Inward opening timber window

[HOJ]

Has any one made an inward opening top light window/fanlight, need to design something for a listed building, which faces the road/footpath so cant have anything opening out interested in how to make it weather proof.

 

[Against_The_Grain]

It’s not particularly common here. Look at German and Northern European designs, they’re practically all inward opening windows in that region.

 

[dzj]

Do a google search for tilt and turn hardware. The manufacturers always give cross sections of windows.
If you don' find anything, pm me and I'll dig up a drawing of a basic inward opening window.
HTH

 

[simonridout]

Additionally, most windows in France are inward opening, so that they can open for ventilation when the shutters are closed. If you can wait until early March, I can take some photos. Basically, they are very similar to outward opening windows, with drainage at the cill so that water does not collect. More modern ones have rubber sealing / draught strips.

 

[niall Y]

In my previous house I had several small fanlight windows that opened inwards. The property was late Victorian, and the fanlights were hinged on their base and partially opened against a pair of quadrant metal stays. There was no special treatment of the openings, other than to have the window stops reversed around these particular openings. The lower sashes opened outwards in the conventional manner. What seemed to keep them watertight was that the frames were in a very deep brick reveal, so the top part of the window frame was sheltered from the worst effects of any rainfall from above.

 

[HOJ]

Thanks all.

Even though the building is listed (1971) the current "windows" have no architectural merit, read fugly, (it was a shop for long while) we are looking to upgrade all the glazing to DG, and add top openers for ventilation, but I know the conservation people will want a "sympathetic" solution using "slim" DG glass etc.

This is a simple drawing of what we have:


And the thinking of options to add top vents:



And in no way can they open out, somebody will walk in to them, I've done the usual online searches but the solutions area all modern T & T, been through all my old "joinery books" which don't cover these scenarios, not that I expected them to.

 

[Ollie78]

I guess I would treat it like an inwards opening front door. seal it with aq21 or something. Only issue would be if water does get in the bottom section it must be able to weep out.

Have a look at the internorm timber/aluminium composite windows ( just don`t ask the prices ) and see how they seal, they all open inwards and are fundamentally a stormproof backwards or inside out if you see what I mean.
Maybe a mini weather bar along the bottom edge with a drip might help as well.


Ollie

 

[dzj]

Only issue would be if water does get in the bottom section it must be able to weep out.

Yes, the bottom rail (rebate)is turned outward, so the water is directed onto the sill.

 

[Doug71]

Made a few in the past but they were mostly in agricultural type buildings like stables or greenhouses. Quadrant stays or roller arms at the sides and the little catches on the top with a ring on that you pull down, the openers were often high up so you used a pole with a hook on to open them. Rebate the other way round at the bottom and I'm sure sometimes they weren't even hinged, they just kind of rocked back, but as I say were only for a bit of ventilation in stables etc.

Used to always call them hopper windows.

 

[pgrbff]

Italian windows also open in as most windows have shutters. I have made quite a few using a seal. Because the shutters can be closed during rain there isn't really a problem. The seal alone hasn't worked for me, you do get some water coming in. Older windows had a groove on the inside of the rebate with a hole that drained to the outside. The also had an external molding with drip groove like a door weather bar.

 

[mccpe]

I had to reduce the width of an inward opening window, here's a picture of the section:

You are looking at a cross-section of the horizontal bottom rail of the window frame. The window sash overlaps the inside of the frame and includes standard draught-proofing strips. This window has no projecting sill, which would normally be planted on the left hand side.

The important detail is that the moulding must be drained to the outside. Water will collect in the groove in the frame and it will need a way out, a couple of drilled holes are usually provided, see below and just visible above:

 

[HOJ]

Thanks again, picking up on the suggestions so far, drafted a design principal that may work:

 

[mccpe]

In case it helps, here's a photo of a sash that fits the frame section in my earlier post:

Compared to your drawing, this sash incorporates a drip to stop water tracking across the bottom of the sash. Also, the sash returns around the frame, and draught seals are in the sash rather than the frame.

 

[HOJ]

Thank you for taking the time to post the pictures @mccpe.

My revised version has the glazing and casement on the inside now, to make it easier to rebate all the way through.

I note your detail for the capillary groove, which I may not need with my seals sited in the frame and towards the front face.