If you don't like to look through a window with divided lites, it might be a bad decision to get them. I have all windows with divided lites in them (grids) because I like them inside and out. But it's important that the lites be big enough. I had small windows put in my kitchen that I'm about to tear out because they're too small. I feel like I'm in a jail cell looking through bars! So, size is important.

You also get into some sticky problems like certain size windows looking awkward with others when the grids are different. (From the outside.) It can drive you crazy trying to keep it fairly consistent. When it's not, it can look tacky.

There's also the matter of the quality of the grids. (I'm assuming you're talking about false grids, not small individual panes of glass in each window.) Some brands look better than others. Again, if the windows you want don't have fairly substantial grids, if they're too narrow or plastic, they can look pretty tacky. I've seen some that look really good tho. It depends.

I'm sure not everyone angsts so much about these things, so I hope you get other input. I've just been going through this myself and I'm finding it more complicated that I expected.

It really depends on architecture of the house.

My previous home was built in 1926 - the upper panes are divided but in a Craftsman style way; the lower panes are not divided.

We were in the same dilemma, and we ultimately decided to get grids on the front of the house, but not the sides or back, where we wanted unobstructed views. I agree the grids add a lot from the outside, but too many grids is obnoxious from the inside, especially if you have nice backyard views, etc.

Jan

I got upper grids and lower solids.

My first home had grids, they were about 12 squares. I loved this feature, especially because the other models had grids but of a different pattern, more like the above shown craftsman. After they installed all the windows I noticed that half were sq and half craftsman. The builders thought I was crazy but soon realized the mistake. Glad I noticed!

My second house has the same grids, again, I love them especially because my windows are large in this house. I also had grids on the three sets of french doors on back of house- loved them, dh did not. The day we moved in my shephard walked to the back door and scratched to go out. Of course he ripped the faux grid off the door and broke it. So we left it off until he passed. As much as I wished the grids were between the glass like on the regular windows, I am glad they were removable as we installed shutters on the doors and the grids would not have looked good at all.

I would say if you do not like to look out of grids I would get them without. You will probably spend more time looking out than looking in. Happy choosing!

I do not like Grids since my grids are a grayish/bluish white. If they were bright white like my trim, I may like them.

Grids here. Except the large picture window, it has the solitary large center pane and then sliders on either side have grids. But then I got to see our house with plain windows when we bought it. Grids was definitely the right choice, the house was crying out for 'something' and the grids did the trick.

I thought I wanted no grids because I thought it would look too complicated when I installed plantation shutters. The neighborhood code, however, dictated that the front windows at least MUST have them. So I chose four over four throughouth the house which is very large grids. That gives a vertical in the center which corresponds to the vertical part of the shutter that you open/close them with. This kept the look still uncluttered and I really do like the look of the large grids. Who'd have thought so much thought could go into window panes? lol I understand your difficulty in making the decision.

Can you install grids after the fact? I didn't think I wanted them (actually, my MIL insisted that I should NOT get them) but I think they'd look nice (on the uppers).
Astrid

If you're going to bother getting grids, imo the only ones that come close to looking nice are simulated divided lites (if you don't want to get the MUCH more expensive true divided lites, which look even better but also reduce your window efficiency), with spacer bars preferably unless you have a very large window, then I'd be concerned about the eventual sag of the spacer bars.

Personally I would rather see windows that have no grids at all than poorly done grids. We had the removable grids on some anderson windows that the PO put in during a renovation/addition of the back part of our house and they looked like crap (especially next to our original windows, but even by themselves they were saggy and kept popping off), I just took them off.

Sure, you can add them on. Just google window muntins and you should be able to find them.

Muntins were originally put on windows to save costs. Solid glass was expensive and since windows required glass, it was easier and less expensive by making several window panes with wood surrounds (muntins) rather than solid glass windows. Nowadays, the idea of lots of muntins is considered a "western" look, more or less.

When we replaced our windows (and added new for the addition), we did casement windows with no grids. We have a beautiful view and I hated it being obstructed with the grids.

Robbi

It totally depends on the style of house. I prefer colonial, shingle, gothic, traditional and farmhouse type homes, so every house I've had has muntins. I always think windows without muntins look like eyes without pupils.
My current house, a dutch colonial, has muntins on the front. On the back I did muntins on the top portion and none on the bottom because my husband wanted to see the view.

Annette

I would agree w/threegrad & kgwlisa - Meaning need to start w/the orig integrity of the house - replacing true divided light windows for example 6/1 with no muntins would diminish the orig architecture

That said as kgwlisa points out removable or btwn the glass type muntins are a poor subsititute for true divided lights

I would rec taking pics of the front of your home day & night then do a photoshop mock up

good luck

Colonials, Queen Anne and Georgian, Revivals often had muntins upper and solids down.

It depends upon the architecture of the house.

My previous house was a craftsman inspired, so we had true divided lite in the upper sash and nothing in the lower sash. The sashes were painted black on the outside of the house.

Current house, we have simulated divided lite due to the expense that we encountered with TDL in the previous house. I always want to be able to paint the inside and outside of the house windows the colors that I want. Therefore, we always use good quality wood windows and not vinyl or aluminum clad. That's why I don't choose windows with the muntins between the glass -- can't change the color.

Cameron

I thought the reason windows always used to have divided lites was because at first it was only possible to make small pieces of glass, and that's why earliest windows had the smallest panes of glass. As time went on and the techniques improved, panes of glass got bigger. (Compare Early American with Victorian windows.) Finally the large picture window was possible. Then people started to want the look of muntins again. Maybe I'm wrong about this....

Also, we have true divided lites with storm/screens, and the R value is the same as for double paned glass. That was the only way I could justify getting them.

Egganddart, it was exactly as you state, plus financially it was not feasible to make the big windows, the reason some houses, i.e., in Vermont and RI may be identical and one has muntined windows and the next door has plain windows, economics was the main factor because it was costly to do big sheets of glass and not practicable.

I have this decision as well, since we are replacing windows. For the last windows, I insisted on wood with grids. It all depends on the house, it’s structure and look. Grids suit our house because it’s very plain architecturally. But it is transitional, so I can see going with more modern options. I think we stick with grids… but maybe fewer grids.

I think this post was from 2007