What is a fixed window?

A window that does not open. The glass sits directly in the frame with no sash, hinge or handle. Because nothing has to move or carry weight, the frame can be slimmer and the glass area larger than on an equivalent opening window. Picture window, fixed light and non-opening window all describe the same thing.

What is the difference between a fixed window and a picture window?

Nothing, in practice. Picture window is the consumer term and usually implies a large single pane framing a view. Fixed window is the general and trade term, and covers any non-opening window whatever its size, including small panes and layouts divided by transoms, mullions or glazing bars.

Are fixed windows cheaper than opening windows?

Yes, for the same size and specification, because there is no sash, hinge, handle or locking mechanism in a fixed window. What changes that is the number of panes rather than the overall size, since every transom, mullion and glazing bar is a separate operation. A large single pane can cost less than a smaller window divided into twelve.

Can a fixed window be used in an internal wall?

Yes. A non-opening window in an internal wall borrows light from a bright room into a darker one, which is why they are common in hallways, stairwells and rooms in the middle of a house. Internal glazing has its own requirements, particularly where the wall separates a room from an escape route, so check them before you order.

Do fixed windows have trickle vents?

No, not on this range. A fixed window provides no ventilation at all. When you replace a window in a habitable room in England, Part F expects the room not to end up with less ventilation than it had, so if the window you are replacing opened, the ventilation needs to come from somewhere else. Check with your building control body before ordering.

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How to maintain your energy-efficient windows and doors

Pine windows and doors

When to check the pine windows and doors?
When it comes to pine windows and doors, it's a good idea to be proactive with maintenance.
Check the surface regularly, especially on the sides of the house that are exposed to sunlight, as the sun's rays are particularly hard on the paint.
When to paint the pine windows and doors?
The humidity in the wood should not be too high. In addition, it is best when the temperature is between 10-20 degrees and you are not painting in direct sunlight. Don't start painting before the dew has disappeared and don't start so late that the dew returns before the paint is completely dry.
Weather-wise, late summer is often a good time to paint.
How to paint pine windows and doors?
It's best to paint before the paint starts to crack or peel, as all you need to do is clean. before painting on top. Once the paint has started to crack, we recommend sanding and priming before repainting.
It is recommended to give the woodwork two thin coats of paint rather than one thick coat. Let the paint dry for 24 hours between coats, remembering not to close the windows until the paint is dry.
A good tip is to take off the window frames and remove as many fittings as possible to speed up the painting process and make it possible to paint underneath the fittings.
It is important that you do not paint sealing strips, fittings and warranty and production labelling.

Alu-clad windows and doors

How to maintain alu-clad windows and doors?
When it comes to alu-clad windows and doors, maintenance is minimal.
Simply wash the frame and sash a couple of times a year as needed. Use pH neutral soap and lukewarm water.

What do you call a window that doesn't open?

Any of four names, depending on who is talking.

Fixed window is the general term and the one most suppliers use.
Picture window usually means a large single pane, and comes from the idea of framing a view like a picture.
Fixed light is trade language, where a light means a pane of glass, so a six light window has six panes.
Non-opening window, sometimes non-openable, is what building specifications tend to say.

You will also see fixed glazing and fixed pane. Same product. If a supplier lists several of these as separate categories, it is worth checking whether the difference is real or just naming.

How big can a fixed window be?

Larger than an opening window of the same design, because no sash has to carry the weight of the glass and no hinge has to take the load.

If your opening is wider than a single pane allows, the answer is to divide it rather than to force one oversized unit. A mullion runs vertically, a transom runs horizontally, and both let you keep even sightlines across a wide opening. Fourteen of the layouts on this page are built that way.

Where fixed windows work best

Anywhere the light matters and the airflow does not.

Stairwells and landings, where nobody would reach a handle anyway, and where a tall fixed pane can light two floors at once.
Above a door or another window, as a transom. It puts light high in the room, where it travels furthest, and leaves the wall below usable.
Beside an opening window or a patio door, so one part opens and the rest stays glass. This is how most large glazed elevations are actually built.
Long and narrow, high on a wall. A horizontal fixed window gives you light and a slot of view while keeping the wall underneath free for furniture, a worktop or storage. Four of the layouts here are made for exactly that.
In an internal wall, to borrow light from a bright room into a dark one. See our Internal windows

The one place to be careful is a habitable room where the fixed window replaces the only opening one. That has ventilation consequences, covered below.

Which material, and what the frame gives you

Two options, both starting from the same pine frame.

