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Window & door types

All window types

Single-hung window

The top sash is fixed in place while the bottom sash slides vertically and tilts inward.

Single-hung window

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Pick a window or door type, drag or use ← / → to rotate the 3D model, and press the mechanism buttons to see how it opens.

How it opens and how it is built

The frame holds two sashes one above the other, but only the bottom one moves. It slides up along tracks in the sides of the frame, held by balances, and meets the fixed top sash at a rail across the middle. Weatherstripping along the tracks and at the meeting rail closes the gaps, and a sash lock on the rail holds the window shut.

The bottom sash can also tilt inward, so its outer glass is washed from the room; the top sash stays in place. Nothing swings into the room or out over a walkway. In the 3D model above you can check how the bottom sash slides and tilts.

Why you'd want it

A single-hung window gives the look of a double-hung with fewer moving parts: one sash to slide, balance and seal. It suits rooms where you only ever open the bottom of the window, most often on the ground floor, where the outside of the top glass is easy to reach.

A double-hung opens at the top as well and both sashes tilt in for cleaning. A sliding window opens to the side for wide, low openings, and a picture window gives the same glass with nothing that opens.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • It has fewer moving parts than a double-hung, so there is less to wear and to adjust.
  • It is usually simpler and less expensive than a double-hung of the same size.
  • Nothing swings out over a walkway, a patio or a deck.

Cons

  • It airs the room only from the bottom: warm air near the ceiling cannot be let out at the top.
  • The top sash does not tilt, so the outside of the upper glass is washed from outside.
  • Only part of the opening opens, never the full height of the window.

It's for you if…

  • The window is on the ground floor and you can reach the outside of the top glass from the yard.
  • You only ever open the bottom of the window and want fewer parts to maintain.
  • You like the look of a vertical sash window and want to keep the budget down.

Don't overpay if…

  • You want to air the room from the top or clean the upper glass from inside upstairs: a double-hung does that.
  • The opening is wide and low: a sliding window fits it better than tall vertical sashes.
  • You do not need to open the window at all: a picture window has no moving parts to pay for.

How it affects the price

A single-hung window is usually one of the less expensive opening windows: only one sash slides, so it needs one set of balances and less hardware than a double-hung of the same size. It is usually close to a sliding window and costs more than a picture window, which has no moving parts at all.

Within the type the size, the frame material and the glass unit move the price more than the type itself.

All window types and their impact on the price →

Lifespan and care

Once or twice a year, vacuum the side tracks, wipe them and check that the weatherstripping is whole and not flattened. If the bottom sash gets stiff or will not stay up, the balances need adjusting or replacing. Tilt the sash in to wash it each season, and wash the top glass from outside when you clean the rest of the house.

Figures with sources

How many sashes it has
Single-hung windows have two sashesSource:Window Types — NFRC Consumer Guide to Windows (Efficient Windows Collaborative)
Which sash is fixed and which moves
a fixed one in the top half of the window, and a sliding one on the bottom that moves up or downSource:Window Types — NFRC Consumer Guide to Windows (Efficient Windows Collaborative)
Which family of opening windows it belongs to
the sliding types such as double- and single-hung and horizontal slidingSource:Types and Parts — NFRC Consumer Guide to Windows (Efficient Windows Collaborative)

What it pairs with

A single-hung window works with any glass unit, and a Low-E coating suited to your climate matters more for comfort than the type. The frame material decides how stiff and warm the sash is, and the hardware — the balances and the sash lock — how smoothly it slides. How the window is set into the opening decides how well it seals.

Which glass unit to choose →How a window is installed →

Compared with similar types

Frequently asked questions

How is it different from a double-hung window?

They look alike, but in a single-hung only the bottom sash moves and tilts, while the top one stays in place. A double-hung lets you open and tilt both sashes.

Can the top sash be made to open later?

Usually not: the fixed top sash is part of how the window is built. If you want the top to open, the window is replaced with a double-hung rather than changed.

Is airing only from the bottom enough?

For most rooms it is, especially if the window is tall or there is another window in the room. If you want to let warm air out near the ceiling, a double-hung or a second window does it better.

Is it cheaper than a double-hung?

Usually yes for the same size, because it has one moving sash instead of two. The size, the frame material and the glass unit still matter more to the final price than this choice.

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