Repair or Replace Old Windows - National Trust for Historic

Repair or Replace Old Windows
A V isu al L ook at th e Im pacts
Repair or Replace Old Windows
19th centu ry Italianate sty le h ou se
Replacem ent windows do not m atch size, ty pe or m aterial
A V isu al L ook at th e Im pacts
W ind ow s are a b ig part of old er and historic b u ild ings, from M ain S treet commercial stru ctu res to mod ernist mid -centu ry resid ences. Original w ind ow s
comprise ab ou t one q u arter of the su rface area of exterior w alls. W ind ow s often help id entify the architectu ral style, d esign and give scale to a b u ild ing.
Ju st as w ind ow s d efine the character of a b u ild ing, they also contrib u te to the
larger context of neighb orhood s and d ow ntow ns and their character. T he visu al impact and appearance of new , replacement w ind ow s that d o not match
or replicate featu res can b e d ramatic. Even minor changes to the appearance
of w ind ow s can alter the w ay a b u ild ing looks. Original material is lost and
throw n aw ay. And some b u ild ings may no longer b e consid ered ’historic’ in
terms of integrity and eligib ility for historic d esignation. W hen choosing b etw een repairing or replacing old w ind ow s, a lot need s to b e factored in, inclu d ing the visu al impacts. T his resou rce, d ivid ed into the follow ing sections,
is intend ed to help you look at you r old w ind ow s, b u ild ing and think ab ou t all
options b efore making a d ecision.
S h ou ld I Repair M y Old Windows?
Wh en are Replacem ent Windows N ecessary?
Do th e Benefits Ou tweig h th e Costs?
Wh en Replacing M y Windows, Wh at N ot To Do?
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Impersonating the Original
A M od ern Dilemma
Au thenticity Cou nts
One W ind ow , M u ltiple R eplacements
P u tting W ind ow s in Context
For m ore inform ation...
Go to www.P reservationN ation.org /Weath erization to find
ad d itional resou rces on w ind ow s and mu ch more for you r
old er and historic b u ild ing.
H istoric L and marks Fou nd ation of Ind iana
Do Window Details M atter?
Case S tu dies:
• A M aterial Issu e
• In-K ind R eplacement
• S ize M atters
• Close, Bu t N ot Enou gh
• A Blu rry V iew
Repair or Replace Old Windows
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B
C
S h ou ld I Repair M y Old Windows?
W henever possib le, repair an original w ind ow , rather than replace it.
Any w ind ow over time w ill d eteriorate w ith the exposu re to the elements. M ost old er w ind ow s, especially w ood w ind ow s, can b e easily
repaired b y a DIY -er or b y hiring a q u alified contractor. It also w ill b e
far more economical than pu rchasing all new replacement w ind ow s.
Old er w ind ow s perform w ell w hen maintained . P rob lems arise from
a lack of maintenance, w ater and cond ensation d amage, and u ltra
violet light d egrad ation. L ayers of paint b u ild u p may also make w ind ow s d ifficu lt to operate and u nattractive. M ost old er w ind ow s can
b e mad e more energy efficient b y sealing gaps w ith cau lk, replacing
glazing compou nd , fixing b roken glass, repairing loose w ood parts
and installing w eather stripping. An appropriate storm w ind ow may
also help red u ce heat loss w hile retaining original w ind ow s.
D
Ask Y ou rself T wo Q u estions
1. H ow important are w ind ow s in terms of architectu ral significance
and the character of my b u ild ing? U su ally w ind ow s play an important role, especially those at the front and on sid es that are
highly visib le from the street.
2. Are the w ind ow s really b eyond repair? Often w ind ow s in d isrepair
look w orse than they actu ally are and can b e easily repaired and
retrofitted for greater energy efficiency at a significantly low er
cost than replacements.
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Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
A, B Tw o eight-over-eight d ou b le-hu ng sash d ormer w ind ow s.
Both are in d isrepair; w ind ow A w ill need to b e reb u ilt or replaced to match w ind ow B.
C
Broken glass on these architectu rally d istinctive w ind ow s can
b e easily replaced and w ind ow s repaired .
D
A coat of paint and rou tine and preventive maintenance can
restore w ind ow s to their original appearance.
E
U niq u e roof monitor w ith w ell-maintained and character d efining six-over-six d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s.
F
Grou p of six-over-six d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s w ith transoms, only need ing paint.
F
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
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C
B
Wh en Are Replacem ent Windows N ecessary?
