The replacement windows you choose in San Jose, CA can be installed with or without grilles. Grilles have a historically functional place in the history of windows, and their pleasing aesthetic appearance has made them an enduring part of many replacement windows.
Window grilles have been around since the use of glass windows in homes became commonplace during the 17th century. The British were the first country to mass produce glass. The New World colony of Jamestown was established by an English glass production company that found that the coastal city had the ideal sand (silica) for manufacturing glass.
However, glass panes couldn’t be made and shipped long distances in large single sheets without risk of breakage. Therefore, windows were constructed of small panes, known as divided lites, that could be safely transported to their final destination where they could be fit together to create an entire window.
This created the paned look that is common on most standard windows today.
Modern glass manufacturing technology has made it possible to create large single sheets that are sturdy enough to be shipped almost anywhere and at almost any distance without worrying that the glass will break. However, window grilles, which give replacement windows the glass-pane look developed out of necessity in the 1600’s, are still popular with homeowners for most standard-sized windows because they give visual appeal to the windows.
While there are some window styles that may not use window grilles (picture windows, bay windows, and bow windows, for instance), many window styles do have window grilles. Some homeowner’s associations require them, while some homeowners like the look or are trying to keep a historic home or architectural style authentic by using them.
There are several styles of windows grilles that you can choose for your replacement windows. Each is unique and fits different architectural designs.
Replacement windows can have colonial window grilles. The colonial architectural design is one of the most popular home designs in the United States. Colonial window grilles feature symmetrical lines in a grid pattern and are the window grille pattern most Americans are familiar with. This style of window grilles is used by homeowners who are having window replacements installed in most historical homes since it is the earliest style of grilles found in early American homes.
Modern window grilles are another style of grilles that can be added to replacement windows. These are most frequently found on large windows like picture windows. Modern window grilles don’t create a grid pattern on the window. Instead, they feature thin horizontal lines that break up large windows, but aren’t intrusive enough to obstruct the outside view that pictures windows capture.
The prairie style of architecture, pioneered by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, focuses on the idea that a home must meet all the practical needs of the homeowners without a lot of fussy embellishment. This architectural style features horizontal lines, open floor plans, and flat roofs. Replacement windows for homes built in the prairie style usually have a very simple grille design, known as a perimeter or prairie grille, that outlines the window.
Victorian architecture swept through the United States during the 19th century, and many Victorian homes have been maintained and updated as functional homes since then. Victorian architecture is the opposite of prairie architecture, with the focus shifted from practicality to beauty. It is a highly-embellished architectural style and window replacements for Victorian homes often reflect that with their diamond-shaped grille patterns.
To learn more about replacement windows in San Jose, CA, you can speak with our knowledgeable staff at California Custom Creations. You can contact us at (408) 316-6293 to make an appointment for a free in-home consultation.
