Size Matters! Replacement windows should always fill the historic opening fully. Undersized replacement windows will have a negative impact on both the exterior, where the historic character will be altered, and the interior, where the character will be altered and daylight lost.
If historic windows remain in place, rehabbing those windows is almost always the preferred approach. They can match the efficiency of new windows if properly repaired, fitted with weather stripping, and paired with a storm window. And they won’t have to be replaced in 20 years like modern windows.
But sometimes replacement windows are necessary. When they are, it is important to get them right, including their size, whether ordered from a catalog or custom made.
Chapter 13 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners” takes a deep dive into the subject of windows in historic houses – including appropriate replacement windows when the historic windows are already gone or beyond saving.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation titles by other authors.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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