Walk the streets off Canola Street near Volunteer Park and you see the same picture on most blocks: two storey project homes built since the estate took shape, set close to their side boundaries, with a neighbour’s upstairs window often only a few metres from your own. Oran Park is a new estate, so the windows are generally sound, but plenty of homeowners find that the layout the builder chose leaves bedrooms, bathrooms and stairwells overlooked.
Key takeaways
- High set openable windows give daylight and ventilation on a side wall without a direct line of sight from the neighbour.
- Obscure glass is a glazing choice, not a window style, so it can be combined with almost any frame on a boundary wall.
- BASIX, the NSW Government’s sustainability standard for housing, applies to most new homes and many larger alterations, so glass and frame choices often need to be checked against it.
- Reconfiguring the windows on one side of a home is a smaller job than most people expect when the openings are made to measure.
- A written quote should list the window size, glass type, sill height and colour for every opening, not just a total.
Why do narrow lot homes feel overlooked?
Because the side setbacks on estate blocks are small and both homes tend to have windows on the same wall at the same height. When two houses are a few metres apart and both have a standard bedroom window at sill height, each one looks straight into the other.
Many homes in this part of Oran Park were built to a plan designed for a generic block, then placed on a lot where the orientation and the neighbour’s layout were not yet known. That is not a fault in the home, it is simply how estates are built. The result is that side windows can end up facing a neighbour’s garage wall, which is fine, or facing their ensuite, which is not.
Which window styles give privacy without losing light?
High set awning windows and fixed highlight panels are the two styles installers reach for most on a boundary wall. Both sit above eye level, so they bring in daylight and sky view while keeping the neighbour’s line of sight out of the room.
An awning sash is hinged at the top and pushes out at the bottom. Even fully open, the gap faces downward and the glass itself blocks the direct view, which is why awning windows made in Smeaton Grange turn up so often on the side elevations of two storey homes. They also stay open in light rain, which matters for a bathroom or laundry that needs steady airflow.
Louvre windows are another option where airflow matters more than view, and a fixed panel of obscure glass is the simplest answer for a stairwell or a water closet that never needs to open. The comparison below sets out how each one behaves on a side wall.
| Window type | Privacy on a side wall | Ventilation | Where it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| High set awning | Strong, sill above eye line | Good, opens in rain | Bedrooms, ensuites, hallways |
| Fixed highlight with obscure glass | Strongest, no sightline at all | None | Stairwells, WCs, feature walls |
| Louvre | Moderate, blades can be angled | Very high | Laundries, upstairs bathrooms |
| Standard sliding at sill height | Weak without obscure glass | Good, half the opening | Rear or street facing walls |
Newage can reconfigure side windows with high set awning windows and obscure glass, made to measure in Smeaton Grange. Call 0408 585 846 for a free on site measure.
How high should a privacy window sit?
As a rule of thumb, a sill at around 1.5 to 1.7 metres above the finished floor puts the glass above the eye line of an adult standing in the room and well above anyone sitting or lying down. The exact figure depends on the room, the ceiling height and what is on the other side of the fence.
Keep one thing in mind for upstairs rooms. The National Construction Code sets fall protection requirements for openable windows in bedrooms above a certain height from the ground outside, and a high set sill generally satisfies that requirement in itself, which is one more point in its favour.
What glass should you choose on the boundary side?
Obscure glass for any room where you are undressed, and clear or tinted glass for everything else, is the usual starting point. Beyond that, the question is whether the wall also copes with western sun, in which case the glass has a second job.
Many homes in this part of Oran Park have the long side of the house facing west or north west, so the boundary wall is also the hot wall in summer. A performance glass or a double glazed unit on that side can take a noticeable edge off afternoon heat in upstairs bedrooms, and obscure glass can be built into a double glazed unit without losing the privacy benefit.
Do new or reconfigured windows need council approval in NSW?
Often not, but it depends on what changes. In NSW, swapping a window for one of the same size in the same opening is generally treated as minor work, while enlarging an opening, adding a new one, or changing a wall that faces a boundary can bring the work under council or private certifier sign off, and may need a BASIX check if it forms part of a larger alteration.
Fire separation is the other factor on a narrow lot. Walls close to a side boundary sometimes have limits on how much openable glass they can carry, which is one reason side windows on estate homes are small in the first place. A certifier can confirm where those limits sit for your block.
Newage advises on this as part of the measure. The team will tell you plainly when a change looks like a straight swap and when it is likely to need a certifier involved, and will size the openings to suit, so you are not caught out after the frames are made. You can read about how the business approaches that kind of advice on the About Us page.
