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70-405: Curtains are often hung on the inside of a building's windows to block the passage of light. For instance, at night to aid sleeping , or to stop light from escaping outside the building (stopping people outside from being able to see inside, often for privacy reasons). In this application, they are also known as "draperies". Curtains hung over a doorway are known as portières . Curtains come in

140-449: A lined curtain, which typically consists of an uncoated fabric at the front to provide the look and feel of the curtain, with a separate coated fabric attached at the rear to provide the insulative qualities. The coated fabric is typically referred to as a lining, which simply refers to a coated fabric that does not have any particular color or pattern. Curtains may be held back with tie-backs (a loop of cloth, cord , etc., placed around

210-665: A mullion separating them, that open outward with opposing hinges to a terrace or porch, are referred to as a French window . Sometimes these are set in pairs or multiples thereof along the exterior wall of a very large room, but often, one French window is placed centrally in a typically sized room, perhaps among other fixed windows flanking the feature. French windows are known as porte-fenêtre in France and portafinestra in Italy, and frequently are used in modern houses. Double-paned windows have two parallel panes (slabs of glass) with

280-1018: A sash set in a frame in the opening; the sash and frame are also referred to as a window. Many glazed windows may be opened, to allow ventilation , or closed to exclude inclement weather . Windows may have a latch or similar mechanism to lock the window shut or to hold it open by various amounts. Types include the eyebrow window, fixed windows, hexagonal windows , single-hung, and double-hung sash windows, horizontal sliding sash windows , casement windows , awning windows, hopper windows, tilt, and slide windows (often door-sized), tilt and turn windows, transom windows, sidelight windows, jalousie or louvered windows, clerestory windows, lancet windows , skylights , roof windows , roof lanterns , bay windows , oriel windows , thermal, or Diocletian , windows, picture windows, rose windows , emergency exit windows, stained glass windows, French windows, panel windows, double/triple-paned windows, and witch windows . The English language-word window originates from

350-589: A beam of light with frequency ν {\displaystyle \nu } travels through a medium with opacity κ ν {\displaystyle \kappa _{\nu }} and mass density ρ {\displaystyle \rho } , both constant, then the intensity will be reduced with distance x according to the formula I ( x ) = I 0 e − κ ν ρ x {\displaystyle I(x)=I_{0}e^{-\kappa _{\nu }\rho x}} where For

420-417: A curtain to hold it open to one side; typically passed through a ring on a hook attached to the wall, and fastened with a knot , button , or velcro ; often adorned with tassels ) or may be closed and opened with sticks called draw-pulls (rods made of plastic, wood, or metal that can be twisted and/or pulled) or curtain rods which are attached either to the runner or to the first hook. A curtain hook stopper

490-410: A double-hung, or in-line. The inline versions can be made to fold inward or outward. The inward swinging foldup windows can have fixed screens, while the outward swinging ones require movable screens. The windows are typically used for screen rooms, kitchen pass-throughs, or egress. A horizontal sliding sash window has two or more sashes that overlap slightly but slide horizontally within the frame. In

560-456: A friction device to hold the window open against its weight and may have restriction and reversed locking built-in. In the UK, where this type of window is most common, they were extensively installed in high-rise social housing. A tilt and slide window is a window (more usually a door-sized window) where the sash tilts inwards at the top similar to a hopper window and then slides horizontally behind

630-566: A given medium at a given frequency, the opacity has a numerical value that may range between 0 and infinity, with units of length /mass. Opacity in air pollution work refers to the percentage of light blocked instead of the attenuation coefficient (aka extinction coefficient) and varies from 0% light blocked to 100% light blocked: Opacity = 100 % ( 1 − I ( x ) I 0 ) {\displaystyle {\text{Opacity}}=100\%\left(1-{\frac {I(x)}{I_{0}}}\right)} It

700-492: A long-standing motif of pointed or rounded window-shapes in ecclesiastical buildings, still seen in many churches today. Peter Smith discusses overall trends in early-modern rural Welsh window architecture: Up to about 1680 windows tended to be horizontal in proportion, a shape suitable for lighting the low-ceilinged rooms that had resulted from the insertion of the upper floor into the hall-house. After that date vertically proportioned windows came into fashion, partly at least as

770-525: A millennium before window glass became transparent enough to see through clearly, as we expect now. In 1154, Al-Idrisi described glass windows as a feature of the palace belonging to the king of the Ghana Empire . Over the centuries techniques were developed to shear through one side of a blown glass cylinder and produce thinner rectangular window panes from the same amount of glass material. This gave rise to tall narrow windows, usually separated by

