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‘Windows’ in the less conventional sense, have been around since humanity was erecting mud structures in which they would eat and sleep. The Romans are the first known instances of using glass in their windows in the west, first produced in Roman Egypt in 100AD. The East Asia’s were more prone to paper windows as this was more economical in China, Korea and ancient Japan.

Throughout the UK, the modern style ‘glass’ window only started becoming common in homes from the early 17^th century, whereas previously windows were made up of panes consisting of crushed and flattened animal horns. Originating from the Old Norse word ‘vindauga’ which literally translates to wind eye, modern windows as we know them have been around for hundreds of years, but they have certainly changed in their own right since they were first introduced in the 17^th Century.

17^th Century Stuart Styles
The start of the 17^th century saw the return of a number of artists, bringing over their own impressions and experiences of the Italian Renaissance. Because of this windows becan to conform to new ‘classical ideals’ as they started to be built taller as opposed to wider, with width to height ratios like 1:1 or 1:2. Throughout the 17^th Century these windows were more and more commonly constructed using timber in a ‘cross casement’ style window. Smaller windows were still short and wide, although timber was also used on these small windows.

At the start of the Seventeenth century we saw a number of stone mullions with an ovolo or egg shaped moulding, however as the century progressed it became more common to see shorter and narrower mullions that followed the shape of each window, as inspired by the Italian Renaissance style of windows.

Towards the end of the 17^th century, around 1675 we saw the invention of ‘crown glass’ which led to a cross-casement window design that used larger panes of glass, which would become a staple found in many window styles from then on.

Georgian 18^th Century Windows
The turn of the century saw the invention of the glorious sash window, consisting of two glazed timber frames made up of smaller panels.  A grid of timber glazing bars was often used to hold the glass and would be up to 35mm thick. As the 18^th Century progressed, sash windows were more commonly made from pine and the glass panes became thinner, sometimes as little as 10mm.

In the late 18^th century, early plate glass was introduced, making glass panes even larger and reducing the number of glazing bars. The usual Georgian window style was known as a ‘six over six’ and although sash windows became less expensive as their design was perfected, they were still more common among the rich than among the working class.

The Regency era and the Victorians
Throughout the 19^th Century window makers and designers tried to break away from the grid arrangements of previous window designs, redesigning the patterns of glazing bards in order to create something new and original. As a result of this, margin lights grew in popularity and were often filled with colourful panes of glass in a stained glass effect.

As plate glass had become far more available, with improved methods making it less expensive to produce and frame, glass plate windows became more common for all classes of folk. The second half of the century saw some experimentation with iron frames for plate glass, however this was not very popular and is often only seen inc conservatories and industrial buildings.

Moving forward to the Present Day
As a result of the war throughout the early 20^th century, window designs were equally split between traditional methods and the more modern methods we have grown to know today. Timber framed windows were repaired and renovated by classical enthusiasts while the modernist windows were now made from hot-rolled steel.

A more minimalist style became popular towards the end of the 20^th century, producing simple, functioning windows with quality over appearance at its core. In the 1980’s ‘planar’ flazing was introduced, where the glass was attached by bolts or vacuum pads to an internal armature instead of being held in frames. This armature could have been made from steel tubing with a silicon sealant placed between the panes to seal them from weather effects.

Double-glazing and uPVC windows were also developed in the late 20^th century, with more efforts made to increase insulation and decrease the carbon footprint of the average household. In today’s modern glass market we see a number of different traditional styles often combined with more modern insulation methods.

As with anything developed by humanity throughout the ages, the styles and makes of windows designed has changed drastically since the Stuarts. Every year our best glassmakers and contractors are working together to create new and beautiful windows for us to enjoy in our homes and commercial buildings for years to come.

While it is important to look forward to the future when it comes to state of the art technologies created to improve insulation and safety as well as maintaining the aesthetic beauty of windows, we should not forget the past and each stepping stone that has brought us to our accomplishments today.

This article was provided by www.thewindowshuttercompany.co.uk, a Sussex based Specialist Company providing beautiful, bespoke window shutters to transform and enhance your living space.

Nowadays there would be mass panic if we had to go a week without air conditioning in the sun shined offices during the sweltering summer. However it does often beg the question – how did they cope before? Modern day air conditioning is a fantastic invention and can be turned as high or as low as you like it, giving employees just the right amount of cool air they need to keep working at optimum levels, but we didn’t always have such sophisticated methods of controlling the temperature in which we live and work.

However in the past there were a number of ingenious manual ways to control temperature and a lot of this was to do with the structure of the buildings people would reside in. The way these structures were built allowed a specific type of air flow that would cool down the space in the summer but also retain heat in the winter. It is all very clever really.

So how did we keep cool in historical times?

Tanzanian Mud Huts – Magical Mud
Primitive huts constructed from mud in Tanzania had a strange quality, it somehow managed to retain heat during the winter, and expelled it throughout the summer. The process of packing the earth tightly together allows it to become a fantastic ‘natural insulator’ which really works wonders all year round.

As an alternative to the man made brick, it is certainly better for yearly climate control and has been recently used as a building materials by conservationists for a number of ‘eco-homes’.

Ancient Italy – Caves and Grottos
For thousands of years we lived and were sheltered by natural rock formations and man-altered caves and grottos. These caves were so designed that they provided essential relief and shade from the hot summers of Italy, while also circulating cool air around the caves.

Regardless of how hot the outside air was, the dynamics of the caves made sure that circulating air was always fresh and cool, making these caves the perfect dwellings during the summer; a sort of summer home for the Ancient Italians, if you will.

