Double Hung Windows

Double Hung Windows in Los Angeles, CA | Westlight Windows & Doors

Double hung windows are the classic choice when you want the look of a traditional home, but with modern impact protection behind it. Both sashes glide vertically, and both tilt inward for easy cleaning. At Westlight Windows & Doors, we install impact-rated double hung windows across Los Angeles and surrounding LA County neighborhoods, pulling from our PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO, and Mr-Glass lines. If you’re renovating an older LA home or building new, and you need operating windows that still carry Florida-grade impact credentials, this profile deserves a close look. Call (903) 354-7134 and we’ll talk through what fits your openings and your wind zone.

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Product Overview - Double Hung Windows

A double hung window gives you two movable sashes, top and bottom. That’s the profile you see on traditional Los Angeles homes from the 1920s through the 1960s: symmetrical glass, vertical lines, a clean look from the street. The impact series version keeps that same appearance, but the glass is laminated, and the frame is engineered to stay put when wind pressure spikes.

Why does this matter in Los Angeles? Because while LA gets far less hurricane activity than Florida’s east coast, the building code still maps the region into high-velocity hurricane zones in many areas, especially as you move toward the coast and into the hills. Wind-driven debris, Santa Ana gusts, and the occasional tropical storm remnant are real considerations. Double hung impact windows give you the traditional profile with protection you don’t see from the outside.

The classic vertical-glide design with tilt-in sashes on both top and bottom is what makes this window so practical. You can tilt the top sash down and the bottom sash up to clean both faces from inside your home. No ladders, no leaning out a second-story window. The laminated impact glass sits inside a frame that’s designed for structural load, not just weather resistance.

We at Westlight Windows & Doors have installed these across Los Angeles in neighborhoods like Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, and Pasadena. What we’ve learned is that homeowners want impact protection without the industrial look. Double hung windows threaded that needle for decades in Florida, and they do the same here.

Technical Specifications

Here’s how the impact series double hung breaks down, based on the configurations we order and install across our brand lines:

• Frame materials: Aluminum or Vinyl. Aluminum gives you the thinnest sightlines and the most structural rigidity. Vinyl is quieter thermally and works well for energy-conscious retrofits.
• Glass options: Laminated Impact Glass with PVB Interlayer (the impact core), Low-E Insulated Glass, Tinted Glass, or Clear Glass. You can combine Low-E with laminated for impact plus thermal performance.
• Finish options: White, Almond, Bronze, Black, and Tan. These cover most exterior palettes in Los Angeles, from crisp white Spanish Revival to darker modern farmhouse schemes.
• Screen options: Half Screen or Full Screen. Half screen covers the bottom sash opening only. Full screen covers the entire window opening.
• Design pressure: Matched to your wind zone, up to +/-100, never higher. We don’t sell you a higher DP rating than your structure requires; the number is dictated by your specific location and building geometry.
• Compliance: Miami-Dade NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers available per configuration. Engineered to Florida Building Code (FBC) High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements. Verify the specific numbers for your configuration on your quote.

Hurricane & Compliance Performance

Laminated Impact Glass - The core of the impact rating. Two panes of glass are bonded with a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) interlayer. If something hits the window, the glass may crack but the interlayer holds the shards in the frame. The opening stays sealed, and the interior of your Los Angeles home stays protected from wind, rain, and flying debris.

Miami-Dade NOA / FL Product Approval - Each configuration of this double hung carries a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance and a Florida Product Approval number. These are issued per size, glass, and frame combination, not as a blanket rating. When we quote your project, the specific numbers that apply to your window configuration go on the quote, not just a generic certificate claim.

FBC / HVHZ Compliance - The product is engineered to the Florida Building Code’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements. In practice, that means the frame, the glass, the hardware, and the anchoring system all work as one tested assembly. Los Angeles inspectors in HVHZ-mapped areas look for exactly this documentation.

