What is an ornamental fanlight?
An ornamental fanlight is a window above a door that is richly decorated with wood carving. In Dutch it is called a snijraam, a term also used when the decoration is made of another material. In American English it is known as an ornamental transom window.
Features
- Position. The fanlight sits above the door leaf, between the transom bar and the head of the door frame. It lets daylight into the hall even when the door is shut.
- Decoration. The carving forms an open tracery in front of or within the glass: scrolls, foliage, swags, sometimes a monogram or date.
- Shape. Rectangular or arched; the semicircular version resembles a lunette.
- Where you find it. Typically above the formal front doors of older town houses. Dutch canal houses are a well-known example.
Application
If you own or are renovating a building with an ornamental fanlight:
- Record it first. Photograph and measure the carving before anything is removed, so a woodcarver can replicate missing parts accurately.
- Keep water out. Carving has lots of end grain and pockets where water collects. Keep the paint film intact and check putty and sill joints every year.
- Repair rather than replace. Rotten sections can often be cut out and pieced in with new timber of the same species, keeping the original.
- Think before reglazing. The glazing rebate is often too shallow for standard double glazing. Ask a conservation joiner whether slim double glazing or internal secondary glazing is the better fit.
- Check consents. On a listed building, altering such features usually needs listed building consent. Speak to the local planning authority before starting.
Common mistake: burying the carving under thick layers of paint. The detail is lost and moisture trapped beneath the paint rots the timber from the inside.
Related terms
- Transom window
- Door transom
- Wood carving
- Lunette arched panel
- Ornament
- Window frame
Want to know more about building terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.