Since 2010 I have advocated for the saving of historic windows across the country. I’ve spoken at conferences, taught workshops, blogged incessantly, and written how to books to teach people the skills I’ve learned to make window restoration more approachable than ever before. But after all this time it still feels like I’ve only made just a small dent in the argument against replacing historic windows.
Today that changes! Get your copy of The Case For Historic Windows.
Inspired by my friend and fellow restorer Stacy Grinsfelder of Blake Hill House we set out on the challenge to try to quantify the reason why restoration is superior to replacement. It took us over a year of research to gather the data we needed to put together a book that seeks to put the final nail in the coffin of replacement windows in the hopes that the industry will finally take note.
Restoration not Replacement
Today, March 3rd, 2025 my new book The Case For Historic Windows is officially available. This is my first time writing with a co-author, Stacy Grinsfelder, and both of us are hopeful that the facts in this book will be the catalyst that will begin the sea change of thinking in how the world looks at windows and energy efficiency.
In this book, we provide for the first time an apples to apples comparison of replacement windows and historic windows concerning their energy efficiency. We tackle some of the biggest arguments and bring the receipts to show how and why a historic windows beats a replacement almost every single time.
If you’ve ever wondered how a historic windows stacks up against a modern replacement window this book will provide the answer using third party studies from the last 30 years to back up our argument. We provide answers to the following lingering questions:
- The energy deficit every replacement window begins with (it’s big!)
- Simple treatments to make almost any historic window exceed the current energy codes (easier and cheaper than you think)
- The unbelievable difference in lifespan between historic and replacement windows (think triple digits)
- The impossibly long payback period of a replacement window
This book should be required reading for every architect, developer, homeowner, and GC who deals with pre-WWII buildings. After reading this book, you’ll completely rethink the narrative surrounding replacement windows as your eyes are opened to the hidden truth.
No longer will the arguments for historic windows be based on opinions and personal taste. The facts are laid bare and the marketing fluff is removed for the first time in any book.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this book will be the most powerful tool in the hands of any historic preservationist or restorer in their battle to justify saving historic windows. Get your copy today!
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
I love old houses, working with my hands, and teaching others the excitment of doing it yourself! Everything is teachable if you only give it the chance.