LIFEINTHEBIGOLDHOUSE
Restoring historic windows
Keeping the details
of a historic home
Resources for
window preservation
BY LAURI KRAMER SERAFIN
As the weather improves, it’s time to con-
sider window restoration.
Windows are one of the most important
character defi ning elements of a structure. In
my opinion, they should not be removed or
replaced. I would not consider buying an
old house without its original windows. The
wavy glass only adds to their charm. I hope to
encourage historic window preservation and
to provide resources. If I can do it, so can you.
Restoration and repair of wood windows
isn’t too diffi cult. They were made to be
maintained. Broken parts can be remade and
even whole sashes can be replicated. I fi rst
learned about window restoration from the
1980 s Old House Journal newsletter. I am not
a window professional, but I have performed
window repair and maintenance with good
results. Glazing windows is a skill that’s
learned in time. My husband has fi berglass
and epoxy experience and has had success
repairing damage with a two part epoxy fi ller.
Before thinking about replacement win-
dows, fi rst consider materials. Older win-
dows were often built with high quality, old
growth lumber, while replacement windows
have a limited life span. Older windows were
made of easily assembled parts and can last
for centuries. Maintenance generally involves
painting and occasional reglazing.
Older windows have also already made
use of natural materials. They should not be
placed in a landfi ll for new wood or vinyl
windows with a short life expectancy. In turn,
those will need to be replaced again. And
once thrown away, these old windows are lost
forever.
• Lower Columbia Preservation Society. A
local resource that provides window proj-
ects, links to to Clatsop Community College
historic preservation classes and other
library resources. It also provides detail about
Astoria Historic Landmark Commission
recommendations and provides links to the
city’s building code. This is very important for
owners of historic landmark homes or those
in dedicated historic districts.
• The Craftsman Blog. An informative blog
from Scott Sidler with tutorials and an
excellent course on windows for purchase.
• ‘True Tales from Old Houses.’ A podcast from
Stacy Grinsfelder, promoting window preser-
vation with a strong do it yourself work ethic.
• Historic HomeWorks. A resource for home
owners and professionals to maintain his-
toric buildings, especially the wood epoxy
repair discussion and video.
Also consider energy effi ciency. Old win-
dows can be very effi cient when kept in
good repair, or with the use of interior or exte-
rior storm windows. We have many interior
storm windows installed by previous own-
ers to increase energy effi ciency. I am remov-
ing them slowly as I work on my original
windows to keep them from leaking. I do
not care for the look of interior storm win-
dows, especially in the public rooms of the
Forsstrom House.
This leads to a consideration for aesthetics,
which lead to higher property values. Newer
windows do not often have the correct aes-
thetic for an older home. Historic homes with
original windows have also been demon-
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Photos by Lauri Kramer Serafi n
Three casement windows in the fi rst fl oor library of the Forsstrom House, topped with a
stationary leaded prism window. Exterior storms were also installed recently.
strated to have higher property values and
increased curb appeal, so consider using orig-
inal windows as investment preservation. I
inspect our windows annually to determine
those that are the highest priority for resto-
ration. There was much deferred maintenance
on our windows in the past. Luckily, their
materials are of high quality and are repair-
able. My husband and I work on windows in
the summer, removing paint layers, sanding
and painting.
Most of my 72 windows are wood case-
ment windows. These are relatively simple to
work on with few moving parts. We have four
double hung windows and we restored one of
them last year. For me, it was a needed review
of the double hung sash window anatomy.
When window repair is beyond my skill set,
our carpenter steps in. Often, he has the exact
tool I need to make the job easier. I use a win-
dow restoration craftsman to make replace-
ment sash or pieces.
Annually, I select a few exterior win-
dows for traditional wood and glass storm
windows. These are the correct vintage look
for the home. The highest priority win-
dows in the house were those with leaded
prism glass, along with those facing south
and west. These get the brunt of the weather
and are the best candidates for preservation.
The top window of an 1894 double hung sash
window in the pantry of the Forsstrom House.
I do the measurements and have them cus-
tom made. They’re fi tted, primed and painted
to get ready for hanging. They can be heavy
and challenging, scaff olding and extra hands
make installation much easier.
Lauri Kramer Serafi n is the owner of the
Forsstrom House in Astoria’s Shively-Mc-
Clure Historic District. For more about her
restoration work, contact forsstromhouse@
gmail.com or visit theforsstromhouse.com.