The Romans – Water and Slaves
The Ancient Romans were frivolous with a lot of things, including the usage of water which they liked to use to cool themselves down during the summer. Using towered arches to transport fresh water from mountainous areas to their urban areas, the water would be piped through the walls in order to cool the brickwork of houses, thus in turn cooling the interior of each house.

Romans would also use slaves in the hot weather that would fan them with ostrich feathers, and would take baths to keep themselves cool.

Ancient Egyptians – Wind Catchers
Appearing on both modern and ancient structures, the Egyptians are well known for their ‘wind catchers’, which are special devices mounted on buildings designed to ‘catch’ the air of prevailing winds. These wind catchers would use internal vanes to catch the air and then funnel this fresh air down to the lower levels, in turn driving out the warmer air.

It is an incredibly handy technique which is still very much in place today, and as Egypt can get quite sweltering it certainly saves on some air conditioning bills!

Whether you’re trying to build yourself your very own sustainable eco-home out of tightly packed mud, or you’re more than happy relying on a state of the art air conditioning system, it is important that we do not forget these ancient methods of keeping ourselves cool, as like many other things they have helped us to pave the way to the technology of today and will continue to help us as we move towards a more considerate, brighter future.

Article provided by Stan Firth of www.climachill.co.uk, a specialist in air conditioning – supplying and fitting high quality systems for both commercial and industrial properties.

A few tips for home owners to prepare their outdoor area for the new season and get the most out of their backyard this spring.

As the weather warms up and the snow melts, every family cannot wait to get back outside and enjoy everything fun to do in the spring months. One of those activities that families look forward to most is having outdoor parties in the backyard.

However, the backyard is not the best place to be in the early spring. The winter does a lot of damage to the yard and outdoor spaces around it, so home owners need to prepare for their upcoming spring activities. Here are six ways to prepare the backyard for spring parties.

Get rid of pests

Bugs and rodents can be a huge problem in the spring for any home owner. Just like people, these pests are trying to get too all the new and wonderful things that the warmer weather brings. Families can find natural ways to rid their backyard of pests and help prevent them from coming back all summer long. This can include new plants that repel pests or mounting the Direct Select TV higher up to avoid attracting bugs.

Clean up the yard

The grass in the backyard may be pretty non-existent after the winter, so families need to bring that soil and what’s left of the lawn back to life. Aerating and clearing out dead grass is the best place to start. Following with some natural fertilizer and replanting dead areas is the best way to ensure the lawn will be back to normal in no time.

Include shrubs and trees in the clean up

Even though these plants are a bit more resilient than the lawn, they still will need some refurbishing after winter. A simple trim for hedges and trees and consistent watering usually does the trick. Home owners should also clear these plants away from the home’s windows and doors for a clean appearance.

Prepare for the cookout

Short of bringing the kitchen sink, there are a lot of indoor kitchen elements that can be used well in an outdoor space. With the right grill or cooking element, families can use their indoor table settings and serving dishes for an elegant dining look.

Invest in a few permanent outdoor pieces

Outdoor furniture can be expensive, but a few great items can go a long way to make the backyard more comfortable and inviting to guests. Sometimes a good table with comfortable chairs can be all a backyard needs to feel complete.

Set up some privacy

Most people do not want all the neighbors looking in at what is happening at their party, so setting up a little bit of privacy can be a nice final touch. For a bigger investment, a permanent fence is the best way to go. However, there are a lot of less expensive partitions that can have the same effect for a much lower price.

Image: http://pixabay.com/en/robin-singing-summer-spring-sunny-70952/

Everyone is usually busy this time of year making goals for themselves to complete before the year is over. Most of these goals are personal goals, like getting back to the gym or getting a raise at work. However, many people forget that there are other goals they should be setting this time of year. More specifically, they should be setting goals to improve the status of their homes.

Everyone relies very heavily on their homes in order to serve daily needs and create a space to help them live their lives as they please. Because the home is so important, it deserves some extra attention in order to keep functioning as the family needs it too. These goals can be as simple as annual home maintenance that needs to be done or as advanced as adding on a new section for a specific purpose. Here are five New Year’s Resolutions for the home that every family can consider.

Protect the home

Protecting the home is always the first thing a family needs to be concerned about. Every family wants to not only feel safe when they are inside the home, but also know that everything inside their home is safe when they leave it. The best way to achieve this is by installing a home security system. Home owners can use homealarmproviders.com to find the best system for their home.

Give it a break

Every home could use a break now and then, just like people. So many people have things running in their homes all the time with no rest, from the coffee maker to the porch light. Sometimes the best thing people can do for their home is just shut everything down and let it recover for a little while. Many people’s personal goal is to get more sleep, and letting the home take a break at night is a great way to accomplish both goals.

Get rid of unused things

It is easy for clutter and dust to accumulate in a home as the years go by. Many people have the intention to fix this issue, but year after year it goes undone and only seems to get worse. One of the biggest but most rewarding goals a person can set for their home is to finally clear out all the clutter and get organized.

Seal the new leaks

As a home ages and the weather takes its toll on it, the home shifts and adjusts. This can cause little air leaks throughout the home, especially around the windows and doors. Every home owner should check for new leaks every year and seal them as needed, taking more drastic measures if necessary.

Go green

Going green can help a home in many different ways, not just the environment. Many families have already created some green initiatives in their homes, like recycling, but there is always more they can do. One new idea is to plant an herb garden in the home to save money and purify the air.

Image: http://pixabay.com/en/renovated-home-r%C3%BCmlang-village-hof-299723/