Free Articles For Reprint

The history of glass windows is something that dates back further than you may expect. Although glass in its natural form has been around since the dawn of time, man-made glass appeared around 3500 B. C. In Mesopotamia. At this time glass was mainly used for decorative purposes and evolved into making vessels out of the substance.

The actual fist use of man-made glass for the purpose of windows seems to have occurred with the Romans in the 1st century A. D. Excavations have revealed glass windows were present at this time and the Romans were known to use glass for decorative purposes, such as mosaic tiles. The rise of the glass window at this time seems to coincide with the introduction of churches and places to worship various deities. Much of the fragments of window glass found from the time of the Romans is coloured, suggesting that they were stained-glass windows from such places of worship.

Around the world, the need for glass windows (and the manufacture of the glass) did not really take hold until the 13th century. The Germans had found a way of making sheets of glass in the 11th century. This process was later perfected by the Venetians during the 13th century.

During the 14th century, the French managed to perfect the art of blown plate glass (this is where it is hand blown then grinded and polished to look smooth). They also perfected Crown glass which was hand-blown glass that was flattened completely. The French were reluctant to divulge their manufacturing secrets before the 17th century, resulting in Crown glass and blown plate glass not being manufactured anywhere else until this time. Until the 19th century the world saw the rise in popularity of these two types of glass for making windows.

Flat sheet glass became popular after this time, which is the type that is used in many of the old-style sash windows. After the First World War and with the invention of float glass in 1959 by Sir Alistair Pilkington, the old types of window glass were pretty much made redundant.

The history of glass windows is a fascinating story and is something that is destined to go on and on. Indeed, we have different types of glass being developed frequently, such as toughened glass and safety glass that are often used in many of the double glazing units found in modern homes. The development of glass windows is always evolving, with the newest form being Smart glass, which changes the light intensity of the window with just the flick of a button.

Need to call in the assistance of window cleaners? Check out our guide to top window cleaning service for the best inside skinny!