Replacement Windows for Lehigh Valley Homes: Pick the Style, Get One Written Quote
Replacement windows in the Lehigh Valley come in seven styles that cover nearly every opening in the region’s housing, from a 1900 Allentown row to a 2015 colonial in Forks Township. The style decides how the window opens, how it cleans, how it looks from the street, and what the installer has to write on your quote to pin the spec down. Pick the one that fits the room and the page will tell you exactly what to ask for.
You do not have to decide before the measuring visit. The installer brings samples and will recommend a style per opening. But homeowners who arrive knowing the difference between a casement and a double-hung, and knowing that the glass package and the hardware belong on the quote in writing, get a better document and a shorter visit.
Window styles
- Double-Hung windows →The classic two-sash window in most Lehigh Valley homes. Both sashes slide and tilt in for cleaning.
- Casement windows →Hinged on the side and cranked open like a door. The tightest-sealing operable window you can quote.
- Sliding windows →A double-hung turned on its side. Wide, low, and simple, with nothing to crank or lift.
- Picture windows →Fixed glass, no moving parts. Maximum light and view, and the tightest seal of all.
- Bay and Bow windows →Projecting window units that add a seat, a shelf, and a lot of light. The biggest single line on most quotes.
- Awning windows →Hinged at the top and cranked outward. Ventilates in the rain and pairs well under a picture window.
- Hopper and Basement windows →Small, short, and often forgotten. Basement windows are where drafts, water, and rot start.
Not sure yet? The installer will recommend a style per opening
Enter your ZIP. One vetted local installer measures your openings and writes the quote. Nobody else gets your number.
- Free
- Written quote
- Measured in person
- One local company
- No pressure
Prefer to pick a time? Book the free measuring visit →
Which window style to quote where
| The opening | Usual pick | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Bedrooms in a pre-war twin or row | Double-hung, to keep the proportions and the tilt-in cleaning. | Double-Hung → |
| Over a kitchen sink or counter | Casement, because a crank opens it without a reach, or an awning for ventilation in rain. | Casement →Awning → |
| Wide living-room opening with a view | Picture in the center, casements or double-hungs on the flanks. | Picture →Casement → |
| Front of a ranch or split-level | A bay or bow adds a seat and depth; a wide slider keeps the elevation flat. | Bay and Bow →Sliding → |
| Basement | Hopper or a glass-block-to-window conversion, with egress checked where a bedroom is planned. | Hopper and Basement → |
| Beside a deck or walkway | Sliding or double-hung, so nothing swings out into the path. | Sliding →Double-Hung → |
Style is half the spec. Material is the other half.
Every style above is built in vinyl, fiberglass, composite, or wood-clad frames, and the frame decides the sightlines, the color options, the maintenance, and the warranty. Once you know the style, read the material guide for the frame the installer proposes, then check that the quote names both.
- Vinyl →The most common replacement frame in the Valley.
- Fiberglass →Stiff, stable, paintable, and slim.
- Composite →Wood fiber and polymer blended into a frame that looks like painted wood and behaves like it never rots..
- Wood-Clad →Real wood inside, aluminum or fiberglass outside.
Choosing a window style
Do I have to pick a window style before I request a quote?
No. Most homeowners replace like for like, and the installer will suggest changes where a different style would work better, such as a casement over a kitchen sink or a slider in a wide basement opening. Reading the style pages ahead of the visit helps you ask better questions, but the choice is made at your kitchen table, not on the form.
Can I mix window styles in one quote?
Yes, and most whole-house quotes do: double-hungs in bedrooms, a picture-and-casement combination in the living room, an awning in the bath, hoppers in the basement. The quote should list the style for every opening so nothing is assumed.
Which style seals best against Lehigh Valley winters?
Fixed picture windows, then casements and awnings, which compress against weatherstripping when latched. Double-hungs and sliders seal by overlap and are close behind with good weatherstripping. On a windy exposure along the ridge or in the Slate Belt, a casement is noticeably tighter than a slider.
Does changing styles require full-frame replacement?
Often. Swapping a double-hung for a casement in the same opening can sometimes be done as an insert, but changing the opening shape, or converting a flat picture window into a bay, usually means full-frame work. The quote should state the method for each opening.
Are all styles available in every material?
Vinyl covers every style. Fiberglass, composite, and wood-clad lines cover the common styles and most specialty units, but a specific manufacturer may not make, say, a fiberglass hopper. The installer will tell you where a material limits the style choice.
Keep reading
- Replacement window materials compared →Vinyl, fiberglass, composite, and wood-clad: which to put on your quote.
- Energy efficient replacement windows →Low-E, argon, U-factor, NFRC labels, and what to ask for in writing.
- What's included in a window replacement quote →The line items a written quote must have, and the red flags.
- Whole house window replacement quote →How a fifteen-to-thirty-window job is measured, quoted, phased, and installed.
- Sliding patio door replacement quote →Quote the door with the windows: glass, rollers, threshold, and screen.
Get your written window quote
Enter your ZIP. One vetted local installer measures your openings and writes the quote. Nobody else gets your number.
- Free
- Written quote
- Measured in person
- One local company
- No pressure
Prefer to pick a time? Book the free measuring visit →
60-second form • Written quote • One local company