Sash Windows Glasgow

The History of the Sash Window

There cannot be a more quintessential style of window. Simple in design, elegant in proportion, sash windows remain the most beautiful and efficient style ever made.

First introduced in the mid 1600's this evocative soon became very fashionable. Enabling rich merchants to display their wealth to their peers, the larger the glazed area the wealthier they were. Replacement of windows was prevalent even in the 18th century. Glorious new sash windows replaced casement windows in 16th century properties.

Georgian Sash

By the middle of the century the familiar Georgian sash window with six to eight panes to each sash had become commonplace.

Their very early windows had chunky timber members subdividing sashes into very small panes to suit the limited size of poor quality glass with ways available at that time.

Victorian Sash

As the Georgian era gave way to the Victorian, so sash windows changed also. Partly based on improvement technology (particularly in glass) but mostly on the classic Victorian desire for embellished designs, sash windows grow more ornate.

The simple lines of Georgian windows gave way to ornate architraves, window trims and stone surrounds. From the beginning of the late 18th century fewer subdivides and large, heavier glass became common.

Edwardian Sash

The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 ushered in the new Edwardian era. For sash windows this meant a return to the simple, clean elegant lines of Georgian windows, but often on a much larger scale.

During Edwardian times sash windows became huge - regularly floor to ceiling heights, and five foot widths.

A trend towards larger paned, smalled paned sash windows with chunky glazing bars became popular. Often windows of this period combined multiple small paned upper sash - very often with horns - with a single of two paned lower sash.

This expanse of glass was much heavier than the early windows and increased stress was put on the joints. The sash horn was developed to overcome this problem. Sash horns also evolved in their design over time. No window had horns prior to 1850.

Upper sashes from this period sometimes incorporated stained glass, a feature that was to remain in vogue into the 1930s.

After reigning supreme in all types of buildings, from castles to croft, for two and a half centuries, the sash window finally fell out of widespread use in the 1950s.

Historical Glass

Glass technology has evolved throughout the historical period with many distinct types influencing the design and development of the sash window. Crown glass and cylinder glass are two processes which were continually refined. Cylinder glass was made from blowing cylinders of glass, cut and rolled flat on a sanded surface. After the 1830's the length of glass which could be blown was greatly improved and thickness was reduced.