Window Restoration Boot Camp

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

The Old Highland neighborhood and Preserve Minneapolis have joined forces with renowned preservationist Bob Yapp to put on a series of home rehab "boot camp" sessions over the next several days.  Window Restoration Boot Camp started on Friday and lived up to its name.  By the end of the day I was sore in places I didn't even know WERE places, and my mind was almost overloaded with the barrage of information that was thrown my way.  Even so, I managed to break only one of the two panes of glass I handled, and gained a thorough working knowledge of how to use the shop-vac.

In all seriousness, I did pick up quite a bit.  However, you're reading a blog post from the guy who threw away his eighth grade shop project because he was too embarrassed to show it to the teacher.  And that was a dustpan.  I'm still a little slow on the uptake when it comes to such handiwork, but I'm no longer shy about the fact that it takes me longer than others to catch on.  In fact, I feel like that's precisely why I want to attend sessions like this--so I can learn from someone like Bob Yapp.

We started off on the morning of day one with a mini-sermon from Bob that had me almost shouting, "Preach it, brother!"  He shared with us his treatise on...

Just Because Replacement Windows Are Free Doesn't Make Them Worth It

Post and photo by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

Earlier this month at the Hawthorne Huddle, we had three excellent speakers.  The first presentation was on recycling, the second was a Hennepin County employee discussing their lead abatement programs, and the third was a representative trying to increase more biking and walking in NoMi.  I've been vocal in my own ways on all three issues, but for now we'll focus on windows.

That county employee talked about window replacement and also window refurbishment as ways to abate lead paint from properties.  He handed out a spiffy GIS dot map of all the lead abatement that they've done, and it should come as no surprise that much of the work was concentrated in north Minneapolis.  Before we get to some of my pointed questions, it's time for a disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER:  I am generally against window replacement and in favor of window repair/refurbishment.  However, on the controversial issue of whether children should suffer lead-based brain damage, I come down pretty squarely on the pro-children/anti-lead poisoning brain damage side of things.

So, after hearing this gentleman's presentation, I asked him...

Two Green Housing Opportunites - One Close to Home, Another Across the Country

Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman.  Top image from an email attachment from Henry High, bottom video from The Greenest Building Movie Blog.

First up:  A community member who knows how I feel about replacement windows asked me to promote an upcoming class about how to properly refurbish and repair windows (and how to determine if replacement is ultimately necessary).  Here is his email.

"It’s that time again. HCE is again offering their Window Repair class on Monday, February 7th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM for the low, low cost of only $15. This class, meeting at Patrick Henry, is just one of the ways MPS serves Northsiders, even those without children. In it, Northsiders will learn do it yourself techniques to repair drafty old windows and get up to date information on the cost effectiveness of repairing, retrofitting and replacing old windows. Registrants can expect to learn about stopping air infiltration, repairing sash cords, reglazing and double glazing and painting, as well as answers to any questions they bring with them.

"Registration can be done at www.mplscommunityed.com, or by calling the HCE office at 612-668-1922.  More information can be found on our website or the HCE blog."  So, readers, if you or anyone you know needs to address window repairs, check out this seminar first.

Many of my friends and neighbors have often wondered what the true environmental impact of demolishing a house is.  It's often been said that "the greenest building is the one that's already built" specifically because it avoids the cost of putting tons of waste into a landfill, and creating and shipping new materials.  We've gotten perhaps a little overly excited when LEED considered incorporating such factors in their green designations.  But we hadn't found anyone who had taken a good, hard look at this issue.  Until now.

The Greenest Building Movie is a Portland, Oregon project with a blog and - you guessed it - a movie that will premiere on January 31, 2011.  PBS is expected to air the movie in April of this year as well.  I am absolutely thrilled to see preservation being touted as a fundamental element of green construction, and I am just giddy with anticipation for this movie.

Changes to LEED Certification Promote Preservation!

LEED-certified new construction

Rehab in process, exact certification not yet determined.

Post and second photo by the Hawthorne Hawkman.  First photo from www.minnpost.com

Regarding that title, I'll admit I'm one of the few people who would deem something that wonkish to be worthy of an exclamation point.  Still, this is a potential game-changer for how "green" housing development is viewed.  Among other preservationist friends, we've often lamented that many green standards for construction fail to take into account the environmental costs of a demolition putting tons of waste into a landfill, or the energy costs of creating new (or recycled/reused) raw material, transporting it, and building anew.  This isn't to devalue groundbreaking new kinds of construction such as what was used in the first LEED-certified home built in the Hawthorne EcoVillage (top photo).  Instead, we wondered how green construction might be evaluated when taking such things into consideration.

