Tilt/turn windows question
Dayton
| Posted in General Questions on
If you have European style Tilt Turn windows, how have they turned out? Do you mostly just use the tilt function for ventilation or use the swing function? Do you get used to the in-swing, or is it annoying? I can see some nice advantages, but curious if there are downsides.
Thanks,
Dave
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We're happy with ours. But you need to think about furniture placement. And you need something to keep them open especially when it's breezy. We got some rubber wedges that work ok.
David,
My wife and I were just discussing this the other day. This may seem bizarre and even a bit smug....
Since building our "Pretty Good House" in the middle of nowhere- I have found that we almost NEVER open our tilt/turn windows. Our house is so perfectly conditioned (humidity, temperature, air quality, no bugs) that we have become reluctant to alter it with "natural air".
I do miss hearing birds in the morning though.
Rick: I guess opening windows is location dependent, but here in Maine our windows are open pretty much from late Spring through early Fall, with rare exceptions for a handful of days when we use air conditioning. Right now it's 70°, dry and breezy and we're enjoying the fresh air.
Our pretty good house is also perfectly conditioned, but we enjoy hearing the owls hooting, coyotes howling, turkeys gobbling and songbirds singing. We've even gotten used to the gravel pit grinding up rocks.
Plus not using the hrv and relying on nature is very efficient.
David,
I find on my windows, I only use the tilt. As others have mentioned, the windows won't stay open without a stop, I'm thinking I should have put a slight tilt into them when I installed it and have gravity keep them open.
For ventilation, I have a set of tilt and slides on either end of the house, I tend to use those as it is easier to control the opening and they won't get blown around by the wind.
The one thing I like about the windows is that in the tilted position, unless it is a major storm, rain water can't make into the house.
One issue I had with them is the IGUs were not filled properly with desiccant and they started fogging up after a couple of years. The overseas manufacturer would warranty them but shipping costs were more than replacement IGUs.
Parts for them are hard to get, it is good to get some extra hardware with the order, stuff like little plastic covers are easy to break and hard to replace.
Once you've lived with them for a while, it is hard to go back to North American design. They are sturdier and better sealed than anything here.
P.S. For tilt and slides, make sure you order outside handles (for some reason this is not standard). I had to DIY a set after locking myself out by sliding the door closed. Bug screens are not standard.
Thanks for the responses. Sounds like overall positives outweigh the negatives. I really like the tilt option, but was not sure about in swing as we don't have a lot of free wall space for furniture. But I have always had issues with out swing casements, the screens and the opening mechanisms have always bugged me (pun intended). Seems like bugs always get in through them.