70 Dominika Strzałka-Rogal
building renovation carried out. At the same time, improv-
ing the thermal and functional parameters of old windows,
while respecting the historic character (and often even sav-
ing money) is possible [8]. When examining old original
wooden windows (pre-1950) that are being replaced with
new double-glazed windows, it can be seen that many of
them are in excellent condition and that they can be easily
repaired and energy upgraded at a much lower cost than re-
placing them with equivalent new double-glazed windows
[2]. In a situation where old original wooden windows in
historic buildings can achieve better energy performance,
have less maintenance, and have a lifespan 10–20 times
longer than equivalent new double-glazed windows, there
is no energy or economic argument, let alone an environ-
mental one, in favour of replacing old windows with new
double-glazed windows [5].
In fact, replacement windows can have unrealistic pay-
back periods, and many are dicult to maintain and pre-
serve. In many cases, given the life-cycle costs and mainte-
nance of the historic fabric, repairing and restoring historic
windows proves to be not only environmentally and aes-
thetically sound, but also economical [20]. Alternative ma-
terials, such as aluminium or vinyl and berglass, which
have been used to replace historic original windows, result
in a short lifespan. The decision to replace or refurbish win-
dows also requires thinking in terms of sustainability. The
author points out the trade-o between material gains and
the long-term impact of the action taken, not only on the
building in question, but also on the architectural, environ-
mental and economic context, in order to nd appropriate
energy eciency solutions.
Retrotting is generally less costly than collective repla-
cement and preserves the greatest amount of historic ma-
terial. It also allows preservation of the invested energy
put into material processing, labour, transportation. Em-
bedded energy is lost when windows go to the landll.
Scrapping must also be added to the costs incurred [3].
In addition to the loss of architectural value as a result
of replacing carpentry elements, a lot of technical damage
to the building is observed. Old windows are often con-
structed of old lumber with good structural details, mak-
ing them more durable and easier to maintain than new
replacement windows [17]. With proper maintenance,
they can last for decades, and repair costs over the life of
a building are less than the cost of periodic replacement
[18]. Repair costs typically
also represent an investment
in labour that benets the local economy and does not in-
volve gathering resources or shipping products from a dis-
tant production site [5]. Sustainable construction is about
using fewer non-renewable resources. The goal of preser-
vation and renovation by eye will not just be to reduce the
monthly heating bill, but the overall and long-term envi-
ronmental impact of the actions taken [19]. Wasting the
energy used to extract raw materials, manufacture, trans-
port, install and maintain an existing window worsens the
overall balance of energy.
Conclusions
Based on the analysis of research results presented in
selected literature, it can be concluded that the preserva-
tion of historic window frames aects the success of the
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