The schematic only suggests the many parts needed to compose a double glazed “light” that looks like a 200-year-old windowpane. On the exterior side, the muntin is pinned in place against the outer glass with wood stops. The muntin is actually passing between individual blocks of glass and wood that make up each double-glazed “light” in the window sash. The latest types of simulated dividers are much more realistic than early snap-in or removable grille versions, which lacked depth and good proportions.Ī schematic view of a muntin on a double-glazed, true divided light from Heartwood Windows, for example, shows a muntin in a traditional moulding profile that appears to pass through both layers of glass.
#REMOVING GRIDS BETWEEN GLASS WINDOWS#
Interestingly, the computer-numeric-control (CNC) capabilities now driving so much of contemporary manufacturing make it much easier to replicate a historic muntin profile, even in a window made using modern methods that piece together windows from many tightly precision-cut parts. Both techniques make it harder to tell that the muntins don’t go all the way through the window.įor a historic or especially significant house, custom windows with true divided lights may still be the best option, especially if the house is subject to local historic landmark requirements. To eliminate the flat reflection that make the SDL look fake, opt for windows where the overlay grids are darkened underneath to create a shadow effect, or specify spacer bars between the two panes of glass that follow the pattern of the overlay. If you can afford it, specify a coordinating profile in a weather-resistant wood for the exterior-it will make the windows “read” architecturally from a distance.
At minimum, the dividers set in the interior of the window should be made of wood with a realistic muntin profile. Simulated Divided LightsĪlthough window manufacturers continue to offer a range of simulated divided lights (or SDLs), the better offerings have dividers that are permanently attached to the interior and exterior panes with a durable adhesive. The latest versions of simulated dividers are much more realistic than early snap-in or removable grille versions, which lacked depth and were poorly proportioned, especially in relation to historical windows. Options for replacement windows, in my case, range from real divided-light windows with multiple, separate panes of glass to simulated divided lights, an increasingly popular option for windows since they were introduced in the last decades of the 20th century.
They don’t match other windows in the house, and they aren’t double-glazed. The cottage came with a few not-so-sturdy replacement windows that long ago outlived their usefulness.
But without the old, hand-built, wooden storm windows to create effective double glazing (trapping insulating air in-between), I’d be awfully cold in winter. I treasure the few original single-pane casement and double-hung windows that remain in my 80-year-old rustic cottage. Historical, convincing, and energy efficient: simulated divided lights in a custom installation by Heartwood Windows.
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