Bay windows old houses

Homes in cold-weather climates might benefit from triple glazing three panes, two air spaces , which provides 15 to 25 percent higher energy efficiency than standard insulated glazing. What you'll pay. A custom-made unit will cost at least 15 to 20 percent more and take four to six weeks for delivery, compared with less than a week for most standard-size bays.

That's why it's important to shop around for the window that best suits your home, budget, and time schedule. Whichever bay window you're considering, review the following five questions before you buy. What size window? It's easier and cheaper to put in a bay the same size or smaller than the old window. However, a larger window will bring more light into the room and create a greater visual impact inside and out. What type of sash?

There's no set rule regarding which style sash — either casement or double-hung — a bay should have. Often, the bay sash match those on the other windows on the home, but they don't have to.

Pick the style you like best. Taller, narrower bays usually look better with casement sash. Shorter units are most attractive with double-hung sash. You'll also find that the center window of a bay usually is fixed. But it, too, can be ordered with operable casement or double-hung sash in smaller sizes.

How is the window supported? Bay windows must be supported from below with braces or from above with steel cables bolted to the overhead framing.

Both systems work well, but support cables are much less obtrusive because they're hidden inside the window frame. Not all manufacturers offer support cables, but they can be bought separately and adapted for use on virtually any bay window. Is there an eave above the window? Bay windows often are tucked beneath an eave, with the space between the window top and underside of the soffit filled with insulation and hidden by trim boards.

Before choosing a bay window, measure the depth of the eave horizontally. Then order a unit that's shallow enough to fit beneath it if you can. Most degree bay windows are 12 to 14 inches deep, and degree units range from about 16 to 22 inches deep.

Box bays and degree bays usually are about 18 to 24 inches deep. What if there's no eave above it? While they are deeply rooted in traditional architecture, they are equally coveted in modern home construction. Some Victorian homes feature oriel windows with ornate details. But the classic canted bay window is a defining feature of Victorian architecture. The straight front and angled sides spiked in popularity after building codes changed in the s, allowing homes to extend windows outward beyond their walls.

Small oriel windows may decorate one or both levels of two-story, Tudor-style homes. Tudor bay windows are often supported by wood brackets that match the exposed timbers on the rest of the facade. Casement windows were common in Tudors, often used in groups of two or three. A casement bay window would complement Tudor architecture.

Traditional bay windows are ornate and decorative. But the bay window style is also suited for modern design. Modern bay windows have small frames with large expanses of glass.

The panes are clean and unadorned by grilles or bay window treatments to maximize the natural light. A circle bay window with tall panes of unobstructed glass could carve out a large protruding glass wall for a modern style home. Mid-century modern design follows the same clean, minimalist aesthetic.

Picture windows and casement windows are popular in mid-century modern homes. Combining them into a mid-century modern bay window can enhance the linear look of the Ranch or split-level layout and place an emphasis on the beauty of the outdoor environment. Bay windows were popular in Craftsman bungalows, less for their aesthetic and more for their ability to expand the space in a modest-sized home.

Bungalow-style bay windows increase the functionality of the window space by using it as additional seating or a ledge to display decorations. Bay windows are found in Queen Anne, Georgian, contemporary homes and dozens of other styles. Study commissioned by Pella, You are now subscribed to Pella offers and inspiration.

A well-planned bay window will greatly enhance the architectural effect of a home. Window seats in bay windows in the living or bedroom can serve as a relaxing retreat for reading. A bay window in the kitchen can serve as an alcove for the dining table and chairs providing not only ambiance but extra floor space. Great window seats, which at times fill bay windows, can be covered with cushions of every size. A bay window is a window projecting from the wall of a building so as to form a recess or bay within and, properly speaking, rising from the ground or basement, with straight sides only; but the term is also ordinarily applied to such projecting windows with curved sides, properly called bow windows, and also to projecting windows supported from the building, above the ground, properly called oriel windows.

The bay window is a window peculiar to late Gothic and Renaissance architecture, so called because it forms a bay or projecting space outwards from a room. When used in upper stories, such windows are supported on corbels, or large projecting mouldings. Bay windows naturally lend themselves to decorative treatment. With the addition of masonry or brickwork they often assume a massive and bold appearance.

When constructed of wood the framework is surmounted usually by a wooden cornice, and the wooden roof is covered with lead, slates or tiles.