“Kellen took the sash out of our old double-hungs one window at a time, so the house was closed up every night. The ropes finally run again.”
Edith K.Munjoy Hill, Portland
Old-house restoration in Portland and midcoast Maine
Repair the old window, or replace it. Know both answers first.
Pressley Historic Restoration works on Portland's brick row houses, Greek Revival fronts and cedar-shingled summer places. Before you decide on a window, a porch or a plaster ceiling, we write down what is there, what each choice involves and what it leaves out.
- A written note on every window
- Repair, replacement or both, side by side
Kellen DevlinWindow shop lead
The question every old-house owner asks
Repair or replace: one window, three honest answers
Neither answer is always right. This is how we weigh them, one row at a time. A mark beside an answer shows which way the row leans; a row with no mark is a tie.
| What you're weighing | Replace with a new insulated unit | Replace with a new wood window | Repair the original |
|---|---|---|---|
| What stays | Replace with a new insulated unitThe opening, and sometimes the casing | Replace with a new wood windowThe frame and casing; the sash is new | Repair the originalBetter: The original sash, the old glass and the frame |
| Drafts and heat loss | Replace with a new insulated unitBetter: Insulated glass and tight seals work from the first day | Replace with a new wood windowCan match a modern unit when built with insulated glass | Repair the originalWeatherstripping and a storm window close the gaps that cause most drafts |
| Upkeep | Replace with a new insulated unitLittle painting, but a failed unit is replaced, not repaired | Replace with a new wood windowPainted like the original; parts can be repaired | Repair the originalScrape, glaze and repaint every several years |
| Historic-district review | Replace with a new insulated unitOften reviewed, and the city may ask for a closer match | Replace with a new wood windowOften accepted when profiles and glass match the old | Repair the originalBetter: Repairing in kind often needs no review |
| Paint on the sash | Replace with a new insulated unitReplacement in an older house is always covered work under the EPA rule | Replace with a new wood windowSame as replacement | Repair the originalOld paint is disturbed in the sash and handled with containment |
| Cost | Replace with a new insulated unitPriced per unit, plus installation and trim | Replace with a new wood windowPriced per window, made to order | Repair the originalPriced window by window; sound wood favors repair, rot shifts it |
| Right when | Replace with a new insulated unitThe frame has rotted through, or energy performance comes first | Replace with a new wood windowA window is past repair but its look matters | Repair the originalThe wood is sound and the glass is worth keeping |
What we work on
Six kinds of work on houses with a past
One crew, one shop on Danforth Street, and a first rule: repair what is there when it can be repaired.
Windows and storm sash
Sash cords, glazing, loose joints and soft sills, repaired window by window.
More about this work
Clapboard, shingles and trim
Wood siding, cedar shingles, corner boards and cornices, repaired and matched.
More about this work
Porches, columns and railings
Floors, framing, columns and rails rebuilt where they failed, kept where they didn't.
More about this work
Brick, chimneys and foundations
Repointing in matched mortar, chimney repair, and brick and granite foundations.
More about this work
Plaster, millwork and trim
Plaster walls and ceilings, cornices and casings, repaired in place.
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Period kitchens and baths
A working kitchen or bath that keeps the trim, floors and plaster of the house.
More about this work
Older houses and paint
Lead-safe credentials, in plain view
Houses built before 1978 may carry lead paint under the newer coats. Federal rules cover paid work that disturbs it. Here is what our firm holds, and what a certified job looks like on site.
Certificate
Lead-Safe Certified Firm
EPA firm cert. no. 000000 · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Certified to follow lead-safe work practices when paid work disturbs paint in a home built before 1978
What a certified job looks like
Sealed work area
Plastic sheeting over floors and openings, and a marked zone around the work.
No dry sanding or open flame
Old paint is removed by methods that don't turn it into dust or fume.
A certified renovator on site
The renovator directs the crew and checks the work area.
Cleaned and checked
A HEPA vacuum and wet cleaning, and a cleaning check before we take the plastic down.
Insurance
General liability insurance
Policy 000000
Certificate of insurance sent to you before work starts
Who comes to your house
Plaster, wood, glass and brick, from one crew of seven
Theodore Pressley learned plaster on the old houses of Munjoy Hill and the West End. He started the firm so that a house could have its windows, porch, trim and plaster looked after by people who talk to each other. We take on a few houses at a time, so the person who wrote your notes is the one on site when the work starts.
How we work
A written note on the house before any price
The same crew from the visit to the walk-through
Repair in kind where it can be done
Theodore Pressley
Owner and lead plasterer
The first visit
A first walk around the house
This is where we look first on a Greek Revival front. Every house has its own list, and the notes you get say which of these apply.
- 1
Windows and sash
We check each sash for loose joints, soft wood, broken cords and failed glazing, and note which can be repaired.
- 2
Shutters
Hinges, pintles and the slats themselves. A shutter is hung and moves; if it doesn't, we find out why.
- 3
Porch columns and cornice
Where a column meets the floor and the ceiling is where water collects, so we look there first.
- 4
Clapboard and corner boards
We press a thumb into the bottom courses and the corners. Soft wood tells us where the water is.
- 5
Steps, gate and grade
The ground against the house, and whether water runs toward it or away.
After the work
What owners say once the sash are back in
“The note on each window said which three to replace and which eleven to keep. We hadn't expected a contractor to write that down.”
Sidney B.West End, Portland
“They set up plastic and a HEPA vacuum on the porch before anyone touched a paint scraper, and the floors were clean when they left.”
Hope L.Stroudwater, Portland
Sample reviews.
Before you call
Questions owners ask first
Homes built before 1978: what changes?
Paint in houses built before 1978 may contain lead. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule covers paid work that disturbs that paint. Window replacement and demolition are always covered; small repairs, under about 6 square feet inside or 20 outside, are not. A firm doing covered work must be EPA-certified and follow lead-safe work practices. We tell you which side of the line your job is on.
Do I need the city's approval to repair a window?
If the house is in one of Portland's historic districts or is a landmark, a change to the outside can need review. Repairing in kind often doesn't; replacing often does. We find out what applies at your address before you commit.
When can you start?
Window work can start sooner than exterior work. Painting, masonry and porch work book into the spring and summer building season, so we give a start window with the estimate.
What don't you do?
We don't build new houses, replace roofs, or install vinyl windows or siding. We tell you who to call for those.
What if you find something behind the plaster?
We stop, show you with photos and write down the change with its price before we go on. Nothing is billed that you haven't seen.
Our towns
From Stroudwater to Kittery
A house visit day starts early and ends in daylight, and that sets how far we go. If your town isn't listed, ask: we'll say yes or no before we book.
Portland neighborhoods
- West End
- Munjoy Hill
- East Bayside
- Stroudwater
- Back Cove
Cumberland County
- New Gloucester
- Durham
- Casco
Sagadahoc County
- Phippsburg
- Woolwich
- West Bath
York County
- Wells
- Ogunquit
- York
- Kittery
- Kennebunkport
- Arundel
We don't work on the islands of Casco Bay, north of Woolwich, or in New Hampshire. We don't build new houses or replace roofs.
Book a visit
Tell us about the house
Tell us what you've noticed. We write back about a day for the house visit, and what to have ready.
Phone(207) 555-0103
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- Closed