756How to Protect Young Drivers: Good Tips for Parents
posted on February 23rd, 2010
The architectural style of the 18th and 19th centuries is closely associated with sash windows. Their popularity stemmed from their larger panes of glass and more elegant proportions than casement windows.
After years of controversy, experts now believe they were originally invented in Yorkshire. Sash windows were designed to allow a small gap for ventilation without letting in the rain, and were also less prone to rotting and distortion due to their enclosure within a box.
Sash windows offered both practical advantages and a more pleasing style than older window designs, and they were popular in both new buildings and as stylish replacements in existing homes. Many were later removed, however in order to avoid paying the window tax of the late 18th/early 19th centuries. The window with two movable sashes was developed during the Georgian era. Glass was still expensive and marked with central bull’s eyes by the manufacture process. As better methods of making large panes were found, windows with six panels in each sash appeared, becoming characteristic of the Georgian sash window..
The popularity of these windows have remained strong during the Victorian age, but they were ornamented with elaborate decorations. Sash windows that are gradated in size, becoming smaller at the top of the building are indicative of the style of this time, as are large bay windows. 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.
Sash windows have become far less common during the last century, despite being the favorite style at the beginning of the 20th century, due to the increase in cheap, mass-produced styles of window. Recently people have begun to take an interest in the historic character of their homes, resulting in greater demand for traditional style sash windows. Modern versions of the sash window preserve the traditional character of older properties, while combining all the latest developments in manufacturing processes with the grace and practicality that this style epitomizes.