Looking for replacement windows for your Ranch home?
Replacement windows should reflect your home’s unique character and personality. They ought to enhance its function and bring beauty to both its interior and exterior. Everything from your window style selection to its hardware should complement your interior decorating scheme and create a cohesive overall look.
Here are some simple tips to help you get the optimal aesthetics and function for your North Carolina Ranch style home.
How to Choose Replacement Windows for Ranch Homes
An American favorite, Ranch homes are single-story, and built with an open concept layout and a dedicated patio space that symbolizes laid-back living. They feature a long, low-pitch roofline with large windows across the front of the home. To highlight this style, choose windows that provide the functions you need, while remaining modest in appearance to flow well with the architecture and overall vibe.
The casual style of your Ranch home should be reflected in your window style selection
Window style selections should always match your house’s style. To match a Ranch’s laid-back feel, look for windows that create a warm, inviting, relaxed look while also giving you what you need in interior rooms for livability. For example, windows in a Ranch style house tend to be wider than they are tall in order to maximize wall space, while also allowing in plenty of sun and fresh air.
Consider the beauty of period-specific window styles
Since a big influx of Ranch homes were built in the 1960s, they are now being snatched up by people who love the period known as mid-century modern. It adds another dimension of beauty to be historically accurate in your style choice when replacing your gorgeous home’s windows.
Elements that impact window choice for your Ranch home
- Ranch style is all about horizontal lines, so stay consistent with this aesthetic in your window choice.
- Due to the large overhanging eaves typical of this architecture, window glass needs to be as big as possible to allow the maximum amount of natural light inside.
- Man-made materials were a period-specific “must” when many Ranch homes were built, making steel and aluminum popular choices in window frames.
- While there are basic guidelines to follow when selecting replacement windows for your Ranch home, you should ultimately give it the design you love and make the selections that fit your taste.
Top Window Styles to Enhance Your Ranch Home’s Looks
The best window styles for these homes deliver lots of natural light, fabulous views, and energy savings. Here are the best replacement window options to choose from:
Slider windows
With sashes that glide left or right in either direction in a single frame, slider windows are simple to use, making them a practical choice. They offer unobstructed views of the outdoors and give you an abundance of natural light due to their large glass and slim frames. They deliver delightful ventilation to help lower energy use and increase indoor comfort during spring and fall. You’re sure to enjoy the ease of opening and closing provided by smooth-glide slider windows.
Picture windows
Ranch homes are what made classic picture windows popular, so they are a must when you’re replacing windows. These gorgeous, fixed windows with no moving parts and minimal frames give the greatest amount of light to your home. Their crisp, clean lines make them a mid-century modern favorite, and they provide exceptional energy efficiency due to their strong seal.
Casement windows
The smooth, simple lines of casement windows create more glass space and bigger views. When they are closed, they look similar to a fixed window, and they can be installed with or without grilles to create visual interest. Their hinges are on one side, and they crank open with ease.
They deliver an abundance of natural light, making them perfect for Ranch homes. Due to their tight seal created by levers that lock at multiple points, they offer exceptional energy efficiency and provide savings throughout the year.
Awning windows
Awning windows have hinges mounted on the top of them, so they open outward. This practical style works perfectly for Ranch homes, allowing for exceptional ventilation even when it’s raining. They work well in hard-to-reach spaces like behind the kitchen sink or in a bathroom.
Horizontal grilles
Enhance the look of your Ranch home with horizontal grilles on windows (such as your fixed picture window) to accent the prominent horizontal lines throughout your home.
Fixed Transoms
To add more natural light to your interior, consider fixed transoms over your doors. Transoms are windows set above the transom of a door or larger window.
Jalousie windows
The classic porch or sunroom found in a Ranch home was often adorned with jalousie windows (also called louver windows). Their narrow panes of horizontal glass crank open simultaneously. They’re not the top choice when it comes to energy efficiency, but they are period-specific, attractive windows that many homeowners enjoy.
Window Types to Avoid in a Ranch Style Home
- Double hung or single hung windows
- Choose a casement or awning window instead for an authentic look.
- Bay and bow windows
- Get a picture window in its place.
- Ornamental glass
- Choose clear or slightly tinted glass for the best look.
- Grilles with vertical lines
- Stick with horizontal lined grilles instead.
Transform Your Ranch Home with Replacement Windows
Get the look you love and the indoor comfort you desire with low maintenance, energy-efficient windows that reduce noise intrusion’s ability to invade your home. Enjoy greater views, increased curb appeal, more natural light, and maximized home security. Check out our helpful guide to window replacement.
Learn more about how Kelly Window & Door can guide you toward the perfect replacement windows for your Ranch home.