Glossary
The Bygone Collection is a superb range of sliding sash windows in a league of its own. By listening to our clients, incorporating their ideas and paying close attention to detail we have ensure that our products are virtually indistinguishable from the originals, maintaining the character and charm of your property with Traditional weights and pulleys or modern spring balanced options.
- Paint & Stain Finishes
- Preservatives
- Engineered Timbers
- Frame Details
- Sash Details
- Decorative Horns
- Glazing Bars
- Cam Catches
- Pole Eye and Scroll Handles
- Limit Stops
- Safety Stays
- Tilt Facility
- Spring Balances
- Weights
- Balance Retaining Clips
- Lift Out Pivot Bars
- Trickle Vents
- Clock springs or constant force balances
- Block and tackle or cord and pulley
- Wind up (Alumatilt)
- Pretensioned Spirals (Ultralift)
- Double springs and spirals (TORSO)
Paint & Stain Finishes
Finishes can be chosen to meet your bespoke requirements with almost any paint or stain colour available. Our windows come in a white finish as standard. Our factory applied high performance microporous water based coatings are guaranteed for 10 years. Stain finishes are given a 5 year guarantee.
Preservatives
Our commitment to environmentally friendly and durable solutions means that all timbers are treated with Boron wood preservative providing a 30 year guarantee against rot and fungal attack, assuming that care and maintenance advice is followed.
Engineered Timbers
Engineered Timbers are used in the production of our wooden sash windows. This means that you can be sure that your windows will not suffer from traditional timber ailments such as twisting or warping. The laminated softwood profiles ensure strength, consistency and durability and have the added benefit of being fully FSC certified which means you can be sure your timbers have been ethically sourced and managed.
Frame Details
The Timber - Tilt option is available with a frame 156mm front to back and with staff bead detailing internally and externally. All joints are glued and pinned with corrugated fasteners and fully weather tested. The Weighted version is 164mm front to back and also comes with staff bead detailing internally and externally to replicate traditional styling.
It’s really important to ensure the actual Georgian "squares" are of equal dimension.
Sash Details
All sashes are putty line chamfered externally and ovolo detail internally in the traditional style. 5 DBR – as per PVCU 6. These are decorative extras below the top sash. Originally their purpose was to prevent the sash being pulled down too far and loosening the lead weights inside the box. Today they are purely decorative, recreating the traditional appearance of box sash windows.
Decorative Horns
These are decorative extras below the top sash. Originally their purpose was to prevent the sash being pulled down to far and loosening the lead weights inside the box. Today they are purely decorative, recreating the traditional appearance of box sash windows.
Glazing Bars
All glazing bars are planted onto the glass and are of solid construction. Silicone fixing ensures that the bars remain attached.
Cam Catches
This was perhaps the weakest part on old sash windows, as burglars would flick the latch with a butter knife!
With a choice of colours (Antique brass, Polished Chrome, Pewter) the key locking right and left handed claw cam provides all the strength required to deter unwanted visitors. With our unique acorn design you can be sure your windows will not only be secure but will look great too.
Pole Eye and Scroll Handles
The pole eye is fitted to the centre of the top sash (hook and pole can be supplied if required).
Alternatively a D-Handle can be fitted to the outside of the underside of the top sash.
Scroll handles are fitted to the bottom of the bottom sash (please check with the installation team they are positioned as you require them, both for operational use and to suit the Georgian Bar pattern).
Limit Stops
These are devices that prevent a window from opening beyond 100mm … particularly useful for children’s bedrooms.
It is possible to use cheap nylon versions that sit proud of the profile, as other manufacturers do, but these bespoke metal limit stops are custom to the bygone collection; we even counter sink them into the the pvc to reduce wear on the brush pile to keep it working efficiently, smoothly and preventing drafts over the many years you will enjoy your window.
Just in case you’re wondering why there are two limit stops on your windows, this is because experience has shown that fitting just one will, over time, cause the lower sash to twist.
Constant banging of the lower sash against the limit stop forces the lower sash into a trapezoidal shape, loosening the glass setting blocks, which leads to the glass becoming loose in the sash.
By fitting a pair of limit stops, any force from banging the sashes is equalised, actually keeping the sashes square for the life of the window and aesthetically balancing the appearance of the window.
Safety Stays
Particularly large sashes cannot be allowed to tilt for cleaning, as the sash is simply too heavy, exceeding the maximum permissible weight to be tilted safely.
Unbelievably, in these circumstances, many companies fit nothing at all!
If lighter sashes can be dangerous, then those which exceed the limits could cause very serious problems. That’s why uniquely, on every Bygone window that exceeds the safe size for the standard easy clean, tilt restrictors, a short pair of safety stays are fitted. So if large windows are accidentally opened they remain vertical, unable to damage anyone or anything.
You’ll find we are the only manufacturer to fit safety stays, which are a shorter version of the tilt restrictor and although they do not allow for cleaning, they WILL prevent accidents.
Safety Stays or tilt restrictors will be fitted to all Timber – Tilt sashes, tilt in facility is not applicable to the Weights & Pulleys option.
Tilt Facility
All modern sash windows are designed to tilt inwards to ease cleaning. Short spring loaded "bolts" engage the sash behind the frame section.
Most are just plastic, not very strong and sometimes half moon shaped, a bit difficult sometimes fiddly or cumbersome to operate.
Not with our windows.
