Window Preservation Standards Collaborative

The latest edition of "Old House" magazine (September 2011) is devoted to energy saving measures and examples of how people are greening their historic homes. One of the toughest battles in this arena still remains that of original windows. Five of the country's top window specialists - David Gibney, Jim Turner, Duffy Hoffman, John Leeke, and Bob Yapp - decided to do something about it and formed the Window Preservation Standards Collaborative (WPSC).

All Preservation Trades Network members (all passionate about original windows) they realized that they needed to arm State Offices, local Preservation Commissions, and preservation advocates with tools on different approaches to weatherization and restoration--approaches backed up by data on energy efficiency. As far as WPSC is concerned, they are taking back the narrative the window replacement industry has hijacked through marketing.

With an estimated rate of 32 million original windows lost each year, now is the time to act. In most cases, original windows can be cost-effectively restored and made as energy efficient as replacements. There is an immediate need for standards for energy-efficient restoration, as well as well-researched energy data on the thermal efficiency of original windows.

WPSC will host a summit  this summer at Kentucky's Pine Mountain Settlement School, where the group will be conducting testing and revising the draft Standards. The WPSC Standards will go beyond Preservation Brief 9 (Repair of Historic Wood Windows) and will address energy efficiency, plus also provide examples for different types of windows. For more information on WPSC, and to view a draft of the Standards (currently being drafted) visit http://ptnresource.org/WPSC/