By Mikael Maynard

The world of windows is vast, and to be honest, exploring it was slightly overwhelming for someone (like me) who knows absolutely nothing about them. They open and close to allow fresh air in and stale air out; that was the extent of my pre-climate cabin knowledge.

Growing up in older-style homes in Florida, I became used to jalousie and crank awning windows that never seemed to close just right, allowing the interior air cooled by the A/C in the summer to escape — not very energy efficient. And, because they were so old, it was difficult to find parts to fix them.

In the creation of the climate cabin, I really want to stay away from windows that would potentially have “out of date” parts and choose reclaimed windows that function with a simple, minimal design to passively cool the house in the summer and heat it in the winter. I wanted them to seal properly so as not to allow bugs in or air to escape, and ultimately, I wanted whatever windows I chose to be refurbished to meet modern energy efficiency standards.

I know that sounds crazy, but I only know that this is possible because of Scott Sidler from The Craftsman Blog, who claims that “an energy efficient historic window is a very real and very attainable thing that can be accomplished by minimal upgrades to the original window that cost far less than replacement.” He goes on to explain that many windows today are sold with “engineered obsolescence in mind,” meaning new windows stop functioning correctly over time. On top of that, “cradle to grave, they use way more energy” to manufacture them.

Sidler references a series of 2011 tests performed by the Window Preservation Standards Collaborative. With the addition of metal weatherstripping, storm windows and/or rubber bulb weatherstripping to the sash perimeter, they were able to meet the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for 2012.

After much consideration, I chose six individual panes of three double-hung wooden sash windows that were roughly the same size (34” x 34”) from the salvage yard of Burkhalter Wrecking Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida and one 22” x 50” single pane wooden sash window for the bathroom from Eco Relics, also in Jacksonville. Our plan is to refurbish and fit the sashes perfectly to our allotted window space, weather strip the perimeter with bulb stripping, double glaze the glass and caulk around the inside and outside of the trim. 

Even knowing all of this, I am still very hesitant about the windows I ultimately chose. I am sure this is due to my lack of carpentry know-how, because the idea of taking the dusty old single pane sash windows I picked out of a rickety old barn and making each individual pane into a hopper window that opens inward, seals properly and meets the current energy efficient standards — well, that sounds daunting.

This is why I am glad to have Mike working with me, because though he may not have experience in refurbishing windows like this before, he is willing to try new things and take on the task to the best of his abilities. I feel like this is something that makes the climate cabin unique as well. We are adding old window restoration to our repertoire of climate change solutions, which anyone who cares about their environment can use to avoid contributing to the waste stream. Don’t throw away your beautiful old windows, because you can restore them!

When choosing a roof for the climate cabin, I knew that I wanted to go with metal because it was easily accessible as a reclaimed material in our area. We also knew that we wanted to potentially harvest potable rainwater, and research revealed that metal was a great substrate to that end.

As I found myself in the midst of actually choosing the reclaimed metal, another decision arose: whether to choose previously painted metal, or raw but rusty material. I really loved the weathered look of the rusty material, but I decided to go with the previously painted metal because I liked the durability that it offered over the weathered metal even more.

When it comes to harvesting potable drinking water, the main pollutants I want to avoid leaching into our water catchment are heavy metals like aluminum and lead, and chemicals from harmful paints and sealers like formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

I wasn’t able to find a clear coating to put over the rusted material that didn’t have harmful chemicals and VOCs so (again) I opted for the painted material knowing that I could cover and seal it with a low-VOC, water-safe and eco-friendly product later.

More information on the product I chose to seal the roof and how in the world to harvest potable drinking water safely to come in the near future!