Wrought iron windows are custom steel-framed windows built from hand-worked iron
and fitted with insulated glass, used where a standard vinyl or aluminum window cannot
deliver the sightlines, the span, or the ornamental detail a project calls for. Every
Monarch window is made to order in
12-gauge wrought iron,
hand-crafted to your opening rather than trimmed to fit a catalog size.
There is no standard size list here. Openings get measured, and the frame gets built
to that measurement. That is what makes iron the practical choice for arched heads,
corner wraparounds, tall stairwell glazing, and full glass wall systems where stock
windows simply do not exist.
Frames are available in a thermal break version, a patented process using ABS and
polyurethane to interrupt heat and cold conductivity through the steel. Glass is
available in low-E and high impact versions. Both are covered in detail below the
collection.
Not every iron window is a fixed decorative panel. The collection below includes
hinged casement units that swing open for ventilation, sliding and pocket sliding
panels, corner wraparound assemblies, and fixed architectural glazing. Interior units
are available as well, for pass-throughs, stair walls, and rooms that need borrowed
light without a full opening.
If you are matching windows to an existing entry, see the
wrought iron doors collection. Frames, finishes, and scrollwork can be built to match across an elevation.
Call us today at 888-799-4755 or you can email at contactus@monarchcustomdoors.com
Ready to start your wrought iron doors, home theater doors or wine cellar doors, church doors project, too? Let us know how we can help!
Showing all 34 results
Window performance in the United States and Canada is reported through the National Fenestration Rating Council, a nonprofit certification body whose ratings are referenced in building codes across every US state and Canadian province. Two numbers on that label do most of the work: U-factor and SHGC. Here is what each one actually tells you.
U-factor measures how fast heat escapes through the whole window assembly, frame included. Lower is better. On the NFRC scale used in North America, window U-factors generally fall between 0.20 and 1.20, and a modern double-pane low-E window typically lands near 0.30.
One point that trips buyers up constantly: U-factor is not R-value. They move in opposite directions. A low U-factor is good. A high R-value is good. R-value is used for walls, roofs, and insulation rather than for rating a finished window, which is why window labels report U-factor instead.
Because steel conducts heat readily, the frame does more to set a window's U-factor than the glass alone does. That is the entire reason the thermal break version exists. Ask us for the current rated figure on the configuration you are specifying, and we will confirm it against the opening and glass package you have in mind.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient measures how much of the sun's heat passes through the window, on a scale from 0 to 1. A lower number blocks more solar heat. A higher number lets more in. Unlike U-factor, there is no universally correct target, because the right SHGC depends entirely on your climate and which way the window faces.
Our glass runs an SHGC of approximately 0.40. That is a middle-of-the-scale value, which suits heating-dominated and mixed climates well, since useful winter solar gain comes through the glass rather than being rejected. In cooling-dominated regions, or on west-facing elevations that take hard afternoon sun, a lower SHGC glass package is usually the better specification. Tell us the orientation and we will talk through the trade-off.
A thermal break is a non-conductive barrier built into the frame that stops heat from traveling straight through the metal. Without one, a steel frame acts as a bridge: cold moves inward in winter, heat moves inward in summer, and the frame itself becomes the weak point regardless of how good the glass is.
Monarch uses a patented process built on ABS and polyurethane, both chosen because they resist conducting temperature. The same thinking drives our thermal barrier wrought iron doors, where the barrier is the difference between a door that meets local energy code and one that does not.
For a full breakdown of how these ratings are tested and certified, the National Fenestration Rating Council publishes the independent standards that every North American window label is built on.
Our windows are glazed with insulated dual-pane tempered glass, two 5mm panes separated by an argon-filled cavity. From there, two performance upgrades cover most projects.
Low-emissivity glass carries a microscopically thin metallic coating that reflects radiant heat back toward its source while letting visible light through. In winter it holds interior heat inside. In summer it pushes solar radiation back out. It is the default upgrade for anyone whose main concern is an energy bill, and it also slows the UV fading that wrecks flooring and furniture near a large window.
