Windows 3 min read
How tilt and turn and double-hung windows open, seal, lock and clean, what each costs you in daily use, and when each one makes sense.
The double-hung window is the classic American window: two sashes that slide up and down in the frame. The tilt and turn window is the standard in much of Europe: one sash, one handle, two ways to open. Both can be good windows. They are built on different ideas, and the difference shows up every day you use them.
How they open and how they seal
A double-hung window opens by sliding. You raise the bottom sash or lower the top one, and air comes in through the gap. Because the sashes must slide past each other and along the frame, the seal between them is a sliding seal: weatherstripping that the sash rubs against every time it moves.
A tilt and turn window opens by moving the whole sash. Turn the handle up and the top of the sash tips into the room, a few inches, for ventilation that stays safe in light rain and is hard to reach from outside. Turn the handle sideways and the sash swings in on side hinges like a door. When you close it, the sash presses onto gaskets all around the frame. That is a compression seal: nothing slides, so the gasket is squeezed shut instead of brushed.
Our uPVC frames carry two or three gaskets and 5 to 7 internal chambers, depending on the line. Practical 70 has a double seal, Comfort 76 Plus and Performant 88 add a center seal. The U-factors are 0.17 for Practical 70, 0.17 (triple glazing) to 0.26 (double glazing) for Comfort 76 Plus, rated to NFRC 100, and 0.13 for Performant 88, in Btu/h·ft²·°F; each system page lists its value.
Cleaning, security and everyday use
Cleaning the outside of a double-hung window means tilting the sashes in, if your model allows it, or working from a ladder. With a tilt and turn window, you swing the sash fully into the room and clean both sides of the glass from inside, on every floor.
Security works differently too. A double-hung window usually locks with a latch where the two sashes meet. A tilt and turn sash locks at several points around the frame as you turn the handle, and our windows reach RC3, the European burglar-resistance class, with security hardware and laminated glass. The tilt position also lets you leave a window open for air without leaving an opening someone can climb through.
There are trade-offs worth knowing before you choose:
- A tilt and turn sash swings into the room, so plan for blinds, deep sills and furniture near the window.
- Insect screens sit on the outside of the frame, because the sash opens inward.
- A double-hung window takes no room inside when it opens, which suits tight spaces such as a window over a kitchen sink.
- Some homeowners simply prefer the traditional look of two stacked sashes on a period house.
When each one makes sense
Choose double-hung when the look of the house calls for it, or when the window sits where an inward-opening sash would get in the way. Choose tilt and turn when you want a tighter seal, easy cleaning from inside, multi-point locking and safe ventilation in one window.
You do not have to pick one type for the whole house. Many projects mix tilt and turn windows in bedrooms and living rooms with fixed panes or other opening types where space is tight. Our uPVC frames are 2-3/4” to 3-7/16” deep, so they fit both 2x4 and 2x6 walls, in replacement work and in new construction.
If you are comparing options for a project in Michigan, send us your openings or a few photos. We will suggest an opening type for each window and put the proposal in writing. You can also build a window in the configurator and see a live price as you choose the size, glazing and color.
Planning a project?
Send us your plans, measurements or a few photos and we will put together a quote for your home.
