Tightening
Old Windows
by Walter Jowers
Next to putting insulation into the
attic, there's no more effective way to
save energy in an old house than
tightening up the windows. And,
there's no more effective way to ugly
up an old house than replacing the
original windows with a bunch of
dowdy, featureless replacement
windows.
I see a lot of old-house rehabs
where the first thing the builder does
is snatch out the old windows, tearing
up interior and exterior finishes in the
process. Then, in go the vinyl-clad
thermopanes, and up goes a sign on
the lawn that says something like,
"Energy-Efficient Design by Window
Wizards." The customers want new
windows, they say. The old windows
were rotting, wouldn't open and