All of the windows in our 1895 house are original wood windows, except one. I love hearing the weights move in the weight pocket, and they look and feel like part of the old house. A few need one or two new sash cords, and we intend to make that repair, but in general they are in pretty good shape. The ones with two intact sash cords all move much more easily than the new windows with friction based movement systems. The mechanism is smooth and well-designed.
We are eager to replace the one vinyl clad window in our house with a wooden one. It's funny, the reason it was replaced was probably because it was rotted. So they throw in this vinyl window, but never address the reason the original window rotted-- the window sill is tilted toward the house rather than away from it, leaving no place for rain water to go. So now our wainscoting beneath the window is rotting slowly away. So in addition to replacing the sill and the window we are stuck with the larger cost of repairing the wainscoting. The quick fix is not always most cost-effective and might not even address the actual problem, as in our case. Brian Choplick ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 12:27 PM Subject: Re: the appearance of vinyl windows, and other remodeling missteps In a message dated 7/2/02 9:04:35 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << While I agree with Melani on point 1, I am not sure about point 2. If white were the desired exterior trim color, then it would seem okay that the windows were so colored. >> I'm talking about the INTERIOR appearance, James. If the interior woodwork is not painted white, the white windows clash. Many new homebuyers are interested in stripping some or all of their interior woodwork, and the white vinyl looks terrible with the natural wood. Even if they want to paint their woodwork in a nice color, but not white, the white vinyl can look bad - it becomes a contrasting and clashing "frame" around the glass. The only way to mask it is to use curtains to cover up the window, but that makes the room dark. Anyway, the point is that many buyers buy historic houses because they appreciate the houses' original details. The higher the prices, the more there seems to be buyer appreciation of original details. So, removing ANY original details - windows, wood trim, fireplaces, tiles, leaded glass - tends to decrease the value rather than increasing it. I would urge all homebuyers to live in their houses for a while before making major changes, so that they are certain that their ideas make sense before they have spent money and made permanent alterations. Although, naturally, we don't all have the same taste, generally it seems that alterations to modernize our Victorian housing stock have not stood up well over time. Exposed brick walls and the removal of interior walls looked modern in the early 70's when a woman named Jennifer Steves "remodeled" many University City houses. Mexican tile sometimes replaced Victorian. Window sizes were enlarged, or windows were removed. Today, people looking to buy those houses often want to replaster over the brick and add walls again to have separate rooms. These are classic houses, and the resale market is best for them if they continue to be classic. Back when my husband and I bought our current house, we had lots of ideas which, over time, we realized would not have been good. Luckily, by the time we had the money to renovate, we had more of an appreciation for the house, the room flow, the air flow, the light, and all of the other things a new homebuyer may not know before living in the house. Melani Lamond Associate Broker Urban & Bye, Realtor ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
