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.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Grille patterns for replacement windows get decided twice: the pattern, and how the grille is built. Colonial grids suit traditional two-story houses, prairie suits bungalows and ramblers, and no grilles suit big view windows. Then choose simulated divided lites bonded to the glass, or grilles sealed between the panes that never need cleaning around. JMB Builders orders and installs either across the Twin Cities metro, priced per window; send photos and we reply within one business day.
- Pattern first, then SDL or between-the-glass
- Match the pattern across one wall, not every room
- Priced per window, windows supplied
Grilles are the bars that divide a window into smaller panes. On an old wood window they were real: separate pieces of glass set in wood muntins. On a replacement window they are a pattern applied to one sheet of insulated glass, and you pick both how the pattern looks and how it is made.
The pattern follows the house. Colonial, an even grid of squares across the whole sash, belongs on two-story colonials, capes and foursquares. Prairie, a border of small lites around a big center pane, belongs on bungalows, craftsman houses and many ramblers. Top-sash-only grilles, with a clear lower sash, give a traditional look without bars in your line of sight. And on a picture window facing a lake or a yard, no grilles at all is usually right. Mixing patterns across a house is fine when it follows the walls: colonial on the front, clear on the back where the view is.
The type is the part people regret. Grilles between the glass sit sealed inside the insulated unit, so the glass wipes flat and nothing ever collects dust; from the sidewalk they look flatter than real muntins. Simulated divided lites, or SDL, are bars bonded to the outside and inside of the glass, often with a spacer bar between the panes to match, and they cast a shadow line like a real wood window. SDL costs more and you clean around them. Removable interior grilles are the third option, a wood or vinyl grid that clips onto the inside of the sash, which is the only one you can change your mind about later. JMB Builders orders whatever you choose and installs it; on a mixed order we check every unit against the layout before it goes in the wall.
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 photo of the front of the house and a note on what the old windows had
- Which walls get grilles and which stay clear
- Your pattern choice per wall: colonial, prairie, top-only or none
- SDL, between-the-glass, or removable interior grilles
What JMB supplies
- A grille layout written on the quote, window by window, so the order matches the house
- In-home measure of each opening before anything is ordered
- The windows, with grilles in the pattern and type you pick, matched in color to the frame
- A check of every unit against the layout on delivery, before anything is installed
- Removal and haul-away of the old windows
- Sill pan, shims, low-expansion foam and exterior sealant at every opening
- 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:
- SDL costs more than grilles between the glass, and SDL with an internal spacer bar costs more still
- Number of lites per sash; a six-over-six double hung has more bars than a prairie
- Grilles on all windows vs. the front wall only
- Grille color when it differs from the frame
- Window count and insert vs. full-frame install
Send a straight-on photo of the front of the house. We draw the grille pattern on each window in the quote so you see the whole elevation before you approve the order.
How long it takes
Grilles do not change install pace: three to five windows a day as inserts. SDL and custom patterns can add factory lead time, written on the quote.
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
Colonial grid
Equal squares across the sash: six-over-six, six-over-one, or nine-over-nine on a tall unit. Right on two-story colonials, capes and foursquares. Usually ordered in SDL on the front wall where the shadow line shows.
Prairie
A border of small lites around a large clear center pane. Fits bungalows, craftsman houses and ramblers, and it keeps the view mostly open. Works well between the glass because the bars are near the edges where flatness is less noticeable.
Top sash only
Grilles in the upper sash of a double hung, clear glass below. Traditional from the street, open at eye level from inside. A good answer when you want some pattern but hate looking through bars.
No grilles on the view wall
Picture windows and casements on the lake or yard side left clear, with grilles kept to the street side. Common on cabins, walkouts and ramblers with a big back window. Looks planned when the split follows the walls.
Grille Patterns for Replacement Windows — Colonial, Prairie, SDL, GBG: questions, answered
Should I order grilles between the glass or SDL?
Between the glass if you clean your own windows and the windows are not the focal point of the house. SDL if you are matching an older house, the windows face the street, and you want the shadow line of a real muntin. SDL with a spacer bar between the panes is the most convincing and the most expensive. Many houses do SDL on the front and between-the-glass on the sides and back.
Can grilles between the glass be removed later?
No. They are sealed inside the insulated glass unit when it is made, and the only way to change them is a new glass unit. Removable interior grilles that clip onto the sash are the only option you can change your mind about. If you are unsure whether you want grilles at all, order clear glass with a removable interior grid.
What grille pattern matches a 1920s or 1930s house?
It depends on the style. Bungalows and craftsman houses usually had prairie or a three- or four-lite upper sash over a clear lower sash. Colonials and foursquares had six-over-one or six-over-six. Tudors had diamond or small rectangular lites in casements. Look at any original window left on the house, often on the garage or in the attic, and copy that.
Do grilles reduce how much light comes in?
A little. Each bar covers a strip of glass, so a dense colonial grid blocks more light than a prairie border and both block more than clear glass. On a small bedroom window it is noticeable; on a big living room unit it is not. If light matters, use top-sash-only or prairie patterns, or keep the view wall clear.
Can I put grilles on some windows and not others?
Yes, as long as the split follows the house. Grilles on the street-facing wall and clear glass on the back where the view is reads as a plan. A grilled window next to a clear one on the same wall reads as a mistake. We lay out the whole elevation on the quote so you see how it looks before anything is ordered.
Do new windows have to have grids at all?
No. Plenty of houses look better without them, especially ramblers, split levels, mid-century houses and anything with big picture windows. Clear glass is the base price and the easiest to clean. Grilles are a style choice, and skipping them is a legitimate one.
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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