Double Hung or Casement? Picking Replacement Windows, Room by Room
The old windows are coming out either way. The question is whether the new ones crank out or slide up, and the honest answer changes from the kitchen to the bedroom to the front of the house.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Double hung vs casement replacement windows is a per-opening decision, not a whole-house one. A casement pulls tight against its weatherstrip and seals better in a Minnesota wind; a double hung tilts in for cleaning, keeps a screen outside the glass, and fits a traditional front. JMB Builders walks each opening with you at a free in-home estimate, then supplies and installs the mix. Priced per window, with a reply to your photos within one business day.
- Decided opening by opening, not whole house
- Casement seals tighter; double hung tilts in to clean
- Priced per window, windows supplied
When the whole house is getting replaced, the style of each new window is a free choice. Insert replacement windows come in either style for the same opening, and a full-frame job can go either way too. So the decision is not what you have now. It is what each room needs.
A casement closes against a compression weatherstrip on all four sides and the lock pulls it tight. That is why it tests tighter for air leakage than a sliding sash, and why we lean toward casements on the north and west walls where the wind hits. A double hung seals with sliding weatherstrip, which is good on a new window and gets looser with age. It wins where you want the screen outside the glass, where you want to tilt the sash in to wash it from inside, and where the house looks wrong without the two-sash look.
There are rooms where the choice is made for you. Over a kitchen counter or sink, a casement with a folding crank opens with one hand and a double hung does not. In a bedroom that has to meet the egress opening size, a casement usually clears it in a smaller frame than a double hung, which matters when the opening is tight. In a bathroom that gets steamed, either works, but the casement's tight close keeps winter condensation off the sash. JMB Builders supplies and installs both across the Twin Cities metro and the north metro out to St. Cloud, and we will tell you which one we would put in each opening and why.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- A list of the rooms and what bothers you in each: drafts, hard to open, cleaning, looks
- Your preference on the front of the house, where the street view decides the style
- Interior finish choice: white, paintable, or a wood interior to match trim
- Clear access to each window inside
What JMB supplies
- A walk-through of every opening with a style recommendation written on the quote
- In-home measure of each opening before anything is ordered
- The windows, double hung and casement in the same line so colors and grilles match
- Removal and haul-away of the old windows
- Sill pan, shims, low-expansion foam and exterior sealant at every opening
- Interior stops or casing, primed; painting is quoted as a separate line, or paint it yourself
- Photos of the finished windows in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Casement hardware costs more than a double hung balance system in most lines
- Window count and size; a wide opening may take a twin casement or a double hung pair
- Insert vs. full-frame install at each opening
- Egress-size units in bedrooms, which may need a larger casement
- Grille pattern, exterior color and glass package
- Second-story access
Send a photo of each window from inside and say what you use it for. The quote lists a style for each opening; you can change any of them before the order goes in.
How long it takes
A mixed-style house installs the same as any whole-house job: three to six inserts a day, fewer full-frame, every opening closed up each night. Lead time on the windows comes first.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Casement on the weather walls, double hung on the front
The most common mix we install. North and west openings get casements for the seal, and the street-facing wall keeps double hungs so the house looks like itself. Both come from one line so the frame color and grilles match.
All casement
Tightest house, easiest to open with one hand, best for high or hard-to-reach openings. The trade is the screen on the inside and a sash that swings into the yard, which matters next to a deck or walkway.
All double hung
Traditional look, screens outside, tilt-in cleaning on every window. Order a line with good sliding weatherstrip and a cam lock at both meeting rails. Fine for sheltered walls and for houses where the look matters most.
Picture window flanked by one of each style
A fixed center lite with operating units on each side. Casement flankers give the clean single-lite look and a tight seal; double hung flankers give the traditional divided look. We match the flanker style to the rest of the wall.
Double Hung or Casement? Picking Replacement Windows, Room by Room: questions, answered
Is a casement or a double hung better for a cold climate like Minnesota?
For air sealing, the casement. It closes against compression weatherstrip on all four sides and the lock draws it in tight, so wind cannot work the sash. A good double hung in a new line is tight too, but its sliding seals wear faster. If a wall faces the wind, we recommend casements there and let the other walls follow the look you want.
Can I mix casement and double hung windows on the same house?
Yes, and most of the houses we do are mixed. The rule is to keep one style per wall or per room so the mix looks planned, and to order everything in one line so the frame color, glass and grilles match. A casement next to a double hung on the same wall reads as a mistake; a wall of casements on the side and double hungs across the front reads as a design.
Which is better over a kitchen sink, a casement or a double hung?
A casement. You reach over the counter, turn a folding crank, and the sash swings out. Lifting a double hung sash from behind a sink means leaning across the faucet, and most people stop opening it. An awning is the other option over a sink if you want to leave it open in the rain.
Does a casement or a double hung meet bedroom egress easier?
The casement, in most openings. When it is open the whole sash is out of the way, so the clear opening is nearly the frame size. A double hung only opens half its height, so it needs a much taller frame to clear the same opening. In a bedroom with a tight existing opening, a casement is often the only way to meet the egress size without enlarging the hole.
Where do the screens go on a casement versus a double hung?
A casement's screen is on the inside, because the sash swings out. A double hung's screen is on the outside, in front of the glass. People who like a clear view from inside prefer the double hung in summer; people who do not want a screen collecting dust on the outside prefer the casement. Retractable or removable screens are available on both if you want the glass clear.
Which style is easier to clean from inside the house?
A tilt-in double hung is easiest on the second floor: both sashes tilt into the room and you wash the outside glass standing on the carpet. Most casements open far enough to reach the outside of the glass from inside, and some lines have a hinge that slides the sash over to make room for your arm. On a single story either one works since you can reach the outside from the ground.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 10, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
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