Like many older homes, one of the key period pieces in our home is the transom windows that still exist over most of the house's doorways. Strictly a utilitarian feature of historic architecture, transom windows were used to both allow additional light into or out of a room, and to allow easier passage of heat or cool air to flow between rooms. Though offering utility in their implementation, their classic looks are a signature element of our home that we've painstakingly cared for and restored.
Throughout the renovation of our entry hallway and vestibule, we've been working to bring the charm and historic accuracy back to our entryway, including a full restoration of the transom above the interior front door. We're lucky enough to have the original and unbroken wavy glass in this transom window, a feature that is often hit or miss throughout older homes. When the sunlight comes in through this window, the light is slightly distorted by the uneven glass and looks quite nice on the walls or floor. However, this transom was not an operable transom window, meaning it did not open to allow the passage of air.
Typically, transom windows were configured in a way that would allow a person to open them when they wanted to let heat flow between rooms, or to allow the creation of a draft to cool the home. The mechanisms to allow opening of transoms were fairly vast in their construction and styles. There were bottom hinged transoms with latches and chains that had a long pole to pull the latch open, side hinged transoms that opened like doors, and top hinged transoms with fixed lifts that could be hand operated.
However, the transom above our front door was a "fixed" transom, and did not open in any way. Below is a photo of our window from early on in our renovation process, with all of its bumpy paint intact.
Originally, we thought that it had simply been painted shut, but after stripping the paint from the window and molding, we could see that it was held in place by two very old cut nails and there were no obvious signs of hinges or transom window hardware. Since our home was a simple and modest home, we believe that the window never actually opened and was left in a fixed position to save the builder some money (trust me, this isn't the only place in our home the builder cut some corners to save money).
We decided that, though the window never opened in the past, that was no reason not to make an operable transom now. But the only way I would do this was to make it look like it has always been functional.
The first item we had to tackle in this project was the sourcing of the transom window hardware. There are many reproduction items available from various manufacturers. Each one is usually in a polished brass finish, runs about $200-$300, and simply wouldn't look right with the decor and style of our home. Besides, I don't like to use reproduction hardware in our house when there is typically a way to find authentic hardware with just a little patience. After striking out at some salvage yards, either due to the asking price or the condition of the transom lifts, I went to my favorite secondary source for antique hardware: eBay.
With a search for "transom window lift," "transom window rod," or "transom window hardware," you can usually find a decent amount of inventory. I was able to get a single full set of hardware with all brackets in great shape for about $40 with shipping. The hardware we bought is the same style as the four rods in the following photo.
Next, I found a simple set of 2" x 2" cast iron butt hinges that we would affix to the top of the window.
Once the hardware was in hand, I carefully removed the transom from its position above the door. I felt a little bad since it has been in its location for 125 years, but felt good that we were adding a piece of period function. Once I removed the window, it was obvious that it had never opened, the wood beside the window had never actually been painted.
Using a chisel, I mortised the hinges hinges into the top of the transom and mounted it within the transom opening. It isn't the easiest thing in the world, but with Wendy's help I was able to hang the window in place without dropping or breaking it, my biggest fear when working with old and original glass.
Once the hinges were in place, I started to work on mounting the transom lift hardware. It is pretty straight forward, you just need to make sure the hardware moves enough to open your window far enough to give it the function it needs. I tend to mount the lift about midway up the side of the window. This will usually give it enough lift. I did need to drill a hold through the ledge below the window. That ledge was put in place well after the house was built, but I didn't want to remove it since the door we had purchased was sized properly based on the existing opening. Oh well...
The actual attachment of the lift is done with a handful of small screws. I added a squirt or two of WD40 to get the mechanism working squeak free, and we had an operable transom window.
We added some function to our home that was always intended but was previously left out, and I'm quite happy about that.
Fully open, the transom allows a decent amount of airflow. Once we have our new vestibule configuration, we'll be able to open the outer front doors, keep the inner door closed, and open the transom to get a nice cross breeze going through the house.
With this project done on our vestibule overhaul, let's take a look at what we have left to tackle.
- Renovate the space, walls, ceiling, molding, strip, patch, paint
- Install new tile floor
- Purchase antique mail slot
- Replace interior doors with stripped and fitted salvaged door
- Replace exterior door with salvaged door after stripping and replacing glass panes
- Make interior transom window operational
- Replace exterior transom window with either leaded glass or painted house numbers (we're not sure on this step yet)
We're well on our way with this project and can't wait to finish it up.
Have you ever made a transom window that was painted shut operational again? Maybe added some function to your old home that didn't previously exist? Let us know the outcome and what you worked on.
