Hy-Lite window: Bathing beauty

I once lived in a 1950s ranch home that had a metal casement window over the tub. It was so badly rusted that it was rendered completely inoperable, welded shut by a thick layer of crusty corrosion. And in winter, ice would form on the inside of the pane.

So believe me—choosing a window for a bath takes careful consideration.

First, to eliminate public ogling, the glass must be opaque or frosted, not clear.

The tub or shower is often situated against the only exterior wall, where daily soakings and steamy conditions can cause the window to rot or leak, the hardware to rust, and the paint to peel.

A bath window should also be energy-efficient and airtight when shut. No one wants cold breezes blowing in on a chilly morning.

Now, the perfect bath window might not exist, but I just discovered one that comes pretty darn close: Hy-Lite's new American Style Decorative Glass Window.

The energy-efficient, triple-pane unit is set in a low-maintenance, no-rot vinyl frame.

The window has a decorative colored-glass pane sandwiched between an exterior pane of opaque privacy glass and an interior pane of clear glass. Handsome black patina muntins separate the glass pieces in the decorative pane.

The interior clear-glass pane has a Low-E coating and the space behind it is filled with argon gas, resulting in a very energy efficient window.

The Hy-Lite American Style window comes in both fixed (non-opening) and operable (casement or awning style) units, and in three sizes: 2x2 foot, 3x5 foot, 4x4 foot. Prices range from about $330 for a 2x2 to $818 for a 4x4. It can be installed in new construction, or as a replacement to an existing window.

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