Educating others in the way of historic preservation is a passion for Vintage Window Restoration. Whether it is a two week field school to a one hour classroom presentation, we seek out opportunities to share knowledge with homeowners, government personnel, contractors, realtors, students and anyone else that has an interest in the craft.
Our four day window workshops are very intensive and not for the faint at heart. We aim for volume and complexity of the work at hand. Windows are in various states of disrepair and we bring the machinery to the work-site to handle any situation. This is next to the closest thing to a real world window restoration project where everyone has skin in the game and no one is allowed to leave early. We begin our morning early covering the course orientation, safety and housekeeping and each team member gives their background, experience with windows and what they plan to get out of it. Once all the hellos are made, we begin by documenting each window and identifying any discrepancies we may encounter down the road.
Students set-up the work-site to understand how to do it on their own when they graduate and join the workforce or start their own window business. We discuss everything like the shorter workshops, but in greater detail and students will work on a full window on their own rather than in teams. All tools and materials are made available as packages to students to prevent any bottlenecks from occurring and the introduction to advanced window restoration begins.
Avanced window restoration involves full lead-based paint removal on the sash and jambs. Complete re-glazing with new sash putty, glazing points and retaining the original glass to be used. If windows are rotted, new window components are made under the Secretary of Interior Standards to match in profile, wood species and joinery methods. Portable woodworking machinery is brought in including table saws, mortisers, shapers and jointers. Students that are comfortable using the machinery are tested on each machine and supervised by the instructor. By the end of the advanced window workshop, all students have completely restored a sash and jamb. Each sash is completed and installed with original or replica hardware. This course covers enough principals for each student, if willing, to perform window restoration with complete confidence and basic business sense to make a profit.
Four to five day workshops are great for organizations that want to train their students, workforce, or maintenance staff to be capable of competently and efficiently restoring their buildings, or join a workforce that will earn them a decent living.
This particular workshop was held in Nehalem, Oregon on the coast where Pacific winds and torrential rains make any organic matter decompose on the spot. Numerous bottom rails and stiles were rotten and needed replacement. The sash was stripped back down to the bare frames and all new putty, oil and paint was applied. The jambs were scraped and weather stripped for energy efficiency. After the four days, numerous students had the ability to work in the community restoring windows as a side income to help with school expenses. Some will continue on to start a business restoring windows. Others will take their new learned skills and confidence and apply it to many other aspects of historic preservation or life in general. Besides education and training, we are capable of saving and repairing wood windows, manufacturing reproductions, manufacturing custom storm sash and wooden screens and repairing any siding and trim around your windows. We are your one stop shop for historic windows, doors and facade! Contact Vintage Window Restoration for all your window workshop needs.