Best Windows for Colonial Style Homes

As a style of home that originated right here in New England, American Colonial homes are still popular today. Their history dates back to the 1600s when colonists brought their European flair with them to the New World. You can find homes built in this traditional style all across the New England area, including Quality Window & Door’s service areas stretching from Maryland to Northern Virginia to Washington, DC.

To this day, colonial style homes tend to have these notable features:

• Two stories
• Square, symmetrical interior and exterior design
• Entryway centered on the front of the house
• Stairway to the second floor directly behind the main entrance
• One central chimney or symmetrically balanced chimneys
• Gable roof at a medium pitch
• White clapboard or natural brick siding

If you’re shopping for new windows to install in your colonial style home, this guide will certainly come in handy.

Best Window Shapes for Colonial Style Homes

• Rectangular: Colonial homes are all about rectangles, symmetry and simplicity, so specialty-shaped accent windows aren’t common. A traditional rectangular window shape is what you see most often in these homes.
• Bay: The original colonial style homes didn’t have bay windows, but colonial manors that came a little later on certainly did. They maintain the symmetrical appeal of colonial homes with the added benefit of a protruding window for more natural light and added visual appeal.

Best Window Styles for Colonial Style Homes

• Double-hung: Windows that slide up and down, known as double-hung windows, are most commonly found in colonial style homes.
• Multi-pane: In colonial times, the technology needed to produce large sheets of glass didn’t exist yet. To accommodate larger window openings, they used muntins to hold smaller panes together. Today, you can mimic this divided window look more efficiently with grilles sandwiched between two panes of glass.
• Thin molding and shutters: Plain exterior trim leaves plenty of room for classic colonial shutters to shine.

Best Window Materials for Colonial Style Homes

• Clad windows: Designed to look like wood on the outside, clad windows feature durable materials such as vinyl and fiberglass for the appearance you want without the maintenance wood requires. However, the clad feature means real wood is still present on the inside to add a certain warmth and traditional appearance.
• All wood: This is the material colonists used when building their homes centuries ago. Even as newer materials have become available, wood remains a popular choice for owners of colonial style homes.

Best Window Finishes and Colors for Colonial Style Homes

• White: Picture a traditional colonial style house. The façade is either brick with white windows and shutters, or the house features white cladding with white windows and dark-colored shutters. Either way, to achieve that classic look, white window frames are definitely a safe choice.
• Earth tones: You can also implement a more modern feel to your colonial style house with windows in other colors. Conservative earth tones – such as brown, dark red or cream – are still recommended.

Colonial Style Windows from Weather Shield

With these window ideas in mind, the next step is to find a manufacturer that meets your needs. Weather Shield is one brand we offer here at Quality Window & Door that has great windows for colonial homes. One appropriate product line is Weather Shield’s Premium Series double-hung windows. These offer the look of historic windows with the efficiency of modern design.

If you’re ready to pursue new windows for your colonial style home, we invite you to visit one of our showrooms in Maryland and Northern Virginia. You can also contact us for a free consultation when you’re ready.