It would take hold in the 20th century, touted for its fire-resistant qualities and cost-competitiveness. But in 1890, manufacturers started making rolled steel for windows. But the elaborate trim of the previous house styles was gone in favor of flat woodwork that was more in keeping with the developing aesthetic for simplicity.ĭuring all this time, wood had dominated as the most affordable and easy-to-obtain material for window frames.
#Jalousie window panes menards windows
Both the ogee-shaped windows on Gothic homes and the rounded arches of Italianate houses embodied the new ornamental possibilities for windows.Įntering the 20th century, Arts & Crafts houses kept the popular double-hung windows, sometimes with a multi-paned upper sash, as well as casement windows. The lack of muntins significantly changed not only how windows looked on the house, but also the view from the interior, which became less obstructed.Īnother 19th-century development-scroll saw technology-meant that window openings were able to take on new shapes and decorative features. Over the course of the 19th century, house styles-from Greek Revival through Queen Anne and beyond-benefited from these improvements as window panes shifted from six-over-six to a single pane in each sash. New technology allowed for expansive panes of glass by the Victorian era, like these arch-top reproductions from Marvin. Originally developed for mirrors, hot glass was cast on a round or square plate, cooled, and then polished. A further development was the plate glass technique created by the French in 1850, which resulted in panes with a greater clarity. Glass sheets for windowpanes became more uniform in thickness, although they retained charming hand-blown inconsistencies. Glass blown into a cylinder was then split, reheated, and rolled into a flat sheet, allowing for larger panes of glass. In 1825, the cylinder process for glass was invented. These narrow muntins, combined with the larger panes of six-over-six sash, created more delicate-looking windows. As the Federal style came into vogue, muntins developed a thinner profile, and their depth was increased. Sash window openings were larger, brightening up interiors. Glass was becoming more available, so the size of panes increased. Georgian style homes featured double-hung windows with either twelve-over-twelve or nine-over-nine sash and muntins with a fairly thick profile. There were also triple- and quadruple-hung windows (bearing three and four sash) that allowed for floor-to-ceiling ventilation, but these were less common. Double-hungs consist of two moveable sashes with a system of pulleys, cords, and weights inside the jamb that helps open and close them.
By the end of that century, double-hung sash windows became the dominant style they continue to be popular today. The earliest versions were single-hung: the top sash fixed and the bottom moveable via pins and holes in the frame. In the 17th century, a new window development arrived: vertical sliding sash. Muntins were thick (at least an inch wide), giving colonial windows a solid presence.ĭouble-hung twelve-over-twelve windows are a hallmark of Georgian houses. Given the expense of glass, windows were kept small. The frames were made of either wood or iron, and featured diamond-shaped leaded panes or rectangular ones. It was created by spinning a bubble of molten glass until it was flat, a technique that resulted in a bull’s eye (or “crown”).Ĭolonial windows were typically casements-sash that rotated out on hinges-and often were paired with wood or brick mullions separating the sashes. Crown glass, one of the earliest types of glass available, had existed for centuries, but only started being made in England in the late 17th century and later trickled down to the colonies. Glass in the New World was mostly imported from England and very costly.
Materials for windows weren’t always so readily available. And beyond appearance, of course, windows also provide light, fresh air, and a connection to the outdoors. It doesn’t work, does it? The right style of window on a historic home can make or break the exterior. Try envisioning the long, horizontal louvers of a jalousie window on a Federal home instead of delicate, multi-paned, double-hung sash. However, windows are actually a vital element in the overall look and architectural character of any building, especially old houses. Today’s modern skylines dotted with shimmering towers of glass make windows seem like nothing more than visual voids on a façade. Double-hungs with a Queen Anne top sash are the highlight of this turret room.