[Greenbuilding] availability of tilt-turn European wood windows inUS (round II)

[Bob Korves]

What are the advantages of inward opening casements or tilt-and-turn windows 
other than not opening into an outside walkway close to the wall?  It would 
appear to me that opening toward the inside would just be a space stealer, 
especially in a small and efficient house.  I guess the turn and tilt might 
help to keep rain out while offering a bit of ventilation, but that's what 
eaves are for.
-Bob Korves

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Reuben Deumling" <9watts at gmail.com>
To: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 8:54 PM
Subject: [Greenbuilding] availability of tilt-turn European wood windows 
inUS (round II)


> My search has yielded an interesting site which lists several dozen window
> manufacturers: <http://www.4specs.com/s/08/08-5200.html> Half a dozen or 
> so
> have recognizably German names and, sure enough, sell (or in a few cases
> manufacture) wood windows in the US which feature inward opening 
> casements.
> Judging by the portfolio pictures on these manufacturer websites I'm
> guessing most of these windows are obscenely expensive, though I hope I'm
> wrong.
>
> Luexbaum, Oslo America, Goldbrecht, H. Hirschmann, Europe's Best Windows,
> BieberUSA, Bavarian Window Company, Brothers' Custom Windows & Doors,
> Tischler und Sohn (who claim to be the first to import them in 1984), etc.
> are all brands listed here I had never heard of. Many of them seem to be
> located in or be distributed from Florida or California. Has anyone on 
> this
> list had experience with any of these manufacturers?
>
> <http://www.brotherswindows.com/products/windows/euro_tilt_turn.asp>
>
> Reuben Deumling
>
> On Nov 5, 2007 4:47 PM, Stephen Collette <stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca>
> wrote:
>
>> Sorry Reuben but I don't have a specific answer for you and your
>> inward working windows. They don't do super well in the snow area up
>> here in Canada. Although, maybe they will now with the warmer weather.
>> They certainly do have that dramatic throw open the sash kind of feel.
>>
>> I have however come across another window that I thought was kind of
>> interesting, and it too is German. It's a window that has a thermal
>> film on it and this one window can spin so  that in winter thermal
>> film faces inwards reflecting heat in, and in the summer spin it so it
>> faces outward reflecting the warm sunny stuff out. Sounds interesting
>> in theory.
>>
>> North American link:
>> www.ecologicalinnovations.com
>> German links:
>> www.oeko-logic.de
>> www.ksd-berlin.de
>>
>> I KNOW that someone is going to have some thoughts on these. I've
>> emailed the tech rep and he is keen for sure. They are just starting
>> up over here so not too much info in English yet.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>> Stephen Collette BBEC, LEED AP
>> Principal
>> Your Healthy House - Indoor Environmental Testing & Building Consulting
>> www.yourhealthyhouse.ca
>> stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca
>> 705.652.5159
>>
>> >
>> > A style of window common in Germany (and I think much of Europe) is an
>> > inward opening casement. The hardware is completely different that
>> > what is common in the US--a combination of brilliantly simple hinges
>> > and rather complex hidden mechanisms that permit tilting as well as
>> > horizontal movement. I'm less concerned with being able to tilt them,
>> > though this is very nifty, than with a thermally sound wood window
>> > hinged left and right that I can open inward. Marvin makes something
>> > along these lines, which they call a tilt-turn-hopper, but if you want
>> > a window split down the middle and hinged on both sides like a French
>> > Door, they leave a post in the middle and call it a two-wide window...
>> > This in CVG fir, I'm told, runs something like $2,500 a
>> > piece--probably more when we start talking about simulated divided
>> > lites.
>> > <http://www.marvin.com/default.aspx?page=Tilt_Turn_And_Hopper#Variations
>> > >
>> >
>> > What I'm looking for is any info on the availability of such windows
>> > in the US or Canada without the center post. Has anyone worked with
>> > suppliers of these? Twenty years ago we imported thirty of these in a
>> > custom size from Germany. That was fun, and fairly affordable, but
>> > they were made of Norway Spruce. I'm open to trying this again, but
>> > would prefer to keep it a bit more local. Thoughts or experience?
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> > Reuben Deumling
>>
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