Window & window parts or hardware age:

This article describes and illustrates antique & modern window parts & hardware: hinges, sashes, window latches, hardware, all components or window construction details that can help determine a building's age. Our page top photograph of a window latch was taken by the author (DF) at the 1840's historic Justin Smith Morrill Homestead in Strafford, Vermont.

Window & Window Hardware or Parts Age & History

In this article series we discuss the selection and installation of windows and doors, following best construction and design practices for building lighting and ventilation, with attention to the impact on building heating and cooling costs, indoor air quality, and comfort of occupants.

We review the proper installation details for windows and doors, and we compare the durability of different window and door materials and types.

For centuries, even before glass was used for glazing, windows were framed with wood set into building walls.

Our photo (left) shows an antique wood-framed window in Rugat, Spain (DF).

[Click to enlarge any image]

Earliest wood framed windows were left open (such as this example from Xotolar, Mexico). Later in areas of more hostile climate windows were glazed with animal skins, then parchment, and finally, glass.

For many years, the material choices for "modern" or new residential windows were limited to wood, clad wood, and aluminum.

Wood and clad wood remain the leading materials, accounting for almost 50% of the new and replacement window market. Wood use has been declining, however, with the rapid growth of solid vinyl windows.

Solid vinyl windows made inroads into the replacement window market in the mid-1980s; but they were not widely accepted in new homes until the 1990s, when their use skyrocketed. Solid vinyl windows now account for an estimated 30% of the new-home market and 60% of the replacement market.

Aluminum windows account for about 15% of window sales, with the remaining share of the market spread among fiberglass windows and a variety of hybrids and composites that have entered the fray, making window selection today anything but simple.

Window Latches, Fasteners, Tracks, Window Weights, and Window Components as Indicators of Building Age

At above left is a photograph of an 1840 window latch on a historic landmark property, the Justin Smith Morrill Homestead in Strafford, Vermont. At above right is a photograph of an more modern window latch on the same historic landmark property, the Justin Smith Morrill Homestead in Strafford, Vermont. This window latch is a precursor to the simple, modern window latch.

At below left, a 1940's era knob-operated latch on a casement window on a Buenos Aires apartment. This window latch combines a knob, shaft and gears to extend or retract vertical brass bars that latch a larger casement window found on an apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The more recent window latch at below right is installed on a home in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY. [Date pending, approximately 1935]

...

At WINDOWS & DOORS and

also at WINDOW TYPES - Photo Guide we describe windows and doors as clues to building age, including window style, size, placement, construction, and hardware, as well as door style and hardware.

Window Operators & Handles: Awning & Casement Windows

Question: What is The Proper Name for "Window Cranks" on Casement & Awning Type Windows?

For "Window Latches, Fasteners, Tracks, Window Weights, and Window Components as Indicators of Building Age" section, I would like to offer a photo of window hardware and to ask for the exact name of it. It is grateful if you can help. - Ed. - Hong Kong

Reply: Window Operators & Handles

The photo (above left) you sent in is a window operator crank assembly installed in Hong Kong, referred to in American English by homeowners or inspectors as a "window crank" but if we accept the terminology used by window manufacturers, the assembly is more properly called a "window operator" and the handle is an "operator handle" or "window operator handle".

This common window crank is used on casement windows, awning windows, and some jalousie windows. This window operator design has been in use from (about) 1935 to the present and is ubiquitous.

As you doubtless observed, the assembly combines an internal gear and hinged lever to cause an awning or casement window to open or shut. The window crank in your photo appears to be an older unit, perhaps cast of aluminum or pot metal.

Often we find that the gears on these units are stripped and the crank no longer works. Often the geared (spline) shaft onto which the operator handle mounts has been stripped, or the internal hub of the operator handle that matches with the geared shaft has been stripped internally, usually because the operator was forced when the window was stuck or latched shut.

At left is a similar window crank on a Haddonfield New Jersey home in the U.S. - it was inoperative and the window had long been painted and caulked shut.

Watch out: making a window non-operational may solve a problem with leaky sashes or damaged window hardware, but the loss of ability to open a window may violate local building ventilation standards and in some locations where a window is also required for use as an emergency exit, sealing it is unsafe as well.

