Overstory Restoration

01/15/2026

Glazing, glazing, glazing

It's dreary and miserable outside today and I'm very happy to be inside with a mountain of sash to glaze.

The Grace Chapel church in Robbinston, ME will have all its windows restored and installed by this spring. It will be spectacular!

11/16/2025

This is our 2nd batch of Bangor windows we recently completed. This house was built in the late 1700s and is stunning.

Scroll right to see progress and before pictures. The before pictures aren't as dramatic as some projects. There was some glazing failure, excessive caulk, and repairs that were necessary. The biggest concern though was getting them operating smoothly with weatherstripping that would help with their efficiency. We used spring bronze at the jamb, silicone bulb at the top and bottom and adhesive brush at the meeting rail.

We can do window restoration anywhere in the New England region!

11/16/2025

This is our first batch of windows in Bangor, ME. We now have a van so we can take on projects anywhere in the New England region.

This house is really neat. It's a dutch colonial that is extremely intact. The trim and other features throughout are unique and the sash profile in particular were a real treat to work with. The homeowners are in the process of doing a restoration throughout, so the house is in good hands.

Scroll to the right to see progress and before photos.

09/17/2025

Congratulations!! Steve is not only a window wizard but also generous with his knowledge and support to the rest of the restoration community. We certainly wouldn't be here doing what we're doing without him. Thank you for everything !!

We at Northwood Sash & Joinery are honored to have received the 2025 Preservation League of New York State inaugural Excellence in Historic Preservation Trades Award Having the opportunity to work on some of the most historic properties across New York State has been a real privilege which we are grateful for. I am personally grateful for having a crew of skilled craftspeople who made this achievement possible. We look forward to continuing our work across New York State.

08/29/2025

We installed the back three windows at the Grace Chapel and took four more from the Eastern facing side of the building to do next.

A fun fact that we heard is that the little wooden chairs inside are the original seating for the church. What a special little place to have so much intact from its original opening.

08/29/2025

Finally wrapped this project up at the GAR building owned by The Tides Institute.

Erik Squire of Squire Millwork built the unit and we did the glazing and finish work as well as helped with the installation.

What was there prior (and I again failed to get a before picture) was a crappy mid century mess of springs and rotted wood that was small and its cloudy glass let very little light in.

What we learned during this project is that the ceiling you see is actually a very old drop ceiling - plaster and lathe, well constructed and very old, but dropped about a foot from what would have been the original ceiling. Marrying a concern for what would have been there originally and an obvious consideration for aesthetics, the window actually rests a bit higher than the ceiling you see but trimmed accordingly.

All in all, it looks great, and we couldn't be more thrilled with how it all came together. Now even more light comes in to illuminate the gorgeous restored murals!

Eastport is lucky to have the Tides Institute as such great stewards of these historic properties and we're honored to be able to play a part in their efforts.

08/29/2025

Took some fresh pictures of this project now that it got painted.

It's sooo pretty, and I appreciate the choice to omit any color on the columns. Simply gorgeous.

Again, Erik Squire, of Squire Millwork did the porch construction and millwork and we did the window restoration. The family painted it after we did our thing and did a fantastic job.

07/14/2025

Just finished priming all of these. Going to be very busy with glazing this week.

06/25/2025

Sometimes a goat hops into your work van.

06/22/2025

There's a lot of bad advice flying around on the internet. One constant source of good advice and good ol' knowledge sharing is Scott Hanson.

Also, buy his book! It's great.

Size Matters!

Replacement windows should always fill the historic opening fully. Undersized replacement windows will have a negative impact on both the exterior, where the historic character will be altered, and the interior, where the character will be altered and daylight lost.

If historic windows remain in place, rehabbing those windows is almost always the preferred approach. They can match the efficiency of new windows if properly repaired, fitted with weather stripping, and paired with a storm window. And they won't have to be replaced in 20 years like modern windows.

But sometimes replacement windows are necessary. When they are, it is important to get them right, including their size, whether ordered from a catalog or custom made.

Chapter 13 of "Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners" takes a deep dive into the subject of windows in historic houses - including appropriate replacement windows when the historic windows are already gone or beyond saving.

Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.

Our shop also carries select preservation titles by other authors.

© Scott T. Hanson 2025.

06/20/2025

We're happy to do a little window talk at this fun event! Even better, it's an opportunity to see one of the most charming buildings our area has to offer and witness the progress of their restoration project.

06/08/2025

So happy to have the honor of working on the windows for the Grace Chapel Church in Robbinston, ME - built in 1882. It's one of the coolest little buildings the area has. Known as a summer chapel for its seasonal use. It features very simple construction and a complete absence of plaster which creates a gorgeous exposed timber look.

Scrolling through you'll see some process and before pictures. The windows were in rough shape, but as almost always is the case, the old growth wood is remarkably intact. I was able to replace any broken panes with similar antique glass which really dazzles the eyes.

The top piece of glass that is shaped like a U, was incredibly challenging to cut. But we made it happen! The dimensions may also be used as a glass cutting challenge at upcoming meetups, haha.

We've been busy and have lots of projects to share with you soon!