When considering window replacement or upgrading in your Toronto residence, you’ve likely encountered two window types more than any other – awning windows and casement windows. These are both pocket-style with cranks and feature excellent energy performance and ventilation when compared to pocket-style that slides or double-hung. The two are popular throughout Ontario. Both of these are commonly used in homes in our climate, recommended by window experts.
How to decide between them though?
This depends on your home’s design, the rooms you’re renovating, the ventilation preferences you have and how much you can afford. We’ll take a look at the complete awning vs casement windows Ontario comparison, including performance, design, energy efficiency, security, and price, to help you decide which type of windows are best for your home.
Understanding the Basics: How Each Window Works
To properly compare performances, it is useful to know the basic mechanical characteristics of the two styles.
Casement windows swing outward like a door when activated by a hand crank or lever and are hinged on the left or right side. In most set-ups, the sash widths apart to around 90 degrees, thereby forming a spacious unconstrained ventilation opening. Casement windows are more often taller than they are wide, and are often installed in living rooms, bedrooms and any space where full views and good air movement is desired.
Awning windows are constructed with a hinged top so they open outward from the bottom, like an awning. This is designed so that the glass slopes outwards at an angle and the rain does not fall straight into the opening even if the windows are open. Awning windows are generally wider than they are tall and are often installed in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, and over fixed and operable units as transom windows.
The two styles have compression seals – when closed and locked, the sash snaps tightly against the weather seal around the frame, providing significantly better air seal than sliding windows, where brush seals seal only around the side-ways mounted sash.
Ventilation: A Side-by-Side Look
Homeowners in Toronto often prefer hinged windows over sliding windows for their primary function of ventilation, and awning and casement windows are also suitable for this purpose, albeit in different ways.
Casement windows are nearly like a scoop once they’re open. An open casement sash can efficiently funnel air into the room with the sash facing the prevailing wind. It is a full 90 degrees opening in most cases thus allowing for a large, unrestricted amount of ventilation. Casements can’t be beat in main living spaces where cross-ventilation is desired.
Casements do not have a ventilation advantage like awning windows do, which is they can be cranked open in light to moderate rain. The sash will tilt out and will drive water away from the opening while allowing fresh air in without water entering. In Toronto this is a considerable practical advantage, since it is raining often here in the spring and fall when the temperatures are not particularly cold. Awning windows make much more sense for kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms where continuous venting is always needed, no matter the weather.
If you have an awning window in Toronto home where you need to be able to vent things like cooking smells, humidity and moisture every day, then it is a real quality of life feature that will keep it open during the rain.
Energy Efficiency in Ontario’s Climate
For Ontario homeowners, energy performance is a high priority and this is an area where awning windows match casement windows, as both use the same compression seal technology.
A hinged window with locking hardware is closed and when the locking operates compresses the sash against a continuous gasket that is conforming to the entire window frame perimeter. This helps to form a more airtight seal, which is a basic standard that is not achieved through sliding and double-hung windows that rely on track-based seals. In Ontario, where it often drops below -15°C in winter and one’s heating bills are significant, this air tight closure directly equates to less loss of heat and less energy expenses.
The important energy performance variables – the glass specification, spacer type, gas fill and frame material – are not dependent on window style – whether awning or casement. Two windows that are both triple pane and on the same specification, but one is a casement window and one is an awning window, will have characteristics that are very close to identical from a thermal viewpoint.
It is specifically in larger openings where a small difference can arise. Where casements are used in large openings, they sometimes are arranged as a multi-lite window with a fixed centre pane flanked by two operable casements. No hinges or any movable hardware, these sections are marginally easier from a sealing point of view. When comparing the energy performance of awning and casement on a like-for-like basis in terms of size, the difference is not significant.
Both window types perform well in Ontario’s climate and both are offered with configurations that help meet, or exceed, the Energy Star certification requirements for the Northern climate zone.
Design and Architectural Fit
Architectural compatibility is a major consideration, but often the most overlooked aspect of choosing between an awning and casement windows Ontario style windows. Your home is best suited to the right window style, which should harmonize with the proportions and character of the house.
Casement windows tend to be long and vertical and fit well in houses that have higher wall portions between floors. Long narrow casement windows fit the window openings of Victorian, Edwardian and colonial style homes found in Toronto neighbourhoods such as The Annex, Riverdale and Roncesvalles. Casements are also a good choice for modern and transitional residences where open lines of sight and views are important design elements.
Awning windows are horizontal and are good for homes with a low window sill, wide wall spans or modern design. They make natural sense in bungalows and ranch style homes that are prevalent in the Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York area. Combinations of awning windows also function well, such as below a fixed picture window to provide ventilation to a large opening, or as high transom windows to allow light and air to enter near the ceiling while still leaving room for furniture in the lower part of the wall.
For the awning windows at Toronto bungalows, the horizontal format may be a better fit for the house’s dimensions than the taller, casement look. With older downtown Toronto neighbourhoods, the case pieces on semi-detached houses appear more cohesive with the style of the original structure.
