| Wanamaker Restoration

Dear Ed.

Although I applaud the Mayors intentions at reducing his carbon foot print, and am thankful that he is bringing attention to the many ways that we can all reduce our impact on our environment, I am afraid that his intention to replace his windows with “new tighter” windows will fall far short of his stated goal.

The manufacturing costs in producing one replacement window can take as many as thirty years to recoup in monetary terms relative to energy savings. The real energy lost through old single pane windows with a simple triple track storm window is negligible when compared to a new double glazed window. If you were to rehab the original sash and upgrade to a new storm window the energy savings would be almost the same, and add the embodied energy of the original window and the savings in fossil fuels by not manufacturing another window and all of a sudden there is a real reduction in our carbon footprint.

A much better approach for the Mayor and the rest of us would be to insulate our attic or roof space with dense pack blown-in insulation (made from recycled materials) and purchase insulated drapes and curtains for our old windows in the winter months. A seventy percent reduction in heat loss is gained by just these two actions.

As we struggle to balance our modern needs with a quality of life, the conservation of both the natural environment and our built environment will help reduce our impact and realize these two goals.

Thank you for your time,

Ron Wanamaker
Wanamaker Restoration