Unless your home is fairly new, we’ve all been there with our old windows:
- They seem leaky and definitely NOT energy-efficient. As it continues to get cold outside, they could be letting in cold air and making your attempts to lower your heating bills futile.
- They’re not easy to slide open or may even be painted shut. Not only is this frustrating, but you can get hurt trying to force a window sash to move properly. It may seem like a minor annoyance, but there is satisfaction in getting an old, stuck window back to a smooth operation! Not to mention, the joy of getting fresh air into your home.
- They aren’t looking fresh anymore. They may be damaged, peeling, and chipping, or the wood and paint may look dull. Now might be the time to give them some TLC. Getting old windows brought back to their original beauty can be rewarding, too.
Replace versus Restore
Why do window replacement companies lead you to believe that your old windows are the main cause of your old home’s high heat bills?
#1 They want you to buy their windows.
#2 Windows are the easiest structurally to switch out.
#3 They assume you won’t pay for negative air and blower tests to find the real air leakage points in your home.
#4 Homeowners are often overwhelmed by all the major restoration projects their old homes need. They are susceptible to the “easy fix” window replacement companies promise.
#5 Double pane, insulated glass can lose its seal and get foggy; replacement is the only option.
You don’t need to trash your old windows and put in modern, replacement windows. First, not all your windows may need to be restored. If the windows do not need to be operable and the wood is in good condition, simply leave them in place and refresh and seal them with a new layer of paint.
Second, thousands of homeowners who value the historic features of their older homes are restoring and repairing their windows. While your home may not be a stately, older home to others, it is to you. Keep the original look of your home by keeping your old windows. After all, their style was chosen to match your home and its unique trim.
What are other reasons to restore and repair windows?
- Antique wood windows are constructed from old growth timber. Modern wood windows are made of tree-farmed softwoods. The old growth wood is more dense, stronger, of higher quality, more weather resistant and can be made more ornate and attractive than modern, softer-wood windows.
- Modern replacement windows – wood, vinyl, or aluminum – are only warrantied for 20 years, at best. (I read the warranties and it’s true!) With proper maintenance, your restored antique windows will last for generations to come. Even without maintenance, they may last that long!
- You care about the environment and your carbon footprint.
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- PVC (polyvinyl chloride) windows contain lead as a stabilizer and their manufacture is an environmental nightmare. These windows emit dangerous gases over time. In the event of a home fire, burning PVC releases toxic amounts of dioxin causing severe health effects, including liver damage, reproductive problems, and even death.
- The entire life cycle of replacement windows from production to shipping, installation, and removal consumes a whole lot of energy compared to the embodied energy of an old window. Restoring windows can create up to 10 lbs. of waste, but replacing windows generates around 50 lbs. of waste.
- The greenest way to build is to conserve and restore existing wooden structures, including windows.
- Stay local. Support your local craftspeople who pay local taxes and can do the repairs and restoration work professionally.
- The original weights, weight pockets, and pulley system are the best balance systems invented. They are easily serviced or their parts replaced. Vinyl jamb liners or invisible balance systems have a less than 20-year lifetime.
In our older home, the previous owner installed vinyl replacement windows. After only 15 years, the flimsy strings broke and the vinyl started to deteriorate. We had to replace them again! No wonder professional window restorers call these replacement windows “disposable windows.”
- Repairing old windows by replacing broken glass and failed glazing seals and adding weather stripping has a larger impact on energy efficiency than replacing the entire window with a new one. The claims by the window replacement industry that old windows will never be as energy efficient and cost-effective as new, replacement windows are blatantly false! Several Universities, the Department of Interior, and US Army research centers have proved that the difference in estimated first-year savings between restored windows with added storm windows and replacement windows is negligible. Adding a storm window to a restored, weather-stripped window can make the old window as efficient, if not more efficient, than a new, double-paned glass unit.
- Replacement window sashes are narrower and thus require the frames to be expanded. This makes the glass panes smaller and reduces your viewing space and daylight. Replacing a whole window unit also requires replacing the window trim as well.
- Old windows with lead paint must be removed to have your home lead safe. FALSE! Complete restoration of an old window includes safe removal of its lead paint before repairing and repainting. Or if you don’t need to open the window at all and the paint is tight, the window is lead safe.
With all these sound reasons, why would you throw your old wood windows in the dump? The choice is yours, old-home owner. You can hire a professional window restorer* or do the window restoration work yourself. Eco-Strip’s infrared paint removers from Speedheater™ and paint and putty scraping tools are your answer to efficiently, effectively, and safely restoring your windows. Check out our DIY Window Makeover and other Bundles and books to get started.
Special thanks to:
Window Preservation Alliance windowpreservationalliance.org for their content and *directory of professional window restorers
Rob Cagnetta of Heritage Restoration, Inc., for his Facebook post on May 15, 2025. He inspired me to update this blog from 2016.
UPDATED 5/19/25
by Catherine Brooks, Eco-Strip May 2025
