What is a Georgian Bar?

First, a bit of history. ‘Georgian’ describes a period of architecture heavily influenced by classical Greek and Roman building: plain, unfussy and symmetrical, using simple mathematical ratios to determine the height of a window in relation to its width.

The Georgian window style dates from the 18^th Century when windows were made up of a number of small panes of glass to form a regular grid pattern, which brings us to the Georgian bar.

What is a Georgian bar?

Georgian bars were originally narrow wooden bars arranged horizontally and vertically between the main outer wooden window frame to hold the separate small panes of glass in place.

In keeping with the distinctively symmetrical style of Georgian architecture, when used as a feature on windows, Georgian bars added to the traditional classical appearance.

At the same time, they provided resistance from intruders while allowing plenty of natural light into buildings.

Traditional styles, modern materials.

Original Georgian bars fashioned from wood were often around 40mm in thickness in order to hold the small glass panes securely in place.

Today’s modern uPVC sash windows, while successfully imitating the elegance of traditional styles, don’t hold individual small panes of glass. Instead, the bars are set within a sealed unit between the layers of glazing to create clean, vertical and horizonal lines.

Not only do they strengthen the window panes and offer more security, they’re exceptionally durable and weather resistant, and renowned for their insulation properties.

Georgian bars on French doors.

Modern Georgian bars are often chosen by discerning home owners to further enhance the appearance of French doors, particularly when the traditional authentic Georgian look is a preferred feature of their property.

Besides creating a design feature and adding interest to break up the plain openness of a large expanse of glass, Georgian bars limit the view from the outside looking in to add a degree of privacy, yet still allow in natural light and retain the view from the inside looking out.

What’s the difference between Astragal and Georgian bars?

Astragal bars are similar to Georgian bars in having vertical and horizontal bars giving the appearance of multiple panes. The difference is that astragal bars are fixed on both the inside and outside of the glazing to give the impression of holding multiple panes in place.

Georgian bars on the other hand are set inside the sealed glazed unit between layers of glass, yet still create the tradition Georgian effect of multiple panes, with the advantage of being easier to clean.

It’s worth noting that of the two styles, astragal bars may be more appropriate if you live in a conservation area as they’ll be more likely to achieve an authentic traditional sash window appearance.

Georgian bar windows and doors at Residence Collection

If you’d like to preserve the traditional look of classical windows and doors in your home for their aesthetic appeal, Georgian bar windows and doors at Residence Collection offer an ideal solution using modern, energy efficient materials.

Why not download one of our brochures or find your local Residence Collection installer using our handy search tool