Double-Hung Windows Offer Singular Traditional Style
They're efficient. They're visually appealing. They come in many materials and finishes. Is it any wonder double-hung windows are classics?
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin and I am a certificate holder from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
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The double-hung window is about as traditional a window as can be. It's no surprise that its style fits colonial and more traditional homes, 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 when it was open. Double-hung windows restrict movement to a simple up and down motion and use a system of counterweights for support, so the size of the window isn't as limited.
Double-hung windows weren't considered very efficient until recently. Gaps around the sash and the frame would let in cold air, and there was a constant rattle of the sash in the frame, the result of the wood parts drying out and shrinking over time. But with advances in materials and designs, the double-hung window can be very efficient.
With its traditional styling and appeal and with the new standards that allow efficient windows, the double-hung is an excellent window choice where a traditional or transitional aesthetic is desired.
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 when it was open. Double-hung windows restrict movement to a simple up and down motion and use a system of counterweights for support, so the size of the window isn't as limited.
Double-hung windows weren't considered very efficient until recently. Gaps around the sash and the frame would let in cold air, and there was a constant rattle of the sash in the frame, the result of the wood parts drying out and shrinking over time. But with advances in materials and designs, the double-hung window can be very efficient.
With its traditional styling and appeal and with the new standards that allow efficient windows, the double-hung is an excellent window choice where a traditional or transitional aesthetic is desired.
In its original incarnation, the double-hung window was arranged singly so that there would be an expanse of wall between each window. And each sash, top and bottom, would be divided into a number of separate pieces of glass. Hence terms like "six over six," referring to how many divisions (pieces of glass) were in each sash. For example, the window shown here is referred to as an "eight over 12."
Also, some of these windows have an inoperable top sash; these are referred to as single-hung windows. And there are windows with three operable sashes, called triple hung. For the most part, however, what we see are double-hung windows, with both the top and bottom sashes being operable.
Also, some of these windows have an inoperable top sash; these are referred to as single-hung windows. And there are windows with three operable sashes, called triple hung. For the most part, however, what we see are double-hung windows, with both the top and bottom sashes being operable.
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by Shannon Malone
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| Architects have increasingly ganged these windows to create more modern walls of glass. From creating detail and scale to gathering in all that light, it's a way of achieving the best of both traditional and modern styles. |
| A great advantage of having the upper sash operable is the ability to increase airflow. It is an easy way to ventilate a home, as the interior 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 can create an open and airy porch-like space. |
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| The double-hung window is especially suited to a traditional-style home with exterior shutters. While these windows are traditional in style, modern materials and assembly techniques make them much better than their wooden ancestors. Exterior cladding now includes vinyl, fiberglass, composite materials and aluminum. Interior ones come in just about any species of wood, and the hardware (such as thumb locks and sash lifts) can be in whatever finish you'd like. And there are a variety of glass options, from single to double to triple glazing as well as coatings and films that can be applied. While you can get a double-hung window for as low as a few hundred dollars, depending on its size, a better window that is excellent at saving energy and has a low-maintenance exterior finish will cost considerably more. |
| A variation on the Chicago-style window is three double-hung windows grouped together, with the center window wider than the flanking windows. This window was created in the late 19th century by architect Louis Sullivan at the Carson Pirie Scott store. The style, which incorporates a large, inoperable plate glass window flanked by double-hung windows, became almost ubiquitous, showing up on just about every colonial spec home built in the 1960s and 1970s. |
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| There are some locations where a different style of window is a better choice than a double hung. Above a kitchen sink, for example, because you're standing a few feet away from the window and don't have as much leverage, a double-hung window tends to be more difficult to open and close than a casement window. In instances like that, a grid pattern can be developed that makes a casement look like a double-hung window. The trick is to treat the middle horizontal line as a check rail (a horizontal bar between the upper and lower sashes) to give the illusion that the window is in fact composed of two sashes. |
Ideabook published on Jan. 3, 2013.
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It's great to see older and more traditional styles re-surface and have fresh life breathed into them. In this case particularly, there is untold potential - nothing quite makes a home come alive and lends it vitality like the sort of excellent lighting provided by double hung windows.
As with all work, make sure to check your applicable local codes for emergency egress requirements.
My house is a small 1500 sq. foot brick story-and-a-half, and one of the tricky design and budget commitments is reducing the visual impact of a large picture window on the front of the house that is completely out of scale with the overall area of the house. The grouping of windows in the Chicago-style might be the answer that allows the same light but creates the illusion that it is less of a glass expanse than it is.
I too, love the look of double hung windows. So glad to hear that they're becoming more energy efficient.
We are going with vinyl replacement windows because of cost. I would love to be able to replace my old wood double hung with the same thing, but it's just not possible. But on that note, is double hung really that much better than single hung?
And as a last note to the comments on Chicago style, we have that same configuration in one of our rooms. A huge old fixed picture window flanked by two skinny double hung. I have always loved the look, but we are now going with three equal double or single hung windows for easier cleaning and overall use.
I could really use someone's input on mixing larger single/double hung 6 over 6 windows with smaller 3 high, by 3 wide casement windows. Definitely in the kitchen window, but also in some smaller bedroom windows. (Bottom brick portion of our house has along with our kitchen sink window is 36w x 38h, and the upper vinyl portion of the house and everywhere else has larger windows of varying sizes). Feedback, please! Thank you. :)