How does a window privacy upgrade usually run?
From the first visit to the last bead of sealant, the process is shorter than most homeowners expect because the frames are made to measure in the Smeaton Grange workshop and fitted by the same team. The steps below are typical for a side wall reconfiguration.
- Walk the boundary Stand in each room on the boundary side and note which windows are the problem, then do the same from the neighbour’s side of the fence if you can.
- Free on site measure A Newage installer measures each opening, checks the wall construction and talks through sill heights, glass and colour.
- Written quote You receive an itemised quote listing size, style, glass and colour per window, with any approval advice noted.
- Manufacture Frames are made in the workshop at Unit 2/16 Blackmore Rd, Smeaton Grange, to the measured sizes.
- Install and finish Old units come out, new frames go in, flashings and seals are completed and the installer walks you through operation.
Ask about performance or double glazed awning windows for the west facing side of your Oran Park home. Free written quote, no obligation.
Which rooms should you prioritise on a tight budget?
Start with the rooms where you are least dressed and most often: the main bedroom and ensuite on the boundary side, then the children’s bedrooms, then the stairwell or hallway windows that face a neighbour’s living space.
If airflow through the house is also on your mind, the way these side windows pair with openings on the opposite wall makes a real difference, and the cross ventilation ideas in the Menangle Park guide apply just as well on an Oran Park block.
What homeowners near Volunteer Park usually run into
Installers working on homes around Canola Street, Eclipse Street and Springfield Road tend to see the same handful of issues. The first is that the side windows are standard size sliders fitted at normal sill height on both floors, because that is what the base plan called for. Upstairs they look straight into the neighbour’s equivalent window, and the owners have lived with the blinds closed since they moved in.
The second is that the homes are young enough that the openings and framing are in good condition, so the job is about changing the configuration rather than fixing anything. That tends to mean the new window can be made to the existing opening or a slightly smaller one with the sill raised, which keeps the brickwork and render changes modest.
The third is orientation. Many homes in this part of Oran Park have their boundary wall facing the afternoon sun, so the conversation about privacy quickly becomes a conversation about heat as well, and the glass choice ends up doing both jobs.
Finally, colour. The estate has a strong palette of charcoal, dark grey and white frames, and a side wall full of mismatched frames stands out from the street. Matching the new Newage awning windows to the existing powder coat is a small detail that keeps the home looking as the builder intended.
Planning new privacy windows for your Oran Park home?
Newage has been making aluminium windows and doors to measure since 2009, with more than 2,500 projects completed and a 4.7 star rating on Google. Every frame is manufactured in the company’s own workshop and installed by its own team, and the work is backed by a workmanship warranty.
The Smeaton Grange workshop at Unit 2/16 Blackmore Rd is about 5 km from Oran Park, so a measure can usually be arranged quickly. You can see the range of styles for homes in the area on the Oran Park service page, or call 0408 585 846 Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm or Saturday 8am to 1pm to book a free on site measure and written quote.
The Newage team is about 5 km away in Smeaton Grange. Call 0408 585 846, Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm or Sat 8am to 1pm, to arrange a measure and written quote for new awning windows.
FAQ
Can I raise the sill of an existing window to improve privacy?
Yes, in most cases. The lower part of the opening is bricked or framed in and a shorter window is made to suit the new size. It is one of the most common privacy changes on two storey estate homes and keeps the external changes modest. Newage measures the opening and advises on the finish.
Does obscure glass make a room dark?
Not usually. Obscure glass diffuses light rather than blocking it, so a bathroom or ensuite with a satin or lightly textured pane stays bright. Heavier patterns reduce light a little more. Looking at samples in daylight is the simplest way to choose the level of privacy you need.
Which windows suit the boundary side of a narrow lot in Oran Park?
High set awning windows are the usual choice for bedrooms and ensuites on the boundary side of Oran Park homes, often paired with obscure glass. Fixed highlight panels suit stairwells and toilets, and louvres suit laundries. Newage makes each one to measure for the existing opening or a raised sill.
Will a high set window still ventilate the room?
Yes. An awning sash opens outward from the bottom, so warm air near the ceiling escapes easily and fresh air enters without a direct view into the room. Pairing it with an opening on the opposite wall of the house gives a cross breeze that works well on summer evenings.
Do I need approval to change side windows in NSW?
A like for like swap in the same opening is generally minor work, while enlarging or adding an opening, or changing a boundary facing wall, can need council or certifier sign off and sometimes a BASIX check. Newage advises on this during the free measure so the frames are sized correctly from the start.
