[MassHistPres] Large School Windows

[Scott A. Winkler, AIA]

Hi Ralph -

I have done a number of mill renovation projects which utilized very large
replacement widows.
I also worked on a historic school in Newport, RI which had large original
wood windows and contained elderly housing.
All of these projects followed the Secretary of the Interiors Standards.

On the Newport project, the same argument was used with the original windows
- they were two heavy for the elderly to
open and had to be replaced.  The SHPO and NPS held firm on restoration, and
we were able to restore these windows,
make them fully operational, weatherstrip them, and install new exterior
storm windows for less than the budget for replacement windows.
Once these old windows are restored, the weights, chain, and pulleys; along
with bronze weatherstripping on the wood jamb, make these
8 foot tall double hung windows pretty easy to open, even for the elderly
residents.  By the way, a restored wood window with a good
storm window has similar energy performance to a new insulated window, are
easily repairable, and will easily outlast new replacement windows.

On the mill projects, the windows had typically be replaced previously.
Companies like Marvin and Pella can make large wood
replacement windows with insulated glass (with or without aluminum cladding)
to replicate original frames, brick-molding, sash, and mullion pattern.
They are counter-weighted to make them easy to open.  There are also several
companies that make all aluminum windows which
also can match original windows and again are counter-weighted for easy
operation.

It is foolish for someone to assume that a company would make and sell a
large window that could not be opened by a typical person - this just is not
true.
Stories of difficulty in opening large windows usually come from poorly
maintained original sash with missing/ broken ropes or chains, or from cheap
vinyl replacement windows, which do not hold up over time.

Good luck in your efforts.

Scott Winkler, AIA



> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:33:18 -0500
> From: Ralph Slate <slater at alum.rpi.edu>
> Subject: [MassHistPres] Large school windows
> To: MassHistPres MA <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <4D4B737E.40903 at alum.rpi.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> As part of an energy efficiency program, the city of Springfield is
> contracting for the replacement of windows in several of its older
> (1900-1930) schools. Some of the windows had already been replaced over
> the years, others are original to the building. The city is proposing to
> replace what used to be large (not sure the height, but probably 7' or
> 8' opening), double-hung windows with a three-panel approach, the top
> 1/3 being fixed, with a smaller double-hung window installed below it.
> It would be a significant visual departure from the original design
> because it would appear as three separate panels rather than two.
>
> Their argument was that 8' double hung replacement windows would be too
> hard for teachers to open. I asked if they had specific complaints in
> the city about this, and the architect admitted that they did not, nor
> did they do any research about it, but they had feedback from other
> communities so this is what they proposed.
>
> Does anyone have any comment on this? Any alternative approaches? Any
> corroboration of the "too hard to open" claim?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ralph Slate
> Springfield, MA
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>


-- 
Scott A. Winkler, AIA, LEED AP
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