Expert: Nazim Nice - 7/1/2010

Question
Hi Nazim,

You've been very generously helpful in the past, so I thought I'd call on you again with this question.

We're doing some renovations at our 1945 tract home in southern Texas and are wanting to replace the single pane casement windows with an updated look.

We know it's a bit overdone at this point, but we like the look of these commercial aluminum casement windows. We plan on replacing the aluminum siding with smooth hardiplank alternating 4's and 8's and painting it an almost olive drab. There is a flagstone facade that echoes the paint color. We don't care that much that these windows aren't the most thermally efficient. (The house is small and the new insulation will already cut the electric bill we're used to paying for 23 years in half.)

Where we're stuck is in trying to decide whether to go with the clear anodized aluminum, which pays homage to the narrower 1940's aluminum windows they'd replace, or with the bronze anodized (or bronze powder-coated) color.

We see both everywhere, but I'm concerned that the clear aluminum might look too commercial in our traditional house and that it might limit what wood doors we might be able to use since we don't want to use commercial doors of the same material. My wife says the the bronze looks warmer, but knows I'm partial-by about 5%-to the clear aluminum.

Since windows outlast marriages, we want to make sure we get the right ones!

Please let us know what you think or if there are other things we should consider. too.

Thanks much!

Answer
To me the clear anodized seems like a more commercial as well as more modern choice. I could see it on a flat-roofed house with strong modern lines, but I doubt that is what your house looks like. I think the bronze will be a better way to go in the long run and will offer more flexibility when choosing other materials/colors.

Nazim Nice
Principal / Architect
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