The qualities in fenestration cover an extreme range. You may purchase simple vinyl frames with dual panes at a department store.

At builder’s specialty centers, wood frames with anodized metal cladding with multiple chambered, gas filled areas with suspended heat mirror suspended in between, nearly no heat/cool transference, in custom sizes.

My attitude is to buy the best windows possible. To replace the windows at a later date is extremely expensive. If something else must suffer, a water heater, or cook top can easily be pulled out and upgraded later – unplug – plug-in.

A common mistake I’ve seen in my career is in application of too many fixed windows, that really should have been operational – venting. However, keep in mind, in an opening window you lose square inches of glass, less light penetrating, because you have a fixed sash bar and stacked in front of that, an operating section.