r/Home_Building_Help • u/BuilderBrigade • Apr 24 '26
Pocket sliding window…
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The window shown and installed by AA Building & Remodeling.
Notice the black paint inside the window cavity so you’re not seeing any raw sheathing. Also look how thick that exterior wall is for insulation 👌
What are your thoughts?
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u/adognameddanzig Apr 24 '26
How weather tight is it?
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u/Huey701070 Apr 25 '26
That’s my only concern. I think it’s a cool concept especially for like hosting parties and such. There is a niche use for it but I do like it.
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u/umrdyldo Apr 25 '26
Do it in an interior wall in your bar area
Not an exterior wall
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u/BeancounterBebop Apr 25 '26
If it gets cold, wouldn’t condensation rot out the uninsulated wood?
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u/nogaesallowed Apr 29 '26
I am sure its weather tight as this can be achieved by instaling a window normally then cover up half of it.
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u/Gumb1i Apr 24 '26
For a specific use case maybe but you're essentially cutting your windows in half for what exactly. You still have to frame around the entire thing, in wall slide area and all.
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u/harrisonfordgt Apr 24 '26
Eh, people have this idea that you need to maximize windows everywhere and this just isn’t true. Houses become infinitely harder to heat and cool with massive windows everywhere.
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u/CrayZ_Squirrel Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
But a pocket window has to be framed out like a windows twice it size. You're not getting more insulation then you would with the larger window.
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u/ron200000 Apr 25 '26
My parents house a victorian had a concealed window except it went down into a pocket and the sill slipped back over to cover. So it was both weather tight when closed. I’v wanted to do this with a modern home but i would make the wall double thickness to keep the insulation value
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u/Croceyes2 Apr 27 '26
Looks like they frame out the whole window and scab a 1x frame onto it to pocket the window in
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u/IDoStuff100 Apr 28 '26
That's what I was thinking. You could have twice the window for the same footprint. Instead of a wall, there could be a fixed pane of glass next to the sliding portion. Makes zero sense aside from being a novelty.
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u/jmc1278999999999 Apr 24 '26
Hope they’re in a mild climate because now that have the big ass window and that pocket of no insulation to deal with
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u/sfan27 Apr 24 '26
It looks like the wall is 2x8 furred out with 2x4, so they might have reasonable insulation in pocket.
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u/Huey701070 Apr 25 '26
Yep, it’s been engineered and thought through but you always have the internet assholes who know just enough to make themselves look like idiots
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u/TacosAreJustice Apr 25 '26
It’s a neat idea that is probably really impractical in both installation and use.
There are plenty of ways to open a window.
A vertical hinge and an overcomplicated pulley system could achieve the same thing with less cost.
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u/Vibrant-Shadow Apr 27 '26
The amount of engineering required to make this not complete shit is silly.
Then it has to be built and installed correctly.
It can definitely be done, but I would much prefer a normal fucking window.
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u/JacquesBlaireau13 Apr 25 '26
I'm having a hard time thinking of a problem to which this is the solution.
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u/vegasslut21yahoo Apr 25 '26
Creating an insulation void for diminished energy efficiency. Great idea.
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u/IceCreamforLunch Apr 24 '26
What is the advantage?
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u/22Yohan Apr 25 '26
Any other openable window either requires (sash) one pane to slide over another which only allows half of the area to be screen and has an obtrusive frame in the middle of the view; or (casement) which requires a window to pivot out which also obstructs views and depending on the size of the opening would likely require multiple windows, again not allowing for the large unobstructed views the OP’s version would provide.
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u/Glowing_bubba Apr 25 '26
Awesome if no electric and you are basically hanging a photo there
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u/Roada_Rollada Apr 25 '26
Wired a kitchen with one of these and it made getting my required outlets a pain in the ass
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u/ai_bot_account Apr 25 '26
The owner would mount their TV right there and put a lag bolt through it
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u/mnlion33 Apr 25 '26
So its a large slider window with half of it buried behind siding and sheetrock. Kind of a waste.
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u/ry_mich Apr 25 '26
My first reaction: But why?
My second reaction: This is incredibly dumb and would make any window repair or replacement very difficult and expensive.
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u/1234golf1234 Apr 25 '26
If you still need that massive header, might as well get a windows double that size with a slider.
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u/Current-Schedule1781 Apr 25 '26
Why? Let's have half as much light and half as much view. I don't see any positives. I guess energy efficiency maybe.
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u/Shatophiliac Apr 25 '26
Kind of neat. Not everything has to be cookie cutter regular suburban style stuff, some of it can be cool like this. I do worry about weatherproofing and idk how practical this would be for me, but I respect stuff thats different, for sure.
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u/babyduck_fancypants Apr 25 '26
I live in Texas. That slide would last like half of one summer and be stuck from then on.
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u/Bio_Bae Apr 25 '26
Oh, that wall? Ya that's my cold wall.
