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windows and treatments--prefer inside or outside mounts

tracey_b
14 years ago

We're choosing between 2 brands of windows for the new house. As I understand 1 of the differences, it is related to how you can mount blinds/shades. One offers inside mount, the other you have to do outside mount. I've only had windows before where I could inside mount my blinds, so this is what I prefer (but the other window has greater exterior appeal, according to hubby).

Given a choice--inside or outside mounting of blinds / shades--which do you prefer? I think we can always beef up the exterior trim.

Thanks!

Comments (13)

  • chloe203
    14 years ago

    Are you talking about double hung windows and casement windows?

    I have casements in my house and I can't really do inside mount window treatments because the screen snaps in from the inside and takes up the space where an inside mount shade would go.
    I like casement windows. I think they might be more energy efficient, but I hate the fact that I can't do inside mount shades. If we ever build another house, I will probably go back to double hung windows because I really don't like shades mounted on the outside.

  • andreadeg
    14 years ago

    I have the kind of windows chloe45 describes above and as it happens I generally prefer outside mount blinds as I find it makes the windows look bigger and taller, and because i like to stack the blind and drape off the windows to let in as much light as possible. that being said, I've some windows that are 5 or 6 inches deep and they really look wonderful and add alot of style to the room.

  • natal
    14 years ago

    We had deeper jambs built to accommodate inside mounted shades on the casement windows we put in the addition. If you're building you should be able to do the same.

  • tracey_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks everyone. The walls are both 2x6 (basement and GR tall wall) and 2x4 in the house. One brand has a deep enough jamb (?) that will accommodate inside mount even in the 2x4 walls, but the other brand does not (or so explained the sales guy and the builder). No, no casement windows this time (had 'em last 2 times). I think I've convinced hubby that inside mount wins.

    Thanks for your opinions.

    OH....any opinions on the different "styles" of windows? Builder is wanting to know if we want traditional ("6 over 6") or other type (like "6 over clear"). Oh the many decisions..... aaarrrrgh!

    Thanks!

  • bobtheblindguy
    14 years ago

    Most people perfer inside mount. Not sure why the sales person said treatment is only available in outside mount. Maybe it was due to a minimum width and your opening might be below the min. What type of treatments are you considering?

  • rosie
    14 years ago

    I'd always thought I preferred inside mount until I read something in a Cote de Texas piece on drapes linked on a thread in this forum. The point was that if you should hang drapes alongside the window, now or later, you would want the top of the shade even with the top of the curtains. Although there are undoubtedly situations where something else would actually do nicely, the examples shown illustrated her point very convincingly.

  • johnmari
    14 years ago

    For me it depends on the trim. If you have no trim or it's blah, go ahead and hide it with outside mount. (But IMO it should be fully covered - half-covered it looks to me like someone just slapped up off-the-shelf blinds that were the closest available measurement. But that's me.) If you have great trim, inside mount to show it off baybee! :-)

    As for whether to go 6-over-6 or 6-over-1, that depends on the style of the house - IMO some houses have 6-over-6 windows that should NEVER EVER have been allowed to be installed, they're just so wrong for the style of the house, and plain 1-over-1s would have served the house so much better. (Why do so many houses these days look like they've been mugged by half-soused window and siding salesmen? So strange!) If 6-over-whatever is truly appropriate to the style of the house, I personally prefer 6-over-1. It's less busy, it's a nicer view out the lower sash, and it's certainly easier to clean. Yes, you can get windows with the muntins between the panes, but IMO that looks downright weird and you can't change the color of the muntins without replacing the entire glass unit. I have a couple of doors like that and look forward to getting rid of them. Snap-out muntins can break easily IME and can warp off the surface off the glass so they look very obviously stuck-on. My last house had them - we took them all off and threw them away.

  • tracey_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Bob--the builder said one of the windows comes with "extensions" (jamb?) that allows for inside mount even in the 2x4" walls. I guess the other window takes up too much space, depth-wise, to allow inside mount in anything other than the 2x6" walls. We will have lovely trim, so I'd like it to show. I'm not big on window treatments, so probably only the front 2, more formal rooms will have curtains. The others will have blinds of some sort (I'm leaning towards woven wood/bamboo--whatever it's called). I think I've convinced hubby on the window of my choice :-)

    As for the window grilles--we're actually going for the ones between the panes. We had the other before, and my knuckles hated cleaning windows--all those small panes to clean individually. I know they look better, but in time, they "blend away" for me. Even many upper-end homes around here have no trouble selling with the windows we're using.

    I have the last sketch of the elevation, but it's on the large blueprint paper, so I can't scan it easily. Maybe I'll snap a pic of it and post to get opinions on the style of window the house will support. I haven't a clue! Right now, it's sporting the 6-over-6 windows. I'll X-post to the window forum, but I always get more response here (decor-wise).

    Thanks!!!

  • tracey_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Here's a pic of the elevation taken with my iPhone. It's the best I could do quickly. Hope it turns out well enough...

    I think I already answered my own question: with the front door we've chosen, and the stationary window above the foyer, we'd probably need to go with the windows as shown (6-over-6), but what about the back and sides of house? The current depiction makes it look rather "busy". Can I use one style in front and another elsewhere? My builder assures me he's done it (custom $500k builder), esp. when people have nice views they don't want to obscure (and we're over-looking trees and lovely pond). What do you think???

    To me, this is a "decor" question, but I'll probably still X-post in Windows.

    Thanks!

  • totallyconfused
    14 years ago

    My window could take an inside mount-of certain types of blinds. There was only enough depth to fully accomodate a header of I think about 2 inches, which limited me to mini-blinds, pleated shades or honeycombs. Some other types of blinds could have been installed as an inside mount, but they would have protruded significantly beyond the window frame.

    I hated the outside mount blinds I had had for 20 years so much that I was willing to go with anything that would let me do an inside mount.

    Just something else to consider.

    Totally Confused

  • lbernard3
    9 years ago

    We have casement windows, and the screens can only be removed by pushing down on them, and pulling them from the top. If we hang blinds/shades inside, the shade will block the screen from being removed. The previous owners velcroed them up inside the windows, that held for about 2 years, then I am left with velcro that wont stick anymore. Then I screwed the brackets/blinds up to the inside frame, but that is a pain because I have to unscrew every blind to get out the screens.

    Has anyone figured out how to do this, without going to an outside mount?

    Thanks.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    We have casements and I've done both inside and outside mount. Our screens need to be lifted up and then the bottom swings out so we are able to take them off with shades in place. Some of my inside mounts are tension rods though, easy enough to remove if necessary....