What I Believe

If you have been told that your windows are "old, crusty, and inefficient" but you can't get past replacing hand crafted windows with vinyl replacements that look out of place on your historic home, I can help.  I strive to find like-minded people who appreciate the time and effort dedicated to restoring and maintaining these works of art. The task of renewing a window which has had prolonged exposure to the elements is an arduous one but one that is done with pride. 

Historic wood windows were designed to last hundreds of years with proper maintenance.  Craftsmen constructed and assembled windows by hand knowing that a future owner would take them apart to maintain them.  Helping people bring their homes back to the way they were created by past artisans is passion of mine. 

Unfortunately, the knowledge of how to maintain original windows has dwindled as we are constantly bombarded with new, new new.  In our current society, we buy almost everything with the idea that it is disposable, only to be replaced with the latest trend. While a new window may cost the same or less than a full restoration, it lacks the character of true craftsmanship.  Vinyl replacement windows are manufactured in minutes on an assembly line and will move just as quickly to their new home in a landfill once the argon gas fogs the glass or the hardware breaks. In my opinion, they cannot compare to the quality of a handmade product. You already have this quality craftsmanship in your historic home.  It just happens to be buried under several layers of paint. Once your windows have been brought back to their original splendor, they will shine for years.  

As a former teacher, I believe that we should be showing the young people of today how do do specific trades that are needed to maintain our society.  Not every student is a "college" type of student, nor should they be.  We need people of all types to maintain what we have.  If you had told me in my 20s while I was in graduate school that the "future me"  would be sweating everyday in this Florida heat restoring windows,  I would have looked down my nose at you.  But I can truly say that I have never loved anything as much as I love what I am doing with my life now.