Once again I’ve had the pleasure to host the “Live at 5:25″ Preservation Burlington monthly show,

http://www.cctv.org/node/86737 ,on CCTV Channel 17.

This month we were lucky enough to have syndicated columnist and author of About the House, Henri de Marne talk to us about old homes and seasonal water problems and some of the causes and problems related to that perennial issue. Mold, air exchange and “drafty old houses” were some of the key points touched upon. My favorite sound bite was - Ron “Are drafty old houses better?” Henri “Well, healthier, in some ways”.

Henri can be reached at http://www.henridemarne.com/ and you can watch the episode at http://www.cctv.org/node/86737

Enjoy,

Ron

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http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/historic-buildings-historic-districts

I hope you enjoy watching,

Ron

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WINTER ENERGY TIP FROM BED

By Mary Sullivan, BED Communications Coordinator - City of Burlington, Pine St, msullivan@burlingtonelectric.com Fri, 06 November 2009

Here is a tip from Chris Burns, director of BED’s Energy Services.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Energy Tip from the Burlington Electric Department

With the heating season here it is important to know what types of improvements save energy in buildings and what do not. There is still a lot of myths and misinformation.        

Let’s discuss two — setting back the temperature and replacing windows.  A thermostat setback does save energy. For each degree you lower the thermostat (for the entire day) you save about 2% on your bill.  With one or two regular setbacks lasting six to 10 hours each day it is possible to reduce your annual heating costs by 10 to 25%.  Consider getting a 7-day programmable thermostat (about $30 to $60) to automatically adjust the temperature for you.  You can program it to meet your work and sleep schedules.

Regarding window replacement, if your only reason for replacing windows is to save energy dollars it’s typically not worth it.  The annual energy costs for a typical single-glazed window with a storm is about $35 per year when using natural gas heat.  Installing the most energy efficient window could easily cut that in half.  However, the price of a window could be several hundred dollars. Savings of about $17 per year is not very cost-effective.  Houses generally lose much more heat through the ceiling to the attic, exterior walls and other air leaks than through the windows. More inches of insulation in the attic and/or sealing the big air leaks is almost always more cost-effective and improves comfort. 

When determining the best bang for your buck in making your homes more energy efficient and comfortable, feel free to consult with BED or Vermont Gas Systems about options and potential savings.

Please call BED at 865-7362 if you want more information on energy efficiency or visit http://www.burlingtonelectric.com.

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http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/september-october/presidents-note.htmlWe look forward to the results of this long term study about the energy efficiency of original windows.

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“How do you feel about replacing original windows in historic building with new in the name of “energy efficiency”?

“Why do they call them replacement windows? Because you have to replace them in 15 years.”

As an architect specializing for over 30 years in historic renovations and the “greening” of historic homes, I have never seen an instance where replacement windows cost less than restored windows, last longer than restored windows, are more energy efficient than restored windows with storms, or ever look as good as the original. I also find the payback period on a restored window is half or less than that of a replacement, and frequently the replacement is being replaced before the payback is ever realized. And if you want to talk “green”, if you consider the embodied energy in an existing window, the energy requirements for manufacture and installation of a replacement window, the remarkably small amount of energy required to restore a window, the lack of energy savings from replacement vs restored, and the disposal of the original window in a landfill, the replacement window is not a green product. So why are the feds pushing replacements windows? What would you expect when the window industry writes the guidelines for them?      Gary Kleier

130 year old wood windows, in exceptional condition, were replaced with vinyl windows because the contractor said they were better. Today the owner is in trouble with the local Historic Landmarks Commission, he is experiencing severe plaster damage, the installer is out of business and the heating and AC bills haven’t changed.

Kleier Associates Architects
P.O. Box 3343
Louisville, KY 40201-3343

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I would like to know what would be entailed in having my

beautiful 1939 doublehung windows and storms restore

(reglazed, repaired, replace hardware) and painted!

Best,

Juliet

Hi Juliet,

I am writing in response to your inquiry regarding your

1939 double hung windows and storms. The best way for us

to give you an idea of what your windows entail is by

assessing them. Depending on the size, amount of lights,i.e.,

one over one, two over two, six over one, six over six, and 

condition thereof,a full restoration can run $300.00 - $700.00

per window. The storm windows also depend on the condition,

amount of lights and size.However,storm windows are usually

2 over 2 or 1 over 1, and therefore cost about $250.00 -

$400.00 per storm.

After we provide a window assessment, free of charge, we

give you an estimate. If you decide to hire us, we remove

the window/s bring them to our shop where they are steamed,

to soften the glazing compound. The glass is carefully

removed and numbered, cleaned and set aside for installation.

The window sashes get stripped, sanded, primed. The glass is

then bed-glazed, then glazed. After the glazing compound skins

over, we apply two exterior coats of paint and the interior

side is also coated twice. If the sash needs repairs, i.e.

dutchman repair or epoxy (depending on the wood rot), it is

done after the sash is stripped, before it is primed.

Hardware: Also depending on the condition of the hardware and

if they match, we strip and polish the hardware, and replace

the rope with sash chain. We can also help find hardware to

match your existing hardware if some of the original hardware

has been replaced.

When the window/s are complete they are returned to their

original beauty and function.

I usually suggest to clients that they "do one room at a time"

when they opt to restore their windows.

I hope I answered your question/s sufficiently. Please feel

free to contact me or Ron with any other questions or concerns

you may have about your windows or any aspect of your 1939

home.

We teach a window restoration workshop at our shop for

Preservation Burlington two times yearly, if you are

interested I can inform as to when the next workshop is

taking place.

Thank you,

Amy Mentes

www.wanamakerrestoration.com

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http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10481483

Thanks to Darren Perron and Lance for making us all look so good.

Ron

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We had a great time teaching the Window Restoration Workshop for Preservation Burlington yesterday. If you couldn’t make it fear not we will be running it again late in the summer or early in the fall. Also, keep checking the Preservation Burlington website for other workshops and forums throughout the year.

In a related vein I’ve attached a link to the Landmark Society webblog “Confessions of a Preservationist” that talks about the fallacies of the window industry.

http://landmarksocietywny.blogspot.com/2009/05/debunking-window-replacement-myth.html

Enjoy,

Ron

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