Windows that open are always more useful than those that can’t. Sometimes, you want a window that opens a little, to allow air in. But at the same time, you want to keep rain out. The awning window configuration is a solution.

The awning window is best described as a window that opens at the bottom and is hinged at the top. This window type is restricted in size because the hardware that opens it can only take so much weight.

An awning window is unique in that it offers a solution that protects rain from coming into the home if it has been left open. It also offers a better option for security because usually the opening is too small and restricted by hardware for someone to climb through it.

On the other hand, this window is not a good in a bedroom because it is hard to climb out of it; this breaks local building code for egress. (Egress is the legal term for the ability to escape in case of fire.) In an upstairs bedroom, the windows may be your only way out.

For upstairs rooms, especially bedrooms, you may want to consider other window configurations, such as slider windows which open wide and comply with the by-laws for egress (ease of escape in case of fire.)