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A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass which are often separated from other panes (or "lights") by narrow muntin
Muntin

Muntin is a strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Muntins can be found in doors, windows and furniture, typically in History of Western Architecture....
 bars. Although any window with this style of glazing is technically "a sash", the term is used almost exclusively to refer to windows where the glazed panels are opened by sliding vertically, or horizontally in a style known as a "Yorkshire
Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a Historic counties of England of northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Because of its great size, over time functions were increasingly undertaken by its subdivisions, which have been subject to History of local government in Yorkshire....
 light" or sliding sash.






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57 the Close, Salisbury
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass which are often separated from other panes (or "lights") by narrow muntin
Muntin

Muntin is a strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Muntins can be found in doors, windows and furniture, typically in History of Western Architecture....
 bars. Although any window with this style of glazing is technically "a sash", the term is used almost exclusively to refer to windows where the glazed panels are opened by sliding vertically, or horizontally in a style known as a "Yorkshire
Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a Historic counties of England of northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Because of its great size, over time functions were increasingly undertaken by its subdivisions, which have been subject to History of local government in Yorkshire....
 light" or sliding sash. Sash windows are common in Europe and former colonies including the United States and many developing nations. The design of the sash window is attributed to the English scientist and inventor, Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke

Robert Hooke, Fellow of the Royal Society was an England natural philosopher and polymath who played an important role in the scientific revolution, through both experimental and theoretical work....
. The oldest known examples of sash windows were installed in England in the 1670s, for example at Ham House, London.

The sash window is often found in Georgian
Georgian architecture

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking world to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four Monarchy of the United Kingdom of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United Kingdom, and George IV of the...
 and Victorian
Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture can refer to one of a number of architectural styles predominantly employed during the Victorian era. As with the latter, the period of building that it covers may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 ? 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom after whom it is named....
 houses, and the classic arrangement has three panes across by two up on each of two sashes, giving a "six over six" panel window, although this is by no means a fixed rule. Innumerable late Victorian and Edwardian
Edwardian period

The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1901 to 1910....
 suburb
Suburb

Suburbs are commonly defined as the residential areas which surround the central area of the urban area of a town or city. In the United States, suburbs have a prevalence of usually detached single-family homes.....
an houses were built in England using standard sash window units approximately 4 feet (1.2m) in width, but older, hand-made units could be of any size, as the image illustrates.

To facilitate operation, the weight of the glazed panel is usually balanced by a heavy steel, lead, or cast iron sash weight or counter-weight concealed within the window frame. The sash weight is connected to the window by a sash cord or chain which runs over a pulley at the top of the frame, although spring balances are sometimes used. Sash windows may be fitted with simplex hinges which allow the window to be locked into hinges on one side while the counterbalance on the other site is detached, allowing the window to be opened for escape or cleaning.

The name "hung sash window" is more usual in the United States, and typically refers to a double hung window with two sashes that can move up and down in the window frame. A single hung window has two sashes but normally the top sash is fixed and only the bottom sash slides. Triple and quadruple hung windows are used for tall openings, common in New England
New England

New England is a region of the United States located in the northeastern corner of the country, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and New York State, and consisting of the modern U.S....
 churches.

Construction is usually of softwood
Softwood

Softwood is timber obtained from coniferous trees . With the exception of bald cypress, tamarack, and larch, softwood trees are evergreens. Softwood is mostly obtained from the Baltic, Scandinavia, and North America and is the source of about 80% of the world's production of timber....
, and units are generally single glazed; although double-glazed sashes are available it is more common for single-glazed sash windows to be replaced with top-hung casements when double glazing is retro-fitted. Some top-hung double-glazed units are manufactured to give the appearance of sashes.

Traditional problems with wooden sash windows include rot
ROT

The aviation term ROT stands for rate one turn, also known as a standard rate turn. All aircraft must be able to perform a standard rate turn....
, swelling or distortion of the woodwork, rattling in the wind (due to shrinkage of the wood), and problems brought on by careless application of paint. The sliding mechanism makes sash windows more vulnerable to these problems than traditional casement window
Casement window

A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows typically are hinged at the side, sometimes at the top or bottom....
s. Sash windows are relatively high maintenance, but offer advantages in return (looks, abides by laws (relating to older houses and buildings), natural resources etc). It is also possible to clean all the glass from within the building by sliding the two panes to different positions.

A significant advantage of sash windows is that they provide efficient cooling of interiors during warm weather. Opening both the top and bottom of a sash window by equal amounts allows warm air at the top of the room to escape, thus drawing relatively cool air from outside into the room through the bottom opening.

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