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840-406: A radiation mean free path, such as in local thermal equilibrium. In practice, the mean opacity for Thomson electron scattering is: κ e s = 0.20 ( 1 + X ) c m 2 g − 1 {\displaystyle \kappa _{\rm {es}}=0.20(1+X)\,\mathrm {cm^{2}\,g^{-1}} } where X {\displaystyle X}

910-405: A reasonable level of heat insulation due to their tight weaves, but are too thin to completely absorb strong light. As a result, when curtains made from uncoated fabrics are closed in an attempt to block out direct sunlight, light will still be visible through the curtain because its textiles are shiny. Coated fabrics consist of a standard uncoated fabric with an opaque rubber backing applied to

980-548: A response to the Renaissance taste for the high ceiling. Since 1914 the wheel has come full circle and a horizontally proportioned window is again favoured. The spread of plate-glass technology made possible the introduction of picture windows (in Levittown, Pennsylvania , founded 1951–1952 ). Many modern day windows may have a window screen or mesh, often made of aluminum or fibreglass , to keep bugs out when

1050-423: A room a focal point. There are at least twenty different styles of curtains and draperies which can be used in window treatment . Window A window is an opening in a wall , door , roof , or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air . Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material ,

1120-438: A separation of typically about 1 cm; this space is permanently sealed and filled at the time of manufacture with dry air or other dry nonreactive gas. Such windows provide a marked improvement in thermal insulation (and usually in acoustic insulation as well) and are resistant to fogging and frosting caused by temperature differential. They are widely used for residential and commercial construction in intemperate climates. In

1190-652: A separator ( mullion ). Typically, the cellular window is used for an attic or as a decorative feature, but it can also be a major architectural element to provide the natural lighting inside buildings. A guillotine window is a window that opens vertically. Guillotine windows have more than one sliding frame, and open from bottom to top or top to bottom. EN 12519 is the European standard that describes windows terms officially used in EU Member States. The main terms are: The United States NFRC Window Label lists

1260-458: A variety of shapes, materials, sizes, colors, and patterns. They often have their own sections within department stores , while some shops are completely dedicated to selling curtains. Curtains vary according to cleanability , ultraviolet light deterioration, oil and dust retention, noise absorption, fire resistance, and life span. Curtains may be operated by hand, with cords, by press-button pads or remote-controlled computers. They are held out of

1330-474: A vertical support called a mullion . Mullioned glass windows were the windows of choice among the European well-to-do, whereas paper windows were economical and widely used in ancient China, Korea, and Japan. In England, glass became common in the windows of ordinary homes only in the early-17th century, whereas windows made up of panes of flattened animal horn were used as early as the 14th century. Modern-style floor-to-ceiling windows became possible only after

1400-429: A wall, typically without glazing bars , or glazed with only perfunctory glazing bars ( muntins ) near the edge of the window. Picture windows provide an unimpeded view, as if framing a picture. A multi-lite window is a window glazed with small panes of glass separated by wooden or lead glazing bars , or muntins , arranged in a decorative glazing pattern often dictated by the building's architectural style. Due to

1470-405: Is λ ν = ( κ ν ρ ) − 1 {\displaystyle \lambda _{\nu }=(\kappa _{\nu }\rho )^{-1}} . The Rosseland opacity is derived in the diffusion approximation to the radiative transport equation. It is valid whenever the radiation field is isotropic over distances comparable to or less than

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1540-409: Is a device used to stop the curtain from falling off the end of the curtain rail. Although some curtains may employ pulley systems, they should not be confused with roller blinds or roller shades. They may be generally referred to as window treatments , which are cover or modification of the window, often with the aim to enhance the aesthetics of the window and the room. Curtains can be used to give

1610-493: Is a door with a jalousie window. A clerestory window is a window set in a roof structure or high in a wall, used for daylighting . A skylight is a window built into a roof structure. This type of window allows for natural daylight and moonlight. A roof window is a sloped window used for daylighting , built into a roof structure. It is one of the few windows that could be used as an exit. Larger roof windows meet building codes for emergency evacuation. A roof lantern

1680-506: Is a multi-paned glass structure, resembling a small building, built on a roof for day or moon light. Sometimes includes an additional clerestory . May also be called a cupola . A bay window is a multi-panel window, with at least three panels set at different angles to create a protrusion from the wall line. An oriel window is a form of bay window. This form most often appears in Tudor-style houses and monasteries. It projects from

