The Truth About Replacing Historic Windows

Arch City Window specializes in replacing historic windows. But, for many others, the process is very complicated, frustrating, and sometimes disappointing. There’s a lot that needs to be considered when replacing or repairing historic windows.

If you live in a historic home, you’re literally in a piece of history. The home, including the windows, was also probably built to last. This is because people used to plan to live in homes for generations, passing down to kids and grandkids. As I’m sure you’re well aware, life isn’t like that anymore. Living in a home doesn’t always mean that you’re setting down roots for generations after you. Still, even if you’re not planning on your great-grandkids walking in your footsteps, you should consider replacing out-of-date windows.

One major factor in replacing historic windows is efficiency. If you live in an old home, you are most likely overpaying your energy bill. This is because window technology has evolved so much in the past years that your windows are simply, well, historic. They probably have poor insulation which is causing you to lose heat or cooling. We have plenty of information about energy efficiency on our site that we highly recommend checking out.

The argument against efficiency is that a lot of modern windows look out-of-place on a historic home. People assume that to get modern technology, you need to have windows that look like they were made today. This simply is not true! Certain companies, like Arch City, have extensive experience crafting windows that have all the modern technologies while still looking appropriate for whatever era your home was built in.

Depending on where you live, living in a historic area or in a historic home could potentially have some laws that go along with it. You might not be able to alter certain aspects of your home, so it’s important to do your research and contact local authorities who will be happy to help you.

Materials used today certainly aren’t the same as they used to be. Companies opt for cheap and efficient (for them) and don’t take into account the importance of your home. High-quality wood that was built to last for (nearly) forever is hard to come by. You’ll need a company that understands that and works to get you the best material possible.

Another factor to consider when replacing or repairing historic windows is painting. You might need to paint over rot or wear, which can be a difficult process. Painting helps protect the wood from dirt, water, and insects that would love to dig in and ruin your amazing windows!

As you can probably tell, replacing your historic windows is not an easy task. There’s a lot of thought, research, and preparation that needs to go into it – especially if you’re trying to do it yourself. But, historic windows are really fantastic. They add a certain charm that just can’t be replaced by anything else and you should absolutely try to hang on to them for as long as you can, or find a company that will maintain that charm while upgrading them.

Tons of customers have used come to Arch City Window for help improving their historic windows. The rest, as they say, is history!