Double-Hung Windows Offer Singular Traditional Style
The double-hung window is about as traditional a window as may be. It’s not surprising that its style fits colonial and much more traditional houses, as the double-hung window became the window of 18th-century America.
The double-hung, or sash, window was was invented by Robert Hooke in the 17th century. Windows before then were typically casement style. But casement windows were smaller, as the hardware available couldn’t support the weight of a large casement window as it was open. Double-hung windows limit movement to a simple up and down movement and utilize a method of counterweights for assistance, or so the size of this window isn’t as restricted.
Double-hung windows were not thought to be very efficient until lately. Gaps around the sash and the frame would let in cold air, and there was a constant rattle of the sash from the frame, the end result of the wood parts drying out and shrinking over time. However, with advances in materials and designs, the double-hung window can be extremely efficient.
With its traditional styling and appeal and together with all the new standards that enable efficient windows, the double-hung is an excellent window choice where a traditional or transitional aesthetic is desired.
Des Ewing Residential Architects
In its original incarnation, the double-hung window was arranged separately in order that there would be an expanse of wall between each window. And each sash, top and bottom, would be broken into lots of separate pieces of glass. Hence terms like”six ,” referring to how many divisions (bits of glass) have been in each sash. By way of instance, the window displayed here is referred to as an”eight over 12.”
Additionally, some of these windows have an inoperable top sash; these are referred to as single-hung windows. And you will find windows with three operable sashes, known as triple hung. For the most part, however, what we see are double-hung windows, together with the top and bottom sashes being operable.
Shannon Malone
Architects have increasingly ganged these windows to produce more contemporary walls of glass. From creating detail and scale to gathering in all that light, it’s a means of attaining the best of the traditional and contemporary styles.
Current Works Construction Inc..
A great benefit of having the upper sash operable is the ability to boost airflow. It is an easy way to ventilate a home, as the inside air will rise up and escape as it warms up.
Double-hung windows are also quite versatile. A combination of a fixed sash held tight to the ceiling with double-hung windows below may create an open and airy porch-like space.
Asher Associates Architects
The double-hung window is especially suited to a traditional-style home with exterior shutters.
While these windows are traditional in style, contemporary materials and assembly methods make them much better than their wooden ancestors. Exterior cladding now includes ceramic, vinyl, composite aluminum and materials. Interior ones come in only about any species of timber, and also the hardware (such as thumb locks and sash lifts) could be in whatever finish you’d like. And you will find many different glass options, from single to double to triple glazing in addition to coatings and films that may be applied.
While it’s possible to find a double-hung window for as low as a couple hundred bucks, based on its size, a better window that’s excellent at conserving energy and has a low-maintenance exterior finish will cost much more.
Kipnis Architecture + Planning
A version in the Chicago-style window is just three double-hung windows grouped together, with the center window wider than the flanking windows. This window was created from the late 19th century by architect Louis Sullivan at the Carson Pirie Scott store. The style, which comprises a large, inoperable plate glass window flanked by double-hung windows, became nearly omnipresent, showing upon pretty much every single colonial spec home built in the 1960s and 1970s.
Smith & Vansant Architects PC
There are some locations where a different kind of window will be a better choice than a double wrapped. Above a kitchen sink, by way of instance, since you’re standing a few feet away from the window and don’t need as much leverage, a double-hung window will be more challenging to open and close than a casement window. In instances like that, a grid pattern could be developed that makes a casement look like a window. The trick is to care for the centre horizontal line as a check rail (a horizontal bar between the upper and lower sashes) to provide the illusion that the window is in fact composed of two sashes.