What’s better? To replace historic windows with new,low-emissivity windows and save energy? Or to keep the windows with their historic character and not save as much energy?
The debate rages between preservationists and designers-environmentalists, but there is a middle ground: renovating historic windows for the same performance as new windows. And there’s a substantial argument for saving them.
Not only do they add character that makes a house unique, but old windows are generally thicker and last longer than today’s windows, says the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Plus, as preservationists like to say, the greenest building (or window) is the one already built. No trips to the landfill. No new resources used.
Take a look (gallery above) at some of the ways that you can update your windows for energy efficiency, for a win-win situation.