Special Shape Windows
You are ready to replace and upgrade your windows, but you don't want just any windows. You want an ultra-custom look this time around. It's not as tough as you think. Literally thousands of special shape windows made by a variety of premier window manufacturers provide the choices you need to exercise your creativity.
Many of these special shapes are intended to stack above or alongside traditional window packages, but they also can be used as standalone accents, like an octagonal porthole window, for example. With so many options, start by discussing your ideas with a qualified window contractor, who should be able to provide expert recommendations for window shapes that accent existing windows and architectural styles.
Shapes and sizes
Popular shapes include sweeping curves or contemporary angles. Window manufacturers can also make just about any custom shape. Eight of the more popular shapes include these:
- Full or half circle
- Octagon
- Elliptical
- Pentagons and polygons
- Trapezoid
- Triangle
- Isosceles triangle
- Full or half chord
Manufacturers
There are nearly as many different window manufacturers as there are specialty shapes. Some of the most respected names in windows include Pella, Marvin Windows and Doors and Jeld-Wen. There are dozens of smaller window companies that make special shape windows as well, and many window companies with a large e-commerce presence specialize in reselling specialty windows from popular manufacturers.
Materials, colors and stains
Specialty windows run the full gamut of materials, from low-cost vinyl and fiberglass to high-end wood styles, such as pine, Douglas fir, mahogany, cherry or white oak. Many of these windows feature exterior jambs made of aluminum or vinyl, with interior jambs clad in wood. Popular colors from Marvin include a two-coat exterior stain in white, brown, bronze, pebble, grey, beige or sage. Special-order windows usually can be purchased in any color desired, however. Interior colors often are treated bare wood or white primed, allowing homeowners a higher degree of flexibility to match interior jambs with existing color schemes. Special shape windows also can be ordered with standard or custom grills and even specialty stained or leaded glass for a truly one-of-a-kind look.
Upfront costs and energy efficiency savings
Costs for special shape windows are impossible to pinpoint but some generalizations can be your guide. As with any window style, vinyl, fiberglass or aluminum frames usually cost significantly less than solid wood or wood-clad frames. The size of the window also greatly affects cost, as does ordering special silicon window glazing, tinting, or gas-filled window panes. Custom grill work on the exterior also can bump up costs. Homeowners interested in a window renovation project should discuss all these options with a qualified window professional in order to keep within budget.
New windows can significantly increase the home's overall energy efficiency. Argon-filled double- and triple-pane windows offer a higher degree of energy efficiency than single-pane models, and tinted windows can block much of the sun's ultraviolet rays from entering the home. Keep in mind, though, that fancier windows cost significantly more than simpler models.
Ordering special shape windows
With nearly unlimited options, perhaps the best place to start is to contact a qualified window professional to narrow down window sizes, styles and customization options that will fit you home. You can find a licensed window contractor in your area by completing the short form on this page.
