When you replace windows, you don't have to replace like-for-like. The style you choose affects ventilation, ease of cleaning, energy efficiency, and how your home looks from the curb. Some styles also seal dramatically better than others in a windy Minnesota winter.
Here's a working tour of the styles we install most across the Twin Cities, and the practical strengths of each.
Double-hung: the classic all-rounder
Two sashes slide vertically, and both typically tilt in for easy cleaning — a real benefit on second stories. Double-hungs suit nearly every architectural style and are the default in most Minnesota neighborhoods. Their sliding seals are good but not the tightest available, so quality brand and installation matter.
Casement: the efficiency champion
Casements crank outward on side hinges and press against a compression seal when closed — the tightest air seal of any operating window style, which is why they're a favorite for exposed, windy sites. They catch breezes well, offer unobstructed glass, and the crank operation is easy over sinks and counters.
Consider clearance: casements open outward, so avoid them next to decks, walkways, or shrubs where an open sash is in the way.
Awning: ventilation even in the rain
Hinged at the top and opening outward, awning windows can stay open during light rain — great for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. Like casements, they use compression seals, so efficiency is excellent. They're often paired under or beside large picture windows.
Sliders and picture windows
Horizontal sliders are simple, affordable, and practical for wide, short openings and egress-height basement installs. Picture windows don't open at all — which makes them the most airtight and affordable per square foot of glass, perfect for framing a view and flooding a room with light. Most great window plans mix operating and fixed units.
Bay and bow windows
Bays (three units) and bows (four or five) project outward, adding dimension, a sill seat, and dramatic light. They're a bigger carpentry project involving roof and support framing, and they transform living rooms and dining rooms like nothing else.
Mixing styles the smart way
A common Twin Cities combination: casements or double-hungs in bedrooms (egress-friendly and ventilating), awnings in baths and kitchens, picture windows facing the best views, and sliders in the basement. At your free in-home estimate, we'll walk each room and talk through what fits your home's look and your family's habits. Call JMB Builders at 763-204-2099.
