building replacement windows for 1860 home
lignumvitae
| Posted in General Discussion on
I am going to build replacement windows, double hung, 4 over 4, 36 inches wide, 9 feet 6 inches tall (yes they are large) for an 1860’s home. The current windows are original and will use as a pattern.
I will not have a problem doing this but wonder if anyone has tips before I start. Are there any useful web links?
I will replace glass with thermopane – where to buy?
Anyone had problems with one wood over another?
Thanks
Replies
Not many windows made by me but more than a few old doors on very old houses.
Is this your house or anothers? Just me thinking again... Not sure many could build a modern triple pane, gas filled, window of that size..
Maybe you could contract with the house owner to oversee proper installation and weather stripping of the factory windows? Not the easiest job on earth to work with a crew that has only 'time' on their mind while installing them...... Any window, not properly installed, will never live the life they were made to last for....
But then again..What do I know?
Four over four.
Double or tripple gas filled four over four usually has the dividers inside the panes of glass, ie the glass itself is one big sheet and only looks like it is divided. I'm not sure if that is what thermopane is. My only knowledge of windows is having them upgraded in my home last month.
You have to decide if you are going to go with true divided lights .If so you will find that the muntin bars have to be wider than original.The only way of preserving the original width is a sigle thermo with glued on muntins.This leads to a more coherant reflection. I find the attraction of true divided lights to be in the incoherance of the reflection..You should also review weatherseals before starting..Just something to consider before embarking on this project.
See if you can locate a copy of ''Working Windows' by Terence Meany. Published by The Lyons Press in 1998. It may answer many of your questions.
9'6" windows sound like up/down sliders used to give full access rrom room to porch on southern (plantation) style houses.
SawdustSteve Long Island, NY (E of NYC
Reproduction Windows
L V - Suffice it to say that accurate reproduction windows can be had, but very difficult for the shop with little or no experience doing so. Divided light is always recommended, and there are sources for both the narrow sightline insulated glass (5/16") and the old style glass that is proper for your house. Compatible sealants combined with wood stops to the interior will help make a very long lasting installation.
The prime material is Honduras Mahogany as well as a few other imports. Clear White Pine is also very good. White Oak is also good. Cope and stick, mortise and tenon joinery is highly recommended.
The play of light from different pieces of glass is far more endearing than single panel, plastic divider, soulless insulated glass. With the size sash you have, it would be criminal to have fake divided lights. There is no energy penalty with divided lights, and a failed seal is much easier to replace than an entire window.
Some small historic manufacturers praise the virtue of single glazed glass with added storm windows - and the fact that they are as energy efficient as insulated. Climate will play a part in that, as well as annual rituals of installing and removing storms.
Remember to increase the sash weights with the added glass, and make sure all your pulleys are in good shape. 21st century seals are also nice, but again - difficult for the individual to source. Metal seals were the rage in early 20th century, but now it is possible to conceal silicone bulbs without compromising the appearance.
And that old adage 'Don't paint the edges or ends of the sash!' is not good advice. This had to be a works agreement between the painters and sash makers to keep each other in work. Sealing end grain with epoxy is recommended, and good paint or varnish everywhere else will go a long way in limiting hygroscopic swings and prolonging these into tthe 22nd Century.
All this info is unfortunatley not in any one book, and has been gathered by me over 40 years.
Dave Sochar
http://www.acornwoodworks.com
L.V.,
What you have may be worth saving. Imagine that you had an original 1966 Mustang, and you decided to throw out the original motor and drive train to put in a hybrid, to get better gas mileage. The result would make anyone who knows cars cry. You have a nice old house, and you might be throwing away good old windows for no reason. Similar result in people that know old houses.
I have built thousands of insulated glass windows. You don't want to go there. The result in an 1860's house will be Frankenstein style, at best. Look for some existing examples of what you want to do.
If you want to add value to your house, save those old windows. If you want to replace them anyway, put the old sash in the attic for the next owner to use when the insulated glass fails in 10-15 years. It only lasts as long as the caulking.
Put up some Harvey Tru Channel storms, and you will seal the house envelope. Then, breathe, and do some research. Post this question over at John Leeke's Historic Homeworks forum.
http://historichomeworks.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=16&sid=7d7557e026f7d273abff41a7b1b5ad14
Harold
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