Protecting Young Drivers: Sound Advice for Parents
Closed Published August 26th, 2010 in Best Realty Resources, Home Improvement Hall, InfoThe architectural style of the 18th and 19th centuries is closely associated with sash windows. They make practical and aesthetically pleasing alternatives to casements, with their large glass panels and graceful proportions.
After years of controversy, experts now believe they were originally invented in Yorkshire. They were developed there to keep out wet weather while permitting air to circulate by leaving a narrow opening, and were also protected from rot and distortion by being closed in a box.
Sash windows were a huge improvement over their predecessors, both aesthetically and practically, and were incorporated into older homes as well as being favored for new buildings. Many were later removed, however in order to avoid paying the window tax of the late 18th/early 19th centuries. The Georgian sash window took on the modern double sash form. Glass was still expensive and marked with central bull’s eyes by the manufacture process. Once larger panels became available the classic six-paned Georgian windows appeared. They are considered characteristic of the Regency style.
Sash windows continued to be popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, although carved and molded decorations were commonly added to them. Victorian houses often have large bay windows and elegantly proportioned facades with the windows getting gradually smaller as their height from the ground increases. Sashes with four panes of glass are another mark of the Victorian window. While the absence of glazing bars was originally a status symbol, many people put in windows that imitated older styles once sheet glass had become cheaper and more commonly used during the late 19th century.
Despite their popularity at the start of the 20th century, sash windows have become less common during the last hundred years, with cheaper, less labor intensive types of window being used instead. An interest in conserving historical styles of architecture has recently revived the demand for sash windows, however. These modern versions are produced with all the latest advances in technology, but retain the traditional style and elegance of older sashes, along with their functional design.
