The Evolving Design Of Sash Windows Through The Ages

Sashes are a feature of historical buildings that reveal a great deal about the socioeconomic times in which they were built

. The design of the window has changed to reflect advances in manufacturing and building techniques over the ages. The story of the historical development of the sash window is also the story of the people who lived long ago.

The very earliest type of sash windows were known in Europe as early as the 13th century, however, these primitive windows had no glass in them. Glass became more viable in 16th Century Europe and the sash design became increasingly preferred over the older casement windows. During the 16th century, too, the horizontal sliding sash gave way to the vertical sash which was balanced with a simple system of weights and pulleys.

Because of the expense of both glass and skilled craftsmen to do the work, only the rich could afford to have sash windows built in their homes. In the late sixteen hundreds, having sash windows became an increasingly popular way of showing off and it is during this time that they came to proliferate in Britain.

Early sashes had numerous panes of thick glass and would have been extremely heavy to open. However, as methods of glass manufacture improved to be able to produce larger panes of lighter glass, the number of individual panes is seen to reduce. After the tax on glass was removed in the mid 1800s, architects were even less restricted and some windows from the period following this having only one or two panes of glass.

The basic appearance of the sash window remained the same through most of the 18th and early 19th centuries with the most popular form being the "six over six" window. This featured two sliding frames, one over the other, and containing six panes of glass each . In the early 1700s, designers favoured an arch over the top of the light, but this reverted to the rectangular shape in the latter part of the era. Hidden boxes recessed into the window frame to hold the mechanism were developed later without altering the outward appearance of the window.

In the early eighteen hundreds a distinctive form of sash window emerged for a period. The traditional six panes of glass were altered in shape and size to give a large pane in the middle with lesser panes or sidelights on either side and above or below. These windows demonstrated to an even greater degree the high status of the purchaser.

A later feature of sash window frames that emerged in the nineteenth century was brought about by the size of the glass panels and the extra support that they required. To achieve this, the sides of each frame were elongated into horns. Although having one or two bigger panes was affordable and popular in the second half of the century, there was also a return to multiple panes among those who wished for a more antiquated look.

Since the nineteenth century, window manufacturing continued to evolve and the material needed became cheaper to produce. With less restrictive laws governing the placement, shape and size of windows, architects became free to choose from a range of historical styles to suit the look of each building, sometimes deliberately copying the designs of previous times.

The historical development of the sash window has gone alongside important changes in society and technology. A great deal of history can be learned from simply looking at the windows of a house as they often give clues about the status and taste of the people who had them built.

by: Nathan Madeley.

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