Replace vs. Restore: The Great Window Debate

inkwitch That was informative. I need to replace 4 (wood frame) windows in bad shape in a 50 yr old house, and replace 2 sets of double windows with longer ones for more light and aesthetics. The comment about windows over 30 yrs. old helped.

Susan Replace windows installed in 1907? Not a chance! But I did have to add storm windows to help with energy efficiency. This is a good idea book. Well done!

Four over One Design thank you for addressing this! I talk to people all the time about their old windows, and most have heard that they MUST replace the beautiful old sashes. how about a follow-up idea book on storm window options, so the old windows can be just as efficient as new ones?

jah1108 We ourselves are in the midst of this great debate about the gorgeous windows on our 1903 home. A few things to note, are that windows today are not made from the same quality old-growth wood that was once used. In addition, old windows do not have the glues and plastic pieces that new windows have, which break down over time. Therefore, the life of an original wood window is much longer than a new window. A restored window can last an additional 75-100 years whereas the life of a new window is usually 10-30. Additionally, aesethetically on old windows the window sills are generally larger and more beautiful, and the windows have true divided light where the wood muttons divide each individual pane, etc. As the old saying oes, "they just don't make things like they used to.". While we recognize the value of these old windows, our problem has been that restoring them has become cost-prohibitive. Restoration + new wood storms is $1575 per window! New pine windows are a few hundred less than this . . . Restoring windows is a specialty trade and the prices are steep (at least in Chicago!).

jonnymac They have done studies and a good condition old wood window with a wood storm window out performs the expensive double pane windows in energy efficiency. And the new double pane windows lose their insulation value too quickly to make them a cost effective replacement. LIke the calculation done at the top 30 years to make your money back, those replacement windows aren't going to last 30 years. So then you buy them again. So there is never a return on the investment. The window industry compares their windows against poor condition windows when they make comparisons.

Seattle Staged To Sell This is a debut that I have having with my husband and our builder. I live in a 1907 Craftsman house. We kept the original feel when we renovated the south side of the house and converted the attic to the beautiful master suite. The north side of the house, still have the original windows and glasses. I love the marbled effects of the old glass. I hate to replace these too, but they are thin and not energy efficient at all. Not sure, if I should pay the money and spend the time to change these or stay with the original beautiful marbled windows.
Any thoughts?

vtvtvt I'm still confused. We have 20 yr old house/windows, double hung, wood with storm windows. Only a few windows have issues with cold air and breezes around them in winter.....replace whole house or restore 3? thanks for any suggestions.

bevwa123 Having this same dilemma! Our home is a traditional 45 yr old home & trying to decide to reglaze/repair or replace! I really dislike the new windows in older homes - especially the clad prefinished ones! I want wood that I can have painted & my contractor & window rep keep telling me I'm crazy!
Sure it is obvious single glass is not energy efficient & I'm throwing $ away due to this - but what to do????? I have 23 windows!! Any suggestion appreciated!! Also any resource on metal/steel exterior doors??? Not to confuse with clad! I have one source in calif called euro line, but having trouble getting just ballpark quote!

linenlatte Our project started with an office that had 6 double-hung (6 over 6) windows that have deep mullions. They were in horrible disrepair…rotting in some places, badly in need of reglazing…in short, a mess. We investigated replacement windows, but that would give us vinyl windows with flat, vinyl mullions at a cost of $7000.00. To replace the windows with wood with deep mullions would have been significantly more. In the end, we decided to refinish what we had to maintain the integrity of our 100+ year old Cape Cod style home in the northeast. The windows were taken out (ropes and weights replaced with tracks that made them tighter and more energy efficient (they can be purchased at http://www.windowrenu.com/main/why.asp) for about $40.00 per window… and a lot of elbow grease – all were re-glazed, sanded, stripped, sanded again, primed, and painted – as well as the interior sashes were all sanded, cleaned and painted prior to installing the new tracks. The results are lovely albeit a lot of work. Our best satisfaction was when someone I had been discussing the new vs. restored option with came to our home…and said…”Oh…I see you opted to go with replacement windows.” We have now done almost 20 windows in our home this way…

Katelyn Parker @ Seattle Staged to Sell: Don't replace them! If you simply restore them and add storm windows they will be MORE energy efficient than if you replace them. That glass is called cylinder glass and if you bought it new it's about $25 per sq. ft. If your contractor doesn't know how to restore your windows find one that does. I know here in Tulsa the Historic Preservation Commission hosts classes for homeowners and contractors to learn how to restore old windows. It's well worth it!