A check with a major manufacturer of windows in the U.S. (Anderson) confirms that that company also refers to the entire assembly as the "window operator" and refers to the "operator handle" when referring only to the part of the control that is grasped and turned by the user and not the entire assembly.

You can see these details on pages 25 & 34 in Anderson A-Series Casement Windows & Window Parts.

If you intended to ask the specific brand name of the product shown in the photo (above left) we would need to do further research.

Window Construction Details as Indicators of Building Age

Hand-built trim, window stools and sashes seen outside or indoors the presence of window sash details such as through muntins, pegged sashes, single vs double hung, glass type, frame type, window pane size, and window measurements all can form useful clues to the age of a building.

Below we illustrate two window sash construction details that indicate a hand-made window sash: the top or bottom of the sash may show rectangular marks where window muntins (pane dividers) pass completely through the window sash frame in a mortise and tenon construction design using through-mortised tenons.

A list of window features that can help determine its age and thus form a clue to building age includes at least the following:

• Number, size and arrangements of window panes (larger glass, later windows):
  
  Also of course we may notice sagged or hand-blown glass in some colonial era windows that have been (miraculously) preserved (or reproduced).
• Window construction details:
  
  sash with through muntins and pegged corners
• Window dimensions:
  
  on some older homes such as one we renovated built in Wappingers Falls, NY (the "bleachery") we found that no two window frames were exactly the same size - each window frame and its sashes were hand made on-site.
  
  Charlie stood in the building framing the window opening and called down to Bill "Hey, make me another window sash, about this big" - holding his hands about two or three feet apart.
• Window hardware:
  
  latches, pins, pulleys, weights
• Window sash support method:
  
  pegs, ropes, springs, latches

At below right we see that the window sash corners were secured using wooden pegs.

[Click to enlarge any image]

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Below at left our photograph shows this window from the building interior.

This is a two-over-two window with a single movable sash, the lower one. The sash would have been supported in its raised position by a manual push-pin or later a spring-loaded pin that moved through the sash side into a hole in the sash track. This window design pre-dates window weights and later sash spring or rope designs.

...

At above right is a later window sash design that used a pulley, rope, and sash weight to support moveable window sashes. This window and its window rope repair are detailed

at WINDOW SASH REPAIR.

(Photos of various window hardware components with age dating details wanted. CONTACT Us)

Exterior Storm Windows, History, Dating, Hardware Details

At above left the windows are protected by wood-framed turnbuckle-secured storm windows that are hung from a simple clip over the window top.

These storm windows would have been exchanged seasonally for wood-framed screens installed into the same opening and mounted using the same hardware.

Details of these wood framed storm windows are shown below - at an installation at the FDR historic home and estates in Hyde Park, New York.

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At above right we see some additional detail: this window was originally also equipped with an awning - that mount to the left and below the turnbuckle held the horizontal arm that supported the lower segment of an awning. We also see that there are multiple layers of paint on these wood surfaces and should assume that lead paint is present.

Where to Buy Windows & Window Parts or Replacement Windows

That window types are often mixed on older buildings is evident in this photograph (left) of a pre-1900 building observed in Hughsonville, New York. We see six-over-six sashes in the upper windows and two-over-two sashes in the lower windows of this dilapidated building.

[Click to enlarge any image]

• Andersen Windows and Doors www.andersenwindows.com Vinyl-clad windows and patio doors, including storm resistant models
  
