Why do old houses have bay windows?

Why do old houses have bay windows?

The bay window is a protruding window structure that extends from the wall of a building. The purpose is to increase the surface area of the wall, and therefore the amount of natural lighting that can enter the interior. Many people also like them because they make the interior room look more spacious as well.

Do Victorian houses have bay windows?

Bay Windows (windows that projects, normally with flat front and slant sides) were very fashionable in Victorian times. Typical Victorian bay windows are three sided. The ground floor bay window often had its own slate roof, or it might continue into a first-floor bay, again topped with an individual roof.

Why do Victorian houses have big windows?

Windows. The Window Tax was halved in 1832 and then completely repealed in 1851, which encouraged the use of larger windows in Victorian homes. Sliding sash windows were still the norm, but the availability of cheap glass meant that larger individual panes were used with fewer glazing bars.

What is the purpose of a bay window?

Bay window, window formed as the exterior expression of a bay within a structure, a bay in this context being an interior recess made by the outward projection of a wall. The purpose of a bay window is to admit more light than would a window flush with the wall line.

Can I put a bay window on my house?

If you’re adding new bay windows at the front of the house, you DO need planning permission. If you’re adding new bay windows at the side and back of the house usually you DON’T need planning permission.

Can you turn a normal window into a bay window?

Yes you can convert the window to a bay, before any changes a survey would need to be carried out. Remember structural safety if the replacement windows are wider than those they replace or support the upper floor. Bay windows now have reinforcement supports built in when required for support.

What’s the difference between Victorian and Edwardian homes?

Edwardian homes tend to be shorter than equivalent Victorian residences, partly because the middle classes who lived in these homes had less of a need for servants, unlike the Georgian the Victorian generations before them. Gone were the cellars and the second floors, but in came larger halls and spacious gardens.

What is a 2 over 2 window?

The traditional window and grille pattern is a double-hung window with a 2-over-2 pattern. When casement windows are used for egress purposes, their grille patterns should create the look of rectangular windowpanes that are approximately the same size as those in the home’s double-hung windows.

What are Victorian windows called?

Victorian Window Bars Windows form the Victorian era are characterised by the popular vertical astragal bar also known as the ‘two panes over two panes’ design.

What kind of Windows did Victorian houses have?

Typical Victorian bay windows are three sided. The ground floor bay window often had its own slate roof, or it might continue into a first-floor bay, again topped with an individual roof. Bay windows like the ones below are clues to when the houses were built.

When did the use of bay windows change?

Bay Windows. In 1894 the Building Act changed the regulations, so that windows no longer had to be flush with the exterior wall. This enabled windows to stand proud from the facade. The late Victorian and Edwardian period took advantage of the change in new building regulations and now presented their windows in bays.

What are the benefits of a bay window?

A bay window creates the illusion of a larger room. It also maximizes the amount of light entering a room and offers a dryer alternative to a balcony. The sash window would tend to have the upper decorative multi pane section fixed and a single sliding pane of glass below to allow for more light.

Where did the oriel window in Victorian houses come from?

A oriel window projects from the upper story of a building, supported on brackets or corbels. The Oriel window became popular feature in the late Victorian Arts & Craft houses and soon became a regular addition to many Edwardian homes.