The ACM Pros Exteriors

Garden Windows

A small glass box that projects out from the wall, with glass on the sides and top and usually a shelf. In effect, a miniature greenhouse in your wall.

Exterior windows and doors only. We do not install interior doors or interior windows.

How it opens

Quick answer

A garden window is a small glass box that projects out from the wall, usually over a kitchen sink, with a shelf for plants. It brings in light from three sides and works well on shaded or north-facing walls. On an unshaded south or west wall in North Alabama it can overheat unless it has a side panel that opens and the right glass coating.

At a glance

How it opens
The front glass is fixed. Side panels can open for airflow.
Best for
Kitchen windows over a sink, growing herbs, and brightening a small, dark room.
Watch for
Summer heat on an unshaded south or west wall.
Upkeep
Rinse pollen off the top glass and check the seal and flashing under the box.
Scope
Exterior windows only. We do not install interior windows or doors.
A large black-framed exterior window set into light blue lap siding
Illustration

The details

Who it suits

Kitchen windows over a sink, people who like to grow herbs, and small, dark rooms that need more light. A garden window is the most specific-purpose window we install, and on the right wall it is a pleasure to have.

How it compares

On a shaded or north-facing wall, a garden window is a pleasant feature. On an unshaded south or west wall in this climate, it will add real cooling load, meaning your air conditioner works harder, and we will tell you so before installing one.

Compared with a bay window it is much smaller and simpler, but it still projects from the wall and needs the same care with support and flashing.

In this climate

A garden window has glass on the sides and the top, so it collects sun from three directions and lets heat out from none of them unless a side panel opens. In a North Alabama summer that can turn a kitchen window into a warm box by mid-afternoon.

Choose at least one side vent that opens and a glass coating rated for the sun it gets, and the same window becomes genuinely useful instead of something you cover with a blind in July.

Choosing the right glass and venting

Glass is the main decision. Low-E glass, which has a thin, invisible coating that reflects heat, cuts the solar heat a garden window collects. Too heavy a coating, though, can filter out the light plants need. On a sunny wall, lean toward solar control; on a shaded wall, you can favor light.

Venting matters just as much. One side panel that opens lets warm air escape, and two allow a cross breeze. Both are decisions to make at the estimate, not afterthoughts.

Questions to ask before you buy

  • Which way does the wall face, and how much shade does it get on summer afternoons?
  • How many side panels open, and do they have screens?
  • What glass coating is quoted, and how will it affect light for plants?
  • How is the box supported, and how is it flashed at the sill?
  • Has the existing sill ever had water damage?

What affects the price

We price after measuring, line by line, with the materials named. These are the things that move the number.

  • Size
  • Number of side panels that open
  • Glass package (solar control matters here)
  • Support and flashing detail
  • Glass and venting options

How a job works

  1. Step 1: Free in-home estimate

    We walk your exterior, measure, and show you the options. There is no charge and no pressure.

  2. Step 2: Choose your materials

    You get a written scope with every line and material named. Then we order for your home.

  3. Step 3: Installed and cleaned up

    Cut, fitted, trimmed, cleaned up and hauled away the same day. You never look at a pile of old frames.

From our recent jobs

Real ACM job photos. Every photo marked “ACM job photo” is from one of our own jobs.

See more of our work
  • Before and after: old porch windows with failing frames replaced by a new white picture window and slidersACM job photo

    Porch window replacement

    Old porch windows with failing frames replaced with a new picture window and sliders, set and sealed from the outside.

  • Before and after: a worn double-hung window in red brick replaced with a new white double-hung windowACM job photo

    Double-hung window replacement in brick

    A worn double-hung window with a deteriorated sill replaced with a new white double-hung unit.

  • An ACM team member giving a thumbs up beside a newly installed picture window on a brick ranch homeACM job photo

    New picture window on a brick ranch

    A large picture window installed on a brick ranch home, finished and cleaned up the same day.

What homeowners say on Google

Read all our Google reviewsMore reviews
  • Google review

    ACM Pros replaced our windows and our front door in Hazel Green, AL. We are very happy with the work and the team.

    Ben Stachowiak, Hazel Green

Questions people ask

Will a garden window overheat?

It can, and this is the climate where it does. The fix is a side panel that opens for airflow and a low solar-gain coating on the glass that faces the sun. Both are decisions to make when the window is specified, not afterthoughts.

Can plants actually live in one?

That is the point of the shelf, and in this light they do well, as long as the glass is not so heavily coated that it filters out useful light along with the heat. It is a balance worth discussing rather than accepting a default.

Does it need extra support?

It projects from the wall like a small bay, so the sill and the framing under it carry the load. We check that at measuring, especially on a wall that has had water at the sill before.

What is the difference between a garden window and a bay window?

A garden window is a small box, usually sized for a kitchen opening, with glass on the top and sides. A bay window is a larger group of full-size windows that projects from a living or dining room wall under its own roof cap. Both need careful support and flashing.

Does it have to go in the kitchen?

No, though the kitchen is the most common spot because the sink is right below and herbs are close at hand. The box sticks out from the wall, so it needs a spot where it will not be in the way of a walkway, a downspout or a deck.

Is a garden window hard to keep clean?

The outside glass, especially the top, collects pollen and dust each spring. On a ground-floor window, a gentle rinse with a hose from outside handles most of it. Check the top glass after storms, since leaves and debris can sit there.

Do you do any work inside the kitchen?

No. We install the garden window from the outside, including its support, flashing and exterior trim. We do not install interior windows or doors, and we do not do cabinets, countertops or any other interior remodeling.

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Areas we serve

We're based in Madison and work across North Alabama, providing garden windows in every area below. We do not work in Tennessee.

All areas and towns
An installer checking a new exterior window with a level
Illustration

Let's get your home looking its best.

Tell us what you're picturing. We'll come out, measure up, and give you a free written estimate, so you know exactly what to expect before any work begins.

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  • No pressure to sign, ever
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Call (256) 585-6817Get a free estimate