Transom Windows in Richmond, VA

A rectangular lite over a front door or a pair of patio doors brings daylight into a hall that otherwise has none. On a new door it's often part of the door unit; on an existing one it's a separate fixed window set in the framing above the head jamb. HomeGuide puts the cost of adding a transom to an entry door at $300 to $900 nationally. Ask whether the transom ships mulled to the door frame or goes in as its own piece, since that changes how the header gets flashed.

When an opening is taller than an operating sash should be, the top part goes to a fixed transom, which keeps the double-hung or casement below at a size you can lift and clean. Grilles in the transom can pick up the pattern of the window under it, such as a prairie border over a one-over-one. The two units are mulled together with a structural joint, and the window and transom should come from the same series so the frame color and depth match.

A half-round is a true semicircle, its height half its width. An elliptical or "eyebrow" arch is flatter, with a rise lower than half the width, which suits a wide window pair under a low eave. Sunburst or radial grilles are the traditional pattern; a fanlight over a door often has a semicircular shape. Arch tops get measured on site: width, leg height if the arch has straight sides, and the rise at the center.

Round, octagon and quarter-round windows are mostly accents: a stair landing, a closet, a bathroom wall or the space above a bed. They're usually fixed. An octagon can be ordered as a venting unit that hinges on one side. Quarter-rounds are made in left and right pairs to flank a center window or gable, so check that the order lists the hand of each one.

Trapezoids and triangles follow a roof pitch, filling the gable of a vaulted room. The angle has to match the rafters, so the installer measures the pitch in the room rather than reading it off a plan. In our view these are the hardest shapes to get right on the first order: a degree or two off and the trim line shows it. Ask to see the template or the shop drawing before the order goes in.

A venting transom is hinged at the top and opens outward like an awning, on a crank, a pole operator or a push bar. Before central air became common in the early to mid 20th century, opening transoms gave homes and offices cross-ventilation while staying private and secure. A modern venting transom high on a wall does the same job above a door or picture window. Our awning windows page has more on that hardware.