Should you replace your old windows?
MARY-FRANCES of Meanwhile Back At The Ranch recently featured an excellent story from the National Trust for History Preservation that seeks to address that age-old question: Should I buy replacement windows? The NTHP’s answer, modified by me: Go slow in making this decision, and have a bias toward trying to work with what you have. Best solution may be to tighten up your existing windows, add storms, and for improved energy conservation look at adding attic insulation, a new furnace, a programmable thermostat — even just window treatments! These are likely far “greener” solutions than sending (likely better quality) old wood windows to the dump and causing the energy-intensive manufacturer of all-new windows. Bottom line, with windows: The ‘easy’ answer — to work with what you have — might not only be the ‘cheapest’ but also the ‘greenest.’ Click here to go to the NTHP article. And note: We’re talking wood windows here. I haven’t seen advice on steel or aluminum windows … sorry… as I know that’s another question for some readers. A safety issue with aluminum/steel windows seems to be: If there is a fire, can you open them easily?
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I replaced my windows in my house with new Pella Impervia windows last November – and I would do it again in a heart beat. They look like my old wood windows from the outside, plus they are so much easier to care for! I was really picky with finding my replacements and went for the pricier fiberglass Impervia windows over buying vinyl windows. I was able to custom order the Impervia windows with the same style grille that my original wood windows had, which was a big requirement for me…the house had to retain it’s original window look. The custom grilles cost only $18 extra per window and really were worth it. Take a look – I posted pictures in my Flickr photostream – http://www.flickr.com/photos/30395056@N03/3151700305/
We also have been slowly replacing our old windows with custom (wood) replacements and it has made a huge difference in comfort level. Many of our windows were damaged in a fire in 1947 and never really repaired (just puttied and painted), so we may not be typical. But we got Caradco windows until Caradco got absorbed into Jeld-Wen (and got much, much more expensive) and now we are getting Jeld-Wens at a much slower pace.
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My house has tall windows in 3s all around, upstairs and down, and nothing stock will work. Not that we would want stock windows anyway. We’re picky too.
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Everyone keeps telling my husband and I to replace our old steel-frame windows, but they’re just too cool. Plus, our 1955 house is built out of concrete blocks and the windows are actually built right into the structure. There’s no way to get them out without seriously damaging the building. What we’re doing is putting modern double-paned glass inside the existing windows on the windows that don’t open. We still haven’t decided what to do for the casements, though.
As a preservationist the number one key to taking the “high road” or easy way out, by replacing your windows is to pay close attention to the profile of the window, does the new window match in profile to your existing window? Are you replacing them in kind with the same material? does the meeting rail match the existing profile on your double hung windows? there are many other options to consider when replacing your windows. I would agree that the best method is to keep and restore your existing windows. Add weatherstripping and maybe some insulated glass if possible.
The only thing we’re doing with our windows in our new home is replacing the single pane glass to triple pane and thankfully, my husband Bob knows how to do it. We’re also adding more insulation to the attic and will eventually add more to the walls and ceilings.
The home we currently live in has about an R-50 factor as the former owner added more insulation. Along with a new energy efficient furnace and a/c and new roof, which is a light gray the house is pretty snug during the winter and relatively cool during the summer. We’ve been able to keep the temperature at about 62 F in the winter and about 68 F in the summer.
We replaced our aluminum triple track windows a few years ago with wooden Anderson Windows. Our 1949 house had wooden windows only in the breeze-way and the front livingroom window. Now they are all wooden, easily opened and allowed us to pick a color that complimented the brick! It’s now a sand color, I combed through many old magazines to locate a good match. The second owner painted EVERYTHING possible black…didn’t match our brick at all. I like to think that our house is now a the peaceful color that the orignal builder had imagined. When I stripped the garage door, I found a beige/green color!
