Real Estate
Restoring or replacing brownstone windows
BY LIZ SADLER CRYAN
Tall, narrow windows are one of
the defi ning characteristics of a
brownstone, and for some lucky
homeowners, the century-old wood
windows remain intact. Often, old windows
can be restored to their original
condition. Other times, they need to be
replaced.
So, how do you know if your wood
windows are worth saving?
“Anybody that does this can look at a
sash and say with pretty good certainty
whether it’s original or not, just by the
joinery,” said Peter Madias of Method
Restoration, a window restoration company.
“Another giveaway is when you
see the weights and chains.”
Old windows have certain joints —
like mortise and tenon joints and bridle
joints — that mass-produced windows
don’t have, and are typically made from
old-growth fi r, Madias said.
He restores single-pane windows by
removing them and repairing them in
his Brooklyn shop. On-site work is also
required to repair the window opening.
“It’s not cheap because it’s very
skilled work and labor intensive,” Madias
explained. “I would always recommend
restoring the windows. I’m a little
biased.
“It really depends on the client — and
if they want to preserve what’s lasted for
a century or more, or do they want to be
the one to throw it in a dumpster?”
While restoring oversize parlor windows
may be a job best left to the professionals,
do-it-yourself types eager to
tackle smaller window projects may
want to consult one of the many books
on the subject. “Working Windows”
and “The Window Sash Bible” are just
two of the classics.
Old brownstone windows were made to last longer than today’s models.
Old windows are made to last longer,
Madias noted.
“You go with a big company and
they rot,” he said. “I’ve seen 10-to-12-
-year-old windows rot. And I’ve seen
160-year-old windows that look like
they were made yesterday.”
“Windows are among the most signifi
cant features of a landmark building,”
according to the New York City
Landmarks Preservation Commission’s
guide to window repair and restoration.
If new windows are necessary,
homeowners in a landmarked district
must apply for a Certifi cate of No Effect
(C.N.E.).
“That means you’re going to put
back what was originally there, you’re
ripping everything down to the original
masonry opening, and you have to
match brick-mold profi les and details,”
said Ernie Cappello of WindowFix.
Prices for high-quality, fl oor-to-ceiling
new windows, such as would be
found on the parlor level of a brownstone,
start around $2,500, including
installation — but can run up to $7,500
for windows with curved openings.
Cappello recommends the brands Marvin,
Kolbe and Parrett.
“They’re all custom, high-performance
windows,” he said. “I do whichever
ones fi t my clients’ needs. There’s a
lot of little nuances.”
For the budget-conscious, Cappello
recommends the double-hung sash kit
by Sierra Pacifi c. If your existing frames
are in good condition, new sashes are
sized to fi t your existing opening, and
start at $1,500. More run-of-the-mill
aluminum windows in smaller sizes,
from mid-priced companies such as
Champion, might be more suitable for
the rear of a house in a landmark district,
and average about $500 each installed.
PHOTO BY SUSAN DE VRIES
New windows are an investment that
should last up to 40 years, Cappello
stated.
“I recommend you fi le for the whole
front. It lasts nine years,” he said. “I
have clients that hire me, and once a
year I do a fl oor.”
Some companies also make custom
reproduction windows that are exact
copies of the originals, but at a steep
price. Architect Joseph Koelbel had
custom double-hung windows with
counterweights made for a project in
Chelsea. But usually, he opts for Marvin
windows.
“New windows have better insulation
and reduce air infi ltration,” Koelbel
said.
And yet, storm windows (interior or
exterior) on top of properly maintained
old windows can be even more energy
effi cient and cozy than new windows
without storm windows.
“If they are really original windows
and they’re high quality, then it make
sense to restore them,” he stressed.
“But if they’re not high quality or they
were replaced in the 1970s, then it does
make sense.”
This article fi rst ran in Brownstoner,
a sister Schneps Media publication of
The Villager.
PHOTO BY SUSAN DE VRIES
Experts say it’s worth saving and restoring well-preserved brownstone
windows.
26 September 5, 2019 TVG Schneps Media