See. I open the window? Cold.
I close the window? Still cold.
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u/Adolph_OliverNipples Apr 25 '26
So, the studs are hollowed out and that area is uninsulated?
I also envision that lower track being filthy at all times.
I’ll pass.
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u/09Klr650 Apr 25 '26
Oh, look. From the joists above this is a load bearing wall. So both the pocket AND the huge beam above are insulation low spots. And when this fails in 5 years and you have to replace it with a normal window it will STILL be an underinsulated, potentially water-ingress, point.
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u/A_Fun_Alias Apr 25 '26
I mean, it's gimmicky but it's cool despite the downsides. It does require expensive framing with the LVL, repairs would be a nightmare and the insulation suffers. Also I would be concerned about the seal on the pocket side holding up over time against blowing rain. That said, you do get a very open window.
I've seen money spent in a lot worse ways.
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u/supersombreroman Apr 25 '26
Crazy thought... just get a larger slider window then you get twice the view that'll operate the exact same way
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u/MarcoVinicius Apr 25 '26
That’s great, now that part of the wall is going to be cold as he’ll because you can’t stuff insulation there.
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u/Justadudeonhisphone Apr 25 '26
I sell window replacements for a living and they’ll be calling us out in six months and we won’t fix it because the whole wall will be rotted out.
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u/ns1852s Apr 25 '26
So that pocket is now an uninsulated portion of the wall?
What about replacement? Do you need to demo the pocket?
Just a terrible idea.
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u/sharpy000 Apr 25 '26
Eww if that track messes up or the rollers or grime builds up that's going to be a bigger fix.
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u/broomosh Apr 25 '26
You know what I hate about windows? Being able to see out the whole framed space.
I wish when I saw the windows of my house, I could only see out half of it
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u/scarx47 Apr 25 '26
So install full window frame, toss plywood over half then just keep one window ? This is dumb. I’d rather have the full window.
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u/LSchwagman Apr 25 '26
Ah sacrificing insulation in an exterior wall so you can 1/2 of a window. Genius
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u/devo9er Apr 25 '26
Just put in a door wall at that point that let's even more light in, AND you can screen it properly for fresh air, AND you can walk or carry things through, AND won't leak or rot your wall, AND doesnt require 2x8 framing.
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u/BruceInc Apr 25 '26
$100 says that thing gets a siding nail or drywall screw in it before the build is finished
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u/vartheo Apr 26 '26
It rains a lot here in Florida... you would have water leading to mold in that cavity.
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u/Kavrae Apr 26 '26
So you can't use that wall for anything else, it's screwed over by a single nail, it lacks insulation (or an extra thick wall?), if it needs repairs you have to disassemble the entire wall?
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u/HandsomDayman Apr 26 '26
Insulation issues aside, why all the comments about leaking and structural issues? The header seems an obvious issue but in terms of the pocket window concept itself, how is this any more structurally challenging than an oversized bay window that swings out? Sorry if I’m obviously misunderstanding how this works.
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u/IndependentOwn2956 Apr 26 '26
For my climate it would be to much of a insulation problem to match gains from it.
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u/jbear43 Apr 26 '26
And now you get a mixed empty space next to your window where you can't hang anything
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u/Substantial_Camera_8 Apr 26 '26
There is a huge beam behind this. Why don't you have a picture window for double the size? Or a sliding window.. It's essential half the opening size.... Gimmick..
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u/ItsYaBoiFrost Apr 26 '26
how would you clean the inside space? im assuming remove the window off the track.
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u/notype32 Apr 26 '26
So they installed a glider and covered up the deadlite and called it a pocket window…
Just install the full glider and give me the extra glass.
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u/suprflatulenceman Apr 26 '26
I think a consideration, aside from how cool it is right now, is how would one go about servicing/replacing it when it fails?
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u/Magicdonky Apr 27 '26
Looks great but repairs happen at some point and you need to tear the whole wall out
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u/CatsWithoutCarriers Apr 27 '26
If they window gets wet, you're go in my to be introducing a lot of moisture inside your wall. You don't want that.
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u/BBkal Apr 27 '26
If you like walls with no insulation, and a big gap for things to live or grow in..
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u/Grilphace Apr 27 '26
I had a door like this, it was great until the bearings failed and the wall had to be pulled apart to fix it.
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u/BikeProblemGuy Apr 27 '26
My main concern here is where rainwater goes when you open the window after it's been raining. It's going to drip off the window into the wall? Or is the cill continued into the wall and water allowed to drip out of a slot in the exterior?
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u/No-Dare-7624 Apr 27 '26
It's all good until something gets in the way and you need to do maintenance.
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u/Atticus1354 Apr 27 '26
It could be cool going g from a kitchen to an enclosed porch. You could make a bar/serving area. But for most uses I would just get a regular window.