We weren’t able to replicate the 16 rectangle livingroom or the 12 rectangle breeze-way windows. They were $800 per sheet of glass. (It would have been $23,000 – for just 2/18 window replacements.) As the house settled, it was impossible to open the sliders and the former owner had used screws to affix the storm windows that had a snazzy vinyl trim. It would take 3 adults and 6 hours, just to wash the windows across the back of the house. It was quite dangerous too, if we had to escape a fire with our small children! Our house is much more energy efficient and it really enhanced the look of our house, without making it look too modern.
The #1 rule of this blog is not to make anyone feel bad about their decisions. Also, a house is a machine for living (and creating beauty, too, of course!) so do what you must do to achieve the level of comfort and functionality required. No one needs to feel bad about replacing their windows. The post is meant to start the discussion and provide counsel to “take it slow”. As with all issues related to “gutting”! Thanks, everyone, for sharing your experiences pro and con – they help others make the decision that is right for them.
I just bought a 1941 cottage in Burbank. I had the casement windows restored. Although single pane, they can be cranked open at whatever angle necessary to funnel the breeze. I’m hoping not to need air conditioning.
We replaced all the windows on our 1949 house with double or triple pane windows. The old windows either were painted shut or were hazardous to open plus we had awful drafts from them (as we live in a wide-temperature range zone ~ minus 40 degrees plus windchill in the winter to 90 degrees or higher in summer). We insisted on having grills in the windows to mimic the original windows. It took forever for the company to get the grills correct (ie: straight!) but they have been well-appreciated!
Most of the homes in my Southern California neighborhood were built in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. The homes are primarily large single-story ranch homes with aluminum slider windows. Many of my neighbors have replaced the original windows with white vinyl windows or square-paned windows. The very white frames are wider than the original sleek aluminum widows, and in my opinion they change the character of the homes and are not as elegant. The back of my house has very large three-sectioned slider doors that look onto the back yard. I love them because the expansive glass doors make the back yard feel like part of the house, and I love all the fresh air they let into the house when the doors are open. More and more of my neighbor are removing the sliding door and putting in rows of French doors. My neighbor commented that I should get rid of the “dated” sliding doors. I won’t.
What makes me hesitate to replace my original 1948 windows is the amount of glass/viewing area that is lost with a replacement window. In other words, you end up with smaller windows. We measured one Andersen replacement, and the result was about 3 to 3.5 inches of width lost in the glass area. Since I highly value light (as we all do), and wish I had more windows, I am reluctant to intentionally decrease the amount of light for the sake of replacements.
Unfortunately, our heating bills are astronomical, despite having decent storm windows and despite adding additional attic insulation, and that weighs heavily on the side of getting replacements. It would also be so much easier to clean them with the tilt feature! The jury is still out.
We’ve got a 1942 brick bungalow & have decided to totally strip & reglaze/repaint all of the windows, as well as remove the ill-fitting aluminum storms and replace with new “old-fashioned” combination wooden screen/storms. The price to have our 18/2 windows replaced with anything but odd-looking vinyl was way more than we could afford. It will take us a lot longer because we are doing the work ourselves, but it will also save us a bundle of cash. On our house at least, the few windows that hadn’t been stripped of their original storm windows are in the best shape. I was pretty surprised to discover that.
Jess, and other DIY-ers, please be sure to test those windows for lead paint and be sure of safety and environmental issues/precautions. One resource to check: the EPA website regarding Lead on my main Fast & Easy pages.
Just replaced the windows on my teeny-tiny 1944 bungalow this past November … went with vinyl, it was affordable and fit my ever dwindling budget. They were retro-fit, and the pros that put them in hardly damaged my casement at all! I am very pleased with how it turned out, for the most part it looks pretty original, and I think is a definite upgrade from what I had. I do miss my old wood windows though, I saved the one from the kitchen, and hope to do something creative with it someday.
I’m lucky enough to be living in (and owning) my grandparents home, so my mom can tell me pretty much everything that has been changed, and I’ve got lots of great pictures for reference from way-back. I know that my grandma remodeled the windows in the living room back in the 50s. She changed the two living room windows into giant single pane picture windows, and one set of bedroom windows into jalousies — completely useless in Oregon! In the early 1980s the utility company put on horrid (but free) aluminum storm windows.
