Historic Windows: Resources, Articles and Guides to repairing your historic windows
Compiled by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota
November, 2009

Tips, Resources and Articles

1.  Historic Wood Windows – A tip sheet from the National Trust for Historic Preservation

http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/sustainability/additional-resources/July2008WindowsTipSheet.pdf

2.  Weatherization Website – National Trust for Historic Preservation

http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/weatherization/

3.  “Top Ten Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows” written by the New England Restoration Alliance

http://www.windowrestorationne.org/topten.pdf

4.  Historic HomeWorks Forum – Ask questions, post replies, seek guidance, help others, keep in touch. – John Leeke

www.historichomeworks.com and click on Historic HomeWorks Forum, windows section.

5. “Preserving Old Windows” article from REMODELING magazine

http://www.ebuild.com/guide/resources/product-news.asp?ID=211787

6. “Windows Energy Analysis” by Keith Haberern’s (Professional Engineer):                        http://www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/education/WindowsHandouts/WindowEnergyAnalysis.pdf

7.  Testing the Energy Performance of Wood Windows in Cold Climates

A Report to The State of Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Agency of Commerce and Community Development by Brad James, Andrew Shapiro, Steve Flanders and Dr. David Hemenway, 115 pages.

http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/pdf/1996-08.pdf

8.  What Replacement Windows Can’t Replace: The Real Cost of Removing Historic Windows by Walter Sedovic and Jill H. Gotthelf article from the APTI Bulletin

http://www.illinoishistory.gov/PS/images/replacement_windows.pdf

9.  “Top Myths about Replacement Windows” By James Crouch, Project Officer, Historic Building Recovery Grant Program

http://www.ncshpo.org/current/pdfinitiatives/SHPO%20windows%20proof.pdf

10.  Preservation Chicago Unveils The 2009 CHICAGO’s 7 Most Threatened…The “Old Fashioned” Wood Window

http://www.preservationchicago.org/chicago7/2009/7_wood_window.pdf

11.  Preservation League of New York State Seven to Save Endangered Properties List: 2006 Original & historic Wood

Windows: repair and preservation

http://www.preservenys.org/downloads/Wood-Windows-2007.pdf

12.  Windows Aren’t Always A Clear Path for Savings – In Quest to Boost Energy-Efficiency, Small Changes Might Have

Bigger Payoff by Terri Rupar Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, May 16, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/15/AR2009051501466.html

13.  Lincoln Hall Windows Research Report A Case Study of Options for Treatment for Windows at Lincoln Hall,

University Of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Prepared for Capital Development Board Project Number 830-010-327

http://www.illinoishistory.gov/ps/Lincoln%20Hall%20Window%20Life%20Cycle%20Study%202008%20%20Univ.%20of%20Illinois%20at%20Urbana%20Champaign.pdf

14.  The Right Thing: Do you replace or restore historic windows? What are the facts and myths in this most contentious

of debates?

http://www.traditional-building.com/Previous-Product-Reports/3-windowsJune2008.htm

15.  Storm Windows: A report from the field

http://www.invisiblestorms.com/pdf/stormwindows.pdf

16.  Window Restoration and Repair – Top Ten Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows

http://www.window-restoration-repair.com

17.  Restore or Replace? – Boston BI Glass

http://bostonbiglass.com/restore-vs-replace.html

18.  Window Restoration and Repair: Epoxy Wood Repair Materials; Window Repair Contracting Services

http://www.traditional-building.com/tbdb735.htm

19.  Angie’s List Podcast – Reasons to Restore or Repair Older Windows

http://www.angieslistpodcasts.com/Transcripts/Blog/September-2009/Reasons-to-restore-or-repair-older-windows.aspx

20.  “Specifying High-Performance Storm Windows” by Frank Hetman, Jr., Mon-Ray Inc., Clem Labine’s Traditional

Building, July/August 1998, Volume 11, Number 4  www.traditional-building.com

21.  Building Rehabilitation Is Sustainability in Practice Volume 2/March 209 by Lindsey Wallace A publication of The

Trust for Architectural Easements

http://www.architecturaltrust.org/uploaded_files/reduce_reuse_rehab_march2009.pdf

