Reasons to Keep Your Historic Wood Windows

Windows are a primary character defining feature Godaikin a historic home, yet are at the most risk for wholesale replacement during home renovation projects. This is because many homeowners Aurora Wolfman model know how easily they can be repaired and are sold on window manufacturer's claims of no maintenance and Wacky Packages efficiency. Window replacement is a costly project that diminishes the historic character of a home and actually increases long term replacement costs.

Typically made of vinyl, aluminum, or a composite with wood, most modern windows touted as "maintenance free" are actually better described as "unable to be maintained" and will not last as long as the original windows. Unlike historic wood windows that can be repaired to function indefinitely, most modern windows have an anticipated life span of about twenty years. After this time, the spring mechanisms give way and the seals around the glass fail, allowing unsightly condensation or fogging on the panes. Added to this, if the glass and/ or frame of a modern window is damaged by a projectile, the unit generally requires a factory repair or total replacement. Compare this to a historic wood window that can be repaired by a handy homeowner or a local woodworker when the weights let loose, a pane is broken or sash rots.

Another common fallacy about replacement windows is that they will save dramatically on energy costs. While modern replacement windows offer a higher R-value than traditional windows, the resulting energy savings do not cover the costs of the replacement windows within their twenty year service-life. Other energy savings projects such as installing storm windows, insulating the attic, adding weatherstripping around windows and doors, installing shading devices such as awnings and adding solar powered attic fans are better energy saving investments that don't result in the loss of historic fabric of the home.

Ms. Peck is a Historic Creepy Crawlers Consultant with over 12 years experience working with historic Florida homes. She is President of Preservation Resource, Inc. ( href="preservationresource.com">preservationresource.com), which has recently introduced a specialized line of traditional products for historic homes at href="HistoricShed.com">HistoricShed.com