Coastal conditions matter more than the product name
Install method, flashing, sill condition, frame material, glazing package, trim restoration, and sun and salt exposure on that wall matter as much as the window itself.
Build a complete scope
- District status confirmed by address, since review can reach the sash
- Whether original units are repairable and expected to be repaired
- Every opening measured, as historic openings are rarely standard
- Hardware and finish selected for salt exposure, not just performance
- Trim and interior restoration, disposal, and what is warranted
Savannah context
The mechanism that ages an opening here is water arriving sideways. Wind-driven coastal rain finds the gaps at heads, sills and trim that ordinary rainfall never tests, which puts the weight on flashing and on the air seal achieved at installation rather than on the unit specification. Salt air attacks hardware and any exposed metal continuously, so material choice reaches further than performance figures suggest. Persistent humidity then keeps old wood damp long enough that sill and frame condition below the opening is worth checking before anything is ordered.