Can My Old Windows Be Rescued?
There are many features that sing to me when I’m exploring an old house as a potential historic rehabilitation project. To my eyes (and ears), none sing more emphatically than windows. No matter how incredible, a house with vinyl replacement windows is always a bit of a disappointment because I know a good chunk of the budget – otherwise spent on restoring original plaster or bringing systems into the 21st century – must eventually go towards better quality replacement windows. And even the finest new windows will still fall short of the beauty and long-term performance of the original windows, sadly decaying in some landfill.
Someone – likely a window salesperson – will tell us our old windows are “shot”. But, really, what’s wrong with them? Is the paint peeling? Are parts of the frame missing? Is the glass broken? Putty crumbling? Will the windows not open or shut?
Good news! All of these things can be fixed.
The beauty of an old window is that it’s actually a very simple assemblage of parts – no top-secret trademark magic. For hundreds of years, until the 20th century, windows were made pretty much the same way, with some interesting variations. Once you take a close look at an old window, it’s easy to see how they were put together, and how to take them apart.
In its Preservation Brief #9, the National Park Service says windows in a minor state of deterioration – missing glass and putty, broken ropes, peeling paint – can be repaired by “an unskilled person with minimal training and experience.” There are lots of videos on YouTube demonstrating how. Here’s a good playlist from The Craftsman Blog.
Windows that exhibit rotten or missing wood require more skills, but they can be rebuilt. Join me for a visit to the White Clay Kill Preservation workshop in Tivoli, NY – my conversation with windows specialist Emily Majer is available on YouTube.
As always, I welcome your feedback and questions, on this and other old house topics! A great place to start a conversation is by subscribing to the Worth Preserving weekly email newsletter and then scheduling a call or hitting reply. To be continued…
AUTHOR KATE WOOD grew up criss-crossing the country in the family’s Volkswagen Bus, visiting house museums, battlefields, Main Streets, and national parks. Today, she is an award-winning preservationist, real estate broker and principal of the full-service historic rehabilitation consulting firm, Worth Preserving. Kate believes in the essential value of old-building stewardship to sustain community character. For her, each property is a cause and each client a fellow advocate. She specializes in matching people with properties, skilled contractors, historic tax credits and other benefits to support top-tier rehabilitation projects. For advice and solutions to help unlock the potential of your old house join My Newsletter.