Window Pane Style

February 7, 2013 8:25 AM

What do you call this style of window, broken up into panes by dividers? I read an NYT trend piece on its popularity in loft apartment architecture a few years ago, and they used a very specific term.
posted by phrontist to Media & Arts (12 answers total)

Best answer: I believe it's muntins. (Not the same as mullions.)
posted by Madamina at 8:28 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

Divided light window
posted by vespabelle at 8:32 AM on February 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

It's not muntins, those are the bits that divide the panes. The whole thing is called a multi-light, divided-light, multi-pane or divided-pane window. Divided-light is the most standard term.
posted by Pre-Taped Call In Show at 8:44 AM on February 7, 2013 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Could also be casement windows, which are windows that are attached to the frame with a hinge of some kind, as opposed to hanging or sliding in a track.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:37 AM on February 7, 2013

Divided Light, the ones in your picture would be called 24 over 24 if someone was so inclined.
posted by humboldt32 at 10:06 AM on February 7, 2013

Response by poster: Yes! Casement!
posted by phrontist at 10:32 AM on February 7, 2013

Pedantically, "casement" refers to the perimeter attachment of the window. So you could have a single light casement window with just one pane. Dividing them with muntins (often mislabeled mullions) creates a "divided light" window.
posted by humboldt32 at 10:50 AM on February 7, 2013

Just to clarify (and emphasize humboldt32's comment), despite the way that NYT article uses (I would argue mis-uses) the term, the answer to the name for a window that is "broken up into panes by dividers" is emphatically NOT "casement". A casement window is one that is side-swinging (like a door). It has nothing to do with whether it is a divided lite or not.
posted by misterbrandt at 11:42 AM on February 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

I admit that when I read "NYT trend piece" I pretty much assumed that they would be mis-using an architectural term.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:28 PM on February 7, 2013

Wouldn't you call it leaded? (British use.) Or maybe even latticed?
posted by glasseyes at 3:31 PM on February 7, 2013

Casement windows as a term really refer only to the parts of that loft window that open. Industrial buildings before the age of electricity in particular needed lots of natural light, so they have these vast window-walls, but usually only a few of them are operable casement (or hopper) windows. In the picture, I see two 6x4 light windows (on each side) with only a 2x2 light casement in the middle of each set of lights ("panes" in window-speak).

Also, I think the NYT article does get mullions correct as these would be the frames separating the casement/hopper windows from the other lights, but it's not very clear. In any event there are historical and regional variations in usage.
posted by dhartung at 7:14 PM on February 7, 2013

The style is also called "steel casement" windows. If you look closely at the photo, I believe that only four panes (two over two) on each large expanse of window open.
posted by Prayless at 2:41 PM on February 10, 2013