Grilles Between the Glass or Simulated Divided Lites
Two windows can have the same grid pattern and look completely different up close.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-250-3621.
Grilles between the glass vs simulated divided lite: GBG is a grid sealed inside the insulated glass unit, so the panes stay smooth and wipe clean. SDL is bars bonded to both faces of the glass, often with a bar between the panes, so it reads like true divided lites. JMB Builders orders either and installs them across the Twin Cities metro, priced per window. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- GBG: grid sealed inside the glass, wipe-clean panes
- SDL: bars bonded to the glass, deeper shadow line
- Both ordered at the factory, not added later
Once you know the pattern you want, there is a second choice on the order form that the quote may shorten to GBG or SDL. Grilles between the glass are a metal or vinyl grid sealed inside the insulated unit between the two panes. From the room you see a flat grid behind smooth glass. Simulated divided lites are bars glued to the outside face and the inside face of the glass, usually with a spacer bar between the panes so the line runs straight through. From the room you see bars with real depth and shadow.
GBG is the pick when cleaning matters: the glass wipes in one pass, nothing catches a sponge, and the grid cannot be knocked loose. It is the standard on most vinyl lines and comes flat or contoured, in white, tan or a color that matches the frame. SDL is the pick when the window has to read like an old wood window from the street or sit next to original divided-lite windows you are keeping. It costs more and the bars are part of cleaning, but the shadow line is the real thing.
Either one is built into the window at the factory. Neither is added to a window after it is installed, so the choice goes on the order with the pattern, the color and the glass.
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 763-250-3621.
What you supply
- Photos of the windows from inside and from the street, and of any original divided-lite windows you are keeping
- The grid pattern you want: colonial, prairie, top-row only or none
- Your window style, frame color and interior finish for the rest of the order
What JMB supplies
- Samples or photos of GBG and SDL on the lines you are considering, at the in-home estimate
- The windows, ordered through ABC Supply with the grille type, profile and color written per window
- Install with sill pan, flashing, foam and sealant, trimmed inside and out
- A check of every grille at the walkthrough: straight, aligned sash to sash and window to window
- 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:
- GBG is the lower-cost build; SDL adds a line per window that grows with the number of lites
- Grille color: white or tan vs. a color matched to a dark or two-tone frame
- Flat vs. contoured GBG, and SDL with or without the spacer bar between the panes
- Pattern complexity: a few lites vs. a full colonial grid on every sash
- The window itself: style, size, material and install method
Send a street photo of the house and tell us if any original divided-lite windows stay. That decides whether SDL is worth it or GBG will read fine.
How long it takes
Grilles are built into the window and add no site time. One window takes about half a day; several run a few windows per day.
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
Flat GBG
A thin flat bar sealed between the panes. The lightest look and the easiest to clean. Reads as a grid from the street, nearly disappears from inside.
Contoured GBG
A shaped bar between the panes that throws a little shadow and reads closer to a muntin from a few feet away, while the glass still wipes flat.
SDL with spacer bar
Bars bonded outside and inside with a matching bar between the panes. From any angle the line runs straight through the glass like a true divided lite.
SDL without spacer bar
Bars on both faces but open between the panes. The look is nearly the same head-on and the window costs a little less; at an angle you can see the gap.
Grilles Between the Glass or Simulated Divided Lites: questions, answered
What does GBG mean on a window quote?
GBG stands for grilles between the glass: a grid sealed inside the insulated glass unit, between the two panes. The glass surfaces stay smooth on both sides. SDL on a quote means simulated divided lites, which are bars bonded to the outside faces of the glass.
Are simulated divided lites glued on?
Yes. SDL bars are bonded to the glass with a factory adhesive tape made for it, and most lines add a spacer bar between the panes so the grid line continues through the glass. The bond is permanent and holds up to washing. It is not the same as snap-in grilles that clip into the sash from inside.
Can SDL grilles come off or get damaged?
A bonded SDL bar does not come off in normal use or cleaning. The outside bars take weather like the frame does, and the same color finish is used on both. A bar can be damaged by a hard knock, in which case the manufacturer supplies a replacement bar for that lite rather than a new window.
Do grilles between the glass come in colors?
Yes. GBG comes in white, tan or almond on most lines, and in a dark or matched color on lines that offer black, bronze or two-tone frames. The grid is usually the interior color on the room side and the exterior color on the outside face when the window is two-tone.
Do SDL grilles match my old true divided lite windows better?
Yes. If you are keeping original wood windows with real muntins on part of the house, SDL on the new windows is the closest match: the bars have depth, cast a shadow and sit on the glass the way muntins do. GBG reads flatter beside a true divided lite. We match the bar width to the old muntins when the line allows it.
Can I mix GBG on the back of the house and SDL on the front?
Yes, and many owners do. SDL goes on the windows you see from the street and GBG goes on the sides and back where cleaning matters more than the shadow line. Both use the same pattern and color, so the house reads as one set. Each window is its own line on the order.
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.
Related jobs we do
Grille Patterns for Replacement Windows — Colonial, Prairie, SDL, GBG
The order form asks for a grille pattern and a grille type, and getting either one wrong is permanent. This is how we help you fill in those two boxes.
Read moreGrids or No Grids: Picking One Look for the Whole House
The old windows had grids, or half of them did, and you are not sure the new ones should. Here is how to decide once for the whole house and get it right on the order.
Read moreFull-Glass Patio Door With Grids
Your windows have grids and the old patio door is a blank sheet of glass. The new door can carry the same pattern, sealed between the panes where it never needs cleaning.
Read moreReplace Original Wood Windows — Painted Sash and Storms Out for Good
The house still has its first wood windows: single-pane sash painted many times over, storms hung outside, and a draft you can feel from the couch.
Read moreWindow Replacement in a Historic District — Getting the Approval
The house is in a designated district, the windows are shot, and the city wants to see what you plan to put in before you do it. We have been through that review and know what the file needs.
Read moreDouble Hung Window Replacement — Measured, Ordered and Trimmed
Sash cords snapped, sashes painted shut, or tilt-ins that will not stay up. We replace the double hungs and finish them inside and out.
Read morePage reviewed October 27, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
Where we work
Window Replacement & Installation near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: