If you are among the many people who fell in love with the ambiance of an old house, there are DIY ways to restore the original windows. Consider the following reasons restoration might further the peaceful enjoyment of your home.
If you possess some carpentry skills and a good set of tools, there's a good chance you can effectively complete this project over a lot of weekends. Old homes typically have wooden casings that are relatively simple to remove. And if they are already painted, versus a natural wood finish, there's no reason to worry about cracking or chipping casement lumber.
Once the original models have been removed, you can cover the opening with a standard plastic insulating wrap or a sturdier material if needed while you work on restoring the older windows.
One of the driving reasons that property owners replace old windows stems from a perception energy efficiency cannot match newer models. But how much energy efficiency is enough, and can you upgrade the originals?
Starting with the drafty casings, a wide range of insulation options remain available. Spray foam ranks among the most popular and effective products for closing air gaps. DIY homeowners can also tuck fiberglass insulation into spaces to shore them up.
The top reason many homeowners give up on older windows involves glass as thin as 1/16 of an inch. Modern replacement windows typically employ thicknesses of 3/16, as well as double- and triple-pane options. That may seem like a huge difference, but older window panes can also be removed and casings fitted with new and thicker glass.
Christine Metros Natale
Broker and Owner
Christine Metros Natale has been one of New England’s top real estate brokers for the past 38 years. In fact, before forming Homes by Christine, Christine was one of the top 25 agents for RE/MAX and Century 21.