Tried to make myself feel better about changing from the solid glass picture window to something I can open — and I can tell you, on these 80 degree days lately I am SO GLAD I now have windows that can open. Before, out of 10 windows in the house, I could only open TWO. Now they all open with ease, and I am looking forward to not suffering in the heat this summer.
Hi Pam,
We know there is lead paint underneath. We purchased a special paint remover that uses infared radiation to lift the lead paint (as well as other layers) at a safe temperature. This way there won’t be any vapor released and the paint stays pretty congealed (to avoid lead dust). Although I might lick the frames clean afterward just to be sure.
We’ve arranged for special disposal after we’re done.
Good tip. A lot of folks rush in and that can sometimes lead to a lot of headaches.
good girl, jess!
Hi Pam,
Personally I am a fan of the steel casement windows as they are truly part of the “fabric” of a home, and often times the entire original design is compromised when the thick white vinyl replacements go in. I found some articles which support doing repair and restoration of steel casement windows, and there are ways to address the loss of heat and the draft problem through interior storm windows that can be installed and removed as needed Another case for the steel windows is the longevity with them. The windows of today may save on heating bills but, how many of us are going to squirrel away the savings difference every single month, so that in 10-15 years, we have the funds to have to go through another replacement process? The steel windows, if properly maintained, not only keep the character of the home in tact, but will last many times longer than vinyl replacements. Their track record is already proven through 50+ years of being around. Here are the articles I found that might be helpful to those who are considering replacements vs. restoration.
ftp://phoenix.gov/pub/HISTORIC/steel.pdf
http://www.design-site.net/seekirch.htm
http://www.traditional-building.com/Previous-Product-Reports/3-metwin.htm
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/the-repair-and-thermal-upgrading-of-historic-steel-windows.shtml
Hope this helps. I agree that it’s really up to the individual, and no one should be made to feel bad about their choices. I just personally prefer the looks, the strength, the deeper windowsills, and the lighter look of the thin frames versus the loss of character that comes from going with the thick vinyl frames on the newer ones. I hope that someday, technology will improve so that duplicates of the original style, with the thin frames, can be made available to give the best of both worlds.
Robyn
Great resources here…we’re keeping all of our original aluminum window frames and “testing” the replacement of just the glass in one of the casements. One window got bashed (at a dinner party of all things), so it’s an easy test. Our window guy feels like we can preserve the original aluminum frames while bumping up the energy efficiency with double-pane glass. I’ll let you know how the test window goes in the next month or so. It took a while to find someone who was willing to even consider doing this instead of a full replacement.
I discovered your website while researching replacement windows for my 1956 brick house. I have double pane one-on-one windows which have aluminum (I think) frames. I have 95″ wide windows in my living room and they are so very not energy efficient. Two sets – one faces south, the other west – and I live in Florida. I am contemplating replacing all 16 windows in my house with vinyl sliders. Any thoughts or suggestions? Current windows sweat horribly and a few won’t stay open. My house is unique in that it is off-grade by 4 feet on the north and 6-7 feet on the south side (built on a corner lot on a hill in my neighborhood).
I’ve also become inspired by the kitchen info on your site.
Hi Lulu, I, too, have original windows, and am in Michigan where it’s super cold, and even with storm windows, they are not too efficient.
That said, I think original windows are best, and if you have thermalpane windows that are sweating on the inside (between the two sheets of glass) they need to be replaced, which is easy, since you already have the aluminum framing, and a new sheet of thermalpane glass can be inserted. I was quoted 350.00 for a a sweating thermalpane measuring 67″ high by 43″ wide, including installation.
I have mostly corner windows in my 1953 ranch, comprising of single thermalpane sheets measuring up to 120″, with little square windows stacked vertically next to them which crank open for ventilation. The look is almost Japanese.
If you can restore rather than replace, it’s always best for maintaining the look of the architecture, and vinyl windows, while efficient, are not often great looking in mid-century modern homes.