Why Restoration Makes Sense...
Wood Window And Door Background
Historic wood windows and doors were made from old growth wood that have many growth rings per inch. This makes the wood very stable and durable compared to fast growth wood used in many of today's window and door applications. Period and historic wood windows were made to be maintained. With routine maintenance, windows and doors can last 100 years and longer. The same can be true of todays high quality wood windows and doors when mature and sustainably harvested hard woods are employed in the production process. Older period and historic wood windows, in combination with quality weather stripping, a proper fit, and sometimes a glass upgrade, can be just as energy efficient as a new window or door made today.
In addition, original windows and doors were designed as part of the original structure and fit with the design of the home and surrounding neighborhood and community. Replacing original windows or doors with fiberglass, vinyl, or aluminum decreases the overall value of these things and takes away from the beauty of the home and neighborhood's original aesthetic.
The best way to protect the investment in your home and keep your family warm in the winter and cool in the summer is to restore and weatherstrip your old wood windows and doors to make them more energy efficient or replace them if necessary with newer energy efficient windows and doors of the same likeness.
Top Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows
Your windows fit your house. Quirky as they might be, your older windows fit your house. Care was taken to match the weight and style of window to the building, the trim, etc. They have expanded and contracted with the seasons. With proper weather stripping they can be made to fit and seal even better. Replacement windows have a rigid structure that fits within your window openings. Old houses move and shift over time and frequently the gaps that open up around replacement windows and the window openings result in more drafts that the original windows.
You appreciate good craftsmanship. The true mortise and tenon construction of antique windows is incredibly strong and even when it begins to weaken is easily repaired. Many unique window shapes were created because of the craftsmanship with wood joinery. Antique windows were built to last and not for landfill.
You value good materials. Antique wood windows are constructed of old growth timber. The wood is much denser and more weather resistant than today’s tree farmed softwoods. Delicate profiles are possible because of the density of the wood. The reason these windows are still around, even with years of neglect, is because the wood is of very high quality requiring no cladding or additional materials to give them weather resistance. Without all the ugly paint, your wood windows are usually quite beautiful, graceful, and strong.
You love the character of antique glass. Even the glass in antique windows tells a story. It may be roundel or cylinder glass, each indicating a certain era of manufacturing. Old glass has varieties of color and texture that are a delight to the eye. Two layers of glass are better than one, and in an antique home that second layer of glass should be the storm window that protects the original window.
You think a warranty should be more than 20 years. Chances are your windows have done their job for fifty or more years already. Sure, they may be a little creaky and may not be as attractive as they once were, but it’s a far better investment to repair a proven performer than to sink money into a new window that only has a 20 year warranty at best. For example, a cheap vinyl product can start to crack microscopically from expansion and contraction within a years after installation, depending on elemental exposure. These small cracks only get bigger and bigger over the years. With proper maintenance your historic windows should last another 100 years.
You want to avoid vinyl. Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) is becoming one of the greatest concerns in the building industry. Not only does the production of it create an environmental nightmare, but the gases it emits over time are becoming a concern. Heaven forbid your house catches fire, and PVC burned will release toxic amounts of dioxin. If you are concerned about lead, please understand that it is used as a stabilizer in the manufacture of PVC. If you are concerned about our planet’s health you should read up on efforts to reduce the use of vinyl.
You want more light. Vinyl and aluminum replacement windows are set into the window opening, and thus the new sash becomes smaller than the original. Your view is slightly diminished and not as much light is provided due to the smaller sash and glass size.
Windows are a functional part of your house. Weights and pulleys are the best balance systems every invented. There is a prevalent myth that a lot of cold air comes in through the weight pocket. If there is cold air in the weight pocket it’s generally because there is a gap between the outside trim of the house and the siding. It may also indicate a poor seal at the floor joists. Attics are another huge area of concern for energy transfer. Replacing easily serviceable weights and pulleys with vinyl jamb liners or invisible balance systems means installing a system that claims a maximum life span of 10-20 years but generally fails in 6-7. It is a joy to open and close windows easily with two crazy fingers when windows are restored to work the way they were originally designed to.
The greenest building is one that is already built. Replacement windows are touted as a way to save energy. But when evaluated from the perspective of the entire production, shipping, installation and removal process replacing windows consumes a whole lot of energy, or viewed the other way an older building has a great deal of embodied energy. If the total energy expenditure to manufacture replacement windows is considered the break even period stretches to 40-60 years. In the words of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “We can’t build our way out of the global warming crisis. We have to conserve our way out. That means we have to make better, wiser use of what we have already built.” Repairs and restoration work are done by local craftspeople paying local taxes. They use a minimum of materials and resources and a maximum of labor. Restoring windows is the best use of existing materials and the best way to support the local economy.
