Replacement Windows with grids or without grids

Vinyl Replacement Windows Plano

Should I Grid or Not Grid the new residential windows in my home.

Okay I am biased here.  I've seen hundreds of examples of replacement windows in my career so I have a bigger canvass than I can share in one post but this one from Plano is pretty eye opening.

In the pictures you can see the difference between how close the pool looks, how big the rooms look and that's well before you look at window performance or reviews or installation teams and their reputations.  This one is about the looks of the windows themselves.

Okay same job in Plano.  I'll get tired of posting these eventually so towards the end if they get more poorly edited please bear with me.  I'm doing a lot on this end.  Replacement windows are a tough job and I don't find myself with as much photoshop time as I'd like.  

The cost to do this goes up over operating windows in the before picture.  The new ones, being picture windows are subject to safety code requiring tempered glass in the window.  Removing the horizontal bar is a home designer and interior decorator "must have" in many cases.

Sorry about the weird angle.  It does show the difference between a continuous arch window and a half circle over an operating window well.  The real value here is the two piece covers the inside of the blinds when you have them.  With the before picture, blinds would look really bad from the outside.

The rest of these are at random.

What's this? A huge hole with no insulation and no foam that hangs about two inches below the framework and above my window?   No, say it isn't so.  Yes your builders grade windows came with builders grade installation.  Installation is really the most important part of any replacement window project. 

Ahhh, doesn't that seem better?  My new window will be very happy right there.

Better view of the pool for sure.  Bigger feel to the windows and much more light.

A more contemporary look overall.  Grids were used for almost 70 years but that was before homes had tens of thousands of dollars invested in back yard kitchens, pools, cabanas, landscaping, gardens, streams and lake views.  Now life is different so design trends in windows are definitely different.

This one above surprises me everytime.  Builders never insulate that little triangle above the half circles.  If I see it I put spray foam in there but this always makes me wonder.  It should make you want to buy a thermal gun if you have circle top windows or arch top windows.  This happens in both.  If your window guy really loves you he foams the void.  Otherwise the heat and cold really can conduct right through above the window.

So I really have to add a few jobs to this page at some point.  I hope this gives you an idea what the difference can look like.  Do share or comment if you have time.