[MassHistPres] replacement windows

[Alison Hardy]

This makes me sad. Allowing vinyl or clad windows is just condeming buildings to a downward spiral of maintenance and replacement.


First, building owners should be required to do an energy audit with a certified energy auditor, not National Grid or other entities that just want you to change light bulbs. Nine times out of ten there are a whole lot more practical and cost effective ways to improve energy efficiency in an old home that does not require ripping out windows.


Second, you should have a list of approved storm windows. These are the BEST way to improve energy efficiency in windows. I will agree that most are not very attractive, but they are not destructive and are reversible without losing building material.


Third, wooden windows can be repaired and restored. Often a lot more cost effectively than replacements.


There are people who build windows in the traditional manner. How about supporting them rather than the manufacturers of destructive and environmentally hazardous vinyl and aluminum?


I know the replacement window industry is very good at drumming up demand for their products and I am sympathetic the the grief of being the one to say "have you considered" to people who are firm in their belief that replacement windows are the answer to all their old house woes.


Alison Hardy


________________________________
From: MassHistPres <masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> on behalf of Nancy Dole <nlouisedole at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2018 5:23:05 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] replacement windows

We need to provide owners with a list of replacement windows that we would consider suitable.

Plymouth HDC has a list, which I have. They have a list of acceptable windows for properties they feel have great historic significance, and another list for properties that they think do not have historic significance.

Could anyone forward me a list if your district has one, or tell me what you have approved?

People in our district are more and more often requesting permission to replace existing wooden windows with aluminum clad or vinyl windows that are energy efficient. We are deciding as they come to us on a case by case basis, and its difficult for everyone involved. The applicant has no idea what we will accept, our only guideline is we prefer wooden windows and repairing existing windows. But that is not what  need to know, since for the most part they want to switch to modern materials etc. they do not want the wood windows.

Other owners are not aware we might ok alum clad etc, and so they don't apply for them. We need to address this in a responsible way.

Thanks,
Nancy Dole
WTHDC


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