Window Detail Design Information

Window Detail - The first part of building a new window opening it to form the sill.

The sill is used to shed water away from the opening and the face of the wall.

Generally they do not need to support much weight this means they can be constructed from timber or plastic form work.

Here is a sill junction detail showing new window located within a wall opening.

Window Detail - Window Opening Sill Junction

The head junction detail is next element which will have to be added in the design of the window opening.

The head is used to carry the load of the walls above it and to equally distribute the weight of the building.

The structural feature of the head is the lintel this can be formed from timber steel concrete stone or brick.

The most popular material used in the construction of window heads is steel as it provides an excellent strength to weight ratio.

Window Detail - Window Opening Head Junction

Window Detail and Design Ideas

Windows play a large part in creating the character of your home as well as their more obvious role of allowing light in.

When designing a house, the architect must place appropriate windows within the plan bearing in mind the construction and location of the building; a Palladian window arrangement is well suited to a classical house but would not be so fitting on a suburban house which may look better with aluminium sliders.

The functioning, shape, details, glazing and assembly of a window and its surrounds tell a lot about the house and the homeliness of a building can be created or omitted with the positioning of windows for example although whole walls of glass may look stylish and allow good views etc, they are less comforting, private and secure than double glazed, locked functional windows.

It is the same with the positioning of windows - having windows opposite each other create a completely different effect and atmosphere to having small equally spaced windows, a centred set of windows or an asymmetric assembly of windows.

Many people install windows with views in mind but a well positioned window can also reduce heating and cooling bills by serving as a passive solar collector in cooler weather and by improving ventilation by catching prevailing breezes in the summer months.

When you select windows for your home, check that they open and operate from the inside and that they can be locked.

Casement windows are best for ventilation purposes as they can open fully and so can circulate the most air.

When framing-in your window in an exterior wall, you may need to install a permanent support beam so that the structural load above the window can be carried by cripple studs which rest on this header.

It may therefore be worthwhile checking with your local building department whether your home remodelling is complex enough to require a building permit before you begin altering your home’s structure or mechanical systems.

A majority of windows are positioned so that we can see out and others can see in.

In some instances, the balance between needing light and needing privacy can be restored by placing a skylight or high windows but when this is not possible, as in most cases, curtains or blinds are conventionally used although they do reduce sunlight and the quality of the view to some extent even when not in use for privacy purposes.

When you are selecting a window treatment, whether it is a basic blind or sophisticated swags, it must not only be functional but also be visually suited to your home decor; an elaborate display that takes up half of your window space and darkens your room or cannot be unravelled to give you adequate privacy is unacceptable as will be an ill fitting or sparse placement although it may be practical.

When disabling an inward view is essential, i.e. in a bathroom, obscure glazing or sticking opaque specially designed sheeting to existing windows can be a solution.

The advantage of this is not only that light is allowed in but also that outsiders views are controlled as can only see hazy hints of what is inside and when designers are hoping to achieve this, they create special sandblasted glass, striped patterns or glass blocks etc. to mix functionality with style.

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