Replace Sliding Windows With Casement Windows — Same Opening
Your horizontal sliders stick in the track, only open halfway and whistle in the wind, and you want windows that crank open and seal shut.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
To replace sliding windows with casement windows, JMB Builders measures the opening, picks a single casement or a mulled pair of twin casements (a wide slider usually becomes two), checks that the sash can swing out clear of decks, walkways and air conditioners, confirms egress on bedroom windows, then sets the new units and trims both sides. Twin Cities metro, priced per window, quoted from photos, with a reply within one business day.
- Priced per window
- Single or twin casements, same opening
- Swing clearance and egress checked
A horizontal slider opens only half its width, the track fills with grit, and the two sashes meet in the middle with a latch and weatherstrip that wear out. A casement is hinged on one side and cranks out. It opens its full width, and when it closes the sash pulls tight against the weatherstrip all the way around. That is why people switch.
The opening usually stays the same size, so no framing changes. A narrow slider becomes one casement. A wide slider usually becomes a pair of twin casements mulled together, or a casement and a fixed picture unit, because one very wide casement sash gets heavy on its hinges. The screen moves from the outside to the inside, and the crank handle sits on the stool.
Two things get checked before ordering. First, swing: a casement sash sticks out from the wall when open, so a window over a deck, walkway or air conditioner may need the hinge on the other side or an awning instead. Second, egress: a bedroom window has to give a clear way out, and a casement often gives more opening than the slider it replaces.
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
- Photos of each slider inside and out, and what is outside below it
- Which rooms are bedrooms
- Your color, glass and hinge-side choices, or let us suggest the hinge side
- Furniture moved back from the windows on install day
What JMB supplies
- In-home measure and swing-clearance check before ordering
- Egress check on every bedroom window
- The casement windows, single or mulled twins, ordered to size
- Old sliders removed and hauled away
- Sill pan, flashing, foam and exterior sealant on full-frame installs
- Interior trim reset or new jamb extensions and casing
- Painting quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and paint it yourself
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Opening width: one casement, twin casements or casement plus picture
- Insert into the old frame vs. full-frame tear-out
- Hinge side and any obstruction outside the window
- Glass package and exterior color
- Rot in the sill or framing found when the slider comes out
- Interior trim reused or new
Send a photo of what sits outside each window: deck, walkway, AC unit, shrubs.
How long it takes
Inserts: three to five a day. Full-frame casements with new exterior trim: one to three a day. Each opening is closed up the same 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
One slider to one casement
For openings up to a normal casement width. One sash, hinged on the side that swings clear of anything outside.
Wide slider to twin casements
Two casements mulled into one frame, usually hinged on the outer sides so they open like a pair of doors. Common in living rooms and kitchens.
Casement and picture combo
One casement for air and a fixed picture unit for the view. Fewer moving parts and more glass than twin casements.
Replace Sliding Windows With Casement Windows — Same Opening: questions, answered
Can you replace a sliding window with a casement in the same opening?
Yes. Casements are ordered to fit the existing opening, so no framing changes are needed in most cases. A narrow slider becomes one casement; a wide one usually becomes two casements mulled together or a casement and a picture unit.
Is a casement window more energy efficient than a slider?
A casement usually seals tighter. When it is cranked shut the sash presses against the weatherstrip all the way around, where a slider's sashes slide past their weatherstrip. With the same glass package, that tighter seal is the difference you feel in a draft.
Will a casement window swing into my deck or walkway?
It can, which is why we check before ordering. The open sash sticks out from the wall, so we pick the hinge side to swing clear, or suggest an awning or a slider for that spot. Send a photo of what is outside each window.
Should a wide slider become one casement or two?
Usually two. A single casement sash that wide gets heavy on its hinges and swings far out from the house. Twin casements, or a casement with a fixed picture unit, are the common choices for wide openings.
Does a casement window work for bedroom egress?
Often better than the slider it replaces, because a casement opens its full width while a slider opens half. We still check each bedroom replacement against egress before it is ordered.
Where does the screen go on a casement window?
Inside. A casement cranks out, so the screen sits on the inside of the window and the crank handle sits on the stool. Some lines have a fold-down crank handle so blinds clear it.
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 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
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