Longtime Napa County Landmarks member Linda Rodman had planned to replace the original wood windows on her home in the Alphabet Streets neighborhood. The unique cement-block house was built in the 1930s by a Basalt Rock Company employee, and features Art Moderne architectural elements such as a flat roof and large corner windows. Over the years deferred maintenance took a heavy toll on the wood, and many of the home’s 37 windows were deteriorated, some quite severely. Though Linda loved the character of her unusual old house, she knew she had to take care of these windows in order to preserve its livability and property value. Linda obtained a quote for complete replacement, but while she was deciding whether to make the whopping $26,000 investment, she happened to see Napa County Landmarks’ newsletter article urging homeowners to retain their old windows wherever possible.

Linda called the Landmarks office for help and advice. PAC member and local contractor Craig Songer offered to assess the situation free of charge. Despite the severity of the deterioration, Craig told Linda that her windows were salvageable, and put her in touch with several local craftsmen with experience in window restoration. Linda chose Partners in Painting, a contractor from a list of local craftsmen experienced in working with historic properties, to perform the work. They salvaged the old wavy glass and were able to repair almost all of the wood, while Kirk Brown Wood Products, (formerly Gibson’s Wood Products), provided replacement pieces and sashes. Much of this work was performed on site, and the ultimate cost was less than half that of replacement. Linda is a happy homeowner, with beautiful operable windows, increased property value, and the unique historic character of her house intact. Linda says, “I am very happy and would recommend this to anyone with an old house.” Napa County Landmarks staff and volunteers are available as a resource for owners of local historic properties, so call us for advice before embarking on a project on your old house!