Inward opening windows

What? Never thought about which ways windows open? You are not alone, most people haven’t.

In the UK we have a history of outward opening windows or the old sash. On the face of it there is nothing wrong with outward opening windows. They all do what they were designed to do – letting in light and giving us ventilation, however is there an alternative that could do this better?

Inward opening windows have a couple of advantages (and potentially a disadvantage), so it is worth being aware of the option so that you can make a more informed choice.

The main advantages of inward opening are:

1. You can maintain and clean the window much more easily. First floor windows (and above) that open outwards need to be accessed by ladders or specialised equipment in order to clean and maintain them. This means that they are less likely to be cleaned and maintained properly. With inward opening you can access the whole frame for any maintenance and clean the window from the safety and comfort of your house. Ground floor windows are less bothersome, but you may wish to extend any style to the ground floor as well.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that uPVC windows are maintenance free either. They also need cleaning and treating with UV protection. They also need to have the external seals checked regularly to ensure that there is no water ingress around the reveals.

2. The mechanisms that are available include Tilt and Turn. This gives more flexible opening options (i.e. you can have the window tilted back and locked in place for ventilation, whilst maintaining better weather tightness).

The main disadvantage with inward opening windows is that we have grown used to using our window sills as areas for ornaments etc and these need to be moved in order to open the window (however by using the tilt and turn you can get the ventilation you want without clearing the sills).

So what do you think Wales (and any where else you may be reading this)? Time for a change? Time for inward opening windows? Eco Home Centre sells ARU inward opening (and outward opening & sash) windows

Eco Home DIY Advice blog is brought to you by Eco Home Centre (http://www.ecohomecentre.co.uk) a not-for-profit organisation in Wales, UK. The Blog can be found at http://ecohomecentre.blogspot.com

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