House Calls Are More Than a 'Pane' for This 'Doctor'

Do your old windows shake, rattle, and roll? Are they painted shut? Are the ropes broken? Are you anticipating big heating bills this winter? Why not restore your windows to their original condition?

It’s all in a day’s work for the Greenwich Window Doctor, Andrew Coviello, who has been making house calls throughout Fairfield County - and even as far as New Jersey and Rhode Island - for 22 years.

“After you call me for a quote, the guy I send back to do the job is me,” said Coviello. “Not a foreman checking once a day on subcontractors.”

Coviello takes great pride in his craft, a labor-intensive effort from start to finish. His fees to restore an old double-hung wood sash window – the type found in millions of historic and older homes – are competitive with the cost of a vinyl replacement window. Yet, unlike the typical 20-year warranty for a vinyl replacement, a 100-year-old window restored by the Window Doctor can potentially last another century.

Three Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle
Despite the slow economy, Coviello is experiencing a surge of interest in his service as well as the DVD he created for D-I-Y types. For the price of lunch, home improvement enthusiasts can learn Greenwich Window Doctor’s time-honored, step-by-step method.

Restore or Replace?
Coviello explains that homeowners are often unaware of the value of what they have. They view their old windows as fodder for the dumpster. Yet windows on old houses were built to last. Not only was the craftsmanship superior, but the sashes were fabricated from old growth timber. This means the wood is very dense and robust.

No accounting for taste
Old window glass, which often has random air bubbles and gentle waves, fosters the charm of an older home. According to Coviello, “It is so prized that restoration window glass is often the choice for people who have broken panes.”

Also, when those homes were originally constructed, care was taken to match the look of the window with the style of the house and its trim. “Replacement windows just look out of place on an older home,” said Coviello.

Simple Science Behind Double-Hung: Hot air rises, cool air falls
Using the scientific principles of thermodynamics, homeowners with operable double-hung windows can regulate airflow through their houses, and, as a result, reduce reliance on air conditioning in the summer. It’s simple and yet, according to Coviello, many people who buy an old house where the top sashes are painted shut aren’t even aware they’re supposed to move.

Going Green
According to Coviello, anyone who values the planet’s health should have serious concerns about vinyl replacement windows. Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) comes with a hidden price, which is the cost to the environment. Vinyl is toxic to produce, doesn’t break down in landfill, and, in the case of fire, releases toxic amounts of dioxin.

True Energy Efficiency
Double-hung windows were never intended to be airtight. According to Coviello that is a misconception.

“Have you ever heard of sick building syndrome?” Coviello asked. “Double-hung windows were intended to open and close and keep rain out. The little pockets of air around the sashes are there by design. They allow the moving parts to stay dry. Plus,” said Coviello, “A house needs to breathe.”

Coviello explained that a better way to increase energy efficiency is to combine window restoration with the addition of storm windows. Also, he said, “You probably lose more heat through your roof and un-insulated walls than through your windows.” His advice is to add insulation to your attic to keep heat in during the winter and add an attic extractor fan to expel trapped heat in the summer.

According to the Greenwich Window Doctor, the moment you install a vinyl replacement window, it starts to deteriorate. “The springs stretch out and lose elasticity. The felt wears and the seal weakens on the thermal panes. Down the road you get water condensation and it turns opaque.”

“Why do you think they call them replacement windows?” Coviello concluded, which brings us full circle: An old double-hung window can be repaired and restored indefinitely. For more information or to arrange an assessment of your windows, contact Greenwich Window Doctor, Andrew Coviello.

www.greenwichwindowdoctor.com/

Phone: (203) 531-4485

E-mail: andrewgrnwch@aol.com