Repair Guides

22.  Historic House Restoration:  Tips on Window Repair  By: Kim Davis (Old North Knoxville webmaster)  June 1, 2003

http://www.oldnorthknoxville.org/archives/windowrepair.htm

23.  This Old House

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/windows

24.  “Window Restoration”- Building Operating Management, Oct 2000 by Gottlieb, Stephen

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3922/is_200010/ai_n8926741/

25.  Wood Window Repair and Restoration Specifications – by Cleary and Son, In.

http://www.clearywindowrestoration.com/services.html

26.  Window Repair, Inc.

27.  Association for Preservation Technology Resources – Windows

  • “An Analysis of the Thermal Performance of Repaired and Replacement Windows” by Robert Score and Bradford S. Carpenter, Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, Vol. 40, No. 2 (2009), pp 11-20 (This APT article is also not available online unless you are an APT member.)
  • “A Technical History of Late Nineteenth Century Windows in the United States”  by Susan Swiatosz, Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, Vol. 17, No. 1 (1985), pp. 31-37http://www.jstor.org/pss/1494065

28. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior: Heritage Preservation Services

The National Park Service offers a broad range of program information and educational guidance FREE OF CHARGE to help your planning activities and preservation projects to benefit America’s historic battlefields, tribal communities, archeological sites, historic buildings and districts, national historic landmarks, and historic landscapes. You may request up to FIVE publications free of charge. Please send an e-mail to nps_hps-info@nps.gov with your mailing address and list of requested materials, note most of these materials are not available online. Please see each program’s website for publications that are available online.

Preservation Tech Notes (not available online)

  • Please note: No. 1-9 ONLY available for purchase in The Window Handbook: Successful Strategies for Rehabilitating Windows in Historic Buildings.
  • No. 10:  Temporary Window Vents in Unoccupied Historic Buildings. Charles Fisher and Thomas Vitanza. (1985)
  • No. 11:  Installing Insulating Glass in Existing Wooden Sash Incorporating the Historic Glass. Charles Fisher. (1985)
  • No. 13:  Aluminum Replacement Windows with Sealed Insulating Glass and Trapezoidal Muntin Grids. Charles Parrott. (1985)
  • No. 17:  Repair and Retrofitting Industrial Steel Windows. Robert M. Powers. (1989)
  • No. 19:  Repairing Steel Casement Windows. Chad Randl.  (2002)
  • No. 20:  Aluminum Replacement Windows for Steel Projecting Units with True Divided Lights and Matching Profiles. Chad Randl. (2003)
  • No. 21:  Replacement Wood Sash Utilizing True Divided Lights and an Interior Piggyback Energy Panel. Charles E. Fisher. (2008)
  • No. 22:  Maintenance and Repair of Historic Aluminum Windows. Kaaren R. Staveteig. (2008)

Preservation Briefs (available online)

  • No. 3:  Conserving Energy in Historic Buildings. Baird M. Smith, AIA. (1978)
  • No. 9:  The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows. John H. Myers. (1981)
  • No. 11:  Rehabilitating Historic Storefronts. H. Ward Jandl. (1982)
  • No. 12:  The Preservation of Historic Pigmented Structural Glass (Vitrolite and Carrara Glass). (1984)
  • No. 13:  The Repair and Thermal Upgrading of Historic Steel Windows. Sharon C. Park, AIA. (1984)
  • No. 17:  Architectural Character – Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character. Lee H. Nelson, FAIA. (1988)
  • No. 33:  The Preservation and Repair of Historic Stained and Leaded Glass. Neal A. Vogel and Rolph Achilles. (1993, updated 2007)
  • No. 37:  Appropriate Methods of Reducing Lead-Paint Hazards in Historic Housing. Sharon C. Park, AIA, and Douglas C. Hicks. (1995, updated 2006)

Want to learn about wood window?  Check out these resources: