Here at Rethos, we are always curious to see how the educational classes we offer help homeowners. Here is a great example of an attendee putting their newly acquired knowledge into use! Homeowner Heidi was interviewed via email.
Dominic and Heidi's Home + Barn, Marine on Saint Croix, MN
Which Rethos class did you take?
I took the Repairing and Restoring Old Windows taught by Hayes Window Restoration.
What did you learn from your class that helped you complete your project?
Although I had done some window restoration work on a previous property, and was a year into restoring our current windows, an in-person class was extremely useful in terms of elevating my work product to a more professional quality level. There are definitely some great window restoration resources online, but an in-person class, where you have the opportunity to watch and then ask questions of a true professional, is an incredible resource.
In class, I learned to cut glass on the sash, best practices for prepping the sash for glaze, utilizing whiting powder to clean up linseed residue. These are little details that will help my window work to last for years and maintain the historical integrity of the old materials on our house and barn.
What is your relationship to the property?
We bought the property in July of 2020. I document our restoration work at https://www.instagram.com/saint_adelaide_house/
What work did you do?
We have about half our original windows intact on the house and all original windows on the barn. Every window and storm needed some amount of restoration whether it was cracked glass, glazing that’s failing, weatherizing, sash repair or simply paint.
What challenges did you encounter?
Sourcing antique glass is extremely time consuming. A few months into the barn restoration, we realized that if we wanted to utilize the barn in the winter, we would have to use new glass to repair the windows. We use the barn tack room as a home office and warmth in the Minnesota winters was prioritized. At some point, as we continue to amass antique glass pieces, we plan to replace the new glass with more historically accurate glass.
How long did it take?
The project is ongoing. We are nearly finished with the barn windows at this point.
What tools did you use?
I use a hand steamer to remove glazing, then the usual glazing tool, molding scraper and a little tack hammer.
Did you source any special materials locally? If so, where?
McGowan’s in Forest Lake, MN for non standard moldings for storm windows. Lindstrom Hardware Do it Best, Lindstrom, MN, does a great job cutting glass cleanly and accurately.
What was the cost?
This is really difficult to estimate. The costs are the glaze, glass and my time.
Thank you Heidi!
If you have attended one of our classes and would like to show off your rehab/repair skills, let's put your rehab On the Map! Click here and fill out the form or email natalie@rethos.org for more information.