Historic Home Windows Are A Pane

Nope, that's not a spelling mistake.

Last week’s blog about window replacement stirred up a bunch of questions from our customers about replacing windows in historic homes. Many homeowners are hesitant to replace old windows, feeling that they would lose the charm or character of their home with such a large-scale improvement. Instead, they choose to live with peeling, drafty, hard-to-clean, or inefficient windows.

Fortunately, families in historic homes don’t have to choose between aesthetics and comfort! Most older window styles can be easily replicated in modern materials like vinyl and aluminum to seamlessly match the historic nature of homes. And the right design also includes modern conveniences like easy-clean coatings or tilting sliders that are simple to maintain.

Aside from looks, the fact is that original windows in historic homes are generally the worst possible for efficiency. Literally, historic windows are a pane; a single pane of glass is all that protects homeowners from the weather outside, be it hot summer sun or cold winter nights.

Modern windows are double or triple pane, with low emissions coatings and/or inert gas between each pane to act as a thermos for your home. Since 25% of the home’s heating and cooling energy is typically lost through windows, replacing poor old windows with new modern EnergyStar rated windows can produce a great savings over the long term.