The Historic Window Repair Specialists of Greater Houston
Providing skilled restoration services for wood windows built before 1960.
Restoring Historic Windows
& Preserving Heritage
• Commercial Buildings
• Historic Homes
• Authentication
• Supplies & Resources
• Broken Glass Replacement
• Full Window Restoration
• Rot Repair
• Function Repair
Featured Services
Pop & Rerope
We expertly restore the functionality of your windows by popping them open and reroping the sash cords, ensuring smooth, long-lasting operation.
Emergency Glass Replacement
When glass breaks, we provide quick and professional emergency replacement to protect your home and restore the look of your historic windows.
Weatherstripping
Our weatherstripping services improve energy efficiency and comfort while preserving the integrity of your original window design.
Sash Restoration:
We carefully repair and restore window sashes, preserving the historical character of your home while enhancing durability and performance.
Pop & Rerope
Breathe new life into your historic home by making your windows operable again. We will break the water trapping caulk and paint seals around your sashes and replace your ropes with new traditional Samson Sash Cord. Bottom and top sashes can both be made operational. This service typically takes less than a day to complete.
Glass Replacement (on-site)
Have your broken glass replaced by a company who knows the traditional putties and technique required to provide a long lasting repair and maintain your historic home. We use traditional linseed oil glazing putty to create a water tight seal that won’t damage the sash, unlike caulks and silicones. We go a step further by mixing in zinc oxide which is necessary to prevent mildew and mold in coastal climates. Replica wavy glass can also be requested to preserve the historic look of your home.
Traditional Spring
Bronze Weatherstripping
Spring bronze weatherstripping has been used for centuries and continues to be the most effective and beautiful way to eliminate drafts, bugs, and rattling in your historic wood windows. It’s ability to flex and contour creates a lasting seal that can be realigned as your home moves to keep the windows air tight. We also install brush pile in targeted areas of the window system that are known to contribute to air leaks.
Sash Restoration
Window sashes were built to be maintained on a yearly basis and easily disassembled for restoration when needed. Periodic maintenance and putty touch ups, meant to be performed every 5 years, have often times been skipped, requiring a deeper restoration to reset the sash. Our 21 step process takes the sash through a detox process that results in a extremely high quality product, beautiful and ready to last another 100 years with proper maintenance. Sashes are fully painted by our highly skilled artists in shop and do not require any touch ups after reinstallation.
Full Window Restoration
1
Removal & Preparation
Your window sashes are carefully removed and taken to our shop. Openings are covered temporarily with logo-marked OSB plywood.
2
Stripping & Repair
Sashes are stripped of old paint, glass is removed, and sashes are repaired, sanded, and primed. Glass is polished and re-embedded with glazing putty for a tight seal.
3
Painting & Sealing
Sashes are painted with two coats of chosen color, ensuring a tight seal between glass and wood. Original locks can be reused or replaced.
4
Mechanical Makeover
We upgrade the window’s operational components, including replacing old ropes with new Sampson spot cord, ensuring smooth operation for the next century.
5
Finishing Touches
Once re-roping is complete, the weight pocket is closed and secured, ensuring easy access for future maintenance while maintaining the window’s aesthetic integrity.
6
Weather-stripping
Traditional spring bronze weather-stripping is installed on the jamb using solid brass nails for a secure, draft proof fit. Modern brush pile is then applied for an even tighter seal that can stand up against modern menaces like leaf blowers and weedwackers.
Who We Are
We are a team of highly skilled artists, who provide quality craftsmanship and aim to preserve the historic fabric of Houstons earliest neighborhoods by offering restoration of wood windows in lieu of total replacement.
Learn the Craft
of Window Restoration
It’s a little-known fact that old windows were built with fine technique and hidden features that require tremendous knowledge and fine craftsmanship. Plum Alley Windowcraft offers classes for the craftsmen (and women) and the DIYers alike. In this class you will learn:
• Historic Window Anatomy
• Unique tools and materials necessary for window repair
• Step-by-step instructional guidance