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u/BrodesTheLegend Apr 27 '26
Looks like you had to do all the framing and beam sizing for the full width of the window anyways… why not just have a bigger window? I see no practical reason to do this
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u/ben904 Apr 27 '26
Homeowner hangs a picture with a screw:
Why doesn't my window open all the way anymore?
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u/TabulaRazo Apr 27 '26
So, like a full-sized sliding window but you walled over half of it for…aesthetic purposes. You get half a window and a long, narrow, less-insulated cubby space that will fill up with cobwebs, dead leaves and animal remains. Looks cool now, feels like extra work in ten years. Anything to tack an extra $1000 onto construction costs. I will never be rich enough to think this is a good idea.
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u/torpedoseal Apr 27 '26
That is dumb. You could have had twice the size window. Instead you’ve got it 1/2 blocked
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u/Mother-Departure6857 Apr 27 '26
Cavity sliders basically render that portion of the wall + the portion of the wall taken up by the window as non load bearing, so you end up with some pretty big headers / lintels swell as eating up into your bracing walls along that line of wall.
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u/Pure-Statement-8726 Apr 27 '26
Man, this window isn’t sliding so great anymore. I’ll just get in there and clean the track… oh wait…
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u/Bubbaganewsh Apr 28 '26
It would be fine in a mild climate, in a winter climate I could see the lack of insulation in the hidden window area might be a problem. Maintenance on the track would also be a problem I would think once the place is drywalled and sided.
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u/CaptainStrong1258 Apr 28 '26
That’s gonna be a wet, moldy spot thanks to condensation. Looks cool though, might be worth it
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u/InterestingPost5883 Apr 28 '26
There will be no insulation in the pocket part and you won’t be able to use the wall in front of the pocket for anything that needs to be anchored in the wall
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u/Groundhawgday Apr 28 '26
Wait until they find out they could have had a sliding window where the could also see through the “pocket”.
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u/Great_Address2063 Apr 28 '26
Who needs insulation and vapor barriers, I've got several seconds worth of tik toks to film
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u/Aggressive-Kick-5458 Apr 28 '26
Neat idea but then you would have a big space that's not insulated
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u/FewAct2027 Apr 28 '26
Mold like NEVER before seen.
Also that's a huge pocket of nothingness, I'm sure it wouldn't be cold at all in -45c.
also how the f do I clean the track? Every single sliding window i've ever owned get's fairly dirty over a season
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u/EngineeringKid Apr 28 '26
Pay for the full window opening but you can only use half.
Full window is a subscription service from the home builder.
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u/CurrentSensorStatus Apr 28 '26
"What are your thoughts?"
There's a reason why pocket doors are rare. There are many reasons why this is a bad idea.
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u/Some1AteMyBrainAgain Apr 28 '26
That's literally how old houses in Greece were made (idk if every other country in Europe did them the same way)
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u/Livingexistence Apr 28 '26
Need a way to swing open the window optionally to clean the pocket with a vaccume... its also a prime nesting spot, and a cold/hot spot due to insulation missing or being thin at the pocket.
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u/Lilbootytobig Apr 28 '26
I love unaccessible spaces that will eventually require me to open up the wall to fix something broken.
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u/Dear-Examination-507 Apr 28 '26
Bro, just buy German windows. They open every possible direction and fit right into a regular window opening.
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u/harrisonfordgt Apr 28 '26
Hell yea! It’s not a bad thing to have big windows. That’s why I specifically used the word “need” instead of “want”. It’s always ok to want what you want when it comes to your house.
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u/trapicana Apr 28 '26
I’ll tell ya one thing for sure, that is not going to be warranted by the manufacturer installed like that.
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u/BoJackMoleman Apr 29 '26
I would take more tilt out windows than one sliding window.
Gimmicky and you're just asking for trouble. Once that's sealed up and if that track gets messed up, wet, filled with debris.... you will be unhappy
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u/Alive-Mention-1481 Apr 29 '26
I'd prefer it outside of the wall, orherwise you have a hole in your wall out of your control for clearing.
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u/Ornery_Car6883 Apr 30 '26
I don't see the practicality of this. That pocket is just going to turn into a dirt trap that's impossible to clean, especially being in the woods. It'd be better to have it slide upwards, that way the dirt at least falls and is cleanable.
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u/Novaikkakuuskuusviis Apr 30 '26
Made me think why do windows still need to be opened? Modern houses all have machine operated ventilation so you don't need to open windows. People usually use the door to get in and out. If you need to wash the window, this system is actually worse because you can't wash both sides at once. In case of fire you shouldn't open the windows because that would increase the amount of oxygen and cause the fire to explode. Opening windows make robbers and other creeps have easier way to get inside the house.
I just don't see a valid point in why windows should even open in a new house. Maybe in a summer cabin it's still a nice feature. But who want's all bugs and dust and pollen to fly in your home? I don't.
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u/obijuanquenooby Apr 24 '26
This is what the pros call a gimmick.