LANDMARK Wood Windows
Custom wood windows for landmark buildings and historic districts. If your house sits in a landmark district in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, New Orleans or Charleston, the review board will ask for the same thing everywhere: replacement windows that match the historic ones in material, configuration, operation and profile, and in most cities that means wood. This is exactly what we do. We build true double hung and simulated double hung windows with weight and chain or tilt-and-turn operation, in-swing and out-swing wood casements, arched and curved sash, with true or simulated divided lites and a factory-applied finish in the approved color. Every window is made to the dimensions of your opening and to the profiles of the original sash, so the application goes through the commission with the drawings the reviewer wants to see.
Specifications
- True double hung with weight and chain or concealed balances
- Simulated double hung: fixed top sash, tilt-and-turn bottom sash
- In-swing (French) and out-swing wood casements
- Mahogany, white oak, Accoya, Douglas fir, pine (other timbers on request)
- True divided lites or simulated divided lites with spacer bar
- Putty-profile or ogee exterior muntins, matched to the originals
- Brick molds, sills and casings replicated from your survey
- Factory-applied paint or stain, color matched to the approved chip
- Insulated, laminated, acoustic or vacuum glass; restoration glass on request
- Arched, round, curved and oversize units
- Shop drawings and jamb sections for the permit application
TRUE DOUBLE HUNG
TWO SLIDING SASHES, WEIGHT AND CHAINOptions
– Weight and chain or concealed balances
– Mortise and tenon sash in mahogany or oak
– Putty-profile exterior muntins, TDL or SDL
– Brass or bronze sash locks and lifts
SIMULATED DOUBLE HUNG
DOUBLE HUNG LOOK, TILT-AND-TURN SASHOptions
– Fixed top sash, tilt-and-turn bottom sash
– Multipoint lock, better seal and acoustics
– Same meeting rail and muntins as a real double hung
– Accepted on NYC landmark projects
IN-SWING CASEMENT
OPENS INTO THE ROOM, THE FRENCH WAYOptions
– Flush or overlap sash design
– Working cremone bolt or concealed multipoint
– True divided lites in any pattern
– Transoms, arches and side lights
OUT-SWING CASEMENT
OPENS OUT, ENGLISH AND AMERICAN STYLEOptions
– Friction or butt hinges, hook latches
– Single or paired sashes with fixed center mullion
– Narrow stiles for a period look
– Screens on the inside
Built for the Review Board
A landmark commission does not approve a brand, it approves a window. Each application is judged on the drawings: sash and frame dimensions, muntin width and profile, glass size, brick mold, the way the window sits in the opening. So we start from your existing windows. From photos and a few measurements we draw the new sash on the profile of the old one, and the reviewer sees a window that looks right next to the neighbors.
The best compliment on a landmark job is when nobody notices the windows were replaced.
Why Wood Is Still the Reference
Almost every historic district in the United States says the same thing in its guidelines: where the original windows were wood, the replacement should be wood on the street-facing elevations. Vinyl is refused nearly everywhere, and aluminum or fiberglass only pass on secondary facades or on tall buildings. The reason is simple. Only wood gives the thin sash, the putty-line muntin and the deep reveal of the original, and only wood takes a real painted finish. Our windows are made from kiln-dried, straight-grain timber, with mortise and tenon joints and a factory finish, so you get the look the commission asks for with the performance of a modern window.
Landmark Window Rules, City by City
Every city with a landmark commission publishes its own window guidelines, and they are not all the same. New Orleans requires true divided lites on the street; New York accepts simulated divided lites with a spacer bar. San Francisco applies its standards to every street-visible window in the city, landmark or not. Below is a summary of what the main commissions look for on a street-facing facade, with a link to the official document where one is published. Rules change, so always confirm with the commission staff before you order – we prepare the cut sheets, elevations and jamb sections they ask for.
| City | Who reviews | What they expect on a street-facing facade |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) - individual landmarks and 150+ historic districts: Brooklyn Heights, Greenwich Village, Upper West Side, Park Slope, Harlem and more | Permit required. Approved at staff level when the new windows match the historic ones in configuration, operation, details, material and finish (LPC Rules, Section 2-14). Material must always match on an individual landmark; vinyl never accepted on a primary facade. SDL accepted with permanently fixed exterior muntins and a spacer bar. Lower sash of a double hung may become hinged. LPC windows fact sheet |
| San Francisco | Planning Department and Historic Preservation Commission - Article 10 landmarks and districts, Article 11 conservation districts, and the citywide Window Replacement Standards | The standards apply to every window visible from a street, landmark or not. Where the originals were wood, aluminum and vinyl cannot be approved on visible elevations. New windows must match size, operation, muntin profile and depth and the exterior reveal; SDL muntins at least 1/2 in deep. Over-the-counter for in-kind wood, referred review for historic properties. SF window replacement standards |
| Boston | Boston Landmarks Commission and the district commissions: Back Bay Architectural Commission, Beacon Hill Architectural Commission, South End Landmark District Commission, Bay Village, Mission Hill Triangle, Aberdeen | Window work goes to design review or administrative approval. Replacement in kind is the rule: new wood two-over-two or six-over-six sash matching the existing, curved sash on bow fronts, painted finish. Non-original vinyl is typically replaced by wood or, case by case, by clad wood. |
| Washington DC | Historic Preservation Office (HPO) and Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB); Old Georgetown Board (Commission of Fine Arts) in Georgetown | Repair first: historic windows on primary elevations are repaired unless repair is documented as unreasonable. Painted wood is the most appropriate replacement on a primary elevation; vinyl is not appropriate. Replicate pane configuration, dimensions and profiles of sash, frame and muntins; SDL only with a real exterior profile. Georgetