Indow Windows Archives - Restore Oregon

Sponsored Post | ARCIFORM Builds More Than Just Houses: They Build Community

Restore Oregon — Fri, 15 May 2020 16:28:34 +0000

Ask ARCIFORM Principal Designer Anne De Wolf why supporting community organizations is important to her, and her answer is quick and definitive: “These organizations add character and meaning to our society. If we only focus on the endless list of tasks that need to be done each day, we lose track of what is beautiful in this world; we lose track of what actually makes life interesting, unique, and precious.”
Richard and Anne De Wolf, co-owners of ARCIFORM, have a long history of community involvement in the Pacific Northwest. The list of organizations they have supported is lengthy and diverse and includes Restore Oregon, Architectural Heritage Center, Lan Su Chinese Garden, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Oregon Food Bank, Serendipity Center, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Oregon Humane Society, Portland Baroque Orchestra, American Institute of Architects, Portland Center Stage, The Old Church Concert Hall, Girls Build, and others.

Anne and Richard are known locally as champions of architectural preservation, and have advocated for the conservation and restoration of many of the region’s most valuable historic buildings, like the Fried-Durkheimer House (formerly known as the first Morris Marks House), the Old Church, the Caples House, and a pair of 19^th century lighthouses on the Oregon coast.
It makes sense, then, that the Anne and Richard support the Architectural Heritage Center and Restore Oregon, two organizations whose mission statements clearly align with the De Wolfs’ own values. Restore Oregon’s site states that they have “always focused on taking care of the places that make Oregon, OREGON: the historic homes and neighborhoods, bridges and barns, churches and Main Streets that make this place so authentic and livable. Historic places are cultural, environmental, and economic assets, and they need active stewardship or they will be lost to future generations.”

Learn more about ARCIFORM’S work building community.

The post Sponsored Post | ARCIFORM Builds More Than Just Houses: They Build Community appeared first on Restore Oregon.

Sponsored Post: Why Old Windows Matter by Indow Windows

Restore Oregon — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 21:44:03 +0000

Windows are the soul of a building. They let in light and determine how those who live or work in the space see the outside world. Their placement and design determine the balance and beauty of a structure. A historic building with its original windows intact is a gem and can maintain higher property values than one that’s had all its windows replaced.
New Windows Aren’t the Answer
Making a drafty home more energy efficient doesn’t start with replacing windows. The U.S. Department of Energy has found “weatherization to be a more cost-effective option in decreasing energy bills.” And a report by the National Trust for Historic Preservation Green Lab determined original windows can be retrofitted to perform like high-end replacement windows, challenging “the common assumption that replacement windows alone provide the greatest benefit to homeowners.”
Keeping the original windows also preserves the integrity of historic structures. Since older homes have often settled with age, the windows have settled too and are out-of-square in a way that fits the building. But the reason to keep original windows goes beyond that. Historic windows are made of two extremely rare materials: old-growth lumber and handmade, wavy glass.
Durable Old Growth Lumber
Old-growth wood originates in unharvested virgin forests and can be 200-300 years old. The trees grew slowly since there was limited light and competition from other trees, making the wood dense and rot resistant. Old growth wood will last indefinitely if properly cared for. They have many compact tree rings compared with newer wood that is second-growth or grew quickly in tree farms.
The Beauty of Handmade Wavy Glass
Today, windows have optically-perfect machine made “float” glass, which was initially manufactured in the late 1950s. Before then, window glass had been made the same way for centuries: it started with glass blown into cylinder form. The “cylinder” process was mechanized after 1900 but still often had waves, ripples and air bubbles or “seeds.”
Restoring Old Windows
Historic wood windows sometimes need to be repaired and restored, which is far better choice than new replacement windows. Depending on the level of repair needed, a homeowner with extra time may be able to do it herself. If the necessary work is more extensive, there are new resources for finding local window preservation experts like the Window Preservation Alliance.
After Restoration: Preserving Windows into the Future
Improving the efficiency of old windows so they perform like new double-panes is not difficult. Indow interior window insert are laser-measured to precisely fit out-of-square windows without a damaging track or magnetic system. They are edged in silicone and press into the interior of the window frame, making them nearly invisible.
A U.S. Department of Energy study found that Indow inserts reduced heating, ventilating and air-conditioning costs in a Seattle home by 20 percent.
Click here to find out more and review the article sources
For more information on restoring old windows or to learn more about Indow Windows, please visit www.indowwindows.com.

The post Sponsored Post: Why Old Windows Matter by Indow Windows appeared first on Restore Oregon.

Saving the Windows in the Historic Oregon Governor's Mansion to Create Energy Efficiency

Restore Oregon — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 22:29:41 +0000

Mahonia Hall
(photo courtesy of Neil Kelly)

Mahonia Hall, the Oregon governor’s mansion, was nicknamed Pneumonia Hall by past gubernatorial residents because of the building’s energy inefficiency. Built in 1924 for hop farmer Thomas Livesley by Ellis Lawrence, founder of the University of Oregon School of Architecture, it’s beautiful and grand. But also drafty and cold. Last year, First Lady Cylvia Hayes decided to do something about that. She and Gov. John Kitzhaber wanted comfort and to save Oregonians money on heating bills.
Upgrading a building on the National Register of Historic Places can be tricky, especially when it comes to windows. Hayes and the governor knew that in order to upgrade the building they would need to take care with the beautiful, but drafty, historic single-pane windows. Replacing them wasn’t an option.

Installation in progress
(photo courtesy of Neil Kelly)

Indow Windows, a four-year-old business in Portland, provided the answer with 31 thermal, acrylic window inserts that press into the interior of the window frames. Since they require no hardware, Indow Windows are intended to leave historic windows intact. Neil Kelly Home Performance air-sealed cracks, added insulation and installed more than 100 new LED light bulbs. All materials and time were donated so no cost to Oregon taxpayers. The difference was immediate. “We can keep the thermostat lower than we could have a year ago with these improvements,” said Oregon’s first lady.

Snapping into place
(photo courtesy of Neil Kelly)

The final numbers aren’t in, but Mahonia Hall’s energy bills have been lower each month vis-à-vis the same month the previous year. That underscores what a study commissioned by the Preservation Green Lab and funded by the National Park Service found: there’s no need to replace windows to reap energy savings. Upgrading windows with insulating materials like storms leads to substantial energy savings across a variety of climates – almost on a par with high-performance replacement windows at a fraction of the cost.
Mahonia Hall– originally called the T.A. Livesley House and renamed Mahonia in 1988 after the Oregon state flower, Mahonia Aquifolium was one of the first public buildings in the pipeline to benefit from the State Building Innovation Lab created in 2012 to reduce energy consumption in public buildings throughout Oregon. Not only is the mansion now more livable and comfortable, but Hayes said it reflects her and Gov. Kitzhaber’s commitment to energy efficiency.

Installation complete in dining room
(photo courtesy of Neil Kelly)

“In the governor’s 10-year energy plan, one of our key strategies is to meet future demand for electricity through energy conservation,” she said. “And we really wanted to make sure that we were walking the talk at Mahonia Hall as well. We use this beautiful old place a lot for state business. It’s often the very first taste of Oregon that out-of-state and even out-of-country guests get and we wanted to make sure we were practicing what we preach with energy efficiency here.”

The post Saving the Windows in the Historic Oregon Governor's Mansion to Create Energy Efficiency appeared first on Restore Oregon.