Which Needs More Repair, a Casement Window or a Slider Window?

Definition

• Casement windows are among the oldest window types. Instead of being housed in channels like sashes, they swing open on hinges, like doors. Sliding windows are housed in channels and slide horizontally from side to side. Sliders are typically found in houses with modern styling. Both casements and sliders often are installed above the kitchen sink because they're easier to operate at arm's length than sash windows

Casements

• Most casement windows swing outward. Because they're exposed to the weather when open, they're vulnerable to peeling paint. The paint must be kept in good shape or water will penetrate the wood and cause swelling, separation and rot. The hardware for casements receive a lot of use and can wear out, leading to hardware replacement.

Sliders

• Sliding windows, like sliding glass doors, slide from side to side inside their channels. Made of wood, metal or vinyl, they're prone to wear from the friction of sliding. The channel needs to be kept clean so paint dust and metal or vinyl dust don't clog the channel. When painting, you'll have to remove excess paint from the channel and the slider so that whatever's left over doesn't make the window stick.

Tips

• The choice of casement or sliding windows is a matter of taste and function. Cottage and romantic-revival homes -- Tudor or Mediterranean, for example -- often feature casements. They allow maximum ventilation because the whole window opens. Sliding windows are often used between two living spaces -- between a kitchen and a patio, for instance, because they don't take up space when open.