on specific aesthetic requirements.
That being said, there can be occasional cases where a price/sft of a fixed window might dominate that of the casement/sliding. Consider the material consumption for a small fixed vs. a large sliding window. A 1ftx1ft fixed window consumes about 4ft of outer frame, i.e., about 4ft of material consumption for 1 sq.ft of output, vs. a 4ftx4ft sliding window consumes about 16ft of outer frame, i.e., about 1ft of material consumption for 1 sq.ft of output. While the price of the outer frame itself is higher for sliding windows, a 400% more material consumption per square footage of output can really change how the prices play out.
We hope this provides a basic outline about different type of windows, a homeowner should be thinking, why a cost-conscious fabricator cannot a pin a single price right off the bat, and other silly details. #KhabarLive #hydnews
