Today's single hung windows are smooth performers

What American hasn't battled with old wooden single-hung windows that seem stubbornly interred in their final resting place? It's enough to give such windows a bad reputation. But before you switch to crank-open windows that aren't really in character with your regional architecture, visit the windows department of your local home improvement center. Ask to operate a single-hung display window, and you may be surprised. Not only are vinyl or aluminum windows a cinch to open and close, but the fact that you'll never paint them, all but guarantees freedom from shoulder-wrenching window battles. They won't swell or acquire years of accumulated paint, and keeping them clean is a breeze.

Speaking of breezes, why buy single-hung versus double-hung windows? Opening a window from the bottom up is usually quite sufficient for ventilation. Any degree of insulation, from air-filled double paned to gas-filled and coated triple panes is available. Bonus: single hung windows typically cost less.