Historic homes have unparalleled charm and nostalgia. They are artifacts of the past that can take you back to bygone times. Their architecture, design details, and unique features make them an attractive choice for people who want to live in a place with a storied past and lots of character that sets it apart from the cookie-cutter homes of today.

However, it can be hard to find the right balance between historic preservation and modern comfort, especially when it comes to windows. In order to take advantage of modern technology and provide a safe place to live, some updates may be necessary. If you own a historic property, consider these tips to help you choose windows that will preserve the past while embracing the present.

The Significance of Historic Windows

They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, but for historic homes, windows themselves are the windows to its soul, offering glimpses of their history. These windows often utilize bygone manufacturing techniques and present exquisite craftsmanship, adding to the home’s aesthetic appeal and contributing to the overall structural integrity of the building. 

Despite the value of historic windows, there are many reasons you may need to replace them. They could be cracked, damaged, or not insulate your home properly. With thoughtful consideration, you can replace your home’s windows without compromising the property’s authenticity and value.

Challenges of Historic Window Replacement

Glass and window manufacturing have come a long way since many historic homes were built. Modern windows come with all kinds of benefits, including noise reduction, increased energy efficiency, and less required maintenance. 

Even with all these benefits, modern windows can be difficult to install in historic homes. Oftentimes, there are local preservation guidelines and regulations that must be followed in order to preserve a home’s original features and style. Consult with local preservation societies to ensure your windows comply with guidelines and regulations for historic neighborhoods. They can provide valuable insights and assistance in the decision-making process.

Understanding Preservation Needs

Even if there are no preservation rules in your area, you should still do thorough research and consult with experts before embarking on any renovation project for your historic home, including window replacement. 

When you understand the appropriate design elements and materials for your home’s architectural style, you can ensure you choose appropriate replacement windows that provide modern comfort while preserving your home’s history.

Finding the Right Balance

The key to finding replacement windows that balance the past with the present is choosing windows that provide contemporary comfort while maintaining your historic home’s authentic character. Here are some important factors to consider:

Historically Accurate Replicas

There are many window manufacturers out there that specialize in crafting custom, historically-accurate replicas. Because they can be customized to match the exact style and dimensions of your existing windows, the historical aesthetic is preserved. If you want something that blends seamlessly with your home’s architecture, but still provides improved performance, these windows are a good option for you. 

If exact replicas are not available, choose materials that mimic the original ones used in the historic windows. For example, if your home has traditional wood windows, opt for wood window frames. For midcentury homes, aluminum or vinyl may be more suitable.

Energy Efficiency for Historic Homes

Preserving original windows is ideal, but it’s not always possible if their deteriorated condition has decreased your home’s energy efficiency. If this is the case, opt for modern windows that have energy-efficient features like low-emissivity glass, weather stripping, and insulated frames. These features reduce energy consumption and help keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

Installation by Professionals

Replacing windows on a historic home can be a delicate task. Historic homes are often constructed differently than modern homes, so it takes someone who has knowledge of historical construction techniques to install replacement windows correctly. Ensure you hire a professional installation team that understands the nature of historic homes and how to complete the installation without damaging the property and compromising its historical significance.

Preserving History, Enhancing Comfort

If you’re trying to navigate the decisions that come with preserving your historic home while incorporating modern comfort and efficiency, trust the professionals at Moyes Glass. We are committed to helping Utah homeowners find the right windows for their property. We have hundreds of different styles to choose from, and our designers can create custom windows to fit any home. To get started with preserving your historic home while increasing its comfort, contact us today.

Since windows are so prevalent in our lives, we often take them for granted; however, there is a rich history spanning thousands of years that led to glass windows as we know them in the 21st century. Keep reading to learn about early glass manufacturing, improvements to the process, and innovations that led to the modern windows most of us have in our homes today.

Prehistory

Although glass occurs naturally, the first ever glass made by humans was created around 1500 BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt. These areas became the first centers of glass manufacturing.

Because of insufficient heat and small furnaces, the glass manufacturing process was slow and difficult. The introduction of the blowpipe by Syrian craftsmen eventually made the process much easier and less expensive.

Back then, glass wasn’t yet being used for windows; it was mostly used for making jewelry and vessels.

First Glass Windows

As glass production spread to Rome and its colonies, and at the end of the 1st century AD, glass became a commonly available material to the people of Rome due to refinements in the production process. 

It was around this time that the first glass window panes appeared. This glass was thick and uneven and not transparent like modern glass, but it did allow light to pass through.

Stained Glass

The first stained glass windows can be found in 4th-century Christian churches throughout Europe. Stained glass became a dominant art form during this time period.

17th Century

Although the manufacturing process was still crude, glass windows gained popularity for homes throughout the Western world during the early 17th century when window glass was first manufactured in Britain. Glassmakers would blow a long balloon of glass, then remove the ends of the balloon, creating a cylinder, which was then split and flattened into a sheet. These sheets were not large enough to cover an entire window, so smaller panes were fastened together with bars.

A major glassmaking innovation from this time period was crown glass. The process of making crown glass starts with a sphere of molten glass that is pierced with a rod, then spun into a circular sheet. These sheets could then be cut into different sizes and shapes. Although the glass still had imperfections and ripples, it was clearer than previous types of glass.