A selling point of replacement w ind ow s is that they are maintenance free. In tru th, b ased on their materials, components and
relatively short life expectancy, you , and su b seq u ent ow ners, w ill
prob ab ly b e looking at replacing you r replacement w ind ow s in
less than 20 years. H ow ever, the selling point of old w ind ow s is
most have b een on the job for 5 0 to 10 0 years or more, and can
continu e to d o so.
N ot every old w ind ow shou ld b e saved . S ometimes it is necessary to replace a w ind ow d u e to extensive d eterioration or missing components. An entire w ind ow may need to b e replaced or
sometimes selectively ju st components, su ch as retaining the
frame w hile installing new sashes. W hen replacing w ind ow s, rememb er to match the originals as closely as possib le. N ew w ind ow s shou ld replicate originals, in terms of size, glazing (tint),
proportions, w id th, d imension of components (mu ntins, frame),
profile of sash, d epth and materials.
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B
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D
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Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
F
S ix-over-six d ou b le-hu ng sash w ith loose meeting rail,
missing glass — can b e repaired .
Q u een Anne w ind ow s need ing paint, re-glazing — can b e
repaired .
Tw o-over-tw o d ou b le-hu ng sash w ith loose b ottom rail,
need ing paint, re-glazing — can b e repaired .
Arched d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s missing glass and
frames — replacement likely.
One-over-one d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s and fixed transoms w ith d etached meeting rail, need ing paint and reglazing — can b e repaired .
Q u een Anne w ind ow in poor cond ition, d etached from
frame and missing glass — b ord erline, req u iring extensive
repairs.
Q u een Anne w ind ow missing glass and su b ject to stru ctu ral settling of the b u ild ing — b ord erline, req u iring extensive repairs.
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D
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
1890 s Q u een Anne sty le h ou se
Orig inal one-over-one dou b le-h u ng sash windows with storm windows
Do th e Benefits Ou tweig h th e Costs?
As a homeow ner you have to assess the cost-b enefit analysis
or ‘payb ack’ that comes w ith repairing or replacing you r w ind ow s. Does replacing w ind ow s make economic sense? Can I
achieve similar energy savings b y repairing w ind ow s?
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Althou gh d ata varies, somew here b etw een 10 and 25 % of
heat loss is actu ally attrib u ted to w ind ow s. M ost heat is typically lost throu gh you r roof and u n-insu lated w alls. Given
that an average hou se has b etw een 24 and 3 0 w ind ow s, and
a typical replacement w ind ow u nit costs b etw een $ 5 0 0 1,0 0 0 each, d oes an investment of $ 12,0 0 0 or more make
sense? On the flipsid e, the cost to restore an existing w ind ow
and ad d storm w ind ow s (w here appropriate) w ill generally
b e mu ch less (d epend ing on if you d o it you rself or hire a
contractor), approximately b etw een $ 125 to 8 0 0 each.
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M any w ind ow replacement manu factu rers claim greater savings than actu ally occu r. S ince w ind ow s accou nt for at most
25 % of heat loss, the payb ack and time to recou p you r investment in terms of energy savings cou ld take b etw een 4 0
and as mu ch as 20 0 years, b ased on variou s stu d ies. A stu d y
from V ermont show s the savings gained from replacement
w ind ow s as opposed to a restored w ood en w ind ow w ith a
storm is only $ .6 0 . T he ad d ed prob lem is most replacement
w ind ow s w ill not last as long as 4 0 years, mu ch less over a
hu nd red years. And some are b eing replaced only after 10
years of service.
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Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
Do T h e M ath
• 13 w ind ow s on the front of the hou se (in total 3 5 )
• $ 5 0 0 -1,0 0 0 for each replacement w ind ow u nit
• Total costs for new w ind ow s: $ 17,5 0 0 —3 5 ,0 0 0
• Average savings gained from replacement w ind ow s (in
comparison to similar, restored w ind ow s w ith storms):
$ 25 .0 0 —5 0 .0 0 per month
• T he payb ack w ill take ab ou t 6 0 years
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
B
Wh en Replacing M y Windows, Wh at N ot To Do?
Original w ind ow s w ere cu stom d esigned to fit you r old er and historic b u ild ing. You cannot say the same for replacement w ind ow s.
Often, off-the-shelf replacement w ind ow u nits d o not match originals closely enou gh in d esign, overall appearance or fit. As original
w ind ow s play an important role in d efining the character of a
b u ild ing, installing w ind ow s that d o not match — especially in
terms of size and shape, type and color of frame, tint of glazing —
can make a significant d ifference in how the b u ild ing looks.