TAS 201 / 202 / 203 Testing Context - These are the test protocols that HVHZ-rated products are subjected to. TAS 201 fires a large missile at the glass, TAS 202 cycles wind pressure against the window over thousands of repetitions, and TAS 203 tests forced-entry resistance. The double hung impact series is built for this protocol family, which is the standard Florida code hangs its hat on.

Design Pressure for Your Wind Zone - Design pressure, or DP, is a PSF (pounds per square foot) rating, not a wind speed number. The DP your double hung windows need depends on your wind zone, your building height, your exposure, and where the opening sits on the wall. We match the DP to your zone, up to +/-100, never higher. You don’t pay for more engineering than your structure calls for, and you never get less than code requires.

Energy Performance - Impact protection is non-negotiable in HVHZ zones, but that doesn’t mean you give up thermal comfort. Low-E insulated glass options sit alongside the laminated impact glass to cut heat gain through the glass. In Los Angeles, where solar load drives cooling bills, Low-E and tinted glass options give you some measure of heat rejection while the impact glass does its structural job.

Color & Glass Options

The double hung impact series comes in White, Almond, Bronze, Black, and Tan. White and Almond dominate the Los Angeles market because they blend with the stucco exteriors common from the Mid-Wilshire district west through Santa Monica. Bronze and Black are gaining traction in neighborhoods where homeowners are leaning into modern Spanish or contemporary designs; both finishes give the frame a slimmer visual profile against darker trim. Tan works well on homes with warm earth-tone siding or clay tile accents.

On the glass side, Clear Laminated Impact Glass is the most common starting point. It preserves natural light and keeps the view honest. Low-E Insulated adds an airspace and a low-emissivity coating, which helps with heat gain inside the home. Tinted Glass steps things up further for west-facing rooms that bake in afternoon sun. In Los Angeles, we see a lot of interest in Low-E from homeowners in the San Fernando Valley, where daytime temperatures run hotter than the coastal strip, and in the hills where sun exposure is relentless.

Installation by Westlight Windows & Doors in Los Angeles

Impact-rated windows only perform to their rating if they’re installed correctly. The NOA and Florida Product Approval assume a specific installation methodology. If the window isn’t set level, plumb, and square, or the perimeter seal isn’t right, the rating doesn’t matter. That’s why we handle every double hung installation the same way, whether it’s in Pacific Palisades, Silver Lake, or North Hollywood.

Every project starts with a pre-installation inspection. We measure the opening, check the rough framing, and confirm the design pressure requirement for that specific wall location. Coastal exposure in Los Angeles changes the DP calculation; so does the height of the building and whether the opening faces the prevailing wind. We don’t guess.

When we set the window, we follow AAMA 2400/2410 practice. That covers flashing, anchoring, perimeter sealing, and integration with the surrounding wall assembly. We set every unit level, plumb, and square. Then we seal the perimeter with AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant. That foam does two things: it insulates the gap between the frame and the rough opening, and it provides a secondary air seal behind the exterior flashing.

After the window is set and sealed, we run a water test on every opening before the interior trim goes back on. If water is going to find its way in, we want to know about it while everything is still exposed. Then we clean up the site and walk you through operation: how both sashes glide, how the tilt mechanisms work, how to lock the window correctly.

In Los Angeles, permitting varies by jurisdiction. HVHZ-mapped areas generally require the product NOA or FL Product Approval documentation at plan check. Some hillside and coastal areas have additional anchoring requirements. We know how to navigate this; we’ll provide the documentation your permit application calls for when you order through us.

Frequently Asked Questions - Double Hung Windows

Get a Quote - Double Hung Windows in Los Angeles

If you’re ready to price impact-rated double hung windows for your Los Angeles home, we’ll make it simple. We measure, we quote, we install, and we stand behind the work. Transferable materials and labor warranty on qualifying lines, details on your quote. Call (903) 354-7134 to schedule a free on-site measurement, or to start a project conversation. We’re ready when you are.

Written by the team at Westlight Windows & Doors, serving Los Angeles and surrounding LA County with hurricane-impact window and door installation.