Horizontal sash experiences?

[dalivar]

Hi all,
we're considering window design since we need to change the front ones at some point. I've gone off vertical sashes now we've seen some local houses with horizontal sashes which look more appropriate. Has anybody lived with this type of window that could tell me how you find them day to day? Do they suffer any particular problems etc?
Thanks

 

[MdB]

I believe they are commonly called Yorkshire sashes and Biff makes lots of them which suggests they work fine.

 

[Zebra]

There's a member on here, SteveB, I'm sure he won't mind me saying, who has just what you describe, made by Biff. Haven't seen him on here for a while but you could try the "message" facility?

 

[Penners]

My first period property renovation home had one historic horizontal slider. It worked fine, so long as the bottom sliding surface was kept waxed.

 

[dalivar]

Ta for the replies, I have since found a thread on here all about this topic, which is also very helpful. I wonder if they are any more affordable on a small budget, I will do some research!

 

[Penners]

I would guess that they should be substantially cheaper than vertical sliding sash windows. The simple horizontal slider needs no complicated pulley-and-weight mechanisms. However, I'm not sure how you would get on with today's thermal insulation regulations.

 

[steveb]

I suspect a lot depends on the materials and manufacture. I have horizontal sliding windows, but hand made out of oak.

The combination of the two things means that they are not perfectly square, weather or windtight, and they swell when wet so that at the moment virtually none of the panels have been able to slide open since June (although this does improve the windtightness!)

I suspect that machine made or other materials may not suffer as much, although a horizontal slide will likely always leave a route inside for water to collect as it has no lip to prevent rain bein driven up the cill and into the sliding bay. This water only causes a stain on the inside of the window sliding track and dries out on its own account.

I guess there is less to go wrong (moving parts) but the design comes with some inherent compromises, which may or may not be an issue to you. Personally we love them but others may not..

-Steve

as for cost, mine were more expensive than cheaper plastic windows and less expensive than expensive "branded" plastic windows - but that's quite a big range!

 

[dalivar]

Hi steve,
thats really good feedback. I think its water ingress that I'm most worried about, that and security, but I'm sure there are plenty of mechanism available now to solve the latter. I assume your windows are unpainted, do you think painting them would help prevent them swelling?
Regarding the price, I also thought the same as penners since the spiral balances for vertical sashes came in at £90 each

 

[steveb]

yes, unpainted, just oiled.

looks like this from the inside , similar except a bit more weather from the other side

https://picasaweb.google.com/114266...hkey=Gv1sRgCOGH55iLiLfuRg#5836655773633986818

The rain doens't come "In" in, but sits in the track that the front sash slides in - so it's inside the house, but no danger of getting further than the window frame

 

[Penners]

they swell when wet so that at the moment virtually none of the panels have been able to slide open since June

Steve - that's what the marketing men refer to as the "automatic winter security feature".

 

[steveb]

indeed. The summer security feature is a thumbscrew that bolts the 2 sashes together - you can just see it bang in the centre of each window if you zoom into that picture

We haven't needed a mechanism to secure them part-open yet but if we ever do (house has MVHR so fresh air is provided all year round) then it could be such a simple trick as stick in the track secured with the same thumb bolt to prevent the window sliding past a certain point.

 

[kaz5464]

Hi

Biff made my Yorkshire sliding sash windows. I absolutely love them. I just them a coat of oil now and again, as I prefer the way look when oiled. I did leave them to weather to grey, but they look better to me oiled. I'm very proud of them! Mine is a 1750's cottage, which I am lovingly renovating..slowly but surely (8 years so far). I painted the outside this year and replaced the front door... even though I have still major work to do inside, because the lady across the road who is trying to sell her 90's detached house with n o luck after 3 years, said the reason she couldn't sell it was because my house needed painting!

Karen

 

[andrew gayton]

remember that vertical sliding sashes are typically 'portrait' and yorkshires are typically 'landscape' yorkshires and casements therefore tend to be more readily interchangeable.

 

[CliffordPope]

The rain doens't come "In" in, but sits in the track that the front sash slides in - so it's inside the house, but no danger of getting further than the window frame

I don't see why it has to be like that. Surely the channel floor could slope outwards, with drain holes or slots, and the friction surface be shared between the bottom and a retaining rail?

 

[dalivar]

Andrew, our windows are portrait but so are many of the local ones I have seen with yorkshire sashes so I'm not too worried.
Not that we're likely to be able to proceed yet - our boiler also needs replacing!