Arched Eyebrow Transom Windows over a Pair in Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch is full of homes with this look: stucco walls, a tile roof, and arched glass set high above the main windows. On this project the elevation has two rectangular windows side by side and, above them, two arched eyebrow transoms in separate openings. Each arch is shaped so the two curves mirror each other and read as one design across the stucco pier between them.

The exterior photo shows the whole composition. The white frames sit in textured tan stucco under a concrete barrel-tile roof, and the product labels are still on both transom glasses. Through the lower windows you can see the interior plantation shutters. The inside photo shows the same pair from the room: shutters on the main windows, the two arched transoms above, each sitting on its own stone sill, and the labels visible from inside too.

Arched windows are where window work gets technical. A rectangle can often be ordered from a standard size table. An eyebrow or arch-top is made to fit the exact curve of the masonry opening, so measuring matters more than on any other unit. We template the opening — width, leg height and rise of the arch — before anything is ordered. A small mistake in the rise means a gap you fill with sealant forever, or a unit that does not fit at all.

Then there is wind. A transom high on a wall sees the same wind as the windows below it, and in Manatee and Sarasota counties every glazed opening in the wind-borne debris region must be impact-rated or protected. Arched shapes are the hardest to cover with panels or shutters, which is one of the best reasons to use impact glass there. And for a wind-mitigation inspection, the opening-protection credit looks at every opening. One unprotected transom can cost you the higher credit for the whole house.

Fixed transoms like these have no sash to move, so they are simple to live with. Their job is light. In rooms with plantation shutters, like this one, the transoms keep daylight coming in from above even when the shutters are closed. They also do it without giving up wall space or privacy, because the glass sits well above eye level.

Ask any installer quoting arched windows in Lakewood Ranch: How will you measure the arch? Is the curved unit covered by the same Florida Product Approval as the rectangular ones, at the size I need? What design pressure does each opening need? How will the stucco return around the curve be finished? And will the labels stay on until the inspector signs off?

If your home has arched or transom windows that need replacing, call Prestigious Home Improvements for a free in-home estimate. We will template every curve and give you a written price.