The Best Type of Window Styles in the Midwest

Living in the Midwest means facing four seasons of drastically different weather.  For homeowners, it’s all about planning.  Making big upgrades to your Midwestern home will require you to take into consideration the severity of your climate’s summers and winters—the most intense seasons you’ll face.

Windows are a major investment, so you’ll want to do your research to see what window style will hold up to freezing, snowy winters, and sweltering hot summers.  Windows are a feature that should only need to be replaced or upgraded once, so choosing the right style is of the utmost importance.

Double-Hung Windows

There’s a reason why double-hung windows are among the most popular choice of window style—not just in the Midwest, but everywhere.  Double-hung windows are available with Energy Star certification, meaning they’re up to the challenge of conserving your home’s energy during the colder and warmer months that the Midwest is known for.

Double-hung windows are widely available for installation and in standard sizes, cutting down on lead times and costs.  Because these windows are so common, especially in the Midwest, the only fluctuating cost is labor to install them, which can vary depending on where you live (cities are more expensive than smaller towns for labor costs).

Aside from being energy efficient (and Energy Star-rated), double-hung windows also allow for the ability to open and close.  While this function may seem inconsequential, it actually has a big impact on Midwestern homes.  Warmer seasons means opening the windows, which reduces your spending on energy bills.

With Craftsmen homes flooding the Midwestern neighborhoods, double-hung windows fit right into this architectural style.  Simple and modest, Craftsmen homes focus on quality over quantity when it comes to details, and double-hung windows are paired well with this classic Midwestern style.  Double-hung windows are the best window type to go with for your Midwest home if you’re looking to boost resale value, reap the benefits of energy efficiency, and blend in common architectural elements.

Picture Windows

The Midwest is known for its sprawling farmlands, charming and quaint small towns, and rolling green hills untouched by busy city life.  It makes sense that picture windows are among the best style of windows to capture the beauty of the Midwest.

Picture windows bring in natural light and optimal views, both of which are excellent for resale value.  Additionally, you’ll also experience the best energy-efficient window on the market as picture windows are non-operable.  These windows don’t open and close.  You can supplement this elsewhere in your Midwestern home with double-hung windows if you miss the breeze, but non-operable picture windows are extremely advantageous for energy efficiency.  This is an excellent benefit for homes in a climate that experiences such extreme temperature swings.

Casement Windows

Casement windows are hinged and will open outward, like a door.  This window style is also known as a crank window because you use a small crank to open and close it.   Many professional window companies recommend this style of window for homes located in the Midwest.

Casement windows are often used throughout Midwestern homes because they’ve proven extremely defendable against the region’s high winds.  The Midwest is known for its never-ending plains, which means winds can become powerful as there aren’t obstructions for slowing down.  Casement windows tend to perform better than most all window styles for areas subject to these serious and high-powered winds.  In tornado-prone areas, this could make or break your home.

Block Windows

Just like their name suggests, block windows are made from thicker glass blocks that offer the best privacy and security compared to other window types.  These windows are great for Midwestern homes as many homeowners choose to have block windows for their basements.

Unlike coastal homes, homes in the Midwest don’t need to worry about rising ocean levels or hurricanes so the majority of houses have basements—not to mention the need for basements thanks to the seasonal threat of tornados.  No room should be without natural light, so glass block windows are a great compromise between filtering natural light into a basement without sacrificing privacy or security.

The ideal window type for a Midwest house will always come back to energy efficiency and like the picture window, the glass block window is among the best at energy conservation.  Similar to the picture window, block windows are non-operable so you can’t open or close them.  This is perfect for basements where you wouldn’t want this feature as well as for overall energy efficiency and savings.

Choosing the Right Window

The good news is that if you’re unsure of which window style to choose, you don’t need to settle on just one.  Many homes sport several types of window styles so you can have casement or double-hung windows throughout your house with block windows for the basement to enjoy all of the advantages.  Whichever window you select, make sure you opt for Energy Star certified.

If you’re in the market for replacement windows in any of our markets across the Midwest, we hope that you’ll consider Feldco for your window replacement project.