ABSTRACT

The word window originates from the Old Norse vindauga, a compo-

sition of vindr ‘wind’ and auga ‘eye’. Windows bring in light, and views,

and act as a protection from extremes of climate. Awide range of glass

types has been used through history, from cut mica to float glass. A

modern window is usually glazed with one large opening, perhaps in

several layers, whilst windows in the past were glazed with multiple

smaller panes separated by glazing bars due to the unavailability of

large sheets of glass. Glazing bars were once made of lead, often

strengthened by iron, within a main frame of timber. From the begin-

ning of the eighteenth century, wooden glazing bars were used, and

glass was kept in place with putty. Today there are four main types of

window frame: timber, aluminium, steel and plastic. These are also

used in different combinations.