Window Styles for Your New Home

Depending on the stock home plans that you have purchased, as a homeowner you probably will be presented by the builder or general contractor with several options in terms of the windows for your new home built from the home plans you have purchased.

It is important to consider not only the appearance of the windows you finally select, but also the insulation value, the type of glass and the material of the window frame. You can really use the windows to dress up the home plan style selected, but first you need to be sure that you are selecting the right options as well.

Popular today among those building homes from stock home plans is “Low-e” window glass. This type of glass is claimed to reduce the amount of the sun’s generated heat that is absorbed into the home through the glass. Primarily, the difference with low-e glass and plain glass is the coatings that are applied in multiple layers to the windows.

Clear glass was formerly the material of choice when placing windows into a home built using purchased home plans. However, low-e has surpassed this glass due to the heat absorbance issues in today’s modern homes.

Contrastingly, there is heat-absorbing glass for your new windows. This is useful in areas where you would like to capture, rather than eliminate the heat of the sun. Your home plans will show you the areas where this might be a consideration.

For those who do not want all of the solar rays passing into their home, there is even a reflective type of glass that reduces both the heat and harmful light rays that enter you’re the home you are building from the plans you have purchased. This might be useful for rooms with antique upholstered furniture.

In addition to selecting the type of glass, it is necessary to choose how many panes of glass your new home design will require. There are single paned windows, not quite so common these days. In addition there are double and even triple paned windows pictured on the illustrations of home designs of all styles.

To determine what number of glass panes would be best when selecting the windows after you have purchased home building plans from a designer, consider the amount of wind, sound and light that you will be facing as a new homeowner. These are all great factors that require consideration.

The frame style of windows include the traditional wood frame, which looks great on a colonial home plan, but requires annual painting and maintenance to prolong the life of the window frames.

Home plans for a very modern home might give elevations and renderings showing aluminum framed windows. Absolutely, the aluminum window frame on the home design plans is a great idea in order to maintain the modern feel and to decrease the maintenance issues associated with windows in a newly built home.

Vinyl seems to be the frame type of choice however, for more home plan designers and architects. Vinyl is zero maintenance, less expensive than other window frame types and can be painted to match the exterior shown on any home plans.

Your contractor or builder can assist you in the selection of window materials and styles that would work best for the implementation of your home building plans. They can also help you determine sizes, and what might be required in order to change the windows styles or sizes from what is listed on your stock home plans.

This home building article by:
Michelle McClory with AmazingPlans.com