Again these latches were specially designed for us, being steel reinforced! The rounded shape of the knob matches that of the cam catches to enhance the beauty of the finished window.
This facility is not applicable to the Weights & Pulleys option.
Spring Balances
These are what make your sash windows work... just as the weights did in the original windows.
Originally, on timber windows, the weight of the glass and sash was counterbalanced by a lead weight on the end of the cord. This meant that wooden windows would be easy to open (when not painted shut) and remain in the position required because the sash was the equal to the lead weights and so counter balanced.
Little or no effort was necessary to move the sash because there is no friction between the sash and the frame, that’s why they were often drafty and rattled.
Today, manufacturers have 5 basic types of balances to open the windows. Each is designed for a purpose and requires differing amounts of effort to raise or lower the sash...
Whilst some manufacturers import goods from the USA direct, we source all our balances from a company that specialises in making balances, indeed they make each of the 5 types of balance listed and this is a summary of their experiences...
Should you need detailed information, check them out at www.caldwell.co.uk
Clock springs are exactly that. A little like a metal tape measure on its side, which unfolds when the windows are operated. Coupled with larger weights when required, they are used extensively in America for secondary or ultra lightweight windows. Tested to AMA (American Manufactures Association) they are not expected to exceed more than 3,000 opening cycles. Very competitive, but Caldwell refuse to import them into the UK as they are simply not sturdy enough for the UK market.
Block and Tackle. Again, extensively used in the USA on small lightweight windows. A nylon cord approx 2mm in diameter, wrapped around a pulley system and encased in a three sided channel, these balances are not expected to exceed 3,000 cycles and, again, not imported to the UK by Caldwell.
Wind-ups or Alumatilt. This is a lightweight continuous tube, encasing a twisted metal rod. These balances are sturdy, and competitive. However, because they need to be "wound up" they retain a twisted force throughout their, 5,000 cycles. This can lead to frequent adjustments normally demonstrated when a sash is opened and it drops a couple of inches by itself! A 2 year warranty is average for a product that is highly likely to require some adjustment through its life.
Pre-tensioned Spirals or Ultralift. A smooth operating balance with the tension "factory set" or pre-tensioned. These sturdy balances, are designed for weights up to 28kgs. We have had these independently tested at the BBA to exceed 20,000 cycles (that’s over 25 years if opened twice a day). A 5 year warranty for this reliable, factory set balance is entirely justified.
Double springs and spirals or TORSO. The Rolls Royce of balances!
Designed by a Dutchman in 1946, they epitomise great engineering. Individually manufactured in 0.5kg increments (1lb), and tailored for perfect lengths, these balances have two springs; one wound clockwise, the other anti clockwise. So as a sash is opened, one spring is getting longer and the other compressing, getting shorter... counterbalancing each other for their entire life.
This means they are immensely reliable.
When being tested for a Post Office Counters project they exceeded 50,000 cycles or simulated 68 years life expectancy if opened twice a day (actually they switched off the machine after 180,000 cycles!). The Torso balance is the premier of all balances, perfect for any size of window, and as such is covered by a 10 year warranty.
This information is not applicable to the Weights & Pulleys option.
Weights
Our timber windows are available with traditional lead weights and pulleys. The cords are made from modern materials which have been tested to weights up to 9 times heavier than most sashes. Most weights are provided in bar length and cut to size by the manufacturer.
Our weights are much more precise because the supplier cuts each weight to an approximate size and trims it down until the weight shown on the scales is exactly the weight required.
Balance Retaining Clips
Goods in transit are liable to move about. It’s natural and impossible to prevent, be it movement in the factory, delivery vehicle or just the fitters installing the window.
Not surprisingly then, sometimes the balance springs would slip off the "shoe" slide designed to connect the balance and sash together. When the balance slips off, it means a service call and the window being inoperable because only one side is being lifted.
With every window of ours, the balances are held firmly in place with a retaining clip that once snapped into position locks the balance in place for life.
You will never need a service engineer to make any adjustments because the balances have become detached.
This information is not applicable to the Weights & Pulleys option.
Lift Out Pivot Bars
As we know windows are not just for letting in the light, sometimes you may need to open them to move things such as furniture through a window, we have created split pivot bar technology so you can remove the sash without the need to tamper with the balance mechanism. this two part pivot bar system allows a DIY method to facilitate sashes to be quickly, safely removed and easily reinstalled.
This information is not applicable to the Weights & Pulleys option.
Trickle Vents
In today’s homes, it is vital to get good ventilation.
We live in sealed boxes. This can lead to breathing difficulties, stuffy poor air quality and above all a lack of oxygen. Original box sashes provided "natural background ventilation", these were known as draughts!
Architects and Local Authorities suggest that vents should be added to ensure the air is freshened regularly, however they recognise and approve two stage keeps in lieu of trickle vents.
This is great news, as these keeps are far less unsightly than vents and don’t detract from the authentic appearance we stride to achieve.
Remember sash windows are the most efficient at changing air than ANY other style of window.
Why? - because of convection.
As warm air rises, it draws cooled (heavier) air into the room from outside which pushes the warmer, lighter air higher. This circulation is very efficient and is only provided by sash windows.
By fully opening top and bottom sashes, this style of window will replace the average room of air every 20 minutes... keeping the room fresher, cooler and improving breathing whilst you’re asleep!
Product details
Take a closer look at the choice available on our Bygone Sash windows in wood.
Specifications
Technical Information and details on the optional features of Sliding sash windows in wood.