  Also see Anderson A-Series Casement Windows & Window Parts, web search 01/15/2010, original source: http://www.andersenwindows.com/homeowner/pdfs/A-Series_Casement.pdf
• Atrium Companies Inc. www.atriumcompanies.com Vinyl and aluminum windows and patio doors
• Certainteed Corp. www.certainteed.com Vinyl windows and patio doors
• Crestline Windows and Doors www.crestlinewindows.com Wood, vinyl, and aluminum-clad windows and patio doors
• Eagle Windows and Doors www.eaglewindow.com Extruded-aluminum-clad windows and sliders with LVL frames and steel entry doors
• Fibertec Windows and Door Manufacturing www.fibertec.com Pultruded fiberglass windows and doors
• Hurd Windows and Doors www.hurd.com Wood, vinyl, and aluminum clad windows and patio doors
• Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors www.jeld-wen.com Wood, vinyl, aluminum-clad, and aluminum windows and patio doors
• Johnson, Ed. Old House Woodwork Restoration: How to Restore Doors, Windows, Walls, Stairs and Decorative Trim to Their Original Beauty. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1983.
• Kolbe Windows and Doors www.kolbe-kolbe.com Wood, vinyl, and aluminum-clad windows and patio doors
• Marvin Window and Doors www.marvin.com Wood and extruded-aluminum-clad windows and patio doors, including true divided lites and storm-resistant models
• Milgard Windows and Doors www.milgard.com Wood, aluminum, vinyl, and fiberglass-clad windows and patio doors
• MW Windows www.mwwindows.com Wood, vinyl, and vinyl-clad windows and patio doors
• NAFS – NORTH AMERICAN FENESTRATION STANDARD/SPECIFICATION FOR WINDOWS, DOORS, AND SKYLIGHTS [PDF] (2008) AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-08 - American Architectural Manufacturers Association 1827 Walden Office Square, Suite 550 Schaumburg, IL 60143-4268 USA www.aamanet.org - Canadian Standards Association 5060 Spectrum Way, Suite 100 Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 5N6 Canada www.csa.ca - Window & Door Manufacturers Association 1400 East Touhy Avenue, Suite 470 Des Plaines, IL 60018 USA www.wdma.com -
  Excerpt:
  
  This voluntary Standard/Specification covers requirements for single and dual windows, single and dual side-hinged door systems, sliding doors, tubular daylighting devices (TDDs), and unit skylights for new construction and replacement applications.
  
  All products rated in accordance with this Standard/ Specification shall conform to all the requirements of this Standard/Specification. All products covered by this Standard/Specification shall be installed in full accordance with the manufacturer’s documented instructions.
• Peachtree Doors and Windows www.peach99.com Vinyl-clad and aluminum-clad windows with optional hardwood interior; aluminum-clad, steel, and fiberglass patio doors with optional hardwood interior
• Pella Windows and Doors www.pella.com Wood and aluminum-clad windows and patio doors with optional between-the-glass shades and blinds, including storm-resistant models
• Thermotech Windows Ltd. www.thermotechwindows.com Complete line of fiberglass pultruded windows
• Weather Shield Windows and Doors www.weathershield.com Wood, vinyl, vinyl-clad, and aluminum-clad windows and patio doors, including historic replacement windows and storm-resistant models
• WindsorWindows and Doors www.windsorwindows.com Wood and vinyl windows and patio doors, including a line of wood windows with a cellular-PVC exterior

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2023-04-29 by InspectApedia Editor - lead window weights would have preceded the cast-iron window weights

@Matt,

There are a couple of unusual details such as the very thin frame at the window top.

Also lead window weights would have preceded the cast-iron window weights that were more widely used.

In the UK sash weighted window operators were being used as early as the 1600s where the word "sash" might have come from "chassis". They were very common in the 1800s and later.

In the U.S. Clark describes lead window weights in wide use by 1820 - earlier than we might think. And Bond puts them in wide use by 1850.

Bond, William Cranch. "Description of the Observatory at Cambridge, Massachusetts." Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 4, no. 1 (1849): 177-188.

Clark, Alex. "A Gate of a New Construction: With a Plate." The Farmer's magazine 21, no. 82 (1820): 146-148.

So perhaps those chains were later replacements for rotted window-sash-weight ropes.

If you have a chance to post photos of the window frame details and the sash weights themselves and other hardware like window pulleys that'd be great.

The more photos you can provide the better for our mutual research and interest - working together helps us both.

On 2023-04-29 by Matt

You are so awesome to do this for people! I own the building and the glass insulation just was too low so I had to replace them. This is the building... 322 Fore Street. The windows should already be replaced in this photo.

On 2023-04-29 by InspectApedia Publisher

@Matt,

And I agree that the glass you're describing sounds older.

