If you value good materials, appreciate good craftsmanship, and love the character of antique glass, you’ll want to attend the upcoming window repair hosted by the Center for the Study of the Black Belt.
 
Renowned old house restoration expert Hilda Dent will lead a window repair workshop at the Center on July 31 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the University of West Alabama’s Land Hall.
 
“Old Windows Good as New” will give participants an opportunity to learn the proper techniques necessary to preserve old windows in a house to save money and preserve historic value.
 
Dent, the owner of Old House Specialists in Montgomery, says that preserving existing windows in a house is more cost effective than replacing all windows with new products.
 
“While replacement windows could save you about $50 a month on your heating or cooling bills, those savings come after you spend $12,000, on average, for replacement windows for the typical home. If you heat or cool your home, say, six months a year, the savings are about $300 annually. At that rate it would take 40 years to recoup in energy savings the amount of money spent on the new windows,” she explains.
 
Dent warns that not all old windows can be saved, but with routine maintenance, an old window can continue to function for many years because of the high-quality materials often used in their construction. This routine maintenance is part of the restoration and preservation that Dent’s workshop will include.
 
Dent will also discuss the many reasons existing windows are more viable and efficient than new replacement windows based on old window construction and the types of materials used in them.
 
For more information on the workshop or to sign up for the class, please call the Center for the Study of the Black Belt at (205) 652-3828.