What is a Window Sash?
What is a Window Sash?
Window sashes are a common feature in many homes. They are a usually thin piece of metal, plastic, or wood that hangs from the window by a cord or strap. They are used to provide a bit of privacy or to allow light and air into a room. Window sashes can also be used to open a window wider.
A window sash is the translucent vertical part at the top of a window, typically found either in pairs on both sides of the window header or as separate sashes farther apart. They serve primarily as decoration or architectural detail.
Window sashes are found in most architectural styles, and are usually divided into a lower portion which is usually solid, and a top portion which is usually translucent. The earliest window sashes were simply opaque, like the solid upper portions of windows.
Sometimes they were painted bone or terracotta, but more often they were cast in either glass or ceramic-like stone–preferably of some bright color such as white or yellow, though sometimes these were glazed in the blue-white glaze applied to Chinese porcelain.
It was not until the Renaissance that translucent sashes generally became common. Wooden sashes were used for windows in courtyards and interiors, mostly set in metal frames also only set from the counter-sunk wooden bar commonly found in wood window cradles (gimbal) mounted on the wall or window head.
At least two kinds of windows have sometimes been referred to as “sash windows”, but neither conforms to the modern definition:
Can You Just Replace Window Sash?
There are a few ways to replace a window sash. If the window is installed in a frame, you can use a window crank to remove the old sash and then replace it with the new one. If the window is not installed in a frame, you can remove the entire window by unscrewing the frame and then removing the sash.
Here are five easy ways to replace window sashes without any trouble at all.
- Use a pry bar.
If you have a standard window that uses a metal frame and glass window, you can use a pry bar to remove the old sash. Pry gently at first, then use more force if necessary.
- Use a drill.
If you have a window that uses a sliding window, you can use a drill to remove the old sash. Make sure the drill is very sharp and be careful not to damage the frame or the glass window.
- Use a screwdriver.
If you have a window that uses a traditional window frame, you can use a screwdriver to remove the old sash. Be careful not to scratch the frame or the glass window.
- Use a drill bit.
If you have a window that uses a power window, you can use a drill bit to remove the old sash. Make sure the drill bit is very sharp and be careful not to damage the frame or the power window.
- Use a vacuum cleaner.
If you have a window that uses a vacuum cleaner to open and close the window, you can use the vacuum cleaner to remove the old sash. Be careful not to damage the vacuum cleaner.