2-pane window with two tilt and turn sashes, made to measure

Where the 2-pane window with one tilt and turn sash keeps one pane fixed and lets one open, here both panes open. That doubles the ventilation and the places where you can clean from inside, at the cost of extra hardware: two sets of hinges, tilt mechanism and handle instead of one. Choose this window for a room that needs a lot of air, or where you need to reach the window from both sides — for example with furniture on either side that limits your reach.

The standard size is 1,800 × 1,500 mm, split equally. If you'd rather keep the view unbroken on one side, the 2-pane window with one tilt and turn sash is the cheaper, simpler version in the same size.

This layout suits a kitchen or bedroom where cooking smells or moisture need to get out from two sides, or a room you approach from two directions — a through room where you sometimes come to the window from the left and sometimes from the right. Because both panes have the same hardware, it makes no difference for maintenance which one you use more: wear spreads itself over two sets instead of one set taking double the load.

Compared with the 2-pane window with one tilt and turn sash, you pay here for a second set of hardware without any more glass or a wider opening — the difference is purely functional. If you're unsure whether you need it, look at how you ventilate now: if the same room already has another door or a mechanical system, one tilt and turn pane is often enough and the 2-pane window with one tilt and turn sash is the sensible choice.

With this layout you allow for two swing zones instead of one: both panes turn inward, so keep space free on both sides of the window for a sash turned fully open. When you measure up the room, don't just look at what stands directly in front of the window but also at what could be in the way on either side, such as a curtain, a cupboard or a door that is open at the same time.

Maintenance on this window is double that of the 2-pane fixed window: two complete sets of hinges, tilt mechanism and locking hardware that both need attention now and then. Colour and finish follow the same chart as any other pane — any RAL colour on aluminium, a foil or through-colour on uPVC — and most people choose the same colour for both panes, so the mullion stays the only element breaking up the picture.

In a renovation, people often choose this layout when the old arrangement already had two separate windows that both opened — you keep that function without giving any of it up. In a new build this form is mostly used in a room that needs a lot of air for structural reasons, such as a kitchen without mechanical extraction or a bedroom where you'd rather leave a window open at night than the door.

For break-in resistance, you have two tilt and turn panes here, each with its own hardware, so two sets of locking points to consider instead of one. For a ground-floor window, ask about a stronger locking cylinder on both panes.

In both tilt and turn panes the weight of the glass counts for the hardware, on each side separately. The configurator checks per pane whether the chosen glass suits the size you enter.

Still not sure? Use the comparison with the other layouts in this group above to see which arrangement suits your situation best.