Thinking about installing the beautiful and popular Picture (fixed) window style in your home? First, take a look at some of the biggest pros and cons of this particular style before making your decision!
Pros
Insulation and Weatherproofing
Traditional picture windows are tightly sealed around all edges and are not able to be opened. This allows them to provide fewer gaps for air or water to leak in or out of your home. When it comes to energy efficiency, an insulated fixed window with Low-E coating, warm-edge spacers, and other energy-saving capabilities are almost unbeatable.
Lighting
Thanks to their structural simplicity, picture(fixed) windows can be customized to be larger than most other types of windows. This enables them to allow in an abundance of sunlight, limiting the need for artificial light indoors during the day!
Maintenance
Picture Windows are pretty easy to clean and maintain. Due to their simplicity, the cleaning process is very straightforward, because there are no moving components or hard-to-reach nooks and crannies to sanitize.
Cost
Being both convenient and cost-effective, fixed windows do not have mechanical parts that need to be replaced when they fail. Making them generally cost less than similarly-sized sliding or casement windows.
Cons
Ventilation
For many, the biggest point against this type of window is the lack of ventilation. If you live in a warm climate and depend heavily on ventilation to cool down your home, installing a picture window would not be the most efficient choice, unless you choose to install other more operable windows in the room.
Maintenance
Cleaning can be seen as both a pro and a con. Their lack of moving parts makes them easy to clean, but only from indoors. Cleaning a picture window from outside can be another story, especially if they are particularly large or installed on the upper floors.
Heat gain
While picture windows are generally very energy-efficient, the fact that they let in a lot of light may also mean unwanted solar heat gain. If you want to avoid heat gain issues but still enjoy the benefits of tightly-sealed fixed windows, pay attention to U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) values when you shop for your windows.
Cost
Another double-edged sword for these windows is cost. While picture windows do not have many parts that will need to be replaced, they will still suffer from wear and tear over time. And when this happens, you’ll have to replace the entire unit. Unlike, some other windows where you may be able to just replace specific parts that are failing.
Once you’ve decided whether picture windows or any other style is the right window for your specific goals, give us a call here at Euro Choice Windows and Doors and we can help you decide on colours, shapes, and sizes and then we’ll take care of the entire installation process for you! (We are also offering 40% off ALL Door and window purchases right now!).
