Mulled Single-Hung Windows Facing the Pool on a Sarasota Home

This Sarasota home is a single-story, light-blue house with board-and-batten siding and a pool right off the back. The main piece of the job is the big opening facing the pool deck, now filled with a mulled pair of white single-hung windows. A smaller square window sits to its left, under the same roofline.

In the close-up you can see the pair clearly. Two single-hung units are joined side by side with a mullion between them, and the whole assembly is wrapped in wide white trim that stands out against the blue siding. The glass is dark-tinted, which cuts glare and heat from a pool deck that gets full sun. The wide photo shows the pair in context: pool in the foreground, patio furniture, hose and pressure washer still on site, and the sliding door further down the same wall.

Why mull two units instead of using one huge window? A single-hung has a size limit for its rating, and very wide sashes get heavy to lift. Two units joined with a structural mullion keep each sash a reasonable size, and both bottom sashes open for cross-ventilation. The catch is that the mullion is now part of the wind-load path. In Florida a mulled assembly needs a mullion that is rated for the combined size, and the installer has to anchor it as tested. Ask to see that rating, not just the window's.

Tinted glass near a pool is also more than looks. Water and light-colored concrete reflect a lot of sun back at the house. A darker or Low-E coated glass lowers the solar heat gain that reaches the room, and it helps with privacy from the deck during the day. If you want impact glass, laminated units come in tinted options too, so you do not have to choose between storm protection and shade.

Siding changes the install details. On a sided wall, the window ties into the weather barrier behind the siding, with flashing at the head and a sloped, sealed sill so water from a pool-side downpour drains out, not in. The trim then covers the joint. On block-and-stucco homes the method is different, and an installer should be able to explain the version that fits your wall.

When you compare quotes for window replacement in Sarasota, ask: Is the mullion rated for this size, and what product approval covers the whole assembly? How is the opening flashed on this type of wall? What tint or coating are you proposing, and what SHGC does it give? Will the trim be replaced or reused?

If your pool-side windows are due, call Prestigious Home Improvements. We will measure, talk through glass and tint options, and give you a written free in-home estimate.