Reasons authored by http://www.windowrestorationne.org/
Historic wood windows and doors were made from old growth wood that have many growth rings per inch. This makes the wood very stable and durable compared to fast growth wood used in many of today's window and door applications. Period and historic wood windows were made to be maintained. With routine maintenance, windows and doors can last 100 years and longer. The same can be true of todays high quality wood windows and doors when mature and sustainably harvested hard woods are employed in the production process. Older period and historic wood windows, in combination with quality weather stripping, a proper fit, and sometimes a glass upgrade, can be just as energy efficient as a new window or door made today.
In addition, original windows and doors were designed as part of the original structure and fit with the design of the home and surrounding neighborhood and community. Replacing original windows or doors with fiberglass, vinyl, or aluminum decreases the overall value of these things and takes away from the beauty of the home and neighborhood's original aesthetic.
The best way to protect the investment in your home and keep your family warm in the winter and cool in the summer is to restore and weatherstrip your old wood windows and doors to make them more energy efficient or replace them if necessary with newer energy efficient windows and doors of the same likeness.
Top Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows
Your windows fit your house. Quirky as they might be, your older windows fit your house. Care was taken to match the weight and style of window to the building, the trim, etc. They have expanded and contracted with the seasons. With proper weather stripping they can be made to fit and seal even better. Replacement windows have a rigid structure that fits within your window openings. Old houses move and shift over time and frequently the gaps that open up around replacement windows and the window openings result in more drafts that the original windows.
You appreciate good craftsmanship. The true mortise and tenon construction of antique windows is incredibly strong and even when it begins to weaken is easily repaired. Many unique window shapes were created because of the craftsmanship with wood joinery. Antique windows were built to last and not for landfill.
You value good materials. Antique wood windows are constructed of old growth timber. The wood is much denser and more weather resistant than today’s tree farmed softwoods. Delicate profiles are possible because of the density of the wood. The reason these windows are still around, even with years of neglect, is because the wood is of very high quality requiring no cladding or additional materials to give them weather resistance. Without all the ugly paint, your wood windows are usually quite beautiful, graceful, and strong.
You love the character of antique glass. Even the glass in antique windows tells a story. It may be roundel or cylinder glass, each indicating a certain era of manufacturing. Old glass has varieties of color and texture that are a delight to the eye. Two layers of glass are better than one, and in an antique home that second layer of glass should be the storm window that protects the original window.
You think a warranty should be more than 20 years. Chances are your windows have done their job for fifty or more years already. Sure, they may be a little creaky and may not be as attractive as they once were, but it’s a far better investment to repair a proven performer than to sink money into a new window that only has a 20 year warranty at best. For example, a cheap vinyl product can start to crack microscopically from expansion and contraction within a years after installation, depending on elemental exposure. These small cracks only get bigger and bigger over the years. With proper maintenance your historic windows should last another 100 years.
You want to avoid vinyl. Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) is becoming one of the greatest concerns in the building industry. Not only does the production of it create an environmental nightmare, but the gases it emits over time are becoming a concern. Heaven forbid your house catches fire, and PVC burned will release toxic amounts of dioxin. If you are concerned about lead, please understand that it is used as a stabilizer in the manufacture of PVC. If you are concerned about our planet’s health you should read up on efforts to reduce the use of vinyl.
You want more light. Vinyl and aluminum replacement windows are set into the window opening, and thus the new sash becomes smaller than the original. Your view is slightly diminished and not as much light is provided due to the smaller sash and glass size.
Windows are a functional part of your house. Weights and pulleys are the best balance systems every invented. There is a prevalent myth that a lot of cold air comes in through the weight pocket. If there is cold air in the weight pocket it’s generally because there is a gap between the outside trim of the house and the siding. It may also indicate a poor seal at the floor joists. Attics are another huge area of concern for energy transfer. Replacing easily serviceable weights and pulleys with vinyl jamb liners or invisible balance systems means installing a system that claims a maximum life span of 10-20 years but generally fails in 6-7. It is a joy to open and close windows easily with two crazy fingers when windows are restored to work the way they were originally designed to.
The greenest building is one that is already built. Replacement windows are touted as a way to save energy. But when evaluated from the perspective of the entire production, shipping, installation and removal process replacing windows consumes a whole lot of energy, or viewed the other way an older building has a great deal of embodied energy. If the total energy expenditure to manufacture replacement windows is considered the break even period stretches to 40-60 years. In the words of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “We can’t build our way out of the global warming crisis. We have to conserve our way out. That means we have to make better, wiser use of what we have already built.” Repairs and restoration work are done by local craftspeople paying local taxes. They use a minimum of materials and resources and a maximum of labor. Restoring windows is the best use of existing materials and the best way to support the local economy.
Reasons authored by http://www.windowrestorationne.org/
