The Question of Windows

Row of houses on our street



Windows are a contentious topic with old house owners. Let's face it, a big part of the charm of an old house is its windows.

So, the purists say keep the old, originial windows, use storm windows if you have to, for efficiency.  Keep the beautiful moldings, the wavy glass, and the far superior buidling materials. Originals are the only way to preserve the historical worth of your home.

Our original windows from the 3rd floor dormers.

The other extreme are the new-tech-is-best folks. These guys say replace those old things for heaven's sake, this is the 21st century.  Add energy efficiency, noise reduction, ease of use, and best of all never have to paint them!

New vinyl window (not in our neighborhood)

 

Then, as you can imagine there are multiple choices in between.

When I first talked to Contractor Chris I wanted to keep all the old windows, repair the old sash cords and weights and add new, prettier, storm windows. Immediately Chris said - in his opinion the storm windows are what makes the windows look bad - why would we want to pay for new ones? And, new storm windows would cost as much as new windows. Ouch!

Windows when we bought the house. The third floor windows would not open and you could hardly see through them. All the other windows including these on the second floor have aluminum storm windows attached.

But, I really want to keep the original look of the windows.  I keep saying to myself, "these windows have lasted 91 years, I can't be the one to get rid of them. I'm a preservationist!" After much thought and discussion, here is where we ended up:

There is a really cool product made by several window manufacturers that only replaces the sashes of the windows. (Sash windows are the type that have framed portions that move up and down.) So, the original window frame and trim remain. They have to be installed either from the inside or the outside so one set of trim has to be removed and replaced, provided it comes off in tact. And you have a choice of materials; vinyl, aluminum wrapped wood or wood. We chose this option, replacing all the sash windows on our house with new wood sashes but leaving the original trim - definitely not the cheapest choice!

One of  Marvin Windows and Doors' sash replacement options.

Definitely not the most expensive choice either! That would probably be to replace the old windows with new/old sashes with sash cords and whatnot.  My brother and his wife own a 1925 Craftsman in Portland, Oregon.  They have chosen this, as-original-as-possible route, replacing one window at a time and their most expensive to date was about $2000! Yikes!

My brother and sister-in-law's house

So, we're in the mid-ground.  We are getting wood windows with the original wood trim unobstructed by ugly storm windows. But we're also getting thermal panes, easy up and down, tilt out for  cleaning.  Yes, we will have to paint them but they will look like the originals.  Can't wait to show them to you when they are all finished ...

One of the new windows in the bathroom

We are making a few exceptions where the windows are not sash windows or where they are completely new due to the remodeling. In the master bath we have all new sash windows and they are wood and they are wonderful! On the third floor we have all new windows that are the awning type (they crank open from the bottom). We also chose to keep the grids, or muntins, in those because that is what the house originally had (windows with six lights separated by muntins). They are so beautiful and so clean! There are two other windows on the first floor that are also not sash windows and therefore those are getting new wood replacements.

New third floor dormer windows

 

Whew! Trying to do "the right thing" is tough!