Sash Windows

Ensure full security and long lasting durability of your windows with our range of first class sash window hardware from Fab&Fix. Available in a variety of styles and finishes, our sliding sash window ironmongery is designed to keep your windows working and looking their best. 

Whether you’re looking for a sash window lock, a sturdy handle, a travel restrictor or simply sash hardware replacement, we’ve got you covered. Browse our comprehensive selection of traditional and contemporary sash window furniture to find the perfect hardware to complement your property.

The Range

Sash windows are one of the most characterful and enduring architectural features of British residential properties.

Found in Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian homes across the country, and increasingly popular in contemporary new builds where their clean, classic aesthetic is highly valued, sash windows present a distinct set of hardware requirements that differ fundamentally from casement windows.

Rather than swinging outward on a hinge, a sash window operates by sliding one or both sashes vertically within the frame — a mechanism that has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years, but which demands hardware that is purpose-designed and precisely specified to function correctly and look the part.

ERA's sash window hardware range is developed under the Fab&Fix brand — ERA's premium door and window furniture collection — which brings the quality of finish and attention to detail that sash windows demand.

The range covers every hardware element needed to complete a sash window installation: locks and keeps, knobs and tilt latches, sash handles and travel restrictors, as well as window gearing and accessories.

Whether the project is a period restoration requiring hardware that respects the original aesthetic of the property, a PVCu sash window installation requiring contemporary hardware in a traditional style, or a straightforward replacement of worn or outdated fittings on an existing window, ERA's sash window range has the right product for the job.

Sash window locks are the most security-critical element of the sash hardware specification.

Unlike a casement window where the handle typically integrates the locking function, a sash window's primary closure mechanism — the meeting rail where the upper and lower sashes overlap at the centre of the window — is a specific and distinct vulnerability.

Without a properly specified lock at this meeting rail, a sash window can often be forced open by manipulating the two sashes apart, even when the window appears closed.

ERA's sash window cam lock range, including the High Security Architectural Cam Lock, addresses this directly — providing key-operated or high-security locking at the meeting rail that makes the window significantly more resistant to forced entry.

Sash handles are the day-to-day operational hardware on a sash window — the means by which the occupant raises and lowers the sashes.

ERA's sash handle range covers bow handles, eye handles in inline and other configurations, and a selection of styles that span traditional period aesthetics through to clean contemporary designs.

The choice of handle style and finish plays an important role in the overall look of the window, particularly on period properties where the hardware is a visible and characterful detail, and ERA's Fab&Fix range provides the quality of construction and depth of finish options to meet the most discerning specification requirement.

Sash knobs and tilt latches serve specific operational functions on different sash window types.

Bottom sash knobs provide the pull point for raising the lower sash, while tilt latches are the release mechanism on tilt-in sash systems — allowing the sash to tilt inward for cleaning or ventilation.

Travel restrictors limit how far the sash can be raised, providing a child safety function equivalent to the restrictors used on casement windows, and ensuring the sash cannot be opened beyond a safe travel distance in properties where this is a requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sash window hardware does ERA stock?

ERA stocks a comprehensive range of sash window hardware under the Fab&Fix brand, covering locks and keeps, knobs and tilt latches, sash handles, travel restrictors, window gearing and accessories.

The range spans traditional period styles and contemporary designs, is available in a variety of finishes, and covers both new installation and replacement applications.

Technical data sheets for vertical sliding window hardware are also available to download from our technical downloads section, providing the detailed specification information fabricators and installers need for individual products.

Why does a sash window require specialist locking hardware?

A sash window operates differently from a casement window — rather than swinging on a hinge, the sashes slide vertically within the frame.

This means the primary vulnerability is at the meeting rail, where the upper and lower sashes overlap at the centre of the window when both are closed.

Without a properly specified lock engaging at this meeting point, the two sashes can be manipulated apart by an intruder, allowing the window to be opened even when it appears closed.

Sash window locks are designed specifically to secure the meeting rail, holding the two sashes together and preventing them from being separated without releasing the lock — a fundamentally different locking requirement from the frame-perimeter locking that casement window locks provide.

What is a sash cam lock and how does it work?

A sash cam lock is the primary security locking device for a vertically sliding sash window, fitted at the meeting rail where the upper and lower sashes overlap when both are closed.

When engaged, the cam mechanism pulls the two meeting rails together and locks them in position, preventing the sashes from being slid apart.

ERA's Fab&Fix cam lock range includes high-security architectural cam lock options that provide key-operated locking for enhanced security, as well as standard cam lock sets.

High security cam locks are the recommended specification for any sash window where burglary resistance or insurance compliance is a consideration.

What types of sash handles does ERA offer?

ERA's sash handle range includes bow handles and sash eye handles in inline and other configurations, available across a range of finishes to suit both period and contemporary sash window aesthetics.

Bow handles are the traditional curved handle format most commonly associated with period sash windows, providing a comfortable grip for raising and lowering the lower sash.

Sash eye handles provide an alternative pull point format, available in inline configurations that suit modern vertical sliding PVCu sash systems as well as traditional timber windows.

Handle finish options span from polished chrome and satin chrome to antique brass and other period-appropriate tones, allowing the hardware to be matched precisely to the style and finish of the window and surrounding architecture.

What are sash window knobs and tilt latches?

Sash window knobs — including bottom sash knobs — are the functional pull points used to raise and lower the lower sash of a vertically sliding window.

They are typically mounted on the lower rail of the lower sash and provide the grip point for the occupant when operating the window.

Tilt latches are a distinct component found on tilt-in sash window systems, where one or both sashes can be tilted inward from the frame for cleaning or ventilation access.

The tilt latch is the release mechanism that allows the sash to pivot — pressing the two tilt latches simultaneously disengages the sash from the frame and allows it to tilt inward.

ERA's Fab&Fix range covers both knobs and tilt latches in styles and finishes to suit the most common sash window systems.

Does ERA's sash window hardware suit both period timber and modern PVCu sash windows?

Yes. ERA's Fab&Fix sash window hardware range is designed to be suitable for both traditional timber sash windows and modern vertically sliding PVCu sash systems.

The range spans styles from traditional period aesthetics — including bow handles, bottom sash knobs and architecturally styled cam locks — through to cleaner contemporary designs that suit modern PVCu sash window systems.

Finish options across the range provide the flexibility to match the hardware to both the window and the wider architectural character of the property, whether that is a Victorian townhouse, a period conversion or a contemporary new build with sash-style windows.