Security Considerations
Awnings and casement windows provide significantly more security than sliding windows since the locking mechanism on hinged windows locks on all four sides when the compression lock is engaged rather than simply through a latch mechanism.
Casement windows are usually fitted with multi-point locks, with the crank handle locking the casing on points on the side of the sash. If not opened and unlocked, a casement window has a high level of security. An unlocked or open casement window accessible at ground level, however, will be a relatively simple entry point, as the sash goes back and forth.
Awning windows have a slight security advantage in specific applications. If the window is left open, their shape makes it harder to break into the wall system at a high point on the wall or in a basement application. The bottom opening design also makes it difficult for an intruder to reach in and loosen the lock from the outside as in a completely open casement design.
For standard height installations at the ground floor and both styles, proper locking is the most important security measure. Quality products are available that can be both single and multi-point locking, which are very resistant to forced entry.
Cost Comparison: Awning vs Casement in Ontario
Casement windows and awning windows are nearly equivalent in cost for average home sizes and set ups in Ontario. Both styles employ the same hardware systems, frame materials and glass packages, and the manufacturing complexity is comparable.
An area that can sometimes cause problems is when the sizes are not standard. Extra large casements may demand heavier casement hardware and stronger sash construction to allow the heavier sash to be opened. Wider awning windows are no different – a wide awning sash presents much leverage when open on the top hinge and quality hardware becomes increasingly significant at larger widths. With both, maintaining the recommended size ranges keeps the cost in check with the regular production price.
When both styles are being used for the same window opening in a window replacement Toronto project, the financial difference between awning and casement is never a determining factor. The more important cost factors are frame material (vinyl vs fibreglass vs wood-clad frame), glass type (double- or triple-pane and low-e glass coating), and whether the frame has opening sashes vs fixed lites in the frame configuration.
Making the Decision: Which Style Is Right for Your Home?
Instead of identifying one particular style as the best in terms of being superior everywhere, the best tool for comparing styles is to match every style to its best application in a Toronto house.
Install casement windows in rooms where what matters most is the view and the ventilation area, such as a bedroom or living room or dining room. Look for casements with a window opening that is taller than it is wide, and a traditional or vertical style of home. Use casements where you wish you can open the window completely to allow warm dry weather to circulate freely.
Install awning windows in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry areas and utility areas where there is need for ventilation during rainy weather. Install awnings in the basement where they need to be horizontal depending on wall height. Select awnings for the bungalows and ranch-style homes in which the window space is acceptable for the design. Choose awnings as combination units below large fixed windows to add ventilation to a statement opening without compromising the view.
Casements in the main living and sleeping rooms, awnings in the service and utility rooms, are the correct solutions in many Toronto homes. Planning window replacement to coordinate each style with the appropriate placement will produce improved whole house performance and a more unified look than having a single style everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions: Awning Windows vs Casement Windows
Q: Which window is easier to clean – awning or casement?
Modern styles often feature awning or casement windows that let the sash swing or tilt inwards, so that glass on the exterior of the house is easily cleaned from the interior. The comfort of cleaning is roughly the same for the two designs. Check this feature with your supplier, as each product line will have a different ease-of-clean tilt mechanism.
Q: Are awning windows suitable for bedrooms in Toronto?
Awning windows are suitable in bedrooms, especially when the window opening is set lower on the wall, or when the house layout requires a window that is horizontal. But in bedrooms, the increased width of the casement and increased air movement on hot nights make it the popular choice for many homeowners. Additionally, the size of egress should be verified – casement windows are typically clear with a larger opening, applicable for bedroom windows as a secondary exit.
Q: Can awning and casement windows be combined in the same room?
Absolutely. Popular window types paired with an awning window underneath in Toronto are the fixed or casement window with an awning combination. It gives the appearance of a large stationary window with the benefits of an awning window’s practical ventilation; and a combination of both may be available as a factory-mulled unit for a neat, stress-free look.
Q: Which style is better for a Toronto basement?
For basement mounting, awning windows are typically the best option. Their horizontal format allows them to fit into the smaller vertical window opening in the basement, and the top-hung openings prevent rain from entering due to the door style – especially relevant in below grade or near grade applications.
Q: How long do awning and casement windows last in Ontario's climate?
Quality vinyl and fibreglass awning and casement windows are built to withstand the extremes of Ontario weather and can last 20 to 30 years or longer. The most typical maintenance issue in either style is the hardware’s lifespan, including the crank mechanism and locking hardware. Search for products that have hardware warranties, and that offer easy access to replacement parts.
Q: Do awning windows cost more than casement windows in Ontario?
For comparable sizes and specifications, the price difference between awning and casement windows is minimal. Both styles use similar manufacturing processes and hardware systems. Your installer can provide a side-by-side quote for both styles in your specific opening dimensions so you can compare accurately.
Milano Windows helps Toronto and GTA homeowners choose the right window style for every room, with professional installation and honest guidance on products that perform in Ontario’s climate. Contact our team for a no-obligation in-home consultation.
Visit us at milanowin.com to get started.