Every Window in Ottawa is the Culmination of a Rich History

Ottawa’s windows retailers aren’t just carrying a convenient item for every home—they’re carrying on history and tradition. Windows have existed in one form or another for as long as humans have been building homes and other structures, and glass for even longer (since it occurs naturally). From then to now is a rich history of innovation and intrigue that took us from the early glass blowers of ancient Egypt and Syria to the modern advances that make glass windows in Ottawa so energy-efficient. For example, did you know that:

  • Humans first encountered glass in the forms of fulgurites and obsidian. The former occurs when sand is stuck by lightning. The intense heat fuses the sand particles together into long, slender forms that resemble the shape of the lightning itself, lending to fulgurites’ other nickname: petrified lightning. Obsidian, on the other hand, is a black volcanic glass made of superheated rocks and sand during a volcanic eruption.
  •  It is thought by some that the earliest human-made examples of clear glass were made by the Romans. While they were not the first civilization to produce glass, they are said to have had a thorough appreciation for wine, such that a clear drinking glass could allow them to observe its colour.
  •  Long before modern windows in Ottawa, glass panes were made in a spinning process that produced an uneven surface. This has led to the still-held belief in the urban myth that glass is not, in fact, a solid at all. The myth holds that glass is actually a very thick liquid, which flows at a glacial pace. This is because many old windows, like those found in churches, are thicker at the bottom than at the top. The truth is, the manufacturing process simply made the panes thicker at one end than the other, and for reasons relating to physics, window makers preferred to place the thicker end at the bottom.
  •  The popularization of glass window panes in Europe played an integral part in the decline of the plague in the 17th and 18th centuries. During the 17th century, glass had finally become affordable to commoners. Having genuine glass panes in their homes offered superior protection from inclement weather, and increased the flow of light into their homes. Suddenly, hygiene and cleanliness increased, and disease-inducing conditions went out the window.
  •  Modern advances in the manufacture of both glass and windows in Ottawa and around the world have made them even better than ever. Low-emissivity coatings, double- and triple-glazed panes with argon spacers, superior frames made from vinyl, aluminum, or hybrids of both, and other innovations have produced windows that keep the temperature in your home stable, reducing your heating bills while making your home comfortable.

The history of glass and windows is pretty stellar. Ottawa window manufacturers strive to carry on this tradition with superior products that build on the rich history of the past to create a brighter, more energy-efficient future.