16 May Casement Windows and Sash Windows – What’s the Difference?
When you’re looking for bespoke timber windows for your home, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with the major window styles. The two most popular are casement windows and sash windows. You’ve probably heard of them, but may not know much about them. For example, do you know how a casement window differs from a sash window?
We design, create and install beautiful Devon timber windows, so we’re well-placed to compare and contrast casement and sash options. The following guide is designed to help you decide whether casement windows or sash windows are best for your home. You can also contact us for tailored advice.
What They Typically Look Like
Casement and sash windows can be produced in a wide range of shapes, sizes and styles with different numbers and configurations of sashes (the glazed panels that can be opened). We take pride in offering numerous customisation options (paint colours, glass styles, choice of ironmongery, etc.) and fulfilling even the most exacting requirements. In addition, you’ll find interior design magazines offer plenty of window inspiration for your project. But to give you a general idea of what sash and casement windows look like, let’s explore their most common designs.
Casement windows are often wider than they are tall. They’re likely to have two sashes sitting side by side with a slight overlap or bar where they meet. Each sash is attached to the frame with side-mounted hinges. Its compact structure makes this window style ideal for small openings, though it’s used for large ones too. We recently made beautiful hardwood casement windows for a farmhouse in Totnes.
Sash windows are usually taller than they are wide and ideal for large openings. As with casement windows, there are normally two sashes. One sits above the other, and they slightly overlap. One of our most memorable projects involved creating stunning Accoya wood sash windows for a spacious South Hams house.
How They Open and Close
While both casement and sash windows provide excellent ventilation, the most important difference between them is how they open and close.
In the words of lifestyle magazine The Spruce, ‘casement windows open and close like doors’. You unlock and lift the handle attached to each sash then swing the sashes outwards to let fresh air in. Either a tensioning device or manually-operated stay prevents each sash from opening further than required. When closing the window, you release the stays (if present), pull the sashes back towards the frame then return the handles to the closed position and lock them.
Sash windows, by contrast, open vertically. After releasing the fastener that locks the sashes together, you can open the lower sash. You place your fingers under the lifts at the sash’s base and firmly yet carefully raise the sash. (It can be lifted until it fully or partly covers the upper sash.) To close the window, use the lifts to draw the sash downwards then lock the fastener again. Sometimes the upper sash is moveable too. The sashes glide up and down thanks to channels in the frames known as window tracks and weights or spring balances.
Casement windows and sash windows benefit from being lubricated several times a year. This helps to ensure they continue working smoothly. You can lubricate casement window hardware with a silicone spray and lubricate sash window tracks with beeswax polish.
Other Key Considerations
Another significant difference is the effect casement and sash windows have on your home’s appearance. When casement windows are open, their sashes protrude. Normally this isn’t an issue, but if the space beyond your property is limited (perhaps you live in a terraced house bordering a busy street, say), sash windows may be more suitable. Because the sashes slide up and down, they don’t change the profile of your home.
That’s one of the key reasons why sash windows are regarded as particularly sophisticated and often favoured by owners of grand, historic properties. Casement windows are associated with a more relaxed, contemporary feel. Having said that, they can also look charming as part of a period home, as the casement windows we made for a Teignbridge thatched cottage demonstrate.
Superb Timber Windows for Devon Properties
Both casement and sash windows have broad appeal, as they provide plenty of light and fresh air while being easy to use. The type of windows you choose will therefore depend, to a great extent, on your personal preferences and taste.
Whatever your requirements, JTP Joinery can create the stylish, secure casement windows or sash windows of your dreams.
To discuss our timber windows or request a free quotation, please contact us today.