1750-521: Is also a specific, quantitative definition of "opacity", used in astronomy, plasma physics, and other fields, given here. In this use, "opacity" is another term for the mass attenuation coefficient (or, depending on context, mass absorption coefficient , the difference is described here ) κ ν {\displaystyle \kappa _{\nu }} at a particular frequency ν {\displaystyle \nu } of electromagnetic radiation. More specifically, if

1820-447: Is best seen in daylight, and with proper indoor light positioning, can look attractive even at night. From evidence found in excavation sites at Olynthus , Pompeii and Herculaneum , portieres, a curtain hung over a doorway, appear to have been used as room dividers in classic antiquity. Mosaics from the 2nd to 6th century show curtains suspended from rods spanning arches. In England, curtains began to replace wooden shutters towards

1890-1265: Is customary to define the average opacity, calculated using a certain weighting scheme. Planck opacity (also known as Planck-Mean-Absorption-Coefficient ) uses the normalized Planck black-body radiation energy density distribution , B ν ( T ) {\displaystyle B_{\nu }(T)} , as the weighting function, and averages κ ν {\displaystyle \kappa _{\nu }} directly: κ P l = ∫ 0 ∞ κ ν B ν ( T ) d ν ∫ 0 ∞ B ν ( T ) d ν = ( π σ T 4 ) ∫ 0 ∞ κ ν B ν ( T ) d ν , {\displaystyle \kappa _{Pl}={\int _{0}^{\infty }\kappa _{\nu }B_{\nu }(T)d\nu \over \int _{0}^{\infty }B_{\nu }(T)d\nu }=\left({\pi \over \sigma T^{4}}\right)\int _{0}^{\infty }\kappa _{\nu }B_{\nu }(T)d\nu ,} where σ {\displaystyle \sigma }

1960-471: Is known as a fanlight, especially in the British Isles. Windows beside a door or window are called side-, wing-, margen-lights, and flanking windows. Also known as a louvered window, the jalousie window consists of parallel slats of glass or acrylic that open and close like a Venetian blind , usually using a crank or a lever. They are used extensively in tropical architecture. A jalousie door

2030-427: Is one of the key considerations in the design of various devices such as guidewires or stents that are used during radiological intervention. The radiopacity of a given endovascular device is important since it allows the device to be tracked during the interventional procedure. The words "opacity" and "opaque" are often used as colloquial terms for objects or media with the properties described above. However, there

2100-415: Is preferentially used to describe opacity of X-rays . In modern medicine, radiodense substances are those that will not allow X-rays or similar radiation to pass. Radiographic imaging has been revolutionized by radiodense contrast media , which can be passed through the bloodstream, the gastrointestinal tract , or into the cerebral spinal fluid and utilized to highlight CT scan or X-ray images. Radiopacity

2170-1182: Is the Stefan–Boltzmann constant . Rosseland opacity (after Svein Rosseland ), on the other hand, uses a temperature derivative of the Planck distribution , u ( ν , T ) = ∂ B ν ( T ) / ∂ T {\displaystyle u(\nu ,T)=\partial B_{\nu }(T)/\partial T} , as the weighting function, and averages κ ν − 1 {\displaystyle \kappa _{\nu }^{-1}} , 1 κ = ∫ 0 ∞ κ ν − 1 u ( ν , T ) d ν ∫ 0 ∞ u ( ν , T ) d ν . {\displaystyle {\frac {1}{\kappa }}={\frac {\int _{0}^{\infty }\kappa _{\nu }^{-1}u(\nu ,T)d\nu }{\int _{0}^{\infty }u(\nu ,T)d\nu }}.} The photon mean free path

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2240-408: Is used in situations where light or vision alone is needed as no ventilation is possible in such windows without the use of trickle vents or overglass vents. A single-hung sash window is a window that has one sash that is movable (usually the bottom one) and the other fixed. This is the earlier form of sliding sash window and is also cheaper. A sash window is the traditional style of window in

2310-596: Is used in two ways: a curved top window in a wall or an eyebrow dormer ; and a row of small windows usually under the front eaves such as the James-Lorah House in Pennsylvania. A fixed window is a window that cannot be opened, whose function is limited to allowing light to enter (unlike an unfixed window, which can open and close). Clerestory windows in church architecture are often fixed. Transom windows may be fixed or operable. This type of window

