Homeowners can lower energy and replacement costs while helping the environment by fixing their wood windows that fit their building’s architecture.
When your wood windows are in need of repair, many homeowners automatically assume it is time for a replacement of all the windows in the house. However, many homeowners are not fully informed about the issues related to replacement windows and the options for repair. There are good financial, environmental and architectural reasons to put a building’s original windows back to work.
Energy Efficiency
Older homes typically used wood frames for windows and these are not as easily replaced with new wood or the cheapest replacements. The original wood tended to be harvested from older-growth trees, which meant denser, longer-lasting wood.
Your wood windows already have a 75+ year track record of service and are infinitely repairable with standard carpentry tools. Most modern replacement windows have an expected life span of 10-20 years before the springs fail, seals break and the glass clouds.
The key to recapturing the energy efficiency is to ensure a tight fit with a good seal, a necessity for any style of windows. If the building does not already have effective storm windows, wooden storm windows can be added to help with the seal, noise reduction and energy loss.
Being Green
Window restoration proves to be an effective environmentally friendly way to conserve resources by utilizing what has already been produced. In addition, replacement windows that contain vinyl or PVC are toxic to produce, create toxic by-products and are not recyclable.
Maintaining Historical Accuracy
Repairing rather than replacing historic wood windows retains the historic integrity of your home. Remember that historic preservation is based, in part, on the retention of historic building materials.
Keep Money in Region
By using local carpenters to rebuild original windows, the money spent for the home improvement project remains in the area rather than supporting distant suppliers in other regions or countries.
