The double-hung is the default window on Chicagoland homes, and for good reason. Both sashes operate — slide the bottom up, slide the top down, or split the opening for balanced ventilation with rising warm air exiting the top and cool air entering the bottom. Modern double-hungs also tilt in from the exterior for easy cleaning from inside the house, which makes the upper floors of a two-story home actually maintainable.
We install double-hungs in every common frame material (vinyl, fiberglass, clad-wood) and in the full size range from small bathroom units up to tall first-floor operators. Grid patterns — colonial, prairie, diamond — are available to match virtually any architectural style.
Why Double-Hung Windows Remain the Default
- Split ventilation: opening the top sash lets warm air exit while the bottom still seals — safer for upper floors with children and pets
- Tilt-in cleaning: both sashes tilt inward so exterior cleaning happens from inside — enormous quality-of-life improvement on second stories
- Architectural fit: works on virtually every Chicagoland housing style from bungalow to colonial to modern farmhouse
- Window treatment friendly: the fixed meeting rail gives curtains, blinds, and shades a clean mounting point
- Screen retention: full-opening top and bottom screens stay in place regardless of which sash is open
- Wide product availability: every manufacturer makes double-hungs, so pricing and style options are the deepest of any window style
Double-Hung vs. Single-Hung
A single-hung window looks identical from the outside but only the bottom sash operates — the top is fixed. Single-hungs are typically $50–$120 cheaper per opening but give up two key features: you can't open the top for upper-floor ventilation safety, and you can't tilt the top sash for cleaning. On first-floor installs where neither matters, a single-hung can save real money. On second and third floors, the double-hung is almost always worth the small premium.