Frames are generally the weak link in the thermal value of a window and US manufacturers (especially) like to mislead consumers by giving glass u values (or even worse, center of glass) when whole window u values are usually much weaker.
We're ecstatic about the widow's thermal performance, operation, flexibility (tilt and turn) and ease of cleaning. They are built like Fort Knox and require an extra set of hands or two to set them in place when install in ROs because of their weight. Only downside for us was window shades - tilt/turn means there are no workable and easily available alternatives. They had to be sourced from Europe and were about 2x the cost of a nice set of Hunter-Douglas shades.
It is true that shutters usually run on the outside but blinds are not that uncommon and I have not noticed any real difference to the ones sold here. What exactly was the problem you encountered when installing shades with your windows?
As is usually true with quality products, you get what you pay for. High quality windows make a lot of sense to keep a house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. For a 1956 house, with windows and lots of them on all four sides totaling about 45' in window glass width, 1500 sq ft + full walkout basement, and being able to heat the house with 4 cords of aspen stove wood + electric supplement in the basement (1 aspen cord equivalent in heat value), I am sure that the windows have a lot to do with very substantial energy savings we experience. And the comfort and enjoyment of being able to sit by any window, especially the 8' picture window, and look at glistening snow crystals on a -35F day feeling warm glass and no draft is priceless.
Picture a window that tilts in 6" at the top and also swings in at least 90 degrees.
If you attach the shade to the upper window jamb (or even the jamb extension), you cannot open the window in either inswing or tilt mode - the widow's upper sash will hit the shade even if it (the shade) is in the "up" position.
The solution is to attach the window shade directly to the upper sash or to the glass itself so that the shade "travels" with the window as it opens in either direction. You also don't want the shade to fall away from the window when it's drawn and operated in the tilt mode, so it needs to be fastened somehow to the lower sash or glass just above the lower sash. Additionally, because there is limited clearance between the glass and the handle which operates the tilt and turn (the operation of the handle requires its movement from parallel to the side sash to perpendicular to that sash, which places it about 4" into the glass), the shade and its mounting hardware must be sufficiently low profile to fit between the handle and the glass.
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