We recently interviewed our president, Bob Davis, about windows for historic homes. After all, it’s our specialty, so we thought our readers might be interested in what we recommend for replacement windows for these and other older homes.
Interviewer: Bob, you offer quite a number of different lines of windows for historic homes. Can you tell us why?
Bob: Yes, we do have several different lines of windows. Let’s start with our storm windows. They play an important part in our business, because many of the older homes built between 1890 and 1941 located in South Minneapolis and the Summit Avenue area in St. Paul, plus other communities like Faribault and Stillwater all have windows that are very historic.
Most of them are in very good shape, so the homeowners don’t want to replace the windows; they just want to put better storm windows on the exterior of the old wood windows. So we use the Mon-Ray storm window, which is designed to be historically correct for those homes. And we sell a lot of storm windows every year.
Interviewer: So if someone who has an historic home wants to change out some of the windows, what lines do you have available for them?
Bob: If the homeowner wants to stay historically correct – in other words, they want the windows we put in to look exactly like the ones we took out – there are three that fit the bill. One is the Architect Series® double-hung window from Pella®. Another is the Premium Series™ wood window from Weather Shield®, and the third would be the Marvin Ultimate clad window. Those three are potential solutions to replace their double hung windows. Most windows in those older homes are double hung.
And the best way to replace them is with insert windows. We do not remove the woodwork on the interior of their home or disturb it. Instead we do an insert replacement window, which means we take a window in its own frame and we insert it in the space. We remove the sashes from the old window and we remove the parting stop that separates the upper and lower sash. If it’s an old rope-and-weight window where the weight is tied to a rope so when the window was open the weight would drop down to hold the sash up. We remove all that and we insulate those cavities with foam insulation. Then we install a new window with its own frame in the existing frame that’s there and butt it right up against the internal woodwork or sill or whatever is in the house. Then we affix it from the exterior with new stops. And we usually insulate it and caulk it. We also wrap the exterior window frame that remained in the home to make it maintenance free as well, using an aluminum wrap.
Interviewer: That sounds like a very extensive process. Your installers really need to have a lot of knowledge. How are they trained for that? What do you do for them?
Bob: All our foremen installers are trained by the manufacturers. On each crew our lead installer is AAMA* certified, which means he has been through installation master training and is up on all current processes for the window industry. All our foremen get trained by the vendors. Every year we have update sessions with Pella®, Marvin, Sierra Pacific or ProVia®. And the vendors each have installation schools.
But it’s more important that we adhere to the International Residential Building Code and municipal codes. Many times our training changes from year to year because codes change. For example, this year Minnesota went to the International Residential Code and adapted the newest version of it. And there were a few things that changed, so our installers needed to become aware of those changes. But to insulate, flash, and insulate the window properly, that’s what they’re basically trained in.
Window Outfitters, Inc. is a licensed Minnesota replacement window company based in Savage. We serve the entire Minneapolis metro area, and we specialize in windows and exterior doors for historic and older homes.
*The AAMA is the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
