Time takes its toll on old windows: Consider the thick layers of cracked paint, the broken panes, and the missing caulk. And don’t forget about windows that no longer open. What’s a homeowner to do? Repair or replace them?
Architectural historians and preservationists Karen Bode Baxter and Michael Allen, and wooden window repair expert Greg Lamb of Old Growth Window Restoration, agree that the restoration of existing windows offers the best alternative for the look of your home.
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“Wooden windows in older homes are made of old-growth woods, which are harder, with more densely packed wood fiber,” says Lamb. “They’ve already lasted far past the 25-year guarantees of today’s best replacement windows. Old glass, with its imperfections and striations, brings light into homes differently than today’s glass.”
However, the two- to three-year wait that’s common for qualified metal and wood restorers to start a new job doesn’t always fit the timeframe for homeowners who need them right away. After all, what’s the use of having a window that won’t open?
If you have the time, renovation is the best route, but the wait time will be long. Lamb is booked for the next two years, but clients who have used his services couldn’t be more pleased with his work. “The work Greg did repairing our windows kept the character and integrity of our Victorian home intact,” says Maggie Pearson of the Central West End.
Lamb’s philosophy is simple. He holds onto every original intact piece he repairs and will only replace broken glass or rotted wood. He removes layers of lead paint, steams old caulk to remove it, and meticulously rebuilds and repaints each wooden window in his shop.
“I only work on wooden windows, including those with leaded and stained glass. Even a curved glass window with broken glass can be repaired, but at a cost,” he says.
“In the United States, we have a culture of fast change in the built environment,” adds Allen. “In Europe, people still have the knowledge and skills to repair 500-year-old buildings. We don’t have a lot of people with the skills or the inclination to think about preservation.”
If time constraints make replacement windows a homeowner’s only choice, both Bode Baxter and Allen recommend investing in the highest quality windows with long warranties. “Windows with a five-year warranty will need to be replaced, and fairly soon, after installation,” says Bode Baxter. “Look for quality windows with a 25-year warranty. Keep in mind that repaired old growth wood window will probably not need to be replaced in your lifetime.”
Allen suggests homeowners analyze the differences between the replacement windows and the original windows in a house. “Remember that your new windows will be smaller in size and different in proportion than the originals. You want to stay as close to the original widths on mullions and casings, as well as to the proportions of the window itself,” he says.
When a standard double-hung window replaces a window with unusual proportions, like Craftsman-era windows with taller lower panes and a narrow panel of lites at the top, the look of the house will alter dramatically.
While many window companies tout the energy inefficiency and heat loss of leaking original windows as compared to replacements, Allen says that properly restored windows don’t leak air, plus they’re usually newly insulated. “Properly insulating roofs will often save more energy than replacement windows,” he says.
For Peter Shank, who resides in the Greybridge Lane iconic mid-century modern house designed by his father, the noted mid-century modern architect Isadore Shank, altering the original windows isn’t an option. At a recent art opening, he said he’d never consider replacing the windows.
“They make the house what it is. I’ll pay more for heat rather than touch the windows.”
