Basement windows -- glass block vs. awning

Have seven old wood windows to replace in my basement. They're roughly

33"w x 20"h. I'm not a big fan of the look of glass block but do appreciate the security they provide in our urban environment, as well as their energy efficiency. However, the only way I'd even consider glass blocks is with good-sized vent windows so there goes some of the efficiency.

I really want the ability to open the basement windows easily -- we spend most of our time down here and enjoy fresh air-- so I thought awning (casements mounted horizontally) windows might be a good compromise. They would't be as easy to forcibly enter as sliders (horizontal double-hungs) -- or am I kidding myself?

There's also the matter of privacy. I could do without window treatments with occluded glass blocks; have to do something to cover the awnings, especially since I'm on a corner.

So I'm looking for opinions on the pros and cons of good quality awning-style vinyl windows vs. glass blocks with large vent openings.

TIA, ~JMA

Reply to
jacy
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Hopper windows with frosted film on the glass would be about the best choice in your situation.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Just get glass block. While you're at it, put glass block on all your main house windows,too.

Reply to
Stephen King

Local code may not allow you to use glass block. You might be required to use windows that open to provide for emergency access. Check with your permitting office before you decide what to do.

Reply to
SteveB

you must have ventilation in a basement, and security wise any home is just as fortified as the weakest glass window, or poor door lock.

most burglars want to get in and out fast, no climb thru a hard to access basement.

the vents in glass blocks are a joke.

Reply to
hallerb

Feed this idea into your equation: Burglar bars.

We have them on all our windows, but they open - from the inside - with a deadbolt. In an emergency, they are no more of a barrier than a door. The bars are inside the windows. They swing open and the windows slide up.

Reply to
HeyBub

I went with glass block; in our subdivision lots of home break-ins through the basement windows as they were easy to pop out. Very happy with them, but my circumstances are different from yours. Half the basement is a couple of feet underground and the windows only open onto those round ventilation holes anyway; no window coverings necessary. In fact, glass block improved the aesthetics of the situation.

Reply to
Melissa

Hadn't thought of those and they're certainly similar enough functionally yet more economical than awnings. Do they stay put at the desired opening width? From photos it seems they're either shut or fully open -- no in-between.

Hoppers look like a good option so it'll probably come down to how much I want to spend on the greater aesthetic appeal -- in my eyes, anyway -- of awnings.

~JMA

Reply to
jacy

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