[MassHistPres] Restoring windows and lead paint issues

Thu Dec 31 11:24:55 EST 2009

Hello,
The problem of locally grown wood is recognized as serious. One aspect is the past use of "high grading" taking the best and leaving the rest. It has taken time to increase the supply of good trees to be sustainably harvested. Another change in the past 20-30 years is the fragmentation of woodlots into smaller and smaller ownerships making woodland management more difficult. And the final problem is that described in an ad by the Woodlands Coop "Home Grown Wood" last week: the undercutting of local saw mills. Cowls is closing citing long negative bottom line. Computerization of milling makes the difference, but there seems to be insufficient incentive to make that investment here. So, I-91 will continue to be full of log trucks taking our resource out of state, rather than building a Massachusetts industry. 

The preservation community has an obvious vested interest in this and one place to learn more is at Harvard Forest in Petersham, site of those fantastic dioramas on the history of woodlands, to www.wildlandsandwoodlands.org for the long term advocacy program, and to the Mass. Bureau of Forestry at DCR. 

Marcia Starkey
Greenfield Historical Commission          
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: jade 
  To: WestmillPres at aol.com ; TuckerJ at amherstma.gov ; mdstarkey at crocker.com ; djd184 at verizon.net ; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu 
  Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:22 PM
  Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Restoring windows and lead paint issues

  it would be nice to buy locally from conscientious loggers....cowls (amherst) appears to enjoy a good reputation...i have purchased lumber from them and hall (hill?) tavern farm in charlemont.....up here, in the hill towns, there are small lumber mills and in amherst there is an outfit that sells salvaged timber....

  in theory, having the state oversee harvesting from local forests sounds ideal...the state owns about half the land in hawley (where i live)...it uses out of town/state loggers and ships a lot of the lumber to canada AND the town could really use the half million dollars they've owe us for many years now...

  most of the old windows we work on have never had paint on the bottom rail where the sash sits on the sill...that's a real testament to the density and structural soundness of old growth lumber...

  jade mortimer
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: WestmillPres at aol.com 
    To: TuckerJ at amherstma.gov ; jade at crocker.com ; mdstarkey at crocker.com ; djd184 at verizon.net ; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu 
    Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12:14 PM
    Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Restoring windows and lead paint issues

    In response to Mr. Tucker, I get your point, but the LAST thing anyone needs is the state government in control of determining lumber quality. Could probably arrange a surcharge for their "service" to boot. Perhaps even require prevailing wage and DCAM certification as well. Can't trust a job like that to just anyone after all. How about trusting people to know themselves what they are buying. If they choose to buy garbage from Home Depot, that is there choice. We do not need the government to "protect" them. With respect and regards, MC in Halifax.

    In a message dated 12/30/2009 11:34:17 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, TuckerJ at amherstma.gov writes:
      I agree about restoring existing wood features as a conservation/preservation measure.

      However, the quality of lumber depends on its source.  Farm/forced lumber is either from plantations in the southern or western U.S., or abroad.  Holding out for lumber of the quality seen in the 18th and 19th centuries encourages the mining of remaining old growth forests (here or abroad), which is less than useful.

      There are good local sources of sound lumber from mature trees, but larger window manufacturers, urban/suburban contractors and homeowners use the price point determined by Home Depot or Lowe’s as the baseline for purchasing their wood.  That cuts local options out of the market and sustains the current mire of wasteful stupidity.

      Maybe it’s time for the Massachusetts legislature to start requiring all home products manufacturers who sell their wares in the Commonwealth to certify that they have acquired and include in their product some minimum percentage of raw material from Massachusetts or at least New England sources.

      Jonathan Tucker

      Planning Director

      Amherst Planning Department

      4 Boltwood Avenue, Town Hall

      Amherst, MA  01002

      (413) 259-3040

      tuckerj at amherstma.gov    

      From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of jade
      Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 10:24 AM
      To: Marcia Starkey; Dennis De Witt; MHC MHC listserve
      Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Restoring windows and lead paint issues

      today's lumber is mostly farm/forced grown wood...it is far inferior to lumber available even 75 years ago...new window frames--whether all wood or vinyl/aluminum clad--are made with finger jointed wood as is a lot of the trim...a new window made from spanish cedar or mahogany and with mortise and tenon joinery will offer a century or more of service if properly maintained...of course the product's longevity will be reflected in its price...

      looking at the long term scenario, restoration of windows from the 1940's and before is by far the best investment, financially and environmentally...

      jade Mortimer

        ----- Original Message ----- 

        From: Marcia Starkey 

        To: Dennis De Witt ; MHC MHC listserve 

        Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 11:35 AM

        Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Restoring windows and lead paint issues

        Is wood window sash an acceptable compromise to reduce the use of synthetic 
        materials, promote beneficial industries and forest management? (you can 
        always tell these folks from western Mass.)

        Marcia Starkey

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