2380-480: Is visible in the absorption lines of cold gases . Opacity can be quantified in many ways; for example, see the article mathematical descriptions of opacity . Different processes can lead to opacity, including absorption , reflection , and scattering . Late Middle English opake, from Latin opacus 'darkened'. The current spelling (rare before the 19th century) has been influenced by the French form. Radiopacity

2450-642: The Danish language vindue and Norwegian Bokmål vindu , the direct link to eye is lost, just as for window . The Danish (but not the Bokmål ) word is pronounced fairly similarly to window . Window is first recorded in the early 13th century, and originally referred to an unglazed hole in a roof. Window replaced the Old English eagþyrl , which literally means 'eye-hole', and eagduru 'eye-door'. Many Germanic languages, however, adopted

2520-581: The Old Norse vindauga , from vindr 'wind' and auga 'eye'. In Norwegian , Nynorsk , and Icelandic , the Old Norse form has survived to this day (in Icelandic only as a less used word for a type of small open "window", not strictly a synonym for gluggi , the Icelandic word for 'window' ). In Swedish , the word vindöga remains as a term for a hole through the roof of a hut, and in

2590-560: The 13th century BC, the earliest windows were unglazed openings in a roof to admit light during the day. Later, windows were covered with animal hide, cloth, or wood. Shutters that could be opened and closed came next. Over time, windows were built that both protected the inhabitants from the elements and transmitted light, using multiple small pieces of translucent material, such as flattened pieces of translucent animal horn, paper sheets, thin slices of marble (such as fengite ), or pieces of glass, set in frameworks of wood, iron or lead. In

2660-558: The English Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. Solid wood shutters were used during cold seasons. In the Fatimid Caliphate , a curtain known as a sitr ("veil") was used to conceal the caliph at the beginning of an audience session ( majlis ). A servant known as the ṣāḥib al-sitr (or muṭawallī al-sitr ) would then pull it back to reveal the caliph seated on his throne. The sahib al-sitr was also combined with

2730-648: The Far East, paper was used to fill windows. The Romans were the first known users of glass for windows, exploiting a technology likely first developed in Roman Egypt . Specifically, in Alexandria c. 100 CE, cast-glass windows, albeit with poor optical properties, began to appear, but these were small thick productions, little more than blown-glass jars (cylindrical shapes) flattened out into sheets with circular striation patterns throughout. It would be over

2800-634: The Latin word fenestra to describe a window with glass, such as standard Swedish fönster , or German Fenster . The use of window in English is probably because of the Scandinavian influence on the English language by means of loanwords during the Viking Age . In English, the word fenester was used as a parallel until the mid-18th century. Fenestration is still used to describe

2870-435: The UK and many other parts of Europe. An awning window is a casement window that is hung horizontally, hinged on top, so that it swings outward like an awning . In addition to being used independently, they can be stacked, several in one opening, or combined with fixed glass. They are particularly useful for ventilation. A hopper window is a bottom-pivoting casement window that opens by tilting vertically, typically to

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2940-535: The UK, double-paned and triple-paned are referred to as double- glazing and triple-glazing. Triple-paned windows are now a common type of glazing in central to northern Europe. Quadruple glazing is now being introduced in Scandinavia. A hexagonal window is a hexagon -shaped window, resembling a bee cell or crystal lattice of graphite. The window can be vertically or horizontally oriented, openable or dead. It can also be regular or elongately-shaped and can have

3010-407: The UK, these are sometimes called Yorkshire sash windows, presumably because of their traditional use in that county. A casement window is a window with a hinged sash that swings in or out like a door comprising either a side-hung, top-hung (also called "awning window"; see below), or occasionally bottom-hung sash or a combination of these types, sometimes with fixed panels on one or more sides of

3080-509: The United Kingdom, and many other places that were formerly colonized by the UK, with two parts (sashes) that overlap slightly and slide up and down inside the frame. The two parts are not necessarily the same size; where the upper sash is smaller (shorter) it is termed a cottage window . Currently, most new double-hung sash windows use spring balances to support the sashes, but traditionally, counterweights held in boxes on either side of

3150-481: The arrangement of windows within a façade , as well as defenestration , meaning 'to throw out of a window'. The Romans were the first known to use glass for windows, a technology likely first produced in Roman Egypt , in Alexandria c.  100 AD . Presentations of windows can be seen in ancient Egyptian wall art and sculptures from Assyria. Paper windows were economical and widely used in ancient China, Korea, and Japan. In England, glass became common in