Katelyn Parker @bevwa123: Sounds like all you need is storm windows. Your contractor and your window rep want you to replace them because the window rep makes money and it's easier for the contractor to replace them. Double pane insulated glass is a LIE! The seal between the two panes of glass (that holds the vacuum making it "more energy efficient") fails in 2-5 years. That's why there is perforation in the aluminum channel between the glass. So that when the seal fails moisture can escape from between the glass panels. If you have wonderful old windows DON'T REPLACE THEM! If you have windows that are new (less than 30 years old) as the article says it's likely that you don't have windows that you can restore (usually we are talking about rope and weight windows when we are talking about old wonderful windows that are worth restoring). However if you city has a Historic Preservation Commission you should contact them for advice.

lcl1984 The windows in our 1956 ranch are a combination of louvers and thin plate picture glass. They are unattractive and horribly energy inefficient, letting in so much cold air (which we have plenty of living on a hill near the ocean in San Diego) and noise. There is just no way to improve upon these unsightly things. So, we have begun to replace them with new dual paned wooden windows. The rooms we have completed are so much more comfortable. The new windows are a pleasure to use (we have roll down screens and built in cellular shades) and give the house a huge visual upgrade. Sometimes you just don't have a choice - replacing them was our wisest decision.

Cheryl Stimac storm windows in Florida....no

woofwoof When we were renovating a 1960 house with all original and very inefficient windows, we HAD to replace. We were steered away from vinyl windows, which are very popular here in SoCal. We found a nice product that's wood on the inside and powder coated (and painted) aluminum clad on the outside to withstand what little weather we get in SoCal. So much better looking than the average vinyl window, which can almost ruin an otherwise attractive home.

franki7 We just replaced 27 of our casement windows in our "almost 100 year old" Tudor. Getting it ready to sell...most "young folks" don't even care. :( Long live the purist! franki

patscats2 I am all for replacement windows just from an energy and comfort standpoint. My sister lives in a house that is 127 years old and she lives with the original windows. Every winter she has to live in her coat inside her house because she can't get it comfortable enough to walk around in normal clothes. She is also sick all the time from the chill and dampness. Old is nice, being comfortable is better. LOL

disabledsenior In Florida and other hurricane prone regions, updating windows to "impact" ratings can protect the dwelling, lower noise pollution, add break-in protection and lower home insurance premiums.

Laurel Ennis It is enviornmentally irresponsible to place old windows into a home. For one, it's against building codes in most places. For another, they are not the current, double or triple paned, e-film, argon filled efficient windows of today. We can make window that look old without sacrificing the effeciency. There is no exuse for living with old-fashioned windows if you can afford to replace them. It's the green thing to do.

tollyon Our 90-yr-old house has more than 50 original windows: most are in decent shape, with a lot of wavy, old glass panes and interesting 3-over-one design. However, with about seven feet of rain per year and 80 mph winds a few miles from the Oregon coast, there are a lot of chilly drafts from some of them (single-pane and no wall insulation, of course). We're thinking of replacing only two, in the master bedroom on the back (weather) side. It has proven impossible to keep the sills and outside frames painted (doesn't help that they're 20 feet up), sashes don't fit well, no screens, etc. And there is the issue of noise from the nearby wood mill and freight trains that might be helped with more soundproof windows. Not sure this has helped our particular debate much, but it's good to read the pros and cons.

rockies Replacing loss of vacuum seal windows piece by piece and replacing screens with highest quality screening. Caulking around windows made a huge difference in reducing drafts.

alkemie i am shocked to find no comments regarding the aesthetics of replacement windows!!! If you cannot afford to replace beautiful wood windows with true divided light: DON'T REPLACE!!!! I am sickened to see ugly, cheap replacement windows (and in new construction, too) with plastic strips subbing for mutins!! It is a disgrace to the industry, and a complete lack of respect to ANY home!

mepnel We are in the process of restoring a 17th century stone pub in England that is protected by law and must restore our 30 + wooden sash and Georgian windows but they are so beautiful when done that there was never a chance we would replace with modern. The old craftsmanship and thin glazing bars make for a beautiful window and I would rather have these with their quirks than the clunky modern equivalent. I have found a very nice man who will restore and refurbish them while making them more airtight. English Heritage who look after these listed buildings has also written an article on their research into the energy efficiency you can get from old windows - a good read.

Kathy Tegreene We have a 1911 home with beautiful diamond windows with the original dripping glass. We purchased custom storm windows for just over $3,000 (Tax deductible at the time) so that we could retain these lovely windows and have been so glad that we did. This is a great option. I love our old windows! They are beautiful inside and out!

Lindsey M. Roberts Good point, alkemie. Aesthetics are a big factor in decision making, even though you can't measure stats on aesthetics.

Ridge Carpentry LLC My house is 100 years old and replaced most but did restore the double hungs in my living room with the old glass from the ones I replaced.

Window Doctor of Colorado, LLC Simonton manufacturers many windows to fit these applications. Get the benefits of a new window, while still maintaining the architectural aesthetic. All you need to do is find the right contractor. In the Denver metro area, Window Doctor of Colorado can help you out. Fair pricing, outstanding product, and years of experience. http://www.windowdoctorofcolorado.com

jonnymac of course the Window salesman would say that....

daisy48 i have to do a asignment on: where doors and windows are in harmonious alignment to each other and explain why i feel this way about drawing on the elements and principles , can u please assist with any helpful tips or examples