Tilt and Turn or Casement Windows: Which Suits Your Home?

The short answer

Casements open outward on side or top hinges, and suit most ground floor rooms and most house styles. Tilt and turn windows open inward, either tilting at the top for air or swinging fully in like a door, and suit upstairs rooms, flats and anywhere outside cleaning is difficult. Plenty of houses end up with both.

Neither is better in every case. The right choice depends on the room, what sits under and around the window inside, what is below it outside, and how the front of the house will look once everything is fitted.

How they open, side by side

A casement sash is hinged along one edge. Side hung openers give a wide gap and are often used as escape windows. Top hung openers push out from the bottom and suit bathrooms and landings. Fixed panes can sit alongside, so a single frame can have several panes but only one or two that open.

A tilt and turn sash uses one handle with three positions: locked, turn and tilt. In tilt, the bottom stays fixed and the top drops in slightly. In turn, the whole sash swings into the room. There is usually one large sash per opening rather than several small ones.

Cleaning

This is where tilt and turn has a clear advantage. Swing the sash inward and the outside face of the glass is in front of you. For bedrooms over a conservatory roof, dormers, or flats above the ground floor, that can make regular cleaning realistic without a ladder or a window cleaner.

Casements can be fitted with easy clean hinges, which let the sash open wide enough to reach the outer glass from inside on many sizes. On the ground floor, most people simply clean from outside, so the difference matters much less.

Ventilation and security

Tilt position gives a small, high gap that lets air in without leaving an opening that is easy to reach from outside, which many people like for bedrooms overnight. A casement can be left on a night vent or a restrictor, which does a similar job on smaller openings.

On security, both styles we fit have internally beaded frames and multi-point locking. The locking points on a tilt and turn run around the whole sash, and on a casement along the opening edge. Either can be a secure choice when the hardware is right and the frame is fitted properly.

Space inside and outside

An inward opening sash needs clear space in the room. Deep sills with plants, kitchen taps, blinds fitted close to the glass and radiators with shelves above can all get in the way. A casement opens away from you, so nothing inside matters, but it needs space outside. On a window over a path, a walkway or a flat roof, an outward sash can be a nuisance or a hazard.

Looks

Casements, and particularly flush casements, tend to suit traditional houses, because they can repeat the pane patterns the house was built with. Tilt and turn windows usually have a single large sash, which gives a cleaner, more contemporary appearance. On mixed houses, a common arrangement is casements downstairs and tilt and turn upstairs, with matching finishes and sightlines so the elevation still looks consistent.

How we help you decide

At the free survey we look at each window in turn, ask how you use the room, and check what is inside and outside the opening. You then get a fixed written price with the style marked against every window. Our casement windows page and tilt and turn windows page set out what we offer in each.

Questions we get asked on site

Which is easier to clean, tilt and turn or casement?

Tilt and turn, because the sash swings fully inward. Easy clean hinges help casements, but tilt and turn is simpler on upper floors.

Can I have both styles on one house?

Yes. Casements downstairs and tilt and turn upstairs is common, with matched finishes so the front looks consistent.

Are tilt and turn windows more secure?

Both styles we fit have internally beaded frames and multi-point locking, so both can be secure. Tilt and turn locks around the whole sash.

Which suits a period house better?

Usually casements, especially flush casements, because they can repeat traditional pane patterns.

Do both come in aluminium?

Yes, both are available in uPVC and aluminium in a range of finishes.