Victorian/Edwardian Window Styles

Hello,
You say there are practically no houses left with originals on your street – even if there is just one, that alone can be all you need to find out the design.
I’ve passed so many terraces where there’s nothing but a single house left with originals, and you think thank goodness for that, but at the same time if the owners are exposed to the allure of PVC, then the last remaining record is gone!

In your case, it’s more than likely single pane sashes were used – ‘one-over-ones’ as it were, were standard by 1880 or so.
A good indication of the original design is often the replacement windows themselves – if the aluminium frames are divided into two panes, then it’s likely this is what they once were in sash form, likewise if ‘two-over-two’, with a total of four panes.
You could also take a peek around the back of the houses on the street and see if there’s any originals there.
Alternatively you could find out what developer built your house, and find other developments by them in the area. They more often than not used the same windows. The developer’s name may be on the deeds of the house.
If you cannot find anything, or don’t have any info, the joiner making up the sashes will generally have a good idea – although this still isn’t as good as having accurate frames!

Don’t be afraid to ask neighbours who may have originals if you can measure up their frames for copies – this is the best way of getting accurate frames made up, and most people who have originals are those who appreciate them & are willing to ‘share’ them with you.

(As an aside, there should be lots of places in Dublin at this stage to recycle the aluminum frames)

Congrats on making the big backwards step forward 🙂

True, but by 1905, single panes were so standardised that they prevailed pretty much everywhere.

Another type of window popular around this time was a Georgian upper sash and single-pane lower sash – perhaps something to wary of also Oblicorn, although they were mostly confined to grander one-off houses.

I wouldn’t know any joiners – others here will be able to recommend.

Ah the classic stained glass in aluminum move – classy 🙂
Can I ask if your house is detached, semi or terraced? Your neighbours should be able to tell you what windows were in their house originally if they changed them at the time. Frankly if it meant trawling through neighbours’ photo albums to find pics of family in the front garden with windows behind I’d do it! You may be a little more sane, in which case the Ntl Archives may have pics 🙂

Forgot to mention that other type of window you brought up – the standard Edwardian one with a vertical bar down the centre dividing the window into two vertically opening casements. These nearly always had a horizontal pane of stained glass at the top, that was either fixed, or opened inwards by tilting.
This seems the most likely if there is stained glass in the aluminiums. This may not be orginal galss as it is probably difficult to fit the original into metal frames, but it could be.
Your neighbour’s house should offer the most clues if it is attached to you.
Maybe you could contact the person you bought the house from either.

Next door really holds the key. Even if they didn’t replace them themselves, their replacements may hold the answer anyway in style.
Casements are exceptionally common around Drumcondra, esp along the Drumcondra Rd and its off-shoot streets. Sashes were generally still used to the rear even if casements were at the front, so don’t let any rear sashes con you either!

Anyway good look searching 🙂

I see your problem now Oblicorn – it’s a tricky one.
How frustrating to be part of a one-off semi, if only there were more on the street!

What I think is very clear is that the upstairs windows were simple one-over-one sashes, the proportions are pretty much correct.
Whereas I couldn’t confirm for sure, I’d be 99.9% sure!

Downstairs, I’d say sashes also prevailed, rather than casements (although still possible) but the sashes may very well have been of the design in the second pic. As you can see in that case, in order for the stained glass to be used, the upper sash has been made larger than the lower. However If these were used, it would be highly unlikely that the stained glass prevailed upstairs.

Looking your house, I have to say I wouldn’t have expected stained glass at all – simple one-over-one plain white sashes with horns seem the most likely. It is the stained glass in the aluminium frames (which incidently is no more Edwardian than I am) that is proving irritating. On first impressions one would expect there to be a precendent for that glass to exist, but there may never have been any – it could just be an olde worlde feature dreamed up at the time.
A clue could be the glass in or above the front door – is there any stained glass there? Or in the neighbour’s front door?

Have you asked the neighbour about their windows – they look like they were installed around 1990-96, i.e fairly recently.

I just hope your neighbour won’t be bothered by the close up shots of their house being published. I presume you’ve told them…..!

Lovely house, lucky you!

Can anyone comment on from what point the actual glass stops being worthy of conservation. I think we all love the irregularity of georgian glass but at some point glass became a uniform commodity. When was that? Turn of last century? I refer to flat sheets of glass rather than the attractive curved glass crafted mid century.

btw:The shots of houses appear to be taken from public road so should be public domain info. No problems there?