Exterior Storm Windows

PRESERVATION Tech Rotes NATIONAL PARK SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WASHINGTON, D.C.

WINDOWS NUMBER 3

Exterior Storm Windows: Casement Design Wooden Storm Sash LY NDHURST GATEHOUSE Wayne Trissler Tarrytown, New York National Trust for Historic Preservation and The two-story stone gatehouse on the ergy conservation can require innova Charles E. Fisher grounds of the Lyndhurst Estate in tive features or some adaptation to Preservation Assistance Division Tarrytown, New York, is part of a Na standard window designs. This may be National Park Service tional Historic Landmark that was once necessary in order to minimize damage the home of railroad magnate Jay Gould. to historic fabric and to preserve the The property is owned today by the visual qualities of the historic windows. National Trust for Historic Preserva Such an approach was taken in the tion and is open to the public. Built in rehabilitation of the South Gatehouse 1864, the South Gatehouse is used as a windows at Lyndhurst. As guidance, private residence for a caretaker. the following criteria were established The windows, with ashlar surrounds beforehand for designing the new storm on the first floor and decorative wood windows: detailing on the second, are prominent 1. The new design had to be sympa features of the building. The original thetic with the historic character of the double-hung wooden windows, with two building. over-two pane configuration, have sur 2. The windows needed to remain vived in relatively good condition. The operable to allow for ventilation and 13 windows in the gatehouse are of five also for use as possible fire exits. different sizes; all but one have an arched 3. Energy conservation objectives head in the upper sash and a thick had to be met. vertical muntin with a center bead. 4. Only minimal damage to the his The windows on this structure were toric windows could occur in mounting fitted with custom-made exterior storm the storm windows and inconspicuous windows that meet specified performance hardware had to be used. criteria and yet minimize both damage 5. Provisions had to be made for and visual obstruction to the historic insect screens. windows. Design Solution Design Problem A storm window was subsequently devel Physical damage and visual In many buildings where the historic oped that meets all of the above require- changes to historic windows . windo~s are significant.and will be·pre . ments .. The--storm window, in the style se-i"ved in die rehabilitation project; the - ' oi a-singiecasenient; wasirtstalled on should he ininimiz·ed when in installation of storm windows for en- the outside of each of the historic win- stalling exterior storm windows. flgure 1. The single casement, wooden storm window had two removable panels for screen and glass Inserts. This custom design fulfllled a variety of requirements established for the project with minimum physical damage and visual changes to the historic windows. Drawing: Martha L Werenfels dows and attached to the existing frame (see figure 1). The arched-headed wooden storm window with one-over one glass panes matched the size of the original double-hung sash. Molding de tails similar to the original were incorpo rated in the new storm sash. Each of the REMOVABLE METt\L two panes in the .storm sash was set in SC R EililllS EIn thin aluminum frames and secured in the wood storm window with standard -L clips. This installation technique en HOLD·OPEN ables the storm panels to be easily re HOOK moved by a person on the inside of the house and replaced during the summer with screens (see figure 2). Mounting hardware consisted of pin-in socket hinges which required the dril ling of only two holes in the existing ------frame (see figure 3). The hinges allow the window to open casement-style for In making arches for the five win Assembly egress and ventilation purposes. dows, a template of Masonite was first made for each. By fitting the template In fitting the windows together, the parts Measurement and Fabrication to the historic arch, it was then possible were glued at the joints with resorcinol to trace the top of each on a piece of glue, dowels inserted, and the clamps Each of the window openings was mea s!h" wide pine or cypress to make the attached while the glue hardened over sured and dimensional irregularities top rails for each window. night (see figure 4). After the joinery was identified. The distance from the sill to Dowels were used to join the rails completed, the tops of the stiles were cut the bottom of the historic meeting rail and stiles. Two holes for 3;'8" by 2" dow to fit the curvature of the arch. For the was also measured so that a correspond els were drilled for each joint with the first floor windows, a 5/ 8" by 9/ 16" ing muntin on the storm sash could be exception of the top rail. For the arch, fabricated. only one hole per joint was made due to Figure 3. The only feature of the storm window that required expensive custom work was the Depending on availability, one inch the lack of space. pin·ln·socket hinges (bottom one shown in photo thick white pine and cypress were se Before the windows were fitted graphl. Commercially available hardware could lected. Lumber was milled to proper together, the inner moldings on the rails have been used; however this project sought to dimensions in the shop facilities on site. and stiles were cut on the shaper to minimize physical damage to historic woodwork match the 9/ 16" quarter mound mold and thus tested a prototype design. Stainless steel The rails and stiles were cut to length was used for reduced maintenance costs. Photo: with allowances made for the curvature ing on the historic sash. Richard Bierce, AlA of the window arch.

