Historic Window Rescue

12/25/2025

Look what I just saw at a ski resort. Well by golly, it's proof that vinyl windows may be maintenance free, but they can't be maintained. Keep your originals folks. Restore and maintain them so that they can last hundreds of years.

04/10/2025

Just a thought on hurricane rated windows… it’s not IF the wind blows, it’s WHAT the wind blows.  Do you think that they could sustain being hit at hurricane force winds by a flying object?

12/13/2024

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjrpv218r0o

Spray foam insulation was previously subsidised in England under the government's Green Homes Grant scheme.

09/12/2024

https://archive.epa.gov/region5/sustainable/web/html/energyadvice.html

This guide was compiled by the National Trust for Historic Preservation with assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency. It was developed with input from several national and state preservation agency partners.

09/06/2024

Don’t get rid of your plaster.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: Old House 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙝 is almost a lost art, is a "𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳" defining feature, and still holds superior qualities over its current drywall competition. Plaster walls are more dense, have better sound-deadening properties, and are more mold/water resistant than drywall.

For more info, check out our Plaster Resources HERE - https://www.myoldhousefix.com/plaster

𝗣𝗥𝗢 𝗧𝗜𝗣: Additionally, did you know that you don't always have to "𝗴𝘂𝘁" an 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 down to the studs (if the plaster is still intact) to 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦, and 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵 with new electrical, plumbing, and mechanicals? FIX it!!!

09/06/2024

Do you have spray foam in your old home?

To Foam or Not to Foam? Proceed with caution, if at all.

There has been a significant push to improve the energy efficiency of older homes in recent years based on important objectives. One of the popular methods and materials used to achieve improved efficiency is spraying expanding foam insulation into wall and ceiling/roof cavities and basements.

Within a few decades, this petroleum product has gone from being used primarily in industrial buildings to being sprayed into the homes of hundreds of thousands of families, with little study or documentation of what hidden costs might come with it. Some early adopters of this new material are now discovering severe problems resulting from its use in their homes.

This recently published article by Alden Wicker is one of the best and most comprehensive looks at the conflicting claims and counterclaims about the use of spray foam insulation in older homes. Wicker is an award-winning investigative journalist who was considering spray foam insulation for her Vermont home. It is well worth your time to read it if you are considering the same: https://ow.ly/gEoG50PbgC9

I wrote the chapter on Insulation and Ventilation in "Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners" in 2019. Since then, more and more information has emerged to support my cautions about the use of spray foam insulation in historic houses.

There are better options with far fewer risks. The book includes a chart comparing the nine most common types of insulation, each rated on six criteria. Open and closed cell spray foams rank poorly.

Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.

© Scott T. Hanson 2024.

03/29/2024