This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
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Michael Updegraff – "Restoring Sash Windows"
There is charm in looking through the old wavy glass of a farmhouse’s sash windows. But that charm dissolves on a cold, stormy night, when those windows rattle and leak the winter winds inside. It’s common knowledge that the way to improve the situation is to rip out those century-old wooden sash windows and install some new low-E, double-pane, vinyl replacement windows. After all, new is better, right?
Not so fast. In Issue Seventeen, author Michael Updegraff takes a closer look at the myths of the replacement window. He makes the case that the stereotype of the rattly old window is a maintenance issue, rather than a design flaw: Studies show that properly kept sash windows, fitted with a seasonal storm pane during colder months, perform just as well as modern replacements. And wooden sashes are endlessly repairable and maintainable. Modern windows have a life span of just decades, and must be hauled off to the landfill once the internal seals rupture and the glass clouds over. Looking at the cost over lifespan, energy and materials used in manufacture, and aesthetic value, there is no contest. Restoring and maintaining old windows is the best way forward.
Beginning with a look at ancient methods of glass manufacture, Updegraff details the design of a wooden sash and dives into the process of repairing and restoring a window. Removing old glazing, pulling out the glass panes, cleaning, priming, and reglazing with putty are all described in detail. Drawing from the expertise of one of America’s foremost window repair specialists, he makes the case that old windows should not be relegated to dumpsters and junk piles in favor of factory-made replacements. With a little help and some knowledge, they can last many lifetimes more.
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