The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific an

Readers reply: Why do windows in the UK open outwards?

submited by

Style Pass

2024-11-11 08:00:02

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

I have lived in many countries where the windows open inwards. Not only are they easy to clean (at any storey level), but also you can also attach insect nets to the outside and still open the windows without any interference. Why is it standard in the UK to have windows that open outwards? Ben, via email

It is all to do with gardyloo. When throwing the contents of your chamber pot into the street below, inward-opening windows require you to walk backwards while holding your pot and its contents; you could trip over something. Outward-opening windows allow you to rest the chamber pot on or against the window frame while opening the window with your free hand. Having achieved this, it is easy to throw the contents of the pot into the street with little chance of the contents falling into the room. I would have thought anyone disposing of the contents of their chamber pot would realise the advantages of outward-opening windows. Ixtis1940

I’m from the Netherlands, where this is the case (mostly). In my country, it has to do with the wind. Living close to the sea gives us strong winds (often with rain); a window turning outward is better for keeping the wind out. An inward-turning window is a bit like a funnel that lets the wind (and rain) in. Simother