Thanks to some proposed changes by the US Green Building Council, it looks like things are heading in that direction.  These changes are only proposed at this time, and there is an initial public comment period through January 14, 2011.  Click here to submit comments you might have.  The most important change has to do with giving credit for the preservation of historic buildings.  Tell the USGBC that you absolutely LOVE this credit.  And it gets better!  According to the Preservation Nation website, there is a credit "directly encouraging users to save historic windows and they are specifically looking for feedback that confirms this is a good thing."  (emphasis mine, but I feel rather strongly about this issue)

The new LEED standards do need some tweaking though.  For instance...

Replacement Windows and Closed Porches - A Slummy Pictorial

 

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

Just in case readers weren't convinced by my last post about the effects of things like replacement windows, I've gone through the Hawkman slumlord archives to retrieve some other prime examples of what happens when people like Bashir Moghul, Mahmood Khan, Paul Koenig, and those behind the Danna D III LLC get their hands on properties in NoMi. I even had someone with more architectural knowledge look at these pictures as well, to confirm what it was that I was seeing.

First up is Bashir Moghul. The photo above displays the exact kind of windows that little children are prone to fall out of. Nice work Bashir.

This one was at one point in time an open porch. Not only was it closed off, it was done without anything more aesthetically or structurally sound than plywood.

If you look to the side here, you can see where someone took out a double-hung sash and replaced it with a plywood and vinyl heap of ugliness.

Here's another closed porch and similar mistreatment of the second-floor window.

Look at the first floor windows there.  He's really not even trying at this point.

At least here, Moghul kept the original openings intact.  If someone were to come along and restore decent windows, that job wouldn't be so hard.

Here though, he didn't even bother to keep any openings.  Several windows are just covered up.

The little white diamonds under the plywood are the architectural equivalent of a middle finger.

And here we see what many slumlords have done, removing or covering up a second-story arched window frame.

Several more slumlord shots are coming right up...

Replacement Windows Look Like Crap!

Post and photo by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

A friend provided this link to me via Facebook several days ago (and this one). Anyone thinking about replacing windows instead of refurbishing, READ THESE FIRST!!!

Replacing original windows with the Crestline vinyl abominations shown above is certain to get you on the NXNS wall of shame. (And the property in that photo just happens to belong to noted slumlord Bashir Moghul.)

I've done extensive photo tours of various noted slumlords: Danna D III, Gregge Johnson, Mahmood Khan, and Paul Koenig/Pamiko, to name a few. And one of the things that always got to me was how cruddy the windows looked. Preservationists will have our own take on why original windows are often better. And from an environmental standpoint, isn't it greener to NOT put this stuff in a landfill? Especially if a refurbished original window will last much, MUCH longer than a new one?

Furthermore, there seems to be a direct correlation between crummy windows, slummy properties, and bad owners/occupants. Now, I highly doubt I'm going to have some slumlord read this post and see the light. So here's why NoMi homeowners ought to keep and refurbish your original windows whenever possible:

Continually painted wood can last as long as 200 years. Vinyl lasts 10-20.

Older windows were MADE to be repaired. Oldhouseguy says, "They can be taken apart to insert new rails or muntins (cross pieces separating the panes). Broken parts can be remade or whole sashes duplicated fairly cheaply. Rotted wood can be repaired to look like new with easy-to-use epoxy fillers. In many cases, these windows have been in service for over a hundred years with much of their deterioration resulting directly from a lack of maintenance."

Older windows are made of a quality of wood we likely won't see again - ever. "That virgin forest wood is close-grained and resinous. Today’s young lumber cannot match the longevity of the historic wood. To trash your old windows is to trash a superior material that can no longer be bought. A replacement window will need replacement before the old one would have needed simple maintenance."

An original window with a storm window is often more energy-efficient than newer double-glazed windows.

The replacement windows being peddled are most often highly inappropriate for the historic nature of your house. There is a direct correlation between the historic integrity of a house and its market value.

Reusing historic windows eliminates the need for removal and disposal of existing windows, as well as the environmental costs of manufacturing and transporting new ones. The "greenest" window is the one already in use.

Restoration is nearly twice as labor-intensive as new construction, meaning more money goes directly to people instead of product costs.

An associate of mine has recommended Minnesota Window Restoration as a good place to start when considering refurbishing your windows. Another friend has had a good experience with Greg Rosenow of TLC Renovations.

Refurbish, don't replace!