Impact glass is laminated, meaning a tough interlayer is bonded between the panes. Struck hard enough to break, the glass fractures but holds together on that interlayer instead of collapsing out of the frame. That matters in two situations: coastal construction where wind-borne debris is the design concern, and ground-floor openings where forced entry is.
| Consideration | Low-E Glass | High Impact Glass |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Thermal performance | Debris and forced-entry resistance |
| How it works | Reflective coating on the glass surface | Bonded interlayer between panes |
| Best suited to | Large glazed areas, extreme heating or cooling climates | Coastal exposure, ground-floor and accessible openings |
| Effect on energy bills | Direct and measurable | Minimal on its own |
| Can be combined | Yes. Ask about a laminated low-E build for both. | |
Decorative and textured patterns, including frosted, reed, rainstorm, and sandblast, are shown on our glass options page. Privacy patterns and performance glazing are separate decisions, and most projects specify both.
Exterior applications are the obvious ones: arched entry surrounds, tall stair and stairwell glazing, corner wraparound assemblies, and full glass wall systems where the span rules out a stock window. Iron carries these openings because the frame is structural rather than decorative, so sightlines stay narrow across distances that would need heavy mullions in another material.
Interior use is the application people overlook. Interior iron windows work as kitchen pass-throughs, as partitions between a home office and a living space, and as borrowed-light openings for interior rooms with no exterior wall. The same scrollwork and frame profile you specify outside can carry through inside, which is why interior units appear in the collection above.
Frames can be finished to match adjoining ironwork. If your project includes wrought iron gates or balcony railings, specify them together so the finish is drawn from the same metal color run.
Every window is built to the opening, so the process starts with dimensions rather than a model number. Send us the rough opening size, the configuration you need (fixed, casement, sliding, or a multi-panel assembly), your climate and the window's orientation, and any design reference you are working from. A drawing gets produced for your approval before fabrication begins.
Plan on 16 to 17 weeks from approved drawings through delivery. Custom ironwork is fabricated, finished, and glazed to order, and that timeline covers the full sequence. Bring us in during design rather than after framing, particularly for arched or oversized openings where the rough opening has to be built to the window instead of the other way around.
We ship nationwide across the United States and Canada.
Both. Monarch builds hinged casement units that swing open for ventilation, sliding and pocket sliding panels, and fixed architectural glazing. Many projects combine them, using operable casements at reachable heights and fixed panels for tall or arched sections above. Configuration is specified per opening, so a multi-panel assembly can mix operable and fixed units in one frame.
They can be, provided the frame includes a thermal break. Bare steel conducts temperature straight through the frame, which undercuts even good glass. A thermal break inserts a non-conductive barrier of ABS and polyurethane that interrupts that path. Paired with insulated dual-pane low-E glass, a thermally broken iron window performs comparably to other quality window frame materials.
On the NFRC scale used in the United States and Canada, window U-factors generally run between 0.20 and 1.20, and lower is better. A modern double-pane low-E window typically lands near 0.30. Cold climates call for the lowest figure you can get. Check your local energy code, since minimum U-factor requirements vary by climate zone.
Iron will corrode if the protective finish fails, so rust resistance comes down to the finish system and its upkeep rather than the metal itself. Monarch frames are finished in a selected metal color coating. Inspect the finish annually, especially in coastal or high-humidity locations, and address any chips or scratches promptly before moisture reaches bare steel.
Yes. Every Monarch window is built to the opening rather than selected from a size chart. Arched and radius heads, corner wraparounds, oversized spans, and multi-panel glass wall assemblies are all standard requests. Send the rough opening dimensions and we produce a drawing for approval before any fabrication starts.
Plan on 16 to 17 weeks from approved drawings through delivery. That window covers fabrication, finishing, glazing, and shipping. Timelines run longer on complex ornamental scrollwork or unusually large assemblies, so bring the window into the conversation during design rather than after framing is underway.
Member National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)