The Sacred Old Growth Forests
Pittsburgh is losing one of its most important parts of history - our old growth wood. Old growth wood refers to lumber from trees that were cut down for the first time and were often 100-300 years old! These trees, mostly pine, were everywhere in Western Pennsylvania and we cut them ALL down! During the depression, the government had to come in and plant 500 million trees, which is why we have some beautiful forests to enjoy today. The bad news is that old growth trees and the lumber they provided are gone forever.
We’re fortunate in Pittsburgh to be close to one of the nation’s old growth forests. The Forest Cathedral old-growth area in Cook Forest, a registered National Natural Landmark, is considered Pennsylvania's finest and largest old-growth forest. It’s only a few hours from Pittsburgh and totally worth the trip. Being surrounded by 300 year old trees is healing and calming. It will change your life.
The good news is that these trees live on in our older homes - in the windows, doors, porches, staircases and moldings. But… we have to stop throwing these highly crafted windows and doors into the landfills.
Old Growth Wood is more disease resistant, more water resistant and will last for hundreds of years, if maintained properly. That is not a typo. Your old growth wood windows, properly restored and maintained, can last for hundreds of years. If you ever find an old scrap of wood from the area, get your glasses out, because you will need them to count the annual growth rings. Todays lumber’s rings can be counted easily since almost all of it is less than 40 years old.
The Marketing business in the United States will have you believe you have to throw away your windows. Buy new!! Throw out!! Buy new!! This applies to everything in our lives and windows are no exception. But it’s a lie told by window replacement companies because they need the business. The interesting thing is, all they have to do is wait 15 years and they can start replacing all of the replacements! And that is no joke. Paying to rip out a poorly constructed window to be replaced with a poorly constructed window. Vinyl? Seriously? How is this an upgrade? It’s ugly, it will need replaced, you will NEVER get your money back in energy savings. Also, they’re too big for the opening! Another truth - I have never seen a wood window that I couldn’t restore. Also, did you know that the glass in your old windows was hand blown and rolled, that’s right, you will never see this type of glass again, unless you pay a premium. Old wavy glass in wooden windows is so popular that people go out of their way to have put in when they are doing an addition or a bump out.
Best of all, it is less expensive to restore than to install new or replacement windows. If your wood windows are restored correctly and you add a good fitting storm window… they are as energy efficient as any new replacement window.
Come on Pittsburgh, we can save our history and preserve our wood windows!
The Pittsburgh area is an extensive museum of lost craftsmanship and materials that are too cost prohibitive to reproduce. Restoring, Preserving, up dating and maintaining wood windows and doors has never been easier.
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DON’T THROW AWAY A PERFECTLY GOOD WINDOW OR DOOR !
Wood Window Restoration
Window Preservation
Wood Door Restoration
Custom made Inside Storm Windows
Custom made Outside Storm Windows
Wood Deck Repair