WE'RE VERY SORRY, BUT THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL, AND CLOSED TO NEW REGISTRATIONS
Why do so many good old windows end up in the dumpster? Because the building construction industry can make more money selling us cheap plastic imitations. The field of historic preservation provides us with the alternative: knowledgeable tradespeople who know how to maintain and repair windows. Tradespeople and advanced do-it-yourselfers will use and learn the specific methods and procedures that have been proven effective over the past three decades. They will work with traditional materials like linseed oil putty and old-growth pine, as well as the newest methods such as wood-epoxy repairs and portable steam deglazing. Your instructor, John Leeke, has been working on older buildings and their windows for four decades and has been training window workers for more than ten years.
Content: This workshop is not everything about windows. The demonstrations and training will focus specifically on the few most common and needed maintenance methods, repair procedures and treatment strategies. Specific methods are likely to include:
A. Paint and putty maintenance;
B. Repair exterior wood sill weather checks;
C. Sash joint repairs;
Actual methods used will be based in part on the needs of the trainees.
Format: This workshop is organized as a “master class” with "hands-on" trainees and observers. 5 trainees will work, hands-on, with the special tools and materials with direct training from the instructor. Another 20 observers will be accepted who can watch the training, take notes and photos, and participate in question & answer sessions.
Location: The workshop will be held at Buckland House, the headquarters of Riverside Avondale Preservation, which is located in Riverside at 2623 Herschel Street. Workshop participants will be responsible for their own transportation.
Trainees: Trainees are pre-selected from those who register as observers. Register and contact John by Sept.1st to assure your consideration as a trainee. (johnleeke@historichomeworks.com, John Leeke, 26 Higgins St., Portland, ME 04103) John will select and notify the trainees by Sept. 15th.
Follow Up and Continuing Support: John Leeke will provide ongoing support for all workshop participants for a period of three months after the workshop. This will be provided online over the internet with a pro-active discussion forum that includes text and digital photos, and a monthly online live video conference. (see examples at www.HistoricHomeWorks.com).
Instructor: Leeke, a nationally recognized preservation specialist, is well know for his sensitive and practical approach. He has been saving historic buildings for over three decades and has repaired, restored, and preserved hundreds of windows. He has taught window preservation methods for the Preservation Education Institute, Restoration & Renovation Conference, National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference, Windows Conference and Exposition for Historic Buildings, and many state and local historic preservation organizations. Leeke's past window projects include:
- Preserving wood windows at the Sabbath Day Shaker Community at Sabbath Day Lake, Maine
- Writing the specifications for preservation of the windows at the Maine Collage of Art's Porteous Building in Portland and training work crews in special window preservation techniques
- Contributing to the window specifications for the Philadelphia City Hall restoration project
- Solving window preservation problems at the Library of Congress's Jefferson Building in Washington, DC
- Training carpenters in special window preservation methods at Carnegie Hall in New York City