🏛️ Restoring Historic Charm—One Window at a Time
Catherine Brooks, owner of Eco-Strip, loves strolling the streets of her hometown—Chestertown, MD, founded in 1706. One restoration project especially caught her eye: the Kent Cultural Alliance’s (KCA) Raimond Cultural Center, a building undergoing a massive 4½-year renovation.
What stood out? The ugly Victorian dormer windows on the third floor. While most of the old windows in the building had been replaced, Catherine saw potential in restoring, not replacing, the unique features of the poorly-restored windows.
🔍 Why Keep the Original Windows?
Here’s why Catherine was determined to save those 19th-century beauties:
- Authentic wood windows can last 100+ years when properly restored
- Modern replacements (plastic or vinyl) last only 15–20 years
- Restoration is greener, cheaper, and historically accurate
☀️ Enter: Speedheater Infrared Paint Remover
The Speedheater infrared paint remover was the perfect tool for the job. Unlike sanding or using heat guns, infrared paint strippers like the Speedheater Cobra, Speedheater 1100, and Speedheater Rapid Slim
are safer and cleaner—especially when dealing with toxic lead paint.
⚡️ Benefits of using Speedheaters:
- Gentlest paint removal method on wood
- Lower heat softens dry, thick and even lead-based paint for easy scraping
- Minimal toxic dust, no lead fumes, and no messy chemical residue
- Works fast—cutting set up, stripping, and cleanup time in half
- Ideal for delicate, historic woodwork
All the Speedheater infrared paint remover models make window restoration projects like this much safer for workers and buildings and more efficient for all.
🛠️ Partnering with Pros
Catherine pitched the idea to Peter Battcock, the contractor overseeing the KCA project. Since the director of KCA prioritized historic accuracy, Peter was all in.
But with over 110 small glass panes, the restoration wasn’t easy. So Catherine brought in Iconic Windows of Chadds Ford, PA—experts in historical window restoration. Together, they made it happen.
Catherine Brooks, Eco-Strip, with installed, restored windows
❤️ Giving Back Is Core to Eco-Strip
Historic window restoration isn’t just a service—it’s a passion for Eco-Strip. Their values go beyond aesthetics:
- They donate tools and sponsorships to groups like:
- The Window Preservation Standards Collaborative
- The Preservation Trades Network
- The Window Preservation Alliance
- Local community DIY window restoration workshops
- Catherine herself served on the LeadSafe America board
🪟 The Finished Look
The restored dormer windows are fully reinstalled and look absolutely stunning. So the next time you pass by 101 Spring Avenue in Chestertown, MD, look up and admire those beautifully restored windows. They’re a testament not just to what Eco-Strip tools can do, but to what happens when a company truly believes in giving back to preserve history.
Fully re-installed, restored windows
The Kent Cultural Alliance is pleased with the stunning results obtained by the Eco-Strip project.
Updated 7/18/25
