by Peter Thompson
The brief history of glass windows dates back as far as 5000 BC, when, by accident, Phoenician stone merchants observed that when limestone and sand were heated together to the melting point, the mixture resulted in a hard, shiny substance. This is now called soda glass. By 3500 BC, artisans in Egypt were crafting opaque beads from similar material.
The earliest written manual on how to manufacture glass was found in the library of an Assyrian king in about 650 BC. Later, around AD 100, the Romans began using it in architecture. Early windows began appearing in luxurious villas and prestigious buildings in Herculaneum and in Pompeii.
By 1000 AD in Europe, new raw materials for glass making emerged in the form of potash left over from the burning of trees. By the Middle Ages, craftsmen were joining coloured window panes together using pieces of lead. At first, only structures like churches and royal palaces were afforded the luxury.
Although it is used as a solid, the transparent substance is in reality a super-cooled liquid. This explains why the pane of glass in a very old window has a greater thickness at the bottom than it does at the top. Window panes that have been salvaged from old buildings are sought after by craftsmen and hobbyists because they add texture and interest. Cutting the material, however, is best left in the hands of someone with experience.
Towards the close of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, glass making had developed into a trade. The German engineer, Friedrich Siemens revolutionized production by inventing the tank furnace. This development made it easier to produce larger amounts of window material. Siemens is recognized as one of the forefathers of mass production of windows.
Foucault, a man from Belgium, developed a technique for creating a vertical sheet of material by drawing it from a tank. By 1914, large-scale production had become commercially feasible. In the fifties, the modern window was in full production.
The Pilkington process, through which a layer of liquid glass at a temperature of 1000 deg. C is floated atop a layer of liquid tin, sort of like an Irish coffee, was invented by Sir Alastair Pilkington in 1952. What began as a family business in 1826 emerged in 2008 as a household name in glass making. Improvements like toughening and lamination made the product better. As new production methods enable the manufacture of larger panes, the brief history of glass windows is, clearly, still being written.
Looking at the brief history for glass windows is interesting. With that thought in mind, you need to look into <a href="http://www.sashwindowrepairs-london.co.uk/">sash window refurbishment</a> and <a href="http://www.sashwindowrepairs-london.co.uk/Sash-Window-Refurbishment.html">sash window renovation</a> right away.
---------------------------------------------------
You are receiving this because you signed up for it on 2011-08-23 from IP
To fine-tune your selection of which articles to receive, just login here:
http://www.uniquearticlewizard.com/bloggers/
using your username:
To unsubscribe please use the following link:
http://www.uniquearticlewizard.com/unsubscribe.php?mail=kidloveme.huyen@blogger.com&code=b83952f8ca040e326c958cbc4b8fd96e
---------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
New Unique Article!
Title: A Glimpse At The Brief History Of Glass Windows
Author: Peter Thompson
Email: nathan@ncpm247.com
Keywords: glass,glazing,science,history,house,home,property,windows,carpentry,advice,diy,construction,business,career
Word Count: 405
Category: Hobbies
---------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment