What type of windows do I have

Being in QLD, yes they are the hopper windows which are pretty common in your area. Hindged at the top and the bottom pushes out.

Typically there are 2 windows (one above the other) and sometime another set side by side as well - depending on the room.

You will find the hoppers are very good in the summer downpours (Yes I know that does not happen of late) but when it doesm, you can leave them open and not get rain into the house.

If you replace them with casements, *french door style) these are very good at being used to catch a breeze that might be flowing past your house, as one window can be opened and act like a arm to bring the breeze inside. But not good in the rain.

Check the layout of your house and the common breeze directions (winter and summer) before you change them, or you might find the windows can't be left open when it does finaly rain up there.

Moorkoka can get some pretty violent storms so windows that don't let rain in are a good idea.

I grew up in Coorparoo and we had casements and hoppers innour house. Hoppers East and west, casement on the North and South side to catch the breezes.
Hope this helps
Steve

Yes, a hopper style window (hinged from the top edge)

See pic of the model I mean
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As opposed to the lower edge hinged models. Below - is a not so smart
design in my books as it is useless if it rains - yes I have lived with them...

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or the standard casement windows below.
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Just so we are all on the same track

The upper hinged hopper - Can pretty much be left open and it will not let much if any rain in.

ie leave it iopen a few inches is OK, but not wide open (horizontal open) or the rain come in over the top of the glass and the sides.

They basicaly work like a glass awning.

I also have them on my current house in SA, and I leave them open 4 or 5 inches in summer and when it rains (I have no eves on this section) but the rain does not come in here either.
Sure a really heavy bucketing with wind blown rain will blow in the lower corners, but pretty much they are OK to leave open and will let a breeze in at all times - Ideal in Brissy and the tropics.

I lived with the same style windows in Sweden and the UK, and I left them open 1 cm or so - which lets the room get some air but the rain no matter how hard it blew did not come in.

I'm a big fan of hopper and louvre style windows for this very reason. They let air in but not the water

But lourves no matter how well they seal, are not ideal for colder climates. Unless you have a secondary glazing insert for winter to stop the leaking breeze that gets through them.
Steve

Hi air_man,

tilt and turn is the way to go. The hardware is far advanced and more practical compared to those awning or casement windows.
Plus your flyscreen is on the outside and there is no need to remove them first if you want to open your window......

Hello windowexpert

I agree on hardware... it is very good on a tilt and turn.

On flyscreens...
In general timber and aluminium windows in Australia have integrated flyscreens which you can operate with the flyscreen in place via a chainwinder or "Truth" style winder.

With uPVC the window and extrusion designs in Australia are either USA or European and don't take a flyscreen. But at EcoClassic we have designed and patented an internal flyscreen that allows the window to be opened with the screen in place (and without removing the flyscreen). This goes for awning and casement windows. With a double hung window the flyscreen is integrated into the frame on the outside of the window and coloured the same as the window. All these look really good externally or internally.

With the tilt and turn - the only way to fit a flyscreen is to fit it to the face of the window (as the window opens internally) - and this really detracts for the appearance of the window.

Andrew

You are welcome Steve

The Sliding Window... which may be old but will live forever!

Aluminium
The most common window because it is cheap to make, easily takes a flyscreen and can use cheap hardware - this is why it is used in 90% of project homes. It is at least 25% cheaper than the other styles of openable windows.

It's main value is in a verandah or access situation where the opened sash does not encroach into the space outside (unlike an awning or casement).

Some use rollers (which wear and need the track cleaning regularly to keep them working) and some use glides (A&L) which are heavier to push.

Generally cannot be double glazed (only good reason for this is that it is the lowest cost option and if you want double glazing you will generally want to upgrade the window style too. Some manufcaturers supply their sliding door as a double glazed sliding window!).

Appearancewise - thin aluminium with no redeeming features. Has drain holes punched into the sill which should be kept clean.

And yes it lets the rain in

uPVC
Heavier sections looks similar to awning and casement and priced about the same.

Has a very useful feature where all sashes can slide and the flyscreen can slide to cover the opening. Really neat as a servery instead of a bifold window which lets flies in

Always uses rollers.

And yes it lets the rain in But always looks good.

And we sell both aluminium and uPVC


Andrew

You could install another single glazed aluminium slider inside the reveal... But as close as practicable as larger air spces are not so efficient...

Andrew