SITUATION:
In January 2020, a fire broke out in one of the upstairs rental units of 8 Main Street, a mixed use property in Henniker, NH. The two story building housed several businesses, including the offices of Davis & Towle Insurance Group. It was originally constructed circa 1890, but over the years, modern updates concealed many of the building’s charming historical features were hidden beneath modern updates. While no one was injured in the fire, the building suffered extensive damage. Rather than dwelling on the loss, the owners decided to seize the opportunity to renovate the structure and restore some of its quaint, vintage charm.PROBLEM:
The fire actually revealed some of the hidden historical elements of the building, such as original tin ceilings that now run throughout the offices of Davis & Towle. However, other features, such as the window casings, had long since been replaced or removed. The owners wanted to install new windows to offer the durability and energy savings of modern materials. However, they wanted casing that would resemble the building’s original wood window frames and decorative pediments. The latter proved to be a dilemma as the building had no J channels to attach the new wood casings to.CHALLENGE:
The Davis & Towle building needed windows that would:
- meet their budgetary requirements,
- remain attractive and durable for a long period of time,
- conserve energy, thereby reducing utility costs, and
- equip the renovators to attach their own wood casings.
