grids or no grids that is the question

I will be getting new windows soon can someone tell me roughly what the price difference should be between getting windows with the grids between the panes of glass(colonial style) and not having grids at all. I was also told by a supplier of Alside windows that their single hung windows are only used for new construction would that be true? The sizes of most of my windows are roughly 58" by 35" I have 18 of them and would like single for downstairs and double hung for upstairs thinking I would also save some money by doing it that way, does that make any sense?

no it does not make sense. double hungs everywhere and grids will cost about $15-$25 a window more. if you are going to replace your windows at least replace them with something that is going to be easier to clean. i really don't know why anyone sells a single hung? is there a big market for these things somewhere? i can not remember the last time i put in a single hung window. i know of a big dumpster that has all different sizes of single hungs in it though. seriously tommy splurge on the double hungs, you'll be glad you did.

I see A LOT of single hungs being sold in my area, but only for new construction, and pretty much only for condos and apartments. So yes there IS a big market for them (but it's painful for me to see . . .) . It's usually a builder-driven decision, since most homeowners would have selected a double hung. You can normally save some money by going to single hungs (in new construction), but almost everyone likes double hungs better. Easier to clean. Sometimes believe it or not the single hungs perform better than their double hung counterparts, but that's not the primary reason that single hungs are used. It's usually about price. And some are made pretty cheap. I agree with Windowrep - you'll no doubt be glad you selected DH's instead of SH's. One warning - if you mix single hungs and double hungs, they may not match in appearance. The profiles may look different, and single hungs may have half screens while double hungs may have full screens.

As for grilles, they usually cost about $3 to $6 per lite, depending on the brand and markup, so a double hung with 6 lites per sash would add up to 12 lites x $3 = $36 or more. Get the grilles from Windowrep, his are only $15-$25.

Depending on the window, and other things about the window being equal, you may find that single-hung windows are slightly more reliable (fewer moving parts), slightly less expensive, and may have lower air infiltration ratings. Of course, you need to balance that with the added frustration every time you clean the window, and that potential buyers of your house will probably prefer double-hung.

Thanks guys, double hung it is. I got them for my other house. I really liked them. I was just wondering cost wise . My house is almost 20 years old and these windows stink. We all had the same builder here. I will be one of the few who will have upgraded so far. These early designed single hungs with the double pane glass are just that, early design, they are white aluminum framed and give off alot of cold air. I plan on getting them without the grids so that would be different cause they all got grids in their windows. I like the look of clear glass instead.

Good choice, good luck

Thanks for the followup Tommy. It's nice to know the results.