Windows That Warm up Your Kitchen

by Gabby Hyman
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

Warm, ambient daylight cast through windows into your kitchen can make the difference in whether you want to spend time there. Yet it's amazing that people who undertake a kitchen remodeling project often fail to consider whether to enhance or replace their windows for increasing daylight as well as providing a refreshing view of the natural world. A kitchen contractor can help you optimize a window scheme for your remodeling plan. Even if your kitchen is dark and uninviting or you don't have significant wall space, remember that a contractor can install skylights, raise ceilings, or add windows that open out to the world.

Remodeling Kitchen Windows from the Inside Out

Consider installing bay or garden windows to invite light into your kitchen. A bay window makes your kitchen look larger, and a garden window projects out from the home, allowing you to add delightful greenery to any remodeling plan.

It's a good idea to ask your kitchen contractor to give you estimates for replacement, full-frame windows, and for inserts. Insert windows won't affect the exterior of the house and shouldn't mess up your existing interior trim. Many homeowners are turning to double-hung, tilt windows that swing wide to allow fresh air into the kitchen as well as provide easy cleaning of the sashes.

Location, Location, Location

Create a solid kitchen remodeling plan for your window scheme that considers the orientation of your property. If your kitchen faces north, you'll enjoy diffused light all day. Windows with southern exposure may heat up your kitchen in summer unless you install shades or awnings.

Above all, you should select energy-efficient windows wherever possible to cut heating and cooling costs. According to the Efficient Windows Collective, a double-glazed, energy-efficient, double-pane window can reduce energy costs by a third over single-glazed windows.

Source:

• Efficient Windows Collective

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has written for print and online media for more than 20 years. He has created online content for eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Avaya, and Nissan UK. He has also been a web consultant to the Governor of California. As an author of fiction, journalism, and poetry, Gabby is a former English professor for the University of Illinois, University of Alaska, and Old Dominion University. He holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Alabama.