This commentary is by Alex Tolstoi, a preservation consultant and carpenter who founded Vermont Property Preservation Consultants.
Snow is melting, the sap is running, and uncovered heads and hands are basking in the sunlight. After being cooped up all winter, away from our friends and family, it is tempting to spend our warm weekends jumping into swimming holes or climbing mountains, but I purpose a more mundane, yet more rewarding summer activity — reglazing your windows.
As many of you know, we have three seasons in Vermont: winter, mud and construction. Once our bodies and houses have thawed and dried, we do that annual stroll around our homes in search of what succumbed to the harsh winds and bitter cold. Broken shutters, peeling paint, missing shingles and chipping window glazing — all symptoms of living and surviving in our harsh environment.
Summer is the time for repairs, in preparation for yet another winter beating.
Put away that bathing suit and foam noodle; this is the time for sharp chisels and window putty. Taking something old and tired and making it beautiful and functional, there are few more gratifying activities than restoring windows. Unlike their new vinyl cousins, historic windows are infinitely repairable, each piece replicable and replaceable. While serious repairs may require specialty tools, reglazing is something almost anyone can do.
The benefits are immediate: Your windows will look amazing, they will be more energy-efficient, and the sashes will be saved from the landfill. You will also have earned the right to brag that you did it yourself (to the amazement and bewilderment of your out-of-state friends and relatives who will not understand why you didn’t just buy new ones).
Go support your local hardware store and buy a utility knife, chisel, sandpaper, putty knife and some glazing putty. Learn the basics of lead safety and watch one of the millions of videos on DIY window glazing. You don’t need to do professional restoration; just remove what is loose and do spot repairs.
Remember that pride we felt when Vermont had the lowest Covid numbers in the country? Remember how great it was when you baked your first sourdough loaf? Remember when we eschewed box stores and chains to support our neighbors and local communities?
Let us not forget the lessons of self-sufficiency and the joy of doing your part to support your community. Home improvement is contagious, like when you see your neighbor shoveling the driveway at dawn.
If Covid has taught us anything, it is that we are resilient people who do not need to hire out every simple task, and I say this as someone who makes part of their living restoring windows. So, once things have warmed up and that still-frigid river is beckoning, think twice before disrobing. Call your neighbors together for a socially distanced glazing party — you will already have a mask on; might as well get your money’s worth.
