What is a Porthole Window?

A porthole window is usually a circular window that can be manufactured to open or stay closed. They can be used on planes, ships and houses. Often when being manufactured for a house, a porthole window is used as a decorative piece to add contrasting elements to an otherwise boxy room. Due to its original use on ships and planes, this window frame also makes a grand addition to a home to offer a holiday vibe or bring a sense of joy.

The explanation of the name porthole is quite a historical one. They are called portholes after a french shipbuilder invented them in 1485. During the reign of Henry VII, he commissioned a french shipbuilder called James Baker to figure out a way to mount cannons on a ship. Baker called these portes which is a french word for door. This was later deconstructed and became a porthole.

A ship will commonly have a number of porthole windows of all different sizes. A vessel will have round windows because there is often a lot of pressure on the hull of a ship and so, a round or circular window, due to its shape, is very good at dispersing the force and prevents stress from concentrating on the corners of a regular window.

Materials including stainless steel, brass, bronze, iron and aluminium are typically used to create porthole window frames. The glass used for making portholes is mandatorily made of sand, and the process is called sand-casting. The primary material used in this process is silica sand.

Here at Aluminium Bending Specialists Ltd, we craft all of our porthole windows in the UK and offer a bespoke range, designed to meet your specific requirements.

All of our aluminium porthole windows are powder coated in-house with an average minimum powder thickness 60 microns. This is over double the industry standard! We ensure your windows have a richer, longer-lasting finish that won’t fade over time.

Use our quote builder now to get an approximate cost for your porthole window or get in touch on 01623 721 172 for some advice and solutions!