What Type of Cincinnati Window Works Best to Keep the Heat Out?

To keep the heat out of your home during the summer, energy-efficient windows do a great job.  But, the type of energy-efficient window that you choose can also have an effect on how much heat it allows in and how much air conditioning it lets out.

In this case we aren’t talking about what does and does not get through the glass either, that is taken care of by the energy efficient part of the windows.  What we are talking about here is the area around the window.

Air Transfer in Cincinnati Windows

Cincinnati windows come in 6 main types: fixed, casement, single or double-hung, single or double-sliding, hopper, and awning. You would think that a window is a window, but each of these windows has a different degree of air leakage in it that is caused by how each window is closed.  How well the window seals when it is closed affect how much heat is let in and how much air conditioning is let out.

Ranked in order of how airtight they are:

1. Fixed
2. Hopper, casement and awning
3. Hung and sliding

Why the Difference in Airtightness?

The airtightness varies by type because how the window closes. Some windows have an airtight seal when they are closed and others seal, but not airtight.  Here’s the difference in how each window closes and how it affects how airtight it can seal:

1. Fixed: These windows don’t open so they have the best airtight seals of all the windows.
2. Hopper: This window is hinged at the bottom and the top opens up.  It has a good airtight seal because to close this type of window you pull it closed.
3. Casement: This type of window is hinged on the side and opens outward away from the house.  It also has an airtight seal because to close it you have to pull it shut.
4. Awning: Similar to the hopper and casement windows as to why it has a good airtight seal, the difference is that this window is hinged at the top and opens away from the house at the bottom.
5. Hung (single and double): These windows slide up and down a sash to open and close. Because they just slide and are not pulled in, there is no seal created.  To prevent air transfer you have to rely on the weather stripping.
6. Sliding (single and double): These windows work the same way as the hung windows except that they open from side to side. Because they work the same way, these Cincinnati windows experience the same air transfer issues as the hung windows.