Repair or replace?

Both can be reasonable. The point is to choose rather than default.

Repair and restore

  • Sash wood is sound; damage is soot, glazing putty or paint
  • Glass is intact or only a few panes are cracked
  • Leaded panels have soot but the came is not distorted
  • Window is visible from the street on a landmarked or district house
  • Owner values original glass and profiles

Replace

  • Sash or frame is charred or structurally weakened
  • Heat has melted or deformed lead came badly
  • Rot was already present and water has worsened it
  • Frames were broken out during firefighting and pieces were lost
  • A match is available that satisfies any required review

What fire does to old windows

Single-pane glass in an old wood sash can crack from heat or from cold water hitting hot panes. Glazing putty dries and loosens. Paint blisters on the exterior side of windows near the fire. Smoke film coats both glass and wood, and window wells or pockets that hold sash weights collect soot.

Leaded and art glass, often found in stair landings, front doors and buffet doors of older homes, is more sensitive. Lead came softens at lower temperatures than people expect, and the cement that seals the panel can dry out. Even when the glass looks fine, a panel can bow.

Windows also get broken on purpose. Firefighters ventilate a burning house, and that usually means breaking glass and sometimes clearing the frame. That damage is part of the fire loss, but the windows can be harder to restore if the frames were also cleared out.

Protecting windows in the first days

  1. Board up openings properly.Plywood should be fastened in a way that does not split the old casings. Ask that fasteners go into the frame or blocking rather than through decorative trim where possible.
  2. Collect pieces.Keep broken sash, art glass fragments and hardware in labeled boxes. A glass studio can sometimes reuse pieces or match color.
  3. Photograph from both sides.Record the window inside and out, including the hardware and any stained or leaded panels.
  4. Get a window restorer's opinion.A restoration window specialist can assess sash and frames more realistically than a general contractor quoting new units.

Before you sign off on replacement windows

General information for Park Hill, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.