Get the Best Family Room Windows

Whether you’re entertaining guests, spending time with family or just watching TV, much of your time is spent in the family room. It’s one of the most popular rooms in your home. That’s why it makes sense to get the best family room windows.

What makes a great family room window you ask?

There are many window styles, materials and options available and some are better suited for family rooms. In this article we’ll go over what to look for in a family room window and we’ll give you some suggestions. Let’s get started.

What Makes a Great Family Room Window?

There are a few things you should look for when getting replacement windows for your family room. Which windows allow the most light into your home, are energy efficiency and beautiful? We’ll go into these qualities in greater detail below.

Let More Light Into Your Home

Since you’ll probably be spending most of the time in your home in the family room, it’s important to allow as much natural light in as possible. By lighting your home naturally, you’ll save money on your energy bills since you won’t be turning on your lights as often.

Allowing more light into your home also helps blur the line between the outside and inside of your home. This helps make your family room feel larger. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time in your family room, you don’t want it to feel to claustrophobic.

Energy Efficiency is Important

Energy efficient windows are great additions to any family room. Depending on the season, they’ll trap heat or air in your home. You’ll be much more comfortable no matter the season which is extremely important in the Midwest where weather can drastically change from day to day.

Not only will you feel more comfortable with energy efficient family room windows, but you’ll save money on your heating and cooling bills. This is because your furnace and air conditioner won’t have to work as hard to reach your desired temperature. The temperature of your home will also be more stable and not vary throughout the day.

If you’re looking for a more energy efficient window, we suggest vinyl. Not only do they offer double or triple pane, argon gas-filled glass, but they also have foam insulated frames to keep your home air tight. Other window materials like wood and aluminum don’t offer the insulated frames like vinyl does.

Family Room Windows Should Be Beautiful

The last thing you want in your family room are worn, ugly windows that clash with the rest of the room. Since you’ll be hosting guests in your family room, its important to find the right style for your home. We’ll go over more customization options later in the article.

You also want windows that won’t warp and expand when exposed to different weather conditions. Your windows should still look great decades down the line.

Vinyl windows aren’t prone to warping, rotting and expanding. Their colors are also baked into them when they’re manufactured so you don’t have to worry about them fading. Vinyl windows are the perfect family room window option for Midwest homeowners.

More Traditional Family Room Windows

Now that you know what makes great family room windows, you’re probably wondering what styles we suggest. While the choice is up to you, we’ll let you know the most commonly used styles as well as more unique options.

Picture Windows

Picture windows were made for family rooms. They have the best sight lines and allow the most light into your home. They can help make your room feel larger and help brighten up your home.

One thing to keep in mind about picture windows is that they’re inoperable. That means they don’t open and give you no control over the air flow in the room. Many homeowners love the natural light picture windows offer and pair them with operable window styles.

Double Hung Windows

Speaking of operable window styles, double hung windows are great for your family room. While they don’t have the same sight lines and natural light as picture windows, they give you the best control over the air circulation in your home.

Not only that, but they’re very easy to clean. Double hung windows have latches on the top of both window sashes that allow them to tilt into your home so you can reach both sides of the glass. It’s no wonder why double hung windows are one of the most popular window styles available.

Casement Windows

Much like double hung windows, casement windows are a very popular window style because of their control over air circulation. They open outwards from your home on a hinge by using a hand crank.

Casement windows are a great option for your family room because you have complete control over how much or how little it’s open thanks to the hand crank. Whether it’s opened just a crack or wide open, you’ll love the fresh air!

More Unique Options

You don’t have to stick with the traditional options. There are other styles that aren’t often picked for family rooms that would look and operate perfectly. We have a couple of options to consider below.

Sliding Windows

Sliding windows are more associated with kitchens but why not get one for your family room? Many homeowners have sliders above kitchen sinks because of how easy they are to open. Since they’re easy to operate, it would make sense to have a sliding window behind a couch or desk that’s hard to reach over.

Think of a sliding window like a sideways double hung window. You have the same amazing control of air circulation so you can enjoy fresh air anytime. Plus, they’ll give your home a more contemporary look. Sliding windows are an overlooked but awesome option for your family room.

Architectural Windows

Image a picture window with a unique shape – that’s an architectural window. Also known as specialty windows, they’re great family room windows because they allow light to enter your home in a more create way. Don’t worry, they come in many shapes and sizes so you’ll find the perfect architectural window for your home.

Not only will they make the inside of your home look great, but they’ll help improve your curb appeal. Unique shapes such as circles, semi-circles, triangles and octagons will catch the eye of guests and neighbors.

Larger Family Room Window Options

If you have a larger window opening in your family room, you have more options to choose from. These options are the perfect combination of air flow, beauty and allowing natural light into your home.

Bay and Bow Windows

Bay and bow windows are a combination of windows that extend past the facade of your home. A bay window consists of three windows – a picture window with double hung or casement windows on each side.

Bow windows are a little different- they’re made up of 3-5 picture and casement windows arranged in any combination. Both of these styles give you the best of both worlds. You’ll have allow more natural light in your home while still being able to control air circulation.

Bay and bow windows look beautiful inside and out. They’ll improve your home’s curb appeal by extending beyond the facade. This adds depth and dimension that you won’t get with any other style.

The frame of a bay or bow window also creates a small window seat inside your home. This is perfect for decorating for the holidays, growing plants or having an extra seat for guests. The sky’s the limit.

Sliding Patio Doors

You’re probably thinking, “This is an article about family room windows, why bring up patio doors?”

Because they’re worth mentioning. If you have the space, a sliding patio door will enhance your family room thanks to its beauty and ability to maximize the amount of natural light entering your home.

Sliding patio doors are like large sliding windows – they’re made of double or triple pane, argon gas-filled glass in a foam insulated frame. They’re easy to open and close thanks to their sliding track.

Plus the screen will allow you to open the door and let fresh air into your home. It also adds an extra exit to your home for safety.

There are Many Customization Options Available

You can create the family room windows of your dreams. There are many different color, grid and shutter options available that will make your windows look great. You’ll have the most beautiful windows on the block!

If you’re still having trouble determining which windows to choose, check out Houzz. They have many different design ideas to help get you started. Then come back to Feldco and we’ll help you out with the rest!