Fiberglass Single-Hung Replacement Windows Refresh a 1989 Chesterfield Home

Built in 1989, this Chesterfield, Virginia home had reached the point where its original windows were showing their age. The frames were well-worn and the trim around them had taken on damage, leaving the kitchen and bedroom with windows that looked tired from the street and did less and less to keep the rooms comfortable through the seasons. 

The homeowners focused the project on the two rooms where that wear was most noticeable. Working with our Pella team, they replaced the windows in the kitchen dining area and the bedroom with Pella® Impervia® single-hung windows. Their goals were clear from the start: better energy efficiency and a cleaner, more cared-for look on the outside of the house.

The dining nook off the kitchen is lined with tall windows that wrap two walls and look out toward the side yard and deck. It is one of the most-used spaces in the house, and before the project its windows were among the most visibly worn, with aged frames that made the room feel older than it was. 

The new windows now sit within the room’s existing interior casing and sills, so the nook keeps its familiar character while the windows themselves are entirely new. White frames and clear, grille-free glass keep the view open, and because only the lower sash moves, letting in a breeze while cooking or after a meal takes a single lift.

Single-hung windows have a fixed upper sash and a lower sash that slides up for ventilation. The windows in both rooms are tall, and on many of them the upper sash sits well above where anyone would comfortably reach. An operating top sash would have seen very little use. 

A fixed upper sash also means fewer moving parts and fewer places for outside air to work its way in, which supported the homeowners’ focus on efficiency. And the familiar two-sash look suits the traditional style of the house, so the new windows look like they belong rather than like an obvious update.

Choosing a frame material was one of the bigger decisions in the project. Impervia windows are made from Pella’s proprietary fiberglass, which holds its shape through summer heat and winter cold instead of expanding, warping or turning brittle as temperatures swing. That stability helps a window keep sealing properly year after year, which plays a real role in how well it performs long after installation day. 

The frames also carry a factory powder-coat finish that won’t need to be repainted or refinished. After more than three decades of watching the original windows and trim wear down, trading routine upkeep for a finish designed to last was a practical reason to choose fiberglass.

The bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and a wall of windows facing a wooded backyard, anchored by a bay window with a single window on either side. On the exterior, the bay projects out from the wall under its own small gabled roof, making it one of the defining features of the house. 

Keeping that configuration was an easy call, since a bay adds depth and light that a flat wall of windows can’t. Within the bay, the angled side windows are single-hung, bringing fresh air in from both sides while the center glass keeps the view of the trees uninterrupted. The windows flanking the bay match, so the entire wall reads as one consistent design.

Improved energy efficiency was one of the main results the homeowners were after. Worn frames and deteriorating trim can leave small gaps around a window where outside air finds its way in, and in a bedroom with a vaulted ceiling and a large amount of glass, those gaps have a noticeable effect on how the room feels on summer afternoons and winter nights. 

New frames in both rooms, paired with the fixed upper sash and a material that stays stable through temperature changes, give the homeowners windows that close and seal the way they should. The result is a kitchen and bedroom that are easier to keep comfortable without the drafts that come with aging windows.

Curb appeal was the other half of the homeowners’ goal. The new windows have white frames inside and out, which pair naturally with the home’s light siding and white exterior trim. On the bedroom side of the house, the bay and the windows beside it now present a crisp, uniform elevation in place of weathered frames. 

Because the powder-coat finish is built to hold its color, that clean look is designed to last without the repainting cycle the original windows required.

This project started with windows that had simply worn out, along with damaged trim that made the house look older than it needed to. By focusing on the kitchen and bedroom, the homeowners addressed the rooms where that wear showed most, and the fiberglass single-hung windows they chose give those spaces easy operation, better comfort and a finish that won’t need regular attention. For a home approaching its fourth decade, it is a clear step forward in both how the house looks and how it lives.