Awning Windows

Awning Windows – taking their name from the angled awnings that typically jut out over porches and windows to protect their inhabitants from the elements, awning windows are increasingly popular among new home builders and existing home owners looking for a less restrictive style of window.

Their name is appropriate, as these windows typically crank open, creating an outward-facing angle from the home. These unique windows have several year-round benefits for homeowners that make their installation practically a no-brainer.

Awning Windows – The Joys of Ventilation

Remember the last time it rained? It’s likely that you went into a frenzy, running throughout the house and closing every open window in order to prevent the rain from blowing in and destroying any number your valuable possessions. But awning windows do not suffer from the same type of drawback that typical casement windows (those which slide up and down) generally do.

Because awning windows face outward when they’re open, they actually prevent the rain from coming into the house and shield the window’s opening from the outdoor elements. That means they can be left open, rain or shine, 24 hours per day without putting your electronics or valuables at risk of water damage. Even those windows which open at very wide angles — and these are increasingly popular — maintain their downward slope and keep the interior of the home protected.

Awning Windows – Security

It’s easy for thieves to walk up to a traditional sliding casement window and break into a home. Often, it’s as easy as sliding the window straight up and siding in the opening. But these angled windows have no such problem. First and foremost, they open at an angle which means it’s going to be extremely difficult for a thief to move in on your home. They’d have to somehow go up and then inside your window, and that’s likely not going to happen.

The second layer of protection come’s from the window’s closing mechanism — often a crank of some sort. Because awning windows are cranked shut and mount flush with the outside of a home, they can’t be easily maneuvered by would-be home invaders. Instead, they keep your home safe and secure while providing a firm locking device with each installation.

Awning Windows – Energy Savings

Another benefit of these windows is that they can greatly increase a homeowner’s budget by decreasing the amount they spend on heating and cooling throughout the year. Because awning windows can remain opened even during rainstorms, they allow a home to enjoy the rain-cooled air of summer, reducing the burden on expensive air conditioning units that can drain the average consumer’s budget. Additionally, their security features mean that these windows can stay open overnight and allow the night-cooled air to keep a house at an optimal temperature. That, again, keeps energy bills down.

And during the winter, they provide the kind of air-tight seal that casement windows have been known to lack. That keeps hot air from escaping outside, and will result in far lower gas and oil heating bills during the coldest months of the year. In an era of ever-increasing gas and oil prices, it makes sense to invest in a type of window that does a good job of keeping heat in, and working with the elements to maintain a house’s most comfortable temperature.

Awning Windows – They Look Good, Too

Let’s face it: there’s something to be said about having good taste and executing good style. Awning windows do both; they’re increasingly popular among young homeowners who are buying into the notion that homes should be built in a “green” manner that works with nature, rather than against it. Because they can be open all year and let naturally cool or warm air into the home, they’re an integral part of the green homeowner’s building plan.

And that means your neighbors will view you as the kind of environmentally-friendly, forward-thinking homeowner that they love to live close to. And who wouldn’t want that added benefit of their already-fantastic new windows?