The Craftsman Bungalow home is a traditional style that came out of the Arts and Crafts Movement. These homes typically feature a mixture of natural materials, including wood and stone, and they are designed with simple, clean lines. If you own a Craftsman Bungalow, you will want to make remodeling choices that retain and honor its original style. Below, you’ll discover some tips for choosing Craftsman-style windows for your Dayton home.
Opt for Wood or Wood Composite
Vinyl windows have become very popular lately, but they present a number of issues, especially for owners of Craftsman Bungalows. Vinyl does not look natural, so it will look very out-of-place amidst your wood and stone home features. It’s also not very durable. Vinyl tends to warp and crack when the temperature fluctuates. This lack of durability flies in the face of everything the Craftsman designers believed in: durability, functionality, and integrity.
Natural wood is the most obvious choice for windows in your Craftsman home. However, wood does require some maintenance and is prone to rot when exposed to moisture. If you want the look of natural wood without its downfalls, opt for Fibrex® composite. Made from wood, and made to look like wood, this window material is resistant to moisture damage and never requires staining. While it’s a modern, more high-tech material, its durability and simplicity would make Craftsman architects proud.
Opt for Double-Hung Windows
Double-hung windows are the traditional choice for a Craftsman home. These windows consist of two panes, which slide up and down in a tall, rectangular frame. In addition to being a stylish choice, they also offer a few other benefits:
If you prefer casement windows, which open with a crank, you can have a grille made that makes it appear as though the casement window has a top and bottom pane like a double-hung window. This way, at least when it is closed, the casement window will look more in-place on your Craftsman home.
Use Grilles for Emphasis
The most traditional of Craftsman homes feature windows with four panes on the top and a single pane on the bottom. Thankfully, grilles of this sort are easy to find. You want a grille that divides the top window pane into four equally-sized rectangles. (The grille should be shaped like a plus sign.) Do not put any grille on the bottom window.
There is a little leeway here if you want to be more experimental with your grilles. A colonial or tall fractional grille would not look completely out of place, but you would want to stay away from diamond, prairie, or equal light grilles on your replacement windows — they’re either too rustic or too modern.
If you own a Craftsman Bungalow, it’s important to do all you can to preserve its natural beauty and functional structure. When choosing windows, remember to opt for natural wood or composite, choose your grilles carefully, and go for a double-hung design. Contact Renewal by Andersen to schedule a free, in-home consultation and learn more about our window styles for your Dayton home.
