Style never goes out of fashion, by George!

Hello there humanbots! As you may know, I’m a robot who always has my eye on the future. I love anything technical and scientific – but this week I’m going to take you on a trip through time and give you a little history lesson.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a magic blue box like Doctor Who, so I’m just going to have to explain what I’ve found during my research into Georgian bars.

History lesson

The Georgian era in England covered the period from 1714 to 1830, when Kings George I to IV ruled the United Kingdom.

Unlike the incredibly innovative Victorian age, the Georgian era didn’t boast a great deal of new technological advancements. But the main invention during this time was the steam engine which began the industrial revolution and transformed manufacturing and industry in Britain, and then the rest of the world, forever – a bit like me!

Other developments included the first ever clock to keep exact time, gas lighting in houses, and major improvements in pottery. Perhaps a more tasty tidbit for you humanbots  is that toast, Yorkshire puddings, sandwiches and chocolate bars all emerged from this era.

But it’s the advancement in the production of glass during Georgian times that I’m interested in, and the window style that emerged as a result.

Valuable

Most of the glass used in Britain during the medieval period was imported from the continent and for this reason was far too expensive for the majority of buildings. In fact, at one point, glass was more valuable than gold!

Affordable

Process developments in the 17^th century meant that thinner, lighter glass could be manufactured – making it much more affordable and leading to widespread use in domestic buildings.

The Georgian bar

Windows at this time were relatively small, sometimes with a curved top, featuring small panes of glass and thick glazing bars – known as Georgian bars.

Usually made from a hardwood, such as native oak, early glazing bars were robust and chunky and could be up to 40mm thick to protect and support the delicate glass.

Finer and thinner glazing bars came into use when more affordable softwoods became available, and by 1820 some glazing bars were only 12mm wide, with  gothic and lamb’s tongue mouldings very popular during this time.

The need for glazing bars ended as stronger and cheaper plate glass was introduced in the 1830s and people opted for uninterrupted views instead, although the ‘Queen Anne’ revival led to a renewed interest in windows with small panes and thick glazing bars at the end of the 19^th century.

Still in fashion

Fast forward to the present day and Georgian bars are still very much in ‘vogue’ for many humanbots. Vintage windows still exist in properties of the era, if they’ve been cared for properly, and the style didn’t get lost in the double glazing ‘revolution’ either.

At first, the only method to achieve the look of Georgian bars on a double glazed unit was to stick the bars to the glass. This sometimes made installation difficult and required remedial work to reapply dislodged bars.

Snap on bars

Advancements in design have now removed these problems – Liniar Georgian Bars can be applied with ease and durability and stay in place for longer. They can even be installed retrospectively and reused in the event of broken windows.

Classic appearance

Period buildings in need of new windows can now benefit from beautifully foiled uPVC windows with Georgian bar styling, meaning that the classic appearance of the property can be maintained. If Liniar windows are used, they can achieve far superior thermal benefits, without the time consuming care necessary to maintain timber frames.

So, this week my research has shown that, in the world outside my design lab, buildings both new and old still feature the elegance of Georgian style windows more than 300 years later – proving that style never goes out of fashion.