Posted by Guest Author | Posted in Do it yourself | Posted on 26-04-2011
Sash windows are familiar to the parts of the world influenced by English designs in architecture. This style was invented in Georgian times and has been used ever since.
It is believed that an English scientist, inventor, and architect named Robert Hooke invented the window after the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed much of London. He was named official surveyor and assigned the task of rebuilding the principal buildings, along with Christopher Wren, another renowned architect also important in colonial America.
Sashes are part of life for many, who grew up hearing about ‘throwing up the sash’ when St. Nick came with his reindeer on ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ Remember vainly trying to open a window either stuck by the swelling of the wood or by repeated layers of paint? Or getting a stick to prop it open because the inner weights or cords had stopped doing their job?
Think of the cat burglars who scale tall buildings and open a window high above the ground to steal the royal jewels, or how Spiderman comes and goes. Think about getting inside yourself when you have misplaced your key. A sash comes in might handy then. It is also useful for eavesdropping, when secrets are being told inside.
Consider the tradition of leaving a pie on the sill to cool before dinner, a fact well known to hungry boys or tramps. And how could romance function without rocks being tossed at upper windows and the sash being raised to give one more rendition of the balcony scene from ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Many a love affair has been furthered by a serenade underneath one of these useful openings.
It is just as romantic when a fresh breeze flutters the curtains, or the sound of awakening birds ushers in the dawn along with the coolness of the morning. The sounds of children playing outside is part of summertime, reminiscent of times before air conditioning, and there has been many a marital argument over whether the window should be open or closed.
Sash windows are still fashionable and eminently practical after all these years. It is hard to think about a day when children won’t be drawing houses with tic-tac-toe windows and a lolly pop tree in the yard. Changes in the design may have made cleaning easier and security better, but the essentials are still with us after three centuries.
Get inside info on the cultural value of sash windows now in our overview of sash window refurbishment and everything you need to know about sash window refurbishment London .
