quality materials

The first step in creating a wood window that matches the existing quality of historic wood windows is building them with quality materials.  After much research and input from known experts in the field of restoration, we decided that these were the materials that would be best suited for building our ReSash Wood Windows.

cypress

A native tree to the South in the United States, the Cypress has been a favorite of builders and architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, since the early days of our country.  We use the highest grade available as it is known for it’s fine texture, straight grain, color consistency and density.  Cypress is an oil based wood rich with cypressene, a natural preservative that makes the wood more resistant to insects, decay, chemical corrosion and other damaging elements. 

sarco multi-glaze

Multi-Glaze Type M Putty retains it’s elasticity which allows it to expand and contract while maintaining it’s adherence and watertight bond between the glass and wood window sash.  Since 1943, Sarco has been manufacturing the nation’s top glazing putty in the restoration industry.  In fact, it is used by numerous government agencies that specialize in historic restoration which is why it was chosen to reglaze the windows in the White House in 2009.

handmade craftsmanship

Part of honoring the traditions of the past in replicating wood windows so they are historically accurate is building them using the same methods as the original craftsman. While they used hand tools back then, we can now duplicate those same techniques with modern tools and machines to help us produce them faster without losing the quality of the process.

mortise and tenon

One of the most commonly and widely used joinery for building authentic wood windows is the mortise and tenon. Known for it’s simplicity and strength, this technique actually dates back to the ancient Romans as they utilized it in their wood frame construction and stonework. When making ReSash Wood Windows, we implement a version of the mortise and tenon called a Bridal Joint, or Open Mortise and Tenon, as this has been the preferred joinery used in the majority of historic wood windows found in our area of the country.

custom made by hand

In the historic wood window industry, there is no such thing as buying windows “off the shelf”.  Every sash & every frame has worn and shifted as your home has settled for the last 80 – 100 years.  That means each new sash that is produced for your home has to be custom made by hand.  This process typically takes anywhere from 6 – 8 weeks depending on the current production schedule.  The truth is it takes time to build an exact historic replica that will fit into your existing window frames but the end result of having a new beautiful wood window is well worth the wait.