The origins of the sash window are believed to be in England in the 1670’s. This style of window and method of operation has retained its popularity since that era, both in restoration of historic homes and in new construction.
This style, a major innovation that differed greatly from earlier casement windows, is generally credited to a a major scientist and inventor, Robert Hooke. Hooke was an industrious man who coined the term ‘cell’ for the living units of biology he observed with a homemade microscope, discovered many principles of the law of gravity, designed some of London’s most historic buildings, and surveyed much of London after the Great Fire of 1666. He also studied the properties of glass and invented a balance spring which allowed for the watch to be created.
Robert Hooke, a brilliant man born in England in the 1600s, was both a practical man skilled in clock making and surveying, a skilled architect, a biologist, and a physicist. He studied gravity, the properties of glass, and invented a balance spring that led to the development of the watch. It is easy to see how these studies contributed to his window, moving up and down with a weight to offset the pull of gravity, with muntins (strips of wood holding individual panes of glass in a frame) to relieve stress on the amount of glass needed for large panels, and attractive enough to grace a stately home.
Over time, sash windows made of wood will loosen in their frames, as continual opening and shutting wears the jambs and tracks, and the wood itself expands and contracts with the changing seasonal temperatures and shows the effects of weather. Older windows may rattle in the wind and let air leak in or out around the joints. They also may refuse to open as paint builds up in the seams, or refuse to stay pushed up when the sash cords get brittle and break with age.
Repairing these old windows is an option that many choose, since a handy homeowner with simple tools and a vast amount of patience can do the job. Others wish to retain as much of the original structure as possible when renovating an historic property. Replacement is an option as well, as many reproduction windows are manufactures out of traditional materials, and custom woodworking mills can make exact replicas of old designs.
The sash window has not been changed much over the years, although single glazing has often given way to double and even triple glazing for energy efficiency. Glazing is a term for a transparent panel in a wall; single means one thickness, while double and triple glazing simply fist more than one panel in a frame, with air spaces in between.
The origins of the sash window are fun to trace, as are the changes, not so much in design as in materials. Today’s windows may be made of soft or hard wood, metals such as aluminum and vinyl, and even fiberglass.
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