A brief History of Sash Windows
There is evidence that sliding windows existed throughout Europe as early as the thirteenth century, although not much more than simple sliding timber shutters.
There is evidence that sliding windows existed throughout Europe as early as the thirteenth century, although not much more than simple sliding timber shutters.
In the sixteenth century glazed sash windows started to appear, these windows sliding horizontally. Vertical glazed sash windows would not appear until the mid seventeenth century and it is believed they originated in France.
French nobility escaping the guillotine in France arrived in England bringing with them the latest technology and designs of more advanced sash windows.
Somerset house in London was renovated with the input of the Queen Mother who had just arrived back from France with a very skilled French Sash Window joiner. He created and fitted the first recorded sash window in Britain.
The exact history of how the weighted and balanced glazed sash window came about is not clear, although some say that the invention was a British one, many could say it was a french one.
As an updated re-make of the original vertical sliding window glazed with small squares of glass and very thick glazing bars due to the delicate and primitive glass available at the time would have made it a very heavy window to operate.
Doors of past had been counter balanced in a similar way of today's sash windows, exactly who and when the system was applied to the sash window is unknown.
The sash window has never been patented nor has anybody throughout history has ever claimed to be its inventor.
As glass manufacturing advanced sash windows started to have less glazing bars but it was not until the King of England ended taxation based on how much glass you had in your windows that the glass in sash windows became larger.
During a period of British history the Crown cleverly started to tax citizens based on how many glass windows they had in their home and thus it was considered a sign of wealth to have one large pane of glass per window.
There is evidence that sliding windows existed throughout Europe as early as the thirteenth century, although not much more than simple sliding timber shutters.
In the sixteenth century glazed sash windows started to appear, these windows sliding horizontally. Vertical glazed sash windows would not appear until the mid seventeenth century and it is believed they originated in France.
French nobility escaping the guillotine in France arrived in England bringing with them the latest technology and designs of more advanced sash windows.
Somerset house in London was renovated with the input of the Queen Mother who had just arrived back from France with a very skilled French Sash Window joiner. He created and fitted the first recorded sash window in Britain.
The exact history of how the weighted and balanced glazed sash window came about is not clear, although some say that the invention was a British one, many could say it was a french one.
As an updated re-make of the original vertical sliding window glazed with small squares of glass and very thick glazing bars due to the delicate and primitive glass available at the time would have made it a very heavy window to operate.
Doors of past had been counter balanced in a similar way of today's sash windows, exactly who and when the system was applied to the sash window is unknown.
The sash window has never been patented nor has anybody throughout history has ever claimed to be its inventor.
As glass manufacturing advanced sash windows started to have less glazing bars but it was not until the King of England ended taxation based on how much glass you had in your windows that the glass in sash windows became larger.
During a period of British history the Crown cleverly started to tax citizens based on how many glass windows they had in their home and thus it was considered a sign of wealth to have one large pane of glass per window.
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