3220-407: The concept of cesia in an order system with three variables, including opacity, transparency and translucency among the involved aspects. Both mirrors and carbon black are opaque. Opacity depends on the frequency of the light being considered. For instance, some kinds of glass , while transparent in the visual range , are largely opaque to ultraviolet light. More extreme frequency-dependence

3290-421: The curtain. Various architectural structures around the curtain can minimize these air drafts, but usually they are just used for decoration and make rooms feel more cozy. A sheer or net curtain is one that is made from translucent fabric, such as a loosely woven polyester voile, silk or nylon made marquisette or ninon , and cotton lace , etc. Sheer curtains allow a majority of light to be transmitted through

3360-422: The duties of chamberlain, master of ceremonies, and bearer of the caliph's sword, and was often chosen from among mamluks from saqaliba backgrounds. Curtains are manufactured from a variety of thick fabrics, each with a differing degree of light absorption and heat insulating qualities. For maximum temperature control, the curtain gap to the window should be small, with minimum convection drafts below or above

3430-438: The end of the 16th century. In Medieval England, the earliest form of window treatments were leather panels threaded onto iron rods. These were eventually replaced with woven wool panels. During the reign of Elizabeth I , ornately decorated Italian Renaissance fabrics, including brocades, velvets, and damask, began to be imported. These ornate fabrics, as well as fabrics decorated with crewel embroidery, were used in curtains during

3500-701: The entrance of emergency rescuers. Vehicles, such as buses, aircraft, and trains frequently have emergency exit windows as well. A stained glass window is a window composed of pieces of colored glass, transparent, translucent or opaque , frequently portraying persons or scenes. Typically the glass in these windows is separated by lead glazing bars. Stained glass windows were popular in Victorian houses and some Wrightian houses, and are especially common in churches . A French door has two rows of upright rectangular glass panes (lights) extending its full length; and two of these doors on an exterior wall and without

3570-403: The fabric's ability to absorb approximately 50-70% of a direct light source. To improve the light absorption of a fabric it is possible to re-coat a fabric up to a maximum of "3-pass-coated", which is considered sufficient to block out 100% of a direct light source, hence such fabrics are referred to as "blackout-coated". Maximum light absorption and heat insulation in a curtain is created through

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3640-403: The fabric, with the fabric weave providing a basic level of UV protection while retaining maximum visibility outward through the curtain. Sheer curtains are sometimes referred to as "privacy curtains" in reference to their screening abilities; during the day most sheer fabrics will allow people inside the home to see the outside view while preventing people outside the home from seeing directly into

3710-456: The fixed pane. A tilt and turn window can both tilt inwards at the top or open inwards from hinges at the side. This is the most common type of window in Germany, its country of origin. It is also widespread in many other European countries. In Europe, it is usual for these to be of the "turn first" type. i.e. when the handle is turned to 90 degrees the window opens in the side hung mode. With

3780-497: The following terms: The European harmonised standard hEN 14351–1, which deals with doors and windows, defines 23 characteristics (divided into essential and non essential ). Two other, preliminary European Norms that are under development deal with internal pedestrian doors (prEN 14351–2), smoke and fire resisting doors, and openable windows (prEN 16034). Windows can be a significant source of heat transfer. Therefore, insulated glazing units consist of two or more panes to reduce

3850-545: The handle turned to 180 degrees the window opens in bottom hung mode. Most usually in the UK the windows will be "tilt first" i.e. bottom hung at 90 degrees for ventilation and side hung at 180 degrees for cleaning the outer face of the glass from inside the building. A transom window is a window above a door. In an exterior door the transom window is often fixed, in an interior door, it can open either by hinges at top or bottom, or rotate on hinges. It provided ventilation before forced air heating and cooling. A fan-shaped transom

3920-521: The historic unavailability of large panes of glass, the multi-lit (or lattice window ) was the most common window style until the beginning of the 20th century, and is still used in traditional architecture. An emergency exit window is a window big enough and low enough so that occupants can escape through the opening in an emergency, such as a fire. In many countries, exact specifications for emergency windows in bedrooms are given in many building codes . Specifications for such windows may also allow for

3990-450: The home. Due to the loose weave in sheer fabrics, these types of curtains offer very little in the way of heat insulation. Uncoated fabrics provide the next level of heat insulation and light absorption . Uncoated fabrics constitute the vast majority of fabrics used in curtains, and are composed of a tightly woven fabric, most typically a cotton/polyester blend, which is mostly opaque when viewed in ambient light. Uncoated fabrics provide

