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Thin frame black windows - specs/sources

3 years ago

Hello,

I’d like to install thin frame black windows in my home. The attached photos describe the look that I’m after… sleek/slim as opposed to large/chunky.

Could someone advise what frame/grid width I should look for? For example, is a 2” frame width considered narrow, or is that on the wider end of the industry range?

Could anyone recommend a source? I’m currently looking at PGT windows but having a hard time visualizing their options (hence this post).

Thank you!

Comments (24)

  • 3 years ago

    Photos

  • 3 years ago

    Those are not PGT and definitely not a 2" frame. Steel thin frames like that would be 10x the price for the PGT units.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    PGT is very popular in FL and most of their frames are anything but thin! They have a big market share here in FL with their more budget friendly hurricane/impact rated vinyl windows, but you aren't going to get a thin high end look.

    We used Marvin when we built in 2021 and very happy with their product. They have a Modern collection.

    Look at https://www.marvin.com/products/collections/signature/modern

  • 3 years ago

    @chispa - Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll take a look at Marvin.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Marvin is a good option. You can also minimize the width of the frames with more sheetrock.

  • 3 years ago

    @toddinmn What do you mean by that? I don't know anything about sheetrock. Thanks for the thought!

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Western Window Systems has a simulated steel line with narrow sight lines that is constructed out of aluminum they are a PGT owned company. trucks will be running between the two plants opening up availabilty in Florida and wherever PGT trucks deliver. Western does not offer inpact products if that is required



  • 3 years ago

    Arcadia has a "Steel" look aluminum as well. Torrance Windows out of Calif. makes a reasonably priced steel unit from what I am told as well.

  • 3 years ago

    If you want a cheap way to do this, Amazon has stick on pieces. I am using this to go over windows that have panes inside the windows.

  • 3 years ago

    I used a relatively narrow sash but I heightened the narrowness on the interior by painting only the movable sash black and the rest of the trim the wall color. So they look very thin on the interior, wider on the exterior.

  • 3 years ago

    @palimpsest How creative. Would you mind snapping a few pictures of your windows? I'd love to see how that turned out!

  • 3 years ago

    @Uneeda Home Improvement Co., Inc - I've been looking at the Western Window Systems online catalogue and really like their products. Would you be able to give me a sense of their price point? For instance, relative to a PGT aluminum frame window?


  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    " Would you be able to give me a sense of their price point? For instance, relative to a PGT aluminum frame window? "

    Solid 15-20X minimum. Steel is a he** of a lot more expensive than vinyl or aluminum.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Western is a PGT owned company but I only have access to PGT, CGI, WinDoor & EasyBreeze pricing. PGT plans on bringing the Westerns Product line to Eastern Distribution so i would not be afraid of calling them directly.


    Westerns Simulated Steel Line is made from aluminum profiles so it may not be the kind of premium over the typical aluminum products that Millworkman refers to.

  • 3 years ago

    For those saying there is no way they are PGT; do you understand that you can bury the frame to create the reveal you'd like? Western 600 Series, owned by PGT, has a 1.5" frame profile, in (2) .75" steps; first the frame, then the glass leg/stop. Western offers a .875" muntin, so to have your reveal match that of your muntin bars, you'd simply bury .75" of the frame and leave the .75" glass leg/stop exposed, which would read to most eyes as being the same dimension as the muntin bars. Fleetwood 3800-T has a similar profile, as does IWC, and both frames can be partially buried to create the reveal dimension you'd like (within reason). Awake, a window and door manufacturer out of Gilbert, AZ, has a 1" perimeter frame on their fixed windows that cannot be buried, as it comprises of a beauty cap and pressure plate. If you were to bury a portion of the beauty cap, and you suffered a glass or igu failure, you'd need to destroy whatever exterior finish that buries the beauty cap in order to get the glass/igu out. Fleetwood has a similar condition with their Edge series, so be cautious of that as well.


    Steel is expensive. Ridiculously expensive for most build budgets. Very heavy too, which would increase the install/labor price. Nothing matches steel though, as steel is a window or door all its own, with an incredible look and feel. With most steel windows will come imperfections, as they need to weld, grind, then finish the frame. During this process, pits can be created in the welds that are then not filled or masked by the grinding flat or finish that's applied.

  • 3 years ago

    " do you understand that you can bury the frame to create the reveal you'd like? "


    Yeah, easy to do with fixed windows and direct set but what do you do with operable's and sash type windows? NO getting around those.

  • 3 years ago


    Here is one of my wood clad windows with operable sash painted black and rest of frame painted trim/wall color to create the general effect of steel sash. Ignore the terrible view.

    kit2022 thanked palimpsest
  • 3 years ago

    Millworkman - a sash sits within a frame, that it operates from; locking, hinging, operator arm. You bury the frame, not the sash. No different than burying a flush sill on an Awake, Western, or Fleetwood door, where you have 3/4" height from the sill and 1/8" from the sill pan, and figure an additional 1/8" for the sealant to waterproof the sill to the pan, and the pan to the slab/floor.


    When building a house, or doing a renovation project, reveals demonstrate your attention to detail, and provide the excellent fit and finish most people desire. When my team and I perform measures, we require the superintendent and framer to be present so that we know A) finish thickness coming into our product (this would include both interior and exterior, from lid/ceiling to walls to flooring, and B) framer understands what we need for Rough Opening, which may include bucks, so that the overall team is all on the same page.


    Just a little insight from my experience in the window and door field.

    kit2022 thanked Robert B
  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Trying to "bury" the frame on a casement window to get a thin reveal and you will find that the operator, lock, and other mechanisms will keep that from happening. Same thing would be true for many of the other DH and slider operators as well. Many windows have frame bevels or mechanisms on the frame that will prevent that. Picture windows and other fixed units, possible. The idea of just burying the frame to the extent where you are going to have the thinness of reveal that most people see in a steel or aluminum window is mostly incorrect though as @millworkman stated above.

    kit2022 thanked Windows on Washington Ltd
  • 3 years ago

    @palimpsest - beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

  • 3 years ago

    If no one has mentioned it yet… we used Jeldwen windows to get the look you like…very happy with our choice ( except at first… I ordered them wrong and the interior casing came black as well! I adjusted to them and actually prefer it. ). But if you order them correctly, I think you’ll get the look you are looking for.

  • 3 years ago

    @Robert B can you message me? i would like to speak to you live if possible. Thanks so much

  • PRO
    last year

    Chris which Jeldwen windows did you do and when yiu say you ordered the casing wrong, what color choices did they have? I guess when you reosond with the type of windows i can look up options thanks

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