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The sash wind ow, with its subtle proportions and elegance, was one of the most important visual elements in buildings of the 18th and 19th Centuries.
The sash window, with its subtle proportions and elegance, was one of the most important visual elements in buildings of the 18th and 19th Centuries. By Victorian times, it was the most popular form of window. In the past fifty or so years, however, its popularity declined. But with the growth of a more enlightened attitude towards conservation and growing appreciation of the craftsmanship and design that went into everyday buildings of the 18th and 19th Centuries, the sash window once more enjoys a revival. People appreciate its aesthetic and functional contribution to the house, and they are now restoring and reinstating windows that were removed in less enlightened days. Original sash windows of the 18th and 19th century can be found in many historic
Before the 16th century, only the most prestigious houses had glazed windows as glass was difficult to produce and therefore very expensive.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the use of crown glass became more widespread and the small panes or 'quarries' were set into lead and framed in wrought iron, often fixed into mullioned-and-transomed timber frames in the bigger houses or casements in the more vernacular. Sash windows first came into use in the late 17th century when the heavy glass was contained by thick oak frames and glazing bars. From the 18th century onwards, cylinder glass was produced which was thinner and available in larger pieces, and this allowed the production of the elegant, more lightweight sashes of the Georgian period. Often part of a formal, classically inspired elevation, sash windows provided a completely different appearance to the more mundane leaded casements of the previous centuries and quickly became highly fashionable. After about 1850 the introduction of plate glass allowed sash windows to be much larger with only one or maybe two panes of glass to each sash, so 'horns' had to be added to strengthen the junction of the meeting rail with the frame. Original sash windows consist of two glazed sashes, which slide vertically in a timber frame, supported by cords that are balanced with metal weights. 'Yorkshire' sashes, which can generally be seen in cottages and the more vernacular buildings, slide horizontally and without weights. Vertically-sliding sashes of the 18th and 19th centuries invariably were sub-divided into six, eight or sometimes more, panes of glass which were always slightly taller than they were wide, reflecting the proportion of the whole window.
The origins of the sash window have been the subject of much investigation and speculation. Until recently, the general opinion tended to be that the sash was invented in Holland in the late 17th Century. Recently, however, valuable research work undertaken by Dr. Hinte Louw, of the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, suggests that the sash could have been invented earlier in the 17th Century in England. Another school of thought suggests that the sash originated in France and spread to England via Holland. The word "sash", derived from the French "chassis" means frame. But, however it originated, the sash window is as traditionally British as roast beef, and has become synonymous with all kinds of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian houses. These windows usually have thin glazing bars, decorated with ovolo or lambstongue mouldings, and shutters were often positioned either side with similar detailing to provide security and warmth. These windows were usually built from softwood and were painted. Modern 'sash' windows fail to replicate the detailing of the historic originals, although from a cursory glance they may appear similar. Many operate on spiral balances, rather than traditional cords and weights, and these can be unreliable and difficult to repair.
Some look like sash windows when closed but the individual sashes are top or side-hung which is only too evident on a hot day when the windows are open. Most fail totally to replicate the delicacy of the detailing of the original with clumsy glazing bars, usually far too thick and without mouldings, and substantial meeting rails designed to take the additional weight of Double-glazing. The use of stained hardwoods, aluminium or uPVC also produces windows which are totally inappropriate in historic buildings.