On 2023-04-29 by InspectApedia Publisher

@Matt,

I wanted to add two thoughts

If it's possible that the window sashes were reproduced from an older installation, they could be older than the sash weight system.

Look closely at the window corners to see if they are joined using Using a wooden peg. That detail would be more likely found in sashes made before 1900.

I'm doing some more research on the history of sash weights use in the Northeastern U.S. that will refine this discussion.

On 2023-04-29 by Matt

You rock ! What if the windows are blown glass?

On 2023-04-28 by InspectApedia Editor - wavy / handblown glass windows with lead weights and brass chains from a late 1700s building on Fore Street in Portland, Maine

@Matt,

lead weights on brass chains on windows mean they are probably from the 1940s or later.

On 2023-04-28 by Matt

Hello, I took this windows from a late 1700s building on Fore Street in Portland, Maine. They are various sizes but are all wavy / handblown glass. When removed, they operated with interior lead weights on brass looking chains. Any idea how old they are?

On 2023-02-28 by InspectApedia Editor - six-over-six light window is usually associated with windows installed 1840-1870

@Shannon,

A six-over-six light window like the one in your photo, in the U.S., is usually associated with windows installed 1840-1870 - a bit later than the age you give for the house itself. So there's a good chance those are "second generation" windows in your 1780 home.

The trim around the window is very common - and was around all of the windows of an 1870's home I restored in Wappingers Falls many eons ago, but also was found in a 1960's home in Poughkeepsie that I battered about as well.

The wainscot in your first photo looks almost brand new.

On 2023-02-18 by Shannon

@InspectApedia Publisher, Yes - Sorry I did not include that in the first place. It's a home located in New England. It was built circa 1780. We've exposed our lath and discovered it was hand-split, so this confirms age of the building. The glass has definitely been replaced over the years, the "oldest" pane still intact has a blue tint and is "wavy" in the sunlight.

Majority of windows in the home were replaces prior to us owning it. We have some with window weights and some with sash spring bolts. This one I believe is the only one that has the spring bolts on the first level.

I've included a picture of the entire window. The sash has pegs I assume are holding the muntins in and the sashes are joined with mortise and tenon joints.

I'm mostly curious about the age of the window - Is it original to the house? I think yes? Secondly what the old hardware could've looked like, since its clear something else was there. And any other cool things you notice!

Thanks so much!

On 2023-02-09 by InspectApedia Publisher - window sashes are held together with pegs, and spring bolts in the sashes

@Shannon,

Thanks, that's a helpful question on window age.

An accurate answer to the question of when cavity-concealed window weights were first used to operate windows will depend on the country and perhaps region where the window(s) were installed.

In the northeastern U.S. I've found window weights in cavities dating from the early 1900's, and pin-secured type windows usually in homes built before 1900.

Please help us out in answering questions like this by giving us some surrounding context information that permits less broad speculation:

What are the country and city where the building in your photo is located?

What can you say about the building type, age, and use history?

What other building hardware, lumber markings, etc. have you looked-at to estimate building age?

Show us a photo of the whole window: how many lights (glass panes) does it show?

When you look at the glass, is some of it obviously very old: rippled, not flat, containing air bubbles?

Is the window in your photo typical of the building, older, newer?

More help is at

AGE of a BUILDING, HOW to DETERMINE - home

On 2023-02-09 by Shannon

I am wondering the age of windows that predate weights - "The sash would have been supported in its raised position by a manual push-pin or later a spring-loaded pin that moved through the sash side into a hole in the sash track"

I just restored one like this and would love to be able to say how old it actually is. The sashes are held together with pegs, they have 2 spring bolts in the top sash, one small spring bolt in the bottom sash. The bottom sash and sash track definitely has indications of different hardware being present at an earlier time. Would love to know more.

On 2022-08-13 by InspectApedia-911 (mod) - book or website where I could learn about window preservation

@Shawn,

(Re-posted by Moderator with minor edits)

Kathy said:

@Shawn, I would recommend these websites:

windowpreservationalliance.org/directory

This is a list of tradespeople in the field. I would contact one and maybe you can train with someone or they can make referrals and suggestions to get you started.

