[MassHistPres] Window research

Tue Sep 22 13:45:25 EDT 2009

Emily,

Thank you!  We do use this, and I agree that it is a great general resource sheet, but at times we need more specific comparative analyses about certain window products to persuade historic owners and their contractors that there are indeed better alternatives to what they are already "wed" to!

cheers, Brandon

J. Brandon Wilson 

Executive Director 
Historic Preservation Commission 

City Hall 
93 Highland Avenue 
Somerville, MA 02143 

(617)625-6600, ext. 2532 
bwilson at somervillema.gov 
www.somervillema.gov/historicpreservation 

________________________________

From: Wolf, Emily [mailto:Emily.Wolf at cityofboston.gov] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:53 AM
To: Brandon Wilson; slater at alum.rpi.edu
Cc: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: RE: [MassHistPres] Window research

I have found that the Historic Wood Windows tip sheet, prepared by the National Trust, has been a good resource to distribute to property owners - it's available for download here:

http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/sustainability/additional-resources/July2008WindowsTipSheet.pdf

Best,
Emily Wolf

Emily Wolf
Preservation Planner
Beacon Hill Architectural Commission
Mission Hill Triangle Architectural Conservation District Commission
South End Landmark District Commission
St. Botolph Architectural Conservation District Commission

City of Boston Environment Department 
Boston City Hall, Room 805
telephone: (617) 635-3850
fax: (617) 635-3435
email: emily.wolf at cityofboston.gov <mailto:emily.wolf at cityofboston.gov> 

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From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Brandon Wilson
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:33 AM
To: slater at alum.rpi.edu
Cc: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Window research

Amen!  

This is exactly our experience here in Somerville, and we are finding that updating an old window resource sheet has become very challenging and time consuming, given all of the possible variables and window types and manufacturer representations to consider.   So if anyone does have access to such a summary, written so that it can be used as a hand-out to homeowners, or can draft one, please let us know.

Sincerely,
J. Brandon Wilson 

Executive Director 
Historic Preservation Commission 

City Hall 
93 Highland Avenue 
Somerville, MA 02143 

(617)625-6600, ext. 2532 
bwilson at somervillema.gov 
www.somervillema.gov/historicpreservation 

________________________________

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of slater at alum.rpi.edu
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:13 AM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Window research

It would be really helpful if an organization that has some credibility would take the various window studies that have been done and summarize them into a position that replacement windows are not the panacea that the window companies and renovators make them out to be.

Without such a credible supporter, we are all on our own when it comes to refuting a fairly large machine who's goal is to get everyone into the replacement window space. Even if a local historic commission puts together such a study, it can be very easily dismissed as just a bunch of cranks trying to stop progress.

The level of hysteria seems to be rising; we have homeowners who believe that old wooden windows are as good as having empty holes in their building, and that without replacements, they may not survive in their domiciles over the winter.

Ralph Slate
Springfield Historical Commission.

<-----Original Message----->One study/report on the California site that was new
>to me and looked interesting was the U of Ill study but a quick review (it is
>very long and detailed) seems to suggest at least two major faults. a) the
>storms are not studied in conjunction with tightened original windows and, much
>more important, b) it absurdly assumes a 50 year life cycle with zero IG failure
>for both the Marvin replacement and the retrofitted original window, despite
>acknowledging that anecdotal information on failures is at odds with such an
>assumption and with the industry's typical 20 year guarantee. (If it's absurd
>for the Marvin, it's even more so for the retrofit which won't have been
>installed under the same tightly controlled factory conditions.)
>
>
>Dennis De Witt
>
>
>
>
>On Sep 21, 2009, at 11:23 AM, Weiss, Lorraine (PEB) wrote:
>
>
>You may have already seen this resource--I'm sorry but I can't remember if this
>has already been publicized on this listserve. Below is a message from the
>Trust's Forum listserve that mentions a good collection of resources (the
>original writer's name is included).
>----------------------------------------------
>For those looking for cogent articles and research on the efficiency of
>rehabilitated historic windows, we have collected several research articles and
>studies of rehabbed window performance on the California Sustainability web page
>at the link below. We hope to add the National Trust's Berkeley window study
>when it is completed. http://www.ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=25935
> 
>Mark C. Huck, AIA, LEED AP
>Restoration Architect, Office of Historic Preservation
>1416 9th Street, Room 1442, Sacramento CA 95814
>(916) 653-9107 Office; (916) 653-9824 Fax
>-----------------------------------------------------
> 
>regards,
>Lorraine
> 
>Lorraine E. Weiss
>Historic Preservation Planner
>__________________________________________________________
>Division for Historic Preservation ◙ www.nysparks.state.ny.us
>
>=== message truncated === 

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