Hello,
I have studied the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case over the past 22 plus years and have a question about the construction of the house which Charles Lindbergh had designed by Chester Aldrich and built for him by the Matthews Construction Company near Hopewell, New Jersey in the early 1930’s.
A recent debate on the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case discussion forum which I am a member of, revolves around the vertical double-pane sliding windows installed in the ground and upper level of the house.
One position is that the windows if closed but not locked, would by necessity “rattle” if the wind came up, unless the sash locks were fully engaged to hold them firmly in place.
The other position is that windows installed in a home of this stature, should not rattle when closed, even if the sash lock was not engaged. Further, with the windows open on a windy day, they still should not rattle.
Is there anything specific within the construction / installation relative to the above that would be considered here?
I’d appreciate any comments and other insights on the above question which I’ve tried to frame as objectively as possible. and thanks very much for welcoming me to your discussion forum!
Replies
Traditional wood single or double hung windows might rattle, but they should not. Wood windows typically shrink and swell with the time of year and their location. If the time of year is humid and moist the windows can be difficult to open and will definitely not rattle. In a hot dry summer time they could be much looser and might rattle. Well built higher end windows often had a window stop that had adjustable screws so that as the wood swelled the window stop could be adjusted to make the windows slide easier or in dryer times to tighten them up so that there was no rattling of loose windows.
Typically they do not rattle. sometimes it is the loose glass panes from putty failure that can rattle in old windows. This would be less likely in a well maintained house.
Thanks very much for your reply! Would the brass weather stripping along the window frames also provide rattle-resistance as well as keep the window in an open position on a nice day?