Sash windows have a charm all of their own. They have an ageless quality makes them suitable for use in modern and historical buildings of any form of architecture with equal success and add an elegance to any style. Unfortunately too often people are replacing these unique windows instead of considering sash window refurbishment and upgrading.
The Dutch artist, Vermeer, preserved these windows for posterity in his masterpiece called The Milkmaid. The inventor and designer of this concept created the design in such a way to allow cooling breezes to circulate in a room in an era that was centuries away from air conditioning and electric appliances. Sashes of these six-by-six configurations dating from homes built in the Georgian and Victorian eras are still being used nowadays.
At the time of these sashes first being utilized windows had to carry very thick and heavy pane glass. The manner in which the counterweights, pulleys and cords work gives the operator of opening and closing the sashes with ease. The way in which they move past one another also gives cleaners easy access for cleaning.
The handwork done by those carpenters that first made these sashes was of such fine quality that many of the original windows have lasted through years of opening and closing. It is unfortunately this continual wear and tear as well as shrinkage and swelling in times of climate changes that have led to frames no longer fitting snugly. Wood rubbing against another wood also causes wearing away.
All these factors have caused sashes to rattle in the wind and allow draughts into rooms. These draughts create problems when one is trying to warm up an area and tends to add to heating bill costs. New methods of draught proofing and double glazed panes can solve this problem very effectively. At the same time one may want to secure the windows with new special latches that are easily removed on the inside in emergencies.
Most refurbishing is done at the home and even badly chipped wood can be fixed without removing frames. A complete window is only removed if its frame is severely damaged. Work to repair it will be done in a workshop on the company premises. The weights, cords and pulleys are removed and overhauled before being replaced, if damaged new materials will be used.
Reproduction frames of high quality are now available from various manufacturers. These frames have been approved for use for replacement of original frames that are beyond saving by some Heritage Councils that oversee the upkeep of listed homes and buildings.
These windows are known as hung sashes in North America and are sold in either a single or double version. A single sash allows for only one window to open whereas a double is the same as any other sashes from around the world.
Sash windows have a beauty and design that adds a special elegance to facades of any house. They are enduring and a person may want to consider sash window refurbishment before thinking about replacing these beautiful examples of a bygone gracious era.
The Dutch artist, Vermeer, preserved these windows for posterity in his masterpiece called The Milkmaid. The inventor and designer of this concept created the design in such a way to allow cooling breezes to circulate in a room in an era that was centuries away from air conditioning and electric appliances. Sashes of these six-by-six configurations dating from homes built in the Georgian and Victorian eras are still being used nowadays.
At the time of these sashes first being utilized windows had to carry very thick and heavy pane glass. The manner in which the counterweights, pulleys and cords work gives the operator of opening and closing the sashes with ease. The way in which they move past one another also gives cleaners easy access for cleaning.
The handwork done by those carpenters that first made these sashes was of such fine quality that many of the original windows have lasted through years of opening and closing. It is unfortunately this continual wear and tear as well as shrinkage and swelling in times of climate changes that have led to frames no longer fitting snugly. Wood rubbing against another wood also causes wearing away.
All these factors have caused sashes to rattle in the wind and allow draughts into rooms. These draughts create problems when one is trying to warm up an area and tends to add to heating bill costs. New methods of draught proofing and double glazed panes can solve this problem very effectively. At the same time one may want to secure the windows with new special latches that are easily removed on the inside in emergencies.
Most refurbishing is done at the home and even badly chipped wood can be fixed without removing frames. A complete window is only removed if its frame is severely damaged. Work to repair it will be done in a workshop on the company premises. The weights, cords and pulleys are removed and overhauled before being replaced, if damaged new materials will be used.
Reproduction frames of high quality are now available from various manufacturers. These frames have been approved for use for replacement of original frames that are beyond saving by some Heritage Councils that oversee the upkeep of listed homes and buildings.
These windows are known as hung sashes in North America and are sold in either a single or double version. A single sash allows for only one window to open whereas a double is the same as any other sashes from around the world.
Sash windows have a beauty and design that adds a special elegance to facades of any house. They are enduring and a person may want to consider sash window refurbishment before thinking about replacing these beautiful examples of a bygone gracious era.
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