Window features

What goes into a Clearview window.

This page explains what a quote pays for: the frame material, the glass, the brand, and the window style.

Clearview crew installing a white window beneath an arched transom on a house with taupe siding and a brick base.
Clearview job photo — exterior window installation

Why it matters

Why windows matter.

Windows are a small part of a house's wall area but a large share of the heat it loses in a Washington winter. A failed seal, worn weatherstripping, or a single pane of glass can all show up the same way: a draft at the lock, a cold spot by the window, and higher heating bills.

What it's made of

Vinyl or fiberglass.

Vinyl

The usual choice in Clark County. Good value, low upkeep.

Fiberglass

Stiffer and holds paint. Worth it on big openings.

Vinyl versus fiberglass window frames: cross-sections of a white chambered PVC frame and a dark glass-fiber-reinforced resin frame, with notes on frame construction, when the material matters, and what you may notice. Illustrative profiles only.

We install both. Vinyl suits most standard openings; fiberglass suits wide sliders and picture windows that might otherwise flex.

Which window

Cascade or Milgard.

Cascade

The standard window Clearview installs on most jobs.

Milgard

A step up in the window itself, same install.

The installation is done to the same standard either way; the window in the opening is different. We tell you which one a quote is based on, and why, before anything is ordered. Cascade vs Milgard: where each is made, how they differ, and when the step up is worth it.

Glass

Double- or triple-pane, Low-E either way.

Every window we install has an insulated glass package, double- or triple-pane, with a Low-E coating chosen for a Pacific Northwest heating season.

A cloudy or fogged pane is a different problem: a failed seal, not a coating choice. How to tell the difference.

Window Energy Ratings, Explained. U-factor measures heat transfer: how well the window insulates. Lower means better insulation, because less heat passes through the window; U-factor is not an air-leakage rating. SHGC, the solar heat gain coefficient, measures how much solar heat enters: a lower SHGC admits less of the sun's heat and a higher SHGC admits more, and the right balance depends on the home. What matters for your home: climate, balancing winter heat retention with summer comfort; orientation and shade, meaning which way windows face and how much sun reaches them; and whole-window ratings, comparing NFRC ratings for the complete window. Start with good insulation, then choose solar heat gain for the room, exposure and shading.Open full-size diagram
Window energy ratings: U-factor and SHGC

Conceptual illustrations. Confirm product ratings and current utility rebate requirements before selecting windows.

Explore the styles

See how a window opens.

Turn a window around, compare frame colors, and try the moving sash before you tell us about your project.

Illustrative casement window, closed in a studio setting

3D loads only when you choose to explore.

Window style

A side-hinged sash that swings outward.

Frame color preview

Start 3D to preview colors. Available finishes depend on the product.

Start the 3D preview to open the sash.

Casement · Graphite appearance

Discuss this style

We measure every opening and confirm the options in your written estimate.

These are illustrative models, not exact Cascade or Milgard products. Frame details, colors and dimensions need confirmation. Compare all window styles.

Shapes and operation

Window styles.

Slider

Two sashes, one slides sideways past the other.

Double-hung

Top and bottom sash both move. Usually tilts in to clean.

Single-hung

Only the bottom sash moves. The top half is fixed.

Picture / fixed

Does not open. Just glass in a frame.

Casement

Hinged at the side, cranks outward.

Awning

Hinged at the top, cranks out from the bottom.

Bay or bow

Projects out from the wall. Its own framing and roof work.

White-framed sliding window on a dark-painted house under a clear blue sky, beside a tall evergreen shrub
Sliding window on a dark houseSlider
Tall white-trimmed windows with rectangular transoms on a blue-sided home
Tall windows with transomsDouble-hung
White-trimmed window beside a brick chimney, green siding and blue hydrangeas
Garden window beside the chimneySingle-hung
Looking up at black-framed windows on a tall tan lap-siding wall, a two-part window above a large picture window, under a blue sky
Black-framed windows on a tall wallPicture

Arches, transoms, and other non-rectangular openings are measured and priced individually. Doors — sliding patio door and french door — are not windows, but we can install them as part of the same project if you are doing a whole side of the house. More on sliding glass doors.

Hardware and color

Hardware and color options.

Locking hardware, interior and exterior color, and grid patterns depend on the line we order, and Cascade's options are not identical to Milgard's.

Warranty

What the warranty covers.

The glass and hardware carry the manufacturer's own warranty, and Cascade and Milgard each write theirs differently. The installation is covered separately by us. Ask us to spell out both before you sign: what is covered, for how long, and who to call.

Next step

Get your zero pressure quote.

The right material, brand, and style depend on the house. Call for your quote today. Nothing is ordered until you are ready.

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