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Terry, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for us.

First off, how did you get interested in old homes in general, and window restoration in particular? Did you grow up in an old house?

I received my degree in elementary education and taught for a short time before deciding I wanted to try some skilled trade work. I met an owner of an antique wholesale shop in Seattle, discovered refinishing, and began stripping woodwork in homes. This led to basic window repairs which I eventually specialized in. The work isn’t always enamoring, of course, but what work life is? The main advantage is being self-employed and having the opportunity to solve problems on my own. Many people never get that opportunity. I grew up in a 1930s Tudor which was exceptionally designed and constructed, qualities I’ve come to appreciate in hindsight.

If you could live in any existing house in the world, which one would you choose?

I can’t specify any single one, but I’m sure if I cruised around Hawaii or the Canary Islands I could find something suitable.

You've made some modifications in this new edition of your book, Working Windows. What's different and why the changes?

I reread the text a couple of years ago and was dissatisfied with it. I thought I could improve the writing, expand the directions, add some illustrations, and include references and more specific product names. The first edition is fine and was a good start, but the second edition is much better and expansive. As with the first edition, I had no real editorial restraints so although it isn’t permeated with satire, it has its moments.

Do you have a favorite window type?

Not really, although I appreciate the elegant simplicity of old double-hung windows.

What kind of house are you living in today? Do you have a favorite house you've lived in?

We purchased a new home in 1994 and it contains all the evil elements that send historic purists into paroxysms: vinyl windows, L-P siding, and drywall. The move, from a 1924 bungalow, was an experiment that will end one of these days. This house is a product of its time the same as the bungalow was of the 1920s. Each reflected the products and technologies available and each had cost-conscious builders who did what was necessary to produce a marketable home and little more.

I think there’s a myth about old world craftsmen who took all the time in the world to “build it right” and neither these guys nor that attitude exist any longer. Workers a hundred years ago worked the same way they do today: they had time and budget restraints, they employed every labor-saving tool available, and the quality always varied. Some woodwork, for instance, was pre-assembled in millwork shops. We view the quality as higher only when comparing with today’s housing, which reflects the reality of current costs. You could easily reproduce a hundred-year-old home using all the same materials, but few could pay for it.

That said, we’ve discovered the drawbacks to modern construction as well as the advantages. The house is bolted to the foundation to meet seismic requirements, the roof is properly vented, and it has plenty of insulation. Drywall allows for more sound transference than plaster, at least when doors are allowed to slam shut. The L-P siding had problems, but I was able to recoat it before they evolved to the point replacement would have been necessary. The windows are maintenance free other than cleaning and lubricating the tracks periodically; I can hardly complain about this, although I might if the regularly published expected lifespan of 15-20 years for vinyl windows proves to be true.

I don’t think I’ve had a favorite house, but I did like the bungalow.

Are there any innovations regarding windows that you find compelling, or is older always better?

Older is simpler to maintain and repair, newer offers insulated glass and integral weather stripping, but great difficulty in repairing. I’m not knowledgeable enough about all current window innovations to comment on them, but I have no illusions that the perfect window will ever be invented. I would say any window will last longer and work more smoothly with basic maintenance.

Is there a "best kept secret" about maintaining old windows? Any misconceptions?

I can’t think of any secrets other than regular attention. This means being sure the exterior paint remains intact. A sealed, painted window can last for centuries. Lubricate all moving parts and the window jamb (for double-hung windows) once or twice a year. And any time you replace a piece of glass, paint the new glazing compound after it’s cured. This is regularly ignored. The glazing will dry, shrink, and crack if it isn’t painted.

In your book you describe the Hawaii Factor--comparing how much you might on restoration to how long you could stay on a beach in Maui for the same amount. How about you--Maui or restoration?

As I recall, it was comparing new window installation vs. restoration and I took it out of the new edition because I had some problem with the calculation which I don’t remember at the moment. The point was, will you get enough benefit out of new windows to justify the cost vs. repairing the old windows and taking what could be a long-remembered vacation? How much energy savings will the new windows yield? A single pane window has an R-value of about 1 while an insulated unit is approximately double. That’s a lot of money to spend for R-2 values, but I’m sure an energy specialist will tear into my commentary and maybe justifiably so. A new window will bring some comfort for years to come, beyond the dollar savings from a lower heating bill. The prevailing temperature in a home can be perfectly adequate, but if we feel cold due to drafts, we turn up the temperature.

Insulated windows might not offer a huge value change over old single-pane (it can be argued you’d be better off insulating the roof or walls first before changing out the windows), but the perception would be noticeable. Paying for repairs, I might add, also changes the equation. Some repairers and restorers charge so much you could replace your windows with new ones; this is absurd and hardly justified. Do them yourself, save some money, and go to the beach. Kaanapali is very nice.

That's it for our interview with Terry Meany. You can check out Working Windows for more of his thoughts and expertise. Stay tuned for future interviews, as it's something we're hoping to turn in to an occasional series here at the site...