With old man winter just around the corner, you’ll want to ensure that your home is prepared by being well insulated. One area to check into is your windows and doors. And while it is a practical approach to make sure your home is well insulated and saving you money, if you’re in need of a window or door replacement, this can be achieved in a modern, unique and fresh way to add value to your home.
It doesn’t matter if your home is relatively new or well over 100 years old, practically every house that has been built will have a draft. A draft happens when there are gaps in the window or door construction and the opening is left unsealed to the outside weather environment. Where you should look for drafts in your home are windows, doors, attic hatches, pipes leading outside, and ceiling-to-wall joints. When these spaces are uninsulated, cold air can enter and will, as a result, raise your heating bill which allows not just cold air in, but moisture and in some cases little pesky critters as well.
With an energy-efficient upgrade, as a homeowner, you’ll have so many designs to choose from. But there are a variety of types that you should consider, one of them being a casement window. It’s attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. Within a common shared frame, they are used singly or in pairs. And if they are in pairs, you’ll find that they are hinged on the outside. The window is usually held open by using a casement stay. There are a variety of windows to choose from:
Casement windows can sometimes be opened with a crank or some such cam handle mechanism. It is placed generally at hand height or near the bottom which also serves as a window lock. And if the design of the casement window opens outward, then a crank, stay, or friction hinge is necessary in order to hold the window open in place, especially if there is a harsh wind occurring. With some designs, the glass panes are set in a rabbeted frame and sealed with bevelled putty or glazing compound to secure the glass firmly in place. Where the hinges are located on the left and the locking mechanism is on the right, casement windows are labelled in one of two ways: FCL refers to a left-handed window. And then there are FCR which is a right-handed window with the hinges on the right and the locking mechanism positioned on the left. Bear in mind that these definitions will only apply to a window when it is being looked at from the exterior of the property. If you decide to buy casement windows, pay attention to the quality of materials and certification.