4060-436: The industrial plate glass-making processes were perfected in the late 19th century Modern windows are usually filled using glass, although transparent plastic is also used. The introduction of lancet windows into Western European church architecture from the 12th century CE built on a tradition of arched windows inserted between columns, and led not only to tracery and elaborate stained-glass windows but also to

4130-462: The inside, resembling a hopper chute. A pivot window is a window hung on one hinge on each of two opposite sides which allows the window to revolve when opened. The hinges may be mounted top and bottom (Vertically Pivoted) or at each jamb (Horizontally Pivoted). The window will usually open initially to a restricted position for ventilation and, once released, fully reverse and lock again for safe cleaning from inside. Modern pivot hinges incorporate

4200-434: The myriad criteria for the design of windows, several pivotal criteria have emerged in daylight standards: location, time, weather, nature, and people. Of these criteria, windows that are designed to provide views of nature are considered to be the most important by people. A cross-window is a rectangular window usually divided into four lights by a mullion and transom that form a Latin cross . The term eyebrow window

4270-482: The rear of the fabric to provide improved light absorption. To create a coated fabric, a liquefied rubber polymer is applied in a single coat to an uncoated fabric and subsequently fused dry by means of a heated roller, in much the same way that a laser printer applies toner to a sheet of paper before fusing it dry. A fabric that has been through the coating process once is considered a "1-pass-coated" fabric, anecdotally referred to as "dim-out" or " blackout " because of

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4340-426: The rest transmitted (also see refraction ). Reflection can be diffuse , for example light reflecting off a white wall, or specular , for example light reflecting off a mirror. An opaque substance transmits no light, and therefore reflects, scatters, or absorbs all of it. Other categories of visual appearance, related to the perception of regular or diffuse reflection and transmission of light, have been organized under

4410-471: The sash. In the US, these are usually opened using a crank , but in parts of Europe, they tend to use projection friction stays and espagnolette locking. Formerly, plain hinges were used with a casement stay . Handing applies to casement windows to determine direction of swing; a casement window may be left-handed, right-handed, or double. The casement window is the dominant type now found in modern buildings in

4480-592: The transfer of heat. opaque Opacity is the measure of impenetrability to electromagnetic or other kinds of radiation , especially visible light . In radiative transfer , it describes the absorption and scattering of radiation in a medium , such as a plasma , dielectric , shielding material , glass, etc. An opaque object is neither transparent (allowing all light to pass through) nor translucent (allowing some light to pass through). When light strikes an interface between two substances, in general, some may be reflected, some absorbed, some scattered, and

4550-416: The wall and does not extend to the ground. Originally a form of porch, they are often supported by brackets or corbels. Thermal, or Diocletian , windows are large semicircular windows (or niches) which are usually divided into three lights (window compartments) by two mullions. The central compartment is often wider than the two side lights on either side of it. A picture window is a large fixed window in

4620-416: The way of the window by means of curtain tie-backs . Measuring curtain sizes needed for each window varies greatly according to the type of curtain needed, window size, and type and weight of curtain. Curtains are a form of window decor and complete the overall appearance of the interior of the house. Curtains help control the ambiance and flow of natural light into the room. The effect of drapery or curtains

4690-426: The window be locked into hinges on one side, while the rope on the other side is detached—so the window can be opened for fire escape or cleaning. A foldup has two equal sashes similar to a standard double-hung but folds upward allowing air to pass through nearly the full-frame opening. The window is balanced using either springs or counterbalances, similar to a double-hung. The sashes can be either offset to simulate

4760-433: The window is opened. Windows are primarily designed to facilitate a vital connection with the outdoors, offering those within the confines of the building visual access to the everchanging events occurring outside. The provision of this connection serves as an integral safeguard for the health and well-being of those inhabiting buildings, lest they experience the detrimental effects of enclosed buildings devoid of windows. Among

4830-404: The window were used. These were and are attached to the sashes using pulleys of either braided cord or, later, purpose-made chain. Three types of spring balances are called a tape or clock spring balance; channel or block-and-tackle balance, and a spiral or tube balance. Double-hung sash windows were traditionally often fitted with shutters . Sash windows can be fitted with simplex hinges that let

4900-399: The windows of ordinary homes only in the early 17th century whereas windows made up of panes of flattened animal horn were used as early as the 14th century. In the 19th century American west, greased paper windows came to be used by pioneering settlers. Modern-style floor-to-ceiling windows became possible only after the industrial plate glass making processes were fully perfected. In

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