Getting the Most from Old Windows: A Tale of Attachments

Submitted by Web Master on Thu, 2011-07-21 08:08


Should you replace your old windows? Using attachments can get more life out of them, and improve performance.
Most of us approach poorly performing old windows with a step-by-step exploration from one less-than-optimal fix to the next. Improving existing window performance shouldn't be that way, and it doesn't have to with new online resources.

Home Sweet Home
In 2000, my wife and I moved into a nearly 100-year old home in New England, equipped with the original wood single- paned double-hung windows. These windows were supported by some pretty typical window attachments: triple-track exterior aluminum storm windows and opaque vinyl interior roller shades.

By and large, the windows themselves operated pretty well. All the sashes raised, lowered, and locked (more than you can say for a lot of 100-year-old windows). But the storm windows and roller shades were another story.

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Comments

I'm not sure if I agree with

Submitted by Stefanie on Fri, 2011-07-22 16:11.
I'm not sure if I agree with your "you get what you pay for theory." It all depends on where you shop.

As a first step while you res

Submitted by Gina Bisaillon on Mon, 2011-07-25 06:07.
As a first step while you research all your options, for $15 you can paint all your old aluminum storm windows. That's what I did. They match the new baked enamel ones I had to get to replace the broken ones. I live in an extreme climate, so for increased energy efficiency, I caulked the old wood windows and the old storms everywhere I could. In the winter, I have been installing clear plastic on the inside. This combination is working so well that I have decided to keep all the old windows and to add indoor storms. I know it's working because my windows no longer steam up, even on the coldest day. For privacy and added energy efficiency, this fall I will install padded roman shades everywhere.

bravo. I hope you will put th

Submitted by Lloyd Alter on Mon, 2011-07-25 05:58.
bravo. I hope you will put this article outside the fence so that I may promote it among the preservation community, which is constantly dealing with this issue. The window salespeople are the tin men of this century, selling stuff people don't need and that isn't cost effective.

The problem w/ replacement sa

Submitted by Rick Wies on Mon, 2011-07-25 05:54.
The problem w/ replacement sash in older wood frame homes is not just that the seals need to be large for out of square windows, which can look unsightly, but after a major renovation, the openings going thru another transition of settlement and may become more out of of square, greatly reducing performance of weatherstripping. Replacement sash are also usually single light SDL so the sash is extremely rigid due to glazing tape and a unitary piece of glass, whereas original sash can sometimes distort a bit to to the frame shape; consequently, the option of carefully adding specialized weatherstrips to original sash shoulsd be carefully considered as an option; and over the long haul, if the existing sash cannot be reused effectively, you are usually better off replacing the whole window including the frame. Another factor favoring window frame replacement is that older windows are rarely tied in with 'current best practice' flashing. That was ok when the house was built, probably w/ minimal if any insulation, but once renovation occurs along w/ proper insulating, unflashed window frames suddenly become problematic as the wall cavity has much less the capacity to take on leaks and dry out, resulting in mold/rot and interior finish problems. A full renovation of the building envelope needs to address the role of windows and window flashing. lastly, exterior aluminum storms, while providing a low cost solution for thermal performance can seriously compromise the a4chitectural character of the exterior. There are lots of good interior stiorm and window treatment approaches which can yield good performance and good value while maintaining the historic character of an older home.

Peter, thank you for this art

Submitted by Adam on Mon, 2011-07-25 05:02.
Peter, thank you for this article. I am in the same position as you were 10 years ago and trying to figure out what to do next. We have our 100 year old house and so far we added cellulose to the attic, blew cellulose into the uninsulated walls and had the basement sprayfoamed. Which brings us to.....windows. Our windows are old and none of them work anymore with the weights and pulleys so we are maybe a little worse off than you were. The few that stay open without being propped were somehow refurbished some aluminum tracks and I fear those might be the worse off windows now. Anyway, what I would love to do is completely refurbish the windows with double pane glass and have them restored. But sine the budget does not allow for that I am looking for something affordable in the near term. We have the triple track aluminum storm windows and they are actually functional for the most part. However, they seem to do nothing to reduce infiltration, either because they never did or because all of the seals are dried and cracked at this point. Did your newer Harvey storm windows cut down on the infiltration? I would love to not have to cover all of our windows with shrink plastic every winter which looks terrible and never holds up through our long windows. I know our storms leak badly because once the plastic stretches out it gets sucked in and out as the wind blows! I a

In 2005 we renovated our 1898

Submitted by Michael Alan Thomas, Architect on Mon, 2011-07-25 07:46.
In 2005 we renovated our 1898 Saint Louis home; because we got Missouri Historic Tax Credits we had to keep the original prime double hung windows. Every sash was removed, dried putty replaced, the sash scraped and painted, and new sash chains and brass weatherstripping were installed. We also replaced mill-finish triple track aluminum storms with aluminum storm/screen panels in a wood master frame (from Marvin's 'Wood Ultimate' line). These look like 'old time' wood storm windows -- the kind that my dad used to take down and store in the garage every summer -- but operate like triple tracks. I can't give you performance data for the windows alone, but the whole house renovation cut our energy costs by more than half and comfort is more than doubled. Likewise I don't have the labor-intensive window costs broken out, but it was about the same ballpark as good replacement windows except it saves the historic fabric.

About 10 years ago I replaced

Submitted by Robert Nemoyer on Thu, 2011-08-25 08:42.
About 10 years ago I replaced my functioning double pane windows with new krypton filled triple panes. I then waited for the wonderful new energy savings. I didn't see them. All I see now is a slightly darker home from the extra pane and krypton gas, the same put up every year shrink film and the remembrance of $15,000 which I could use much more effectively in better sealing, indoor storms, and cellular shades. This is why I read building green! While the storms and insulated shades caused problems with your window seals. Would that be true of non south and no west windows (North and East)?

Replacing wood sashes from 10

Submitted by Kim on Thu, 2011-07-21 18:06.
Replacing wood sashes from 100 yrs ago, likely old growth, dense wood with fast growth, low dense wood is going backwards. Why would you replace windows that worked for 100 yrs with *new* ones whose seals failed after a few years? Clearly new is not always better. The GSA did a study years ago proving that keeping and properly maintaining old wood windows and adding storms, whether interior or exterior, is more efficient than new windows and creates less waste and slows demand for clear cutting. Isn't that much greener? Building "green" means not sending perfectly fine working wood windows to the landfill so more trees can be cut down.