Old historicvent doublepane windows full#
Old historicvent doublepane windows windows#

First do an energy audit of your house, preferably with an experienced professional.

Old historicvent doublepane windows windows#

Just as windows are a part of your whole house, so should they be part of a whole-house solution to cutting back on energy use. Tackle other energy-efficiency measures first. Will replacement windows fit the character of my property or detract from it?Ģ.Are there more cost-effective approaches available other than replacement windows?.Will replacement windows last as long as my originals?.Are there ways I can retrofit my windows to achieve greater energy efficiency?.Are my windows an important architectural or defining feature of my building?.Still, not every old window needs to be saved, so it can help property owners to ask these questions as part of their initial cost-benefit analysis: Include retrofitting in your cost-benefit analysis.Īs you’ll see throughout these tips, retrofitting historic or older windows has numerous, measurable benefits. In the meantime, check out the top 10 things you should know about retrofitting your historic windows-and don't miss our shareable slideshow at the bottom of the page.ġ.

Old historicvent doublepane windows full#

The heartening result: Retrofits for historic windows perform comparably to new replacement windows, and almost every retrofit option offers a better return on investment (at a fraction of the cost).įor more facts and figures, we encourage you to read the full report. The study examines multiple ways you can retrofit (read: modify) your historic windows for better performance, and outlines each option’s energy, carbon, and cost savings across a variety of climates. In fact, a thriving industry has grown around this perceived need to replace rather than restore.Ī report from our Preservation Green Lab (now called the Research & Policy Lab), Saving Windows, Saving Money: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Window Retrofit and Replacement, tackles this misperception head-on. Most often, people jump to replace their historic windows because a) companies promise that their replacement windows will save clients time and money, and b) it’s promoted as the 'green' thing to do.

In addition to adding beauty and character, original windows serve a great purpose-they connect the outside of the building to the inside and, as an integral part of the architecture, offer invaluable clues to a building's history.ĭespite this value, however, historic windows often get the blame for a building’s energy loss. Windows are the most visible, yet most commonly underappreciated, components of older and historic homes and buildings.