Ch ang ing th e S ize
R ed u cing or enlarging the w ind ow opening to accommod ate a
new replacement w ind ow is particu larly harmfu l. It completely
changes the entire proportions of a b u ild ing, not to mention red u cing d aylight and potential air circu lation. If you d o choose to
replace you r original w ind ow s, d o not eliminate w ind ow openings,
in-fill or alter them to accommod ate smaller or larger w ind ow s.
T hese examples illu strate the d ramatic change in appearance.
A
B
C
D
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G
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Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
E
Italianate style row hou ses, sid e b y sid e. Bu ild ing to the right
retains original arched one-over-one d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s. Bu ild ing to the left has smaller replacement w ind ow s
and in-fill panels installed in the original opening.
Ind u strial b u ild ing converted for hou sing w ith red u ced w ind ow s and in-fill openings.
M ain S treet commercial b u ild ing w ith u pper floor w ind ow s
removed , openings red u ced d ow n and mu ch smaller replacement w ind ow s that d o not match.
A stock, smaller w ind ow u nit w as u sed to replace a larger
d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow .
Brick w as u sed to in-fill the original opening of the rou nd arched w ind ow .
Tw o rou nd arched w ind ow s w ere removed and replaced b y
one larger pictu re w ind ow , completely d ifferent in d esign
and period to the historic M ain S treet b u ild ing.
T hree vertically-oriented Gothic style w ind ow s w ere red u ced
and replaced b y horizontally-oriented hopper type w ind ow s.
C
D
E
G
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
B
C
D
Do Window Details M atter?
Y es. Even w hen maintaining the original opening and general
size of the old w ind ow s, replacement w ind ow s can sometimes
miss the mark w hen d etails and overall d esign are off. To the
greatest extent possib le, new w ind ow s shou ld match originals as
closely as possib le. T hese examples of replacement w ind ow s
show how even su b tle d ifferences, even minor changes in d esign,
can have an impact on the overall character of an old er and historic b u ild ing.
A
B
C
D
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Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
G, H
R eplacing an original d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow w ith a
casement and fixed transom d ramatically changes the look
and architectu ral character of this historic b u ild ing.
M od ern interpretation of an arched w ind ow alters the pattern and overall d esign on this monu mental civic b u ild ing.
If original w ind ow s are no longer intact, this approach may
b e acceptab le as w ind ow s clearly reflect their ow n era.
R eplacing a rou nd arched d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow is a
one-over-one d ou b le-hu ng sash w ith fixed transom. T his
illu strates u sing stock w ind ow s to fit an opening that often
req u ires a cu stom or more costly replacement w ind ow .
T he thickness of mu ntins as w ell as their profile can make a
d ifference. T his w ind ow is not a tru e d ivid ed -light d esign,
instead featu ring applied , flat mu ntins.
N ew w ind ow s w ill often req u ire ‘b u ild ing ou t’ and enlarging
the casing and su rrou nd to accommod ate a stock replacement u nit, effectively red u cing the size of the w ind ow in
comparison to the originals.
T he introd u ction of a hopper w ind ow completely alters the
look of this w ind ow .
W ind ow G featu res the original tw enty-over-tw enty d ou b le
-hu ng sash w ind ow . T he replacement, w ind ow H , is a fixed
one-over-one u nit. T he d esign, profile and d epth are altered in the process.
N ew w ind ow s attempt to replicate originals, thou gh the
casing and su rrou nd is w id er and the fixed fanlight d oes
not match originals.
H
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : A M aterial Issu e
A series of 19 3 0 s d u plexes in this neighb orhood w ere d esigned in the
Tu d or R evival architectu ral style. Each featu res large w ind ow openings,
prominent b ays as a central focu s, and original steel casement w ind ow s.
Original w ind ow s are a primary character d efining featu re.
A, B Both sid es of this d u plex featu re original rolled steel casement w ind ow s w ith interior storm w ind ow inserts.
C, D Both sid es of this d u plex have replacement w ind ow s. T he one to
the left more closely mimics the lines and d etails of the original
steel casements, thou gh the new w ind ow s are a mixtu re of fixed
and d ou b le-hu ng sash u nits and the proportions are not an exact
match. T he u nit to the right also featu res fixed and d ou b le-hu ng
sash replacement w ind ow s. In this case, the resu lt is less su ccessfu l
w ith w hite vinyl casing and a central pictu re w ind ow missing any
mu ntin pattern.