Figure 2. Section of the wood stile shows how the removable screen and storm panels are secured by use of aluminum clips. Also note that tbe storm sash was rabbeted along the Inside edge to allow retention of original window molding. Drawing: Martha L. Werenfels

REMOVABLE ALUMINUM FRAMED STORM OR SCREEN INSERT

1/2"

21 /2 ALUMINUM CLIPS USED TO SECURE INSERTS TO WOOD STORM FRAME

518" . RABBETED WOOD SASH TO ALLOW INSTALLATION OVER MOLDING ON 1" . ORIGINAL WINDOW FRAME

2 rabbet was cut along the outer edge to wood preservative used on the sash, allow the window to fit over the existing then filled with a polysulfide caulk be moldings on the historic window frame. fore the anchor was inserted. After the The windows were then fitted to windows were installed, 1 inch hook each opening and bottoms planed to a eyes were attached to secure the win slight angle corresponding to the sill. dows shut while a second hook-eye, 1 Two weep holes were cut in the bottom foot long, was installed on each window to allow condensation to escape, and to hold it in a fixed position when opened the windows were permanently labeled (see figure 5). as to their location in the building. Custom-made stainless steel hinges Project Evaluation of a pin-in-socket design were attached to the left side, top and bottom, of each The storm window used on the gate window. The windows were then sanded, house incorporates several desirable de treated with a non-toxic preservative, sign features. It is a successful preser and primed with an oil-alkyd paint. vation solution by maintaining the arched head of the windows; proportioning the Inserts framing members along the basic lines of the primary sash; matching the mate The two aluminum-frame storm inserts rials of the historic window and avoid for each window were constructed of ing damage to historic fabric. The case moldings cut on a mitre. The top pane ment design does not impede use of the of glass was cut to follow the arch of the windows for emergency egress, and the top rail, and the units were then assem panel inserts set on the inside of the bled and labeled. Screens were cut and storm frame provide for convenient sea Figure s. Tbe new wooden storm sasb was in· assembled in a similar manner. The sonal change from storm to screen units stalled in the historic frame; the edge of the storm aluminum frames were roughened with without relying on obtrusive multiple frame was rabbeted to accommodate the historic sandpaper, and painted with two finish jamb tracks. While the custom hard molding on the old wood frame. coats. After the paint had thoroughly ware is perhaps a luxury feature, for Photo: Richard Bierce, AlA dried, the storm inserts were installed economy purposes standard hardware with small aluminum hold-downs on could have been substituted, The storm the inside of each window. windows, moreover, are detailed so that almost any local mill could easily make Final Installation them. This sensitive storm window de sign has widespread applicability to many PROJECT DATA In hanging the windows, 3/.1" holes were other historic buildings where owners drilled in the sill and the top of the are seeking to maintain and upgrade historic window frame to accommodate the existing historic windows in an Building: the stainless steel anchor. The holes asthetically pleasing and practical were thoroughly soaked with the same manner. South Gatehouse Lyndhurst Estate Figure 4. The center muntin in the storm window National Trust for Historic Preservation lines up with the meeting rail on the historic sash and is shown here being fitted to the wood stile. 635 South Broadway Photo: Courtesy, National Trust for Historic Tarrytown, New York Preservation Project Date: January-March, 1980 Project Staff: Wayne Trissler, Apprentice, and Joseph Lewes, Master Restorationist National Trust Restoration Workshop 635 South Broadway Tarrytown, New York Materials: Stainless Steel Hardware- Wesco F. G. Corporation Bridge Street Box3 Irvington, New York Project Costs: The fabrication of the windows was undertaken by an apprentice at the National Trust Restoration Workshop at Lyndhurst. No cost figures are available.

3 This PRESERVATION TECH NOTE was prepared by the National Park PRESERVATION TECH NOTES are designed to provide practical informa Service in cooperation with the Center for Architectural Conservation, tion on innovative techniques and practices for successfully maintaining and Georgia Institute of Technology. Charles E. Fisher, Preservation Assistance preserving cultural resources. All techniques and practices described herein Division,National Park Service, serves as Technical Coordinator for the conform to established National Park Service policies, procedures, and TECH NOTES. Special thanks go to Alan Keiser, Director of the National standards. This TECH NOTE was prepared pursuant to the National Trust Restoration Workshop for his time and assistance in providing informa Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980 which directs the Secretary tion concerning the window work on the gatehouse. Thanks also go to the of the Interior to develop and make available to government agencies and following people who contributed to the production of this TECH NOTE: individuals information concerning professional methods and techniques John H. Myers and Laura A. Muckenfuss, Center for Architectural for the preservation of historic properties. Conservation, and Preservation Assistance Division staff, particularly Kay D. Weeks, Martha L. Werenfels, Mae Simon, MichaelJ. Auer, and Martha Comments on the usefulness of this information are welcomed and should A. Gutrick. Cover, Gatehouse Photo: Courtesy, National Trust for Historic be addressed to TECH NOTES, Preservation Assistance Division, National Preservation. Park Service, Washington, D.C. 20240. This publication is not copyrighted and can be reproduced without penalty. Normal procedures for credit to the This and many of the TECH NOTES on windows are included in "The authors and the National Park Service are appreciated. Window Handbook: Successful Strategies for Rehabilitating Windows in Historic Buildings" (available late 1984), a joint publication of the ISSN: 0741-9023 PTN-3 January 1984 Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service and the Center for Architectural Conservation, Georgia Institute of Technology.. For infor mation, write to The Center for Architectural Conservation, P.O. Box 93402, Atlanta, Georgia 30377.