omg they are expensive here because they’re uncommon.
Encountered the same issue when I wanted double-layer track curtains. Almost ubiquitous in Germany, but unless you order custom, own the place, and can afford to have them installed, all you get in the US is a shitty aluminum rod that’s clunky to use and liable to fall out of the holder or get ripped off the wall…
I still am freaking out every time it happens. What happens if you actually don’t scream and fight for your life by pressing against it and putting it back into a closed position immediately? What happens if you just let it happen and let go?
If you let it fall into this position from the original window position, like if you unlock it and wait for a wind gust, it may break the one remaining hinge off and fall flat. Not the best thing to experience, and replacing the window is not either
Oh yeah I should have said, it’s certainly not something you should do a lot or keep it like that haha. They’re definitely not designed to be in that position.
They are called “casement” windows, specifically turn/tilt operation, and they do exist in the USA. They are typically more expensive than vinyl double hung, and home builders tend to shy away from anything “different” that might scare away home buyers. That’s why you don’t see them very often.
But if you want them, you can buy them and have them installed. You can even get them in patio door sizes, but the larger the door, the heavier it is when it tilts.
It’s really common for people unfamiliar with the door function to lift the handle and think it’s locked, and then a strong breeze blows the door inward. Between the noise and seeing the door falling inward, it can be pretty scary.
Source: I worked in construction in the US with European builders who loved these things and couldn’t figure out why Americans didn’t.
My expensive vinyl double hung windows in my previous house actually had a casement-like feature and I could easily remove either part. I loved those windows; I wish I could have taken them with me.
I love this meme so much I sent it to everybody, especially the people that witnessed me fall on my face when trying to open one of these doors as I ripped it off its hinge* (yeah just the one load-bearing hinge for the whole door)
We have these for doors and windows on our house, And we cannot find a company to repair them. They have so many moving parts in them that they gradually break down and eventually completely fall apart.
The locking mechanism on one of the doors is a knob that pulls on some wires inside the door to open the various latches so you can choose which opening mode you’re using. If you don’t use it for a while it can get stuck and snap, making the door unable to open unless you completely disassemble it.
One of the doors, The tilt and turn hinge at the top got loose And eventually when opening the door completely snapped off and I fell inside onto the door.
The only one that currently works isn’t long for this world. Since The hinge at the top is also loose on this one and so is the handle even though all of the screws are as tight as can be.
Granted the ones in our house are like 15 years old, but the ones on the main house were replaced 5 years ago because these things just have too many moving parts And when any of them break the whole thing has to be completely disassembled. The worst part is that to disassemble the door it has to be out of the frame, and the most common thing I’ve seen break on these is the thing that’s supposed to turn the latch.
And I am sitting here, in my rental flat in Germany and wish I had an American sliding window with an A/C-Unit built into it. Those are not a thing with those German windows :'(
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