Many old-timer handymen and glass shops not listed can be helpful too, but they are a dying breed!

I found a company on the internet in a different state than mine years ago, and they let me tag along and learn for a week in exchange for paint-stripping labor. It was worth it!

Scott Sidlier, The Craftsman Blog--

He has an extensive section on windows and window repair and a number of e-books on the subject, including on how to repair casement windows, which is seldom covered in other online sources.

He has a small e-shop with supplies and offers e-courses on window repair and weatherstripping that include some one-on-one instruction and tools.

His blog covers a lot of other topics and he partners with another organization in May to offer window workshops.

He is based in Orlando, FL. His website is big and a little hard to navigate sometimes, but it is worth it.

thecraftsmanblog.com/topic/how-to/windows/

John Leeke, Historic Homeworks, Save America's Windows:

Has a very old message board on various window repair topics. He is very thorough and has info that is hard to find elsewhere, and instructions for DIY interior "air panels"/storms.

His book is very good on a variety of old house repairs and steam paint removal. Not sure how active it is now, but can post questions.

historichomeworks.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=16&sid=032cfae989c07926df1f547b5af140e0

Windows Preservation Standards Collaborative

they wrote a book on how to write specifications for window repairs on historic buildings and have run tests on how different techniques and materials work. They have an annual conference in the spring that brings window experts from all over the country, COVID permitting.
windowstandards.org/?page_id=569

Bob Yapp, Belvedere School of Hands-On Preservation, https://bobyapp.com/about-school/

He is an expert on all aspects of old house preservation and offers lectures and hands-on training around the country and out of his home/workshop/B&B in Hannibal, Missouri.

I've taken a couple, and they are excellent, and he and his wife Pat are entertaining hosts. He is a purist, but for good reasons!

Ken Roginski, Old House Guy Blog; oldhouseguy.com/windows/

He has a very good website on traditional home design and why substitutes fall flat design-wise. Especially good for porch, shutters and window design considerations.

He is a little harsh, but his knowledge and design skills are good. He no longer does full renderings for paint colors, but does offer consultations via Zoom.

On 2022-07-19 by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Shawn,

I'll see what references we can suggest to you but in the meantime if you search this website for the word windows you will find a very large number of articles on inspecting, installing, troubleshooting, repairing, and types of windows.

On 2022-07-19 by Shawn

I install windows, I want to turn it into my life job, and would love to have loads of knowledge about every kinds of windows based in Wisconsin. Is there any chance that anyone could find me some book or website or anything where I could learn everything there is to know about windows dating to roughly 150yrs to current day? I understand this may be a difficult request, and if it could be done I would be super happy. If it cannot be done then I’ll be understanding

On 2021-05-23 by danjoefriedman (mod) - turn of the century window lock

@Chris,

In the north-eastern US I've seen window latches look like that on windows in houses built around the turn of the last century and sometimes earlier.

In guessing the age of building components having data about the surrounds makes a lot of difference.

I could probably make a more useful guess if I knew something about the country and city of location in the age of the building in which the window is installed. And dating a window is also helpful to see other details such as the sash control, use of sash weights, pins, or other methods for holding the window open. It's also useful to see the number of Lights in the window. By that I mean the number of glass panes.

On 2021-05-23 by Chris

Can you date this window lock for me?

On 2017-11-27 by danjoefriedman (mod) - how do I replace an attic window that is odd sized

Angie, you can often buy a window that is slightly smaller in one or two dimensions, then fur out the existing rough window opening to fit. Remove the old window to the rough opening, measure that, buy a replacement window that fits most closely, leaving at least 1/4" above and below if shimming to square is needed. Install the new window, install or re-install the exterior trim if you removed it, spray foam around the window, and replace the interior trim.

On 2017-10-04 by Angie

Help! My house was built in 1944, and I desperately need to replace an attic window! The problem is that the measurements I was given do not seem to match any of the replacement window dimensions sold at Home Depot. I do not wish to spend another winter trying my best to use makeshift material to insulate this window. What can I do?

 

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