Just curious on what happens to all the old wooden windows removed.
I would think the wood can be re-used (if not rotted that is), stripped down to the natural wood and reglazed and resold to people who like old wooden windows. Outside of not being energy efficient, you definately can't replace the beauty of original wooden windows.
From what I see on the web, there are people who like their old wooden windows and refused to replace them. They like the ugly galvanized storm windows to protect their windows or whatever other way to save energy.
Instead, their old windows can be replaced with these refurbished windows.
Or, are these windows just dumped into the old wooden window graveyard?
Curious question on old wooden windows?
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Window4U (IL)
- Posts: 1548
- Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:46 am
- Location: Sales and Installation in Chicagoland and Central Illinois
As far as refurbishing, that is OK for a couple windows a year for people who ask for them, but it is a very small market.
I did sell 60 sets of used sashes a couple years ago that came out of a commercial building to a guy who is an interior designer. He refurbished them, built new jambs to put them in, and then installed them into a new home. Personally, I think he is totally nuts for doing it. He could have put in Marvins for what he spent.
The vast majority of old wood sashes are thrown into dumpsters and then hauled to the dump. It is really not feasable to recycle used window glass. The contaminants that come along with it would give glass recyclers nightmares, and even if it were good to recycle, the storage and hauling costs to the nearest glass recycling plant would far outweigh the money received for the glass.
We do recycle aluminum and steel window frames though.
I did sell 60 sets of used sashes a couple years ago that came out of a commercial building to a guy who is an interior designer. He refurbished them, built new jambs to put them in, and then installed them into a new home. Personally, I think he is totally nuts for doing it. He could have put in Marvins for what he spent.
The vast majority of old wood sashes are thrown into dumpsters and then hauled to the dump. It is really not feasable to recycle used window glass. The contaminants that come along with it would give glass recyclers nightmares, and even if it were good to recycle, the storage and hauling costs to the nearest glass recycling plant would far outweigh the money received for the glass.
We do recycle aluminum and steel window frames though.
A lot of artist or interior decorators like to decorate an old sash, specially if it has a weird grid pattern you can put mirrors on the glass and hang them or use them as a photo frame. I think is "shabby cheek" or something. I have seen them on Ebay like for 30.00 dlls a sash. Or you can make a coffee table out of the sash.
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The hardest thing to do is match them to someone else's openings. Back in the old day each window was almost custom made for each opening. The old school carpenters wood use a hand plane to shave everything down. So trying to get a match would be more time than they are worth. With today's crunch on energy conservation up here in MN it's not feasable the use a product that won't be efficient. The Southern climates would probably have more of a chance at making it work. We do have companies here that sell old products like that though. Up here it's called Architechtural Antiques. They will buy this stuff for pennies on the dollar and resell it to people looking to re-furbish or replace certain items. I myself like the old wooden doors. The stained glass and round top doors were just great back then. Doors are a hot topic in the remodelling industry. Everyone wants it all to look like it did back when it was built. I guess the big issue is the time it takes to clean them up. It is a great idea just not enough interest in the market. Good Luck!!!