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In Depth: Safe Natural Ventilation

During the hot summer months, opening a window (or two!) in the early morning hours is an effective way to cool your home. And while natural ventilation is a much needed relief from the heat of summer, some operable windows can also pose a risk for our littlest home occupants.

Every year, thousands of children in North America between  the ages of 2-5 fall out of opened windows (source). The high occurrence of this often tragic accident can be prevented with greater awareness and safer windows.

Tilt and Turn Windows

One of the many benefits of tilt and turn windows is their ability to safely open and to provide safe natural ventilation once opened.

Tilt and turn windows open inward with an easy turn of a single handle. Unlike some casement and awning windows that open outward where users must reach outside the building to open (and close) the window,  there is no danger of falling while tilting a tilt and turn window.

Tilt and turn windows also provide safe natural ventilation in the tilt position. In the tilt position, tilt and turn windows allow warm, stale air to exit at the top and cool, fresh air to gently flow in from the sides – without posing a fall risk for children.

Window Opening Restrictors for Tilt and Turn Windows

Depending on local building codes, the location of your windows and the ages of the occupants in your home, window opening restrictors can also be installed for additional safety. All Innotech windows are available with a variety of window opening restrictors to prevent or limit the turn function to help prevent accidental falls.

The Tilt + Turn Windows in this bedroom have a custodial lock located on the bottom of the sash. The custodial lock prevents the turn operation.

While tilt and turn windows offer safe ventilation, regardless of the type of windows in a home, supervising children near opened windows, moving furniture or other “climbables” away from windows, and discussing window safety with children remain important to prevent the risks associated with windows. Combining the right window with the right preventative measures can help ensure our homes’ littlest occupants are both cool and safe.