Historic Window Blog

How one copes with historic windows on a landmark property can be a very complex issue. There is an inherent responsibility or burden depending upon how you look at it that is attached to a historically significant building. Our company has engaged with owners, architects, and contractors from across the country to perform window work on prominent structures, and there are usually more questions than answers as decisions are made to address the problems with historic fenestration.

I intend to write this blog in order to address the many factors one might consider when evaluating how to solve window issues on a landmark property. Many factors come into play when one develops a strategy including but not limited to the following:

• The architectural significance of the building
• The prominence of the existing windows in the architectural style
• The presence of codes or historic guidelines established by State or Federal preservation agencies
• The budget available to perform the work
• The planned use of the building
• Energy requirements of the building
• Security requirements of the building
• The experience of the architect
• The mood of the preservation officer

In addition to confronting the debate as to what should be done on historic windows, I intend to share experiences of our company on window issues. We will look at what works and what fails when working on historic windows.

By posting this blog, I hope to enlighten people on many of the issues that impact a preservation project so that better decisions may be made prior to construction.