I love having our work publicized (like the recent article in the Salem News) but I worry that we talk about the big, fancy projects and the public gets a false impression that only the Important (with a capital I) houses are worthy of restoration or have budgets big enough to afford this kind of work.
In reality, 98% of our work is average, everyday houses. The cost for average windows is a lot less than quoted project prices in the newspaper. But, there is no way a reporter is going to come out and write a story about Average Joe and his typical restoration project windows. And certainly I don't expect to have a story written about my ten minute fix of a 1979 casement window I did for a woman who couldn't get anyone else to come out for such a small project. We call these goodwill projects.
Historic windows, or those that are in significant houses and press worthy are good for the portfolio, but antique windows are our bread and butter, and quite frankly I like them better. I like houses that people are living in and opening and closing their windows and admiring how well they work after all those years.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Why I Love 1920's Houses
Every time I get asked to do an estimate for a house built between 1920 and 1930 I'm reasonably certain I'm going to find windows that can be restored.
During this era it seemed like window factories finally had it figured out. The construction of the sash is good mortise and tenon, the jambs are securely constructed and the pocket covers for the weights are well made. This is less common in houses built in the 1880's- 1900's. It seems like then there was still a good deal of experimentation with jamb construction. We'll often find pocket covers cut in odd places, often looking like they were hacked at instead of precision made. The top and bottom corners of the frame aren't held together well, and sometimes not secured to the framing. Usually we can work with it, but the solidness of the 1920's construction is a thing of beauty.
So, if you have a house built during this period, think long and hard before replacing the quality made materials (no matter how shabby they may look after decades of paint and neglect) with modern replacement windows.
During this era it seemed like window factories finally had it figured out. The construction of the sash is good mortise and tenon, the jambs are securely constructed and the pocket covers for the weights are well made. This is less common in houses built in the 1880's- 1900's. It seems like then there was still a good deal of experimentation with jamb construction. We'll often find pocket covers cut in odd places, often looking like they were hacked at instead of precision made. The top and bottom corners of the frame aren't held together well, and sometimes not secured to the framing. Usually we can work with it, but the solidness of the 1920's construction is a thing of beauty.
So, if you have a house built during this period, think long and hard before replacing the quality made materials (no matter how shabby they may look after decades of paint and neglect) with modern replacement windows.
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