Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Window Restoration is more cost effective and “greener” than replacing windows!

Window Restoration / Refurbishing / Reconditioning is more cost effective and “greener” than replacing windows!

I would like to pass on a few notes that I think you will find quite interesting and perhaps even remarkable regarding replacement windows and the value of reconditioning existing windows.

 The payback for replacement windows through reduced heating costs is approximately 120 years!!  No, that is not a typo.  That figure is calculated in a recent article by Pieter Roos, Executive Director of the Newport Rhode Island Restoration Foundation.  I recently received the article in an e-mail from Historic New England, a great organization that has collaborated with three other preservation organizations to create a website for “common sense preservation”.  You can take a look at the article and related information at www.commonsensepreservation.org.

 Through subsequent research I found an article on the website of the National Trust for Historic Preservation titled “Repair or Replace Old Windows”.  That article calculated the payback for replacement windows to be anywhere from 60 years based on a cheap replacement window to as much as 200 years for a good replacement window. 

 Now, I finally know the answer to a question I have long considered – “why do the large replacement window companies only provide statistics for the percentage of relative energy savings and not the actual energy savings or actual dollar savings for replacement windows?”  And the answer is - because a percentage of a small number is a tiny number.  If those big companies advertised that the actual heating bill cost savings would be $10/window per year for a $750 window (plus installation & finishing, etc.), I’m pretty sure we would have far fewer replacement windows around.

 This distortion of reality by the window replacement companies reminds me of a quote by Mark Twain, “There are lies, damn lies, and then statistics”.

 And then there is the “green” perspective.  Reconditioning windows is by far the most environmentally friendly window solution with the smallest “carbon footprint”.  Every replacement window contributes to the 124 million tons of construction debris generated in the U.S. every year – enough, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to construct a wall 30 feet high and 30 feet thick around the entire U.S. coastline.  In addition, replacement windows consume more energy in their manufacture and transportation than they will ever save. Now that’s another statistic the replacement window companies won’t share either.

So what can you do to improve existing windows? 

Contact Masterwork Painting & Restoration to recondition those windows!    We have developed a proprietary system to recondition the mechanical and weather proofing performance of windows.  Through our service we actually make windows better than new – they slide smoothly, are energy efficient, water infiltration is eliminated, and they look great.  In addition, a reconditioned window will surely last longer than a replacement window.  To top it off, our window reconditioning system will save a bundle compared to installation of replacement windows.   This system applies not only to traditional pulley and weight type sash balances but also to newer windows with spring balances and aluminum or vinyl tracks. 

If you would like to discuss potential window reconditioning / refurbishing / restoration specifics for your house, building, or project, please call or e-mail me at 617-721-8588, rich@masterworkpainting.com.

Rich O’Neil

President, Masterwork Painting & Restoration, Inc.

Posted on 01/11 at 12:50 PM
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