New Innovations

Starting in the early 20th century, many new innovations and processes made the glassmaking process easier and more efficient.

Drawn Glass

The process of making drawn glass was invented by Emile Fourcault. To make drawn glass, the molten glass is drawn upwards out of a bath and cools as it is lifted into the air. The sheets then cool on rollers.

A similar process used the Colburn machine, which was inspired by the paper-making process. After the sheet of glass was drawn vertically, it was gently bent over a roller until it laid horizontally.

For both of these methods, the resulting sheets of glass were clear, but still had to be ground and polished.

Laminated Glass

This type of glass was actually discovered as an accident. When a French chemist named Edouard Benedictus dropped a glass flask coated in plastic cellulose nitrate. To his surprise, the flask shattered but did not break.

Since this discovery, glass manufacturers place a thin film of plastic between two sheets of glass to improve safety with large windows.

Float Glass

Today, the industry standard is float glass, which was developed in 1959 by Alastair Pilkington. To make float glass, molten glass is poured onto a bed of molten tin, where it cools as it floats on the surface. This process allows large glass sheets to be made an even thickness without distortion.

Modern Glass Windows

Homeowners and builders in the 21st century enjoy many modern innovations in glass windows, including tempered glass, which is stronger and more resistant to shattering. Special treatments can make your windows UV-resistant or more energy efficient. 

Windows From Moyes Glass

Whether you need windows for your newly built home, commercial windows, or replacement glass for your old windows, turn to Moyes Glass to be sure you’re taking advantage of all the modern innovations in glassmaking. In addition, we offer glass doors, moving glass walls, phantom retractable screens, motorized wall screens, and custom mirrors. We’re proud to be locally owned and operated in Ogden, Utah. Come visit our 1000-square-foot showroom or contact us today to discover all the modern glass innovations we have available!

You can find mirrors for cheap, but if you’re looking for something quality that will last a long time and give you an accurate reflection, you’ll quickly find that mirrors tend to be expensive. Since you can indeed find mirrors that are under $100, with some full-length mirrors under $20, you may wonder why this is. Is it capitalistic price-gouging? Or is there a legitimate reason why good-quality mirrors tend to be so expensive?

Here is what you need to know about the various factors involved in mirror pricing. Spoiler alert: good quality mirrors do indeed have good reason for costing as much as they do. Let’s jump into why this is.

#1. Thickness

The thinner the mirror, the cheaper the quality and the more warped your reflection is likely to be. If you’re looking for a high-quality mirror that gives you an accurate reflection, experts recommend thick mirrors. 

Thinner glass allows people to sell mirrors for cheaper. However, the age-old saying “You get what you pay for” could not be more true when it comes to mirrors. People make mirrors thinner and thinner in order to sell them for cheaper and cheaper. Thin glass warps, making your cheap mirror have a bit of a fun-house effect.

While your wallet may be pleased with a cheap mirror initially, you won’t be in the long term. While thicker mirrors are more expensive, this is due to the cost of the materials and the quality of the workmanship. Thicker mirrors last a long time, with many families passing mirrors down as heirlooms. Plus, you don’t have to worry about whether you put on some weight or if the mirror is just distorting your reflection if you go for a quality, thick mirror.

#2. Backing

The mirror’s backing needs to be sturdy enough to support it. This helps to prevent the glass from warping, as many mirrors end up trying to bend over time due to their own weight. Backing gives them the support they need to stay up straight. 

While brown paper backing could be fine with a small, cheap mirror, mirrors generally need stronger backing than this. This is why wooden backing is so common. The bigger the mirror, the stronger the backing needs to be in order to increase the rigidity of the mirror. 

As you can imagine, brown paper backing is cheap, but wood isn’t. This is another instance where the quality of the materials used influences the price. Large, thick mirrors with wooden backing and framing may be expensive, but you can rest assured that you’ll get your money’s worth out of them.

#3. Craftsmanship

Have you ever tried to make a mirror? Probably not, but if you have, you’d know that this takes a lot of skill in addition to the investment in the materials and tools used. Polishing and silvering take time and expertise in order to ensure that your mirror won’t get black spots. These black spots are where the silvering is coming off. 

While you can have mirrors resilvered, your wallet would be much happier if you just invested in a high-quality mirror where you don’t have to worry about resilvering in the first place. 

Cuts factors into this, too. It takes immense skill to cut a mirror, especially into a custom shape or design. If you chip the mirror while cutting it, this can ruin it. Another reason why mirrors are so expensive is because of the skill it takes to get this done right. 

#4. Brand Name

Some people care a great deal about the brands they buy, even if they’re well aware that they’re paying more just for the brand name, and less so for increased quality. Mirrors are no different. Mirrors may be expensive in general, but if you’re someone who cares about designer brands, you can expect to pay for the name attached to your new mirror. 

#5. Add-Ons And Customizations

Your standard mirror will likely not be as expensive as a custom-shaped mirror. Customizations can be anything from the shape of the mirror to the size of the mirror to additions like backlighting, a touchscreen, and more. The more customizations you make, the more expensive your mirrors will be.

Top Quality Mirrors In Northern Utah

Moyes Glass provides top-quality glass services throughout Northern Utah, including mirrors. We can do custom mirrors, as well, so you can ensure that you’re getting your money’s worth. Contact us today for more information about our services or feel free to stop by our showroom in Ogden, UT.