B
C
D
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : In-K ind Replacem ent
In this d ramatic b efore and after transformation, a severely d eteriorated and ab and oned
d u plex w as recently rehab ilitated . T he project preserved important character-d efining featu res, inclu d ing replicating original w ind ow s w ith new replacement u nits. T he original w ind ow s — simple w ood one-over-one d ou b le-hu ng sashes — had long d isappeared as the
b u ild ing fell into d ecline and years of vacancy. W hen replacing a historic w ind ow , it is important to retain original w ind ow casings and trim w hen possib le. T hese d etails often have
stylistic featu res associated w ith the b u ild ing’s architectu ral style. In this example, the
d ecorative carved w ood casings w ere intact even thou gh the w ind ow s w ere not.
A, B Original w ind ow s are missing b u t d ecorative casings and openings remain.
C, D As part of the rehab ilitation project, new w ood d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s w ere chosen to fit the original openings and the d ecorative casings w ere repaired and retained . N ew w ind ow s replicate the originals in terms of size, type, proportion and
materials.
B
C
D
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : S ize M atters
In these tw o examples, original w ind ow s w ere replaced and the
openings w ere red u ced to accommod ate a mu ch smaller replacement w ind ow .
A
B
C
Tw o, arched nine-over-one d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow s are in
d isrepair w ith loose meeting rails and paint b u ild u p. T hey
can b e easily repaired and still maintain the character of the
b u ild ing.
An id entical b u ild ing w ith replacement w ind ow s. S tock u nits
w ere u sed w ith alu minu m in-fill arou nd the opening. T he d ifference in character b etw een A and B is d ramatic.
T he u pper story w ind ow s of this M ain S treet commercial
stru ctu re w ere replaced w ith stock u nits w ith in-fill at the
top and b ottom.
B
C
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : Close, Bu t N ot Enou g h
Tw o similar hou ses, b oth Tu d or R evival style and d ating to the
19 20 s or early 3 0 s. Both featu red steel casement w ind ow s,
w hereas only one retains the original w ind ow s tod ay.
A
S teel casement w ind ow s w ith fixed transoms and sid elights, featu ring interior storm w ind ow s. T hese w ind ow s
are a character d efining featu re of the hou se.
B
R eplacement w ind ow s attempt to match w ith casement
style u nits yet the proportion, pattern, w id th and lack of a
tru e d ivid ed -light miss the mark.
C, D T he d ifferences b etw een the original and replacement are
read ily seen, w here the w id er casing and su rrou nd are
mu ch prominent on the replacement w ind ow s.
C
B
D
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : A Blu rry V iew
S tained , lead ed , slag and other types of d ecorative glass w ere meant to b e
seen from the insid e and ou t-of-d oors. In efforts to protect the fragile glass
from vand alism and exposu re to the elements, protective glazing systems are
sometimes u sed , especially on religiou s properties. W hen improperly installed
and inappropriate materials u sed , these systems can not only d istort and ob scu re the look of the w ind ow s b u t also cau se more d amage than if left exposed . W hen u nvented , moistu re from cond ensation is trapped lead ing to
w ood rot and often severe d eterioration of the w ind ow frames.
A
B
Exposed original one-over-one d ou b le-hu ng slag glass w ind ow .
P lastics (L exan or P lexiglass) are impact-resistant and nearly shatterproof b u t tend to yellow and get hazy over time.
W ind ow s are ob scu red and the pattern is d ramatically altered w ith new
alu minu m rails as part of this protective glazing system.
C
B
C
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : Im personating th e Orig inal
S ome w ind ow manu factu rers claim they can replicate and closely match the d etails of original
w ind ow s. M ost often, replacement w ind ow s fall short of d u plicating the look and rich d etailing
of original w ind ow s. T hese examples clearly illu strate this prob lem.
A
An early 19 4 0 s apartment b u ild ing d esigned in the Art Deco style featu res corner, steel
casement w ind ow s. T he slend er profile of the mu ntins and casing is a character d efining
featu re. T he replacement d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow , at the b ottom, attempts to match
the lines of the original, yet the mu ntin pattern and w id th of casing are mu ch d ifferent.
Tw o d ou b le-hu ng sash replacement w ind ow s on sid e-b y-sid e row hou ses d emonstrate
the su b tle, b u t noticeab le d ifferences in d esign. W hile original w ind ow s w ere id entical,
these are d ifferent in terms of d epth, mu ntin size and pattern and w id th of casing.
