Gliding windows, also known as sliding windows, are a great way to provide your home with an unbeatable view of the world immediately beyond your property. There’s nothing quite like the way a gliding window provides you with a panoramic vista of your home’s surroundings, after all, thanks to its:

EXPANSIVE GLASS AREA

With that much glass, there’s nothing there to get in the way of your view. Gliding windows are highly similar to picture windows in this respect but they are more versatile in that they can be opened, allowing you to truly take in your views of the outdoors. Is there a beach with a lovely view of the sea beyond your window, for instance? Open the window, and not only are you looking at that beautiful view, but you can also smell, maybe even taste the salt air. You can feel the wind on your face, hear the cries of the sea birds, and listen to the sounds of, and otherwise interact with the world outside.

Picture windows are inoperable that’s why they are also known as fixed windows. What you see is, literally, what you get; it’s all you get from a picture window. A picture might be pretty, but a pretty visual is all you’ll get with it. Not with gliding windows!

PART 1: FOR THE BEST VIEWS

THINNER FRAME

Thanks to technological advancements, stronger framing materials are now in place, allowing manufacturers to use less material without compromising the structural integrity of a window. Less material used means thinner window frames, which translates to more room for window glass and, ultimately, bigger views.

MAXIMIZING VIEWS WITH GLIDING WINDOWS

Gliding windows can be used anywhere in the home that you want to take advantage of an outdoor view, be it the bedroom, kitchen or your living room. You can even use gliding windows in hallways if you don’t want to miss out on views along the sides of your home. Wherever there’s a view, gliding windows can help in ensuring that you enjoy them.

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What else makes gliding windows ideal as replacements? They help you save on space too! More on this in Part 2 of this blog series.

PART 1: FOR THE BEST VIEWS

Open spaces, freedom from clutter, and minimizing unnecessary structural elements are among the most important of the guiding principles of modern architectural and housing design aesthetics. In striving to follow the maxim of “form follows function,” modern architects generally try to work with the land, to design according to what they have at hand. Unfortunately, it happens too often that there’s not all that much leeway available to work beyond the limits of the available existing space. Compromises are made, and a home’s openness of spaces suffers.

This kind of close-quarters cramping is most often felt in urban areas. You see it a lot as a sort of visual joke in movies and television, but it’s no laughing matter when you end up with a neighbor’s wall right outside your window.

Unlike most other window types, gliding windows don’t require any extra space around them to operate. Where other window types, such as awning, casement, or bay or bow windows might be limited in use by such close-quarters crowding, sliding windows will work just fine. Because they open and close on tracks built into your home’s walls, they don’t push into the space outside them when you open them.

PART 2: TO MAXIMIZE SPACE

This minimal need for space also applies to the spaces within your home. Because gliding windows operate easily on the sliding tracks, you can feel certain of your ability to operate the windows even when you have furniture right up against the wall where the window is installed. You don’t have to make allowances for opening the window in the space around the window itself.

Beyond this ease of operation, however, is the fact that gliding windows also help to serve up the illusion of space in the rooms where they are installed. The large viewable glass area on a gliding window creates a feeling of the room extending, if only in a visual sense, into the rooms or outdoor areas immediately outside the window. A room might be physically cramped, but a gliding window can make you feel like there’s more to the room than just its physical limits.

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Gliding windows’ ease of operation also extends to the ease with which they can be serviced and maintained. More on this in Part 3 of this blog series!

PART 2: TO MAXIMIZE SPACE

One of the biggest considerations for choosing a replacement window has to be the level of care and maintenance necessary to keep it in good working order. It’s hardly ideal to choose a window type that will only deteriorate because you don’t have the time, inclination, or skills necessary to keep it in shape.

The fact that gliding windows are easy to clean, service, and maintain is one of the factors that make them such an ideal replacement window option. A properly installed gliding window will not be prone to problems in the first place but, if and when problems do turn up, they’re generally easy to deal with. Minor problems usually require small adjustments or a quick cleaning, while major problems -- such as a broken window -- can be addressed by replacing sashes.

GOT A STUCK WINDOW?

Lift it off the track to see what may be causing a gliding window to stick. The usual culprit are dirt or debris so get rid of them with a quick brush or vacuum and you’ll get your window moving again. You can also lubricate the rollers to minimize friction as a gliding window is used. If the problem is with the track, just give your contractor a call to schedule a replacement.

PART 3: EASE OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Cleaning is a universal requirement for all windows but gliding windows can simplify the process by making both its interior and exterior sides accessible. Keeping window glass spick and span needs nothing more than a mild cleaning solution (you can make at home) and a soft cloth but feel free to use commercial cleaners as well. Just make sure you follow product instructions for best results.

Don’t forget to schedule regular window inspections as well. Dutifully cleaning a gliding window will help prolong its lifespan but a professional check once a year will offer you more guarantee that your windows are working as they should. While an annual inspection will generally suffice, do have your windows checked after severe weather hits to catch any problems that may have developed as a result right away.

If you have any concerns about gliding windows, don’t hesitate to call your contractor for clarifications.

PART 3: EASE OF CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Renewal by Andersenof Columbus - Ohio

1222 10th Street, Great Bend,Kansas 67530

(614) 305-1111(620) 793-5434

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