The title may say, “how to cut antique glass,” but it’s really the same process for any kind of glass you would find in windows or doors. The easy way is to bring your measurements to the local glass shop or hardware store and ask them to do it. They’ll do it perfectly and it [...] Read on →
Whether it’s an errant baseball or a tropical storm, windows are bound to break sometimes. And before you call a window specialist to replace your broken window glass you might just be able to do it yourself. More importantly, if you have an old house your broken window glass will need to be replaced in [...] Read on →
Clients have been asking me lately why they should restore their old windows. So, I’m half writing this for you my readers and half so I can have a handy printout to give to clients who are looking at their window options. So, here is my list of reasons to keep your old windows. I’m [...] Read on →
If it’s your first time in an old house it may seem troublesome looking out the windows at the blurry images surrounding you. Generally, the older the house the more flaws and ripples you’ll find in its old windows. And despite the perfectionist in us all this glass, though old and outdated, is a rare [...] Read on →
I have a quick tip you need to know if you’re going to do some window glazing. After you get your windows glazed you’ll likely have an oily residue all over the glass from the putty. If you wait an hour or two this residue will dry and be very difficult to remove. Many glaziers [...] Read on →
Learning to reglaze your old windows is something that scares the pants off of many homeowners. But fear not! It does require practice and a bit of an artist’s touch to get it just right, but like anything, practice makes perfect. You can learn to reglaze your old windows yourself with just a little practice [...] Read on →
So many folks go a little crazy with the seemingly endless list of repairs they inherit with their first old house. It can be overwhelming. There is too much to do and too little money and time that they freeze up and don’t do anything! Well, don’t become one of those people. There is a [...] Read on →
Restringing old windows is a pretty straight forward task that any DIYer can tackle to get their old windows working again. Personally, there is nothing that irks me more than living in an old house where I can’t open any of my windows. It feels downright claustrophobic. So, if you have a bunch of cut [...] Read on →
If your house is old enough to have needed a new paint job in its life then you might have a couple windows that have been painted shut. If your house is as old as mine (1929) you’d be lucky to find a window that still opens. Over the years numerous coats of paint by [...] Read on →
There are countless old and historic house blogs scattered across the Internet. Some of them focus on How-To subjects, others discuss the history of old houses, and some are an online diary of people’s journey to fix up there own historic house. Some of these blogs are great for learning the step-by-step of certain projects [...] Read on →
In Choosing Exterior Paint Colors For Your Historic House we discussed how to go about picking the right colors for an historic home. Will you choose colors that are historically accurate to your home, historically appropriate for the time period your home was built or will you just wing it and pick your own color [...] Read on →
Being in the business of restoring and preserving historic structures I have seen many a house that made me cock my head in amazement at some of the frightening things people do to “upgrade” their old homes. The phrase “What were they thinking?” is almost a cliche in our business! But every year people tear [...] Read on →
Whether your historic home is still in its infancy or whether your historic structure is hundreds of years old, preserving the original architecture and design elements are crucial to keeping your historic home historic. Keeping the siding, roofing materials and other architectural features in their original state can be tough, but well worth the effort. [...] Read on →
For me, windows are one of my favorite, and at times, most challenging (they’re one of the few parts of a house with lots of moving pieces!) aspects of a classic home. Windows truly are the eyes of your home and I have seen too many homes with a black-eyes over the years. A home [...] Read on →