B
B
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : A M odern Dilem m a
Bu ild ings d ating to the second half of the 20 th centu ry challenged earlier architectu ral practices and d esign, featu ring experimental materials and introd u cing new concepts, su ch as the ‘pictu re w ind ow .’ Tod ay, some of these materials are failing, d ifficu lt to maintain, and may fall short of optimal energy efficiency goals. As important character-d efining featu res, repair is optimal as
find ing replacements that match w ill b e d ifficu lt. T hese examples illu strate the
challenges.
A
Original, character d efining w ind ow s and corru gated stainless steel
d etail are b eing removed on this 19 5 0 s office b u ild ing, replaced b y d ark
tinted fixed w ind ow s that d o not match.
B, C L arge spans of single pane and plate glass req u ire innovative solu tions,
su ch as cu stom d esigned storm w ind ow s.
B
C
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : Au th enticity Cou nts
M ost old er w ind ow s are tru e d ivid ed -light, w ith mu ntins that are solid , d ivid ing the
ind ivid u al panes of glass. As opposed to a solid piece of glass, a tru e d ivid ed -light
w ind ow is mu ch more rich in d etail and architectu ral character. M any replacement
w ind ow s, how ever, are not tru e d ivid ed light and instead featu re mu ntins that are
applied , ‘sand w iched ’ in b etw een glass or clipped on from the insid e. T his example
illu strates.
A
B
C
A former carriage hou se, rehab ilitated and preserved for a new u se, featu res
replacement w ind ow s that attempt to look like tru e d ivid ed -light w ind ow s.
T his fou r-over-fou r d ou b le-hu ng sash still has its original w ood casing w ith a
replacement w ind ow w ith clipped on interior mu ntins. T here is little d imension or d epth w ith this d esign and instead looks like a one-over-one sash.
T his show s how clipped on interior mu ntins can loosen or fall off.
B
C
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
A
CAS E S T U DY : One Window, M u ltiple Replacem ents
M ost old er and historic neighb orhood s w ere b u ilt, at least in part, b y a few
d evelopers often employing similar architectu ral d esigns and featu res,
su ch as w ind ow s. T his example of a simple rou nd arched , w ood w ind ow
clearly show s how d ifferent replacement w ind ow s can b e from one another.
A
T his eight-over-eight d ou b le-hu ng sash w ind ow w ith w ood casing
and sill is a common featu re on hou ses in this neighb orhood .
T his replacement w ind ow attempts to replicate d etails of the original. H ow ever, it is not a tru e d ivid ed -light, the casing is w rapped in
alu minu m and the u pper sash is flat and not rou nd arched .
T his replacement tries to look like a rou nd arched w ind ow b u t is instead flat, featu res a completely d ifferent mu ntin pattern, has casing
w rapped in alu minu m and is not a tru e d ivid ed -light.
B
C.
B
C
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
C
D
CAS E S T U DY : P u tting Windows in Context
W hen a homeow ner chooses to alter featu res, su ch as replacing w ind ow s, this
may inad vertently also change the character of the larger neighb orhood and
context, especially w hen it happens in a d omino pattern. Over time, as changes
take place hou se-b y-hou se, the d istinctive character of the neighb orhood can
b e d iminished .
A, B Tw o simple S hotgu n style homes that w ere once nearly id entical, to each
other, and throu ghou t the neighb orhood .
C
Original tw o-over-tw o d ou b le-hu ng w ind ow s are a very prominent featu re of these homes, d irectly relating to the size of the main entrance.
D.
T he original w ind ow s w ere replaced , the openings red u ced , and stock
w ind ow s installed that are no longer in scale to the proportions of the
hou se.
A
B
Ad rian S cott Fine/N T H P
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Repair or Replace Old Windows
Early 20 th centu ry Q u een Anne sty le h ou se
Orig inal windows h elp define th e ch aracter of older b u ilding s
T he N ational Tru st for H istoric P reservation (w w w .P reservationN ation.
org) is a non-profit memb ership organization b ringing people
together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to
them. By saving the places w here great moments from history—and
the important moments of everyd ay life—took place, the N ational
Tru st for H istoric P reservation helps revitalize neighb orhood s
and commu nities, spark economic d evelopment and promote
environmental su stainab ility. W ith head q u arters in W ashington,
DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner
organizations in all 5 0 states, the N ational Tru st for H istoric
P reservation provid es lead ership, ed u cation, ad vocacy and resou rces
to a national netw ork of people, organizations and local commu nities
committed to saving places, connecting u s to ou r history and
collectively shaping the fu tu re of America’s stories.
178 5 M assachu setts Avenu e, N W
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