It's Grille Season: Replacing Your Windows this Summer Means Choosing the Right Grilles For You

See what we did there? Whether you were outside at your grill when you noticed your fading windows or this past winter when the cold chill in your home just got too bad to overlook any longer; you’ve made the decision to replace your windows. Now you’re faced with the challenge of something you never really thought about before. When you hear ‘grill’ you think “barbecue” or “great steak” but now ‘grille’ has you thinking about your windows and deciding which grilles you’d like in your replacement windows. We’re here to break down your options for you whether you’re ordering wood, fiberglass, or vinyl windows; we’ll give you the facts about each and why you might consider one type of grille over another. Sit back, take a read and by the end of this article, don’t worry, you’ll know what kind of grilles you want and you might even be the ‘grille’ master. 

Just in case you actually think we’re referring to the grills we barbecue on, while we do love a good barbecue, in this case we’re referring to the grilles on your windows. Grilles give the look of individual windowpanes. Some can even make the glass easier to clean.  Pella offers many window and patio door grille types, so you can choose one that best fits your home’s architectural style.

There are four main grille types, however, the material of and line of window you chose, will affect your grille choice. The four main grill types are:

These grilles permanently bond to the inside and outside of your window glass and they have a nonglare foam spacer in between to create a realistic shadow, just like individual windowpanes would! These create the most authentic look of the windows from a traditional or historic home.

These grilles are also permanently bonded to the inside and outside of your window glass. These, however, don’t have spacers between the grilles and, therefore, don’t cast the same shadow. These grilles are best when you want the traditional look of divided-light windows.

These grilles aren’t bonded to your window and can be attached to the inside of your window with latches. These can also be removed in order to make cleaning easier. These are best when you want the authentic look of wood for your windows but want something easier to clean as well.

These grilles are permanently sealed between the panes of glass in your window. This style is good for homeowners who want both easy cleaning and the look of divided light.

Pella has three different lines that offer wood windows with grilles: Architect Series Traditional, Pella Reserve Contemporary, and Lifestyle.

Each of these wood windows comes with a slightly different grille style in order to achieve their individual look.

With Architect Series Traditional Windows, the grilles are Integral Light Technology Grilles with a size range from 7/8 to 2 inches in width.

The Pella Reserve Contemporary Window grille options are similar in size range, ranging from 5/8 to 2 inches, but vary in the style, matching the contemporary look of the window with more contemporary grilles.

The third wood window offering is the newest Pella line; the Lifestyle series. The Lifestyle Series grilles are simulated divided light grilles.

All three of these wood lines also offer the option of removable roomside wood grilles. These can range in size from ¾ inch to 2 inches wide. These can give homeowners the best of both worlds when a homeowner wants the authenticity of wood but wants easy cleaning as well. Since the grilles come on and off with a latch, they can be removed with ease to clean the glass at any time the homeowner wishes.

All three lines also offer a range of Grille Patterns including: Prairie, 12-Lite Prairie, 14-Lite Prairie, Traditional, Top Row, Cross, New England, Victorian, and Custom.

Pella’s Fiberglass windows can be a great relief for homeowners as they’re both extremely durable and easily maintained. Their grilles follow a similar pattern.

Fiberglass windows come with grilles-between-the glass in a ¾-inch width. This keeps with the fiberglass window trend of being extremely easy to clean and maintain. With grilles between-the glass homeowners don’t have a hassle to deal with while cleaning and never have to worry about losing or having a grille fall off.

They can come in five colors: white, tan, brown, and black.  They also offer a range of grille patterns just like wood including 6-Lite Prairie, Prairie, Traditional, Top Row, Special, and Custom.

Vinyl windows, like wood windows, offer a large variety of grille options. Pella vinyl windows offer a simulated-divided-light grille with both solid-color frames and dual-colored frames. The design offer grilles in the 7/8-inch width.

Pella also offers vinyl windows with grilles between-the-glass and can be found in the ¾-inch width. 

Whether you want grilles between-the-glass or simulated divided-light grilles with your vinyl windows, you can find them in a variety of grille patterns including; Prairie, 6-Lite-Prairie, Traditional, Top Row, and Custom.

If you’re still not the grille master and prefer steaks with your grills, you can reach out to a  member of our sales teams here. They really are grille masters and they’ll be able to walk you through which option would be best for your home.