Pine is painted or glazed at our factory and can be repainted in any colour later.
Alu-clad pine carries a 1 mm aluminium skin on the outside, so the timber never meets the weather and you wash the frame rather than repaint it. Warranty is 10 years on pine and 12 on alu-clad.

Three details worth knowing before you configure.

A warm edge spacer in black is included as standard, which is the detail that keeps the edge of the glass from becoming the cold spot.
An aluminium drip-rail on the outside carries water clear of the frame instead of letting it sit.
And a frame groove, 10 mm deep, can be machined into the inside face on any combination of sides, which makes fitting internal sills and casing trims considerably easier for whoever installs it.

Looking for uPVC, meranti or acoustic glass rated in decibels? Those sit on a different platform, in our fixed frame windows range.

Safety glass and Building Regulations

Where the glass sits decides whether it has to be safety glass, and Approved Document K sets the rule.

Standard glass is allowed only where the bottom edge of the glazing is more than 800 mm above the finished floor and not within 300 mm of a door opening.

Toughened or laminated glass is required where the glazing sits below 800 mm, where it is in a door, or where it is within 300 mm of a door edge and below 1500 mm. A suitable barrier in front of the glass is the alternative.

Both are options on every window on this page, so you can meet the rule pane by pane. Low fixed windows and anything beside a door are the two to check.

How much do fixed windows cost?

Every window is made to measure, so there is no list price. Yours is calculated from the size you enter, the layout, pine or alu-clad, the glazing, the glass type and the finish, and the configurator prices it as you build, including VAT.

Two things move the price more than people expect. The number of panes matters more than the overall size, because every transom, mullion and glazing bar is a separate operation in the factory. And specialist glass, whether obscure, solar control or acoustic, is a bigger step than any frame option.

A fixed window of a given size costs less than an opening window of the same size, because there is no sash, no hinge and no handle in it.

Purchasing windows: Sparwindows, your trusted source for high-quality bay windows and fixed frame windows. Our bay windows are designed to enhance the beauty and functionality of your home, providing panoramic views and excellent energy efficiency. Explore our selection of bay windows and discover why Sparwindows is the best choice for your window needs.

At Sparwindows you can purchase windows quickly and easily – regardless of whether you are looking for fixed windows, cottage windows or casement windows.

If you are looking for a window that lets in a lot of natural light, but can also be opened, we offer a wide range of combination windows – fixed top guided windows. They enable part of the window to be opened, while the other part is fixed.

Fixed frame windows for bay windows

At SparWindows you can easily design your own fixed window. Just choose a model, enter the dimensions, material, colour, etc. If you wish to purchase the same window model in different sizes, please add each window to your cart separately.

Our fixed windows are highly suitable to use in combination with an inexpensive patio door or with our conservatory windows.

When you purchase windows and doors from SparWindows, you get a fullup to 12-year warranty. Payment is straightforward and safe via a secure payment server.

FAQ

What is a fixed window?
A window that does not open. The glass sits directly in the frame with no sash, hinge or handle. Because nothing has to move or carry weight, the frame can be slimmer and the glass area larger than on an equivalent opening window. Picture window, fixed light and non-opening window all describe the same thing.
What is the difference between a fixed window and a picture window?
Nothing, in practice. Picture window is the consumer term and usually implies a large single pane framing a view. Fixed window is the general and trade term, and covers any non-opening window whatever its size, including small panes and layouts divided by transoms, mullions or glazing bars.
Are fixed windows cheaper than opening windows?
Yes, for the same size and specification, because there is no sash, hinge, handle or locking mechanism in a fixed window. What changes that is the number of panes rather than the overall size, since every transom, mullion and glazing bar is a separate operation. A large single pane can cost less than a smaller window divided into twelve.
Can a fixed window be used in an internal wall?
Yes. A non-opening window in an internal wall borrows light from a bright room into a darker one, which is why they are common in hallways, stairwells and rooms in the middle of a house. Internal glazing has its own requirements, particularly where the wall separates a room from an escape route, so check them before you order.
Do fixed windows have trickle vents?
No, not on this range. A fixed window provides no ventilation at all. When you replace a window in a habitable room in England, Part F expects the room not to end up with less ventilation than it had, so if the window you are replacing opened, the ventilation needs to come from somewhere else. Check with your building control body before ordering.

Fixed windows

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How to maintain your energy-efficient windows and doors

When to check the pine windows and doors?

When to paint the pine windows and doors?

How to paint pine windows and doors?

How to maintain alu-clad windows and doors?