Wondering which replacement windows you should buy for your home in the Long Island suburbs? Although the location of your home influences which replacement windows and patio doors you need, the architectural characteristics of your home often dictate which style you choose. Renewal by Andersen of Long Island offers a wide array of choices, so here are a few things to consider about updating your dwelling.
You’ll find many different architectural eras and styles represented throughout Long Island. But, since the colonial ranch is so popular, let’s stay with that theme. You can apply these basic tips to any home from classic and traditional to modern, sleek and contemporary.
Colonial design is all about symmetry and balance. Traditional design featured original single- or double-hung windows with individual panes joined together by muntins or sash strips. The most common arrangement had six small windows on both the upper and lower sash. Your home may have six, nine or even twelve individual panes on both sash.
Modern glass manufacturing techniques allow us to make larger sheets of glass than the original designs, so you can choose from a variety of grille patterns and placements to achieve the same look, or create a slightly different appearance with custom grille patterns. Just remember, whether you choose a between-the-glass grille option, or prefer removable interiors that allow you to update colors to match future decorating changes, you’ll want to make sure your predominant pattern and theme create a balanced appearance. Of course, you don’t have to limit grille options to operable windows, many historic homes have large picture windows constructed with multiple smaller glass panes. This fixed window option is also found in older Cape Cod style homes.
Today, homeowners have so many options when it comes to replacement window shapes. There are traditional options like squares and rectangles. Then, you have specialty shapes that include curved tops, polygons, trapezoids, circles and pentagons. Maintaining a classic colonial style often means that you stick with rectangular windows that are taller than they are wide; however adding a bay window can make a truly stunning focal point, if you stay within the boundaries of symmetry while designing your modern touch. Twentieth century colonial homes didn’t usually have bay and bow windows, but colonial manors and estate homes did.
You might want to take a drive (or walk) through your neighborhood and make note of the home windows that appeal to you. Do they have narrow or wide frames? Do you like shutters? By the way, if you are thinking of shutters, thin exterior trim is a better option. While double-hung windows that open vertically are the most common window type seen in colonial homes today, you can also install horizontal sliding windows, which have a narrower frame, or even casements that open from the side.
With more than four dozen color combinations to choose from, Renewal by Andersen of Long Island replacement window color selection has something for everyone. Older colonial homes on the Island tend to be constructed with a red brick exterior and furnished with white-framed windows. You may see homes with dark colored shutters – either functional or decorative only. Many people automatically think of white frames that capture a classic, traditional appearance. Other people choose one of the earthy tones to seamlessly connect the natural surroundings with the entrance and interior part of your home. Today there is no right color choice, or combination of colors – it depends on your personal preferences.
Now that you have a better idea of what type of replacement windows you should buy for a suburban colonial ranch, you should be able to apply these principles to other home styles.
Check out our inspiration galleries in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn for more ideas. And, when you’re ready to get started, fill in the short form on this page to request a brochure or dial (866) 609-5033 to schedule a personal, no-obligation in-home consultation with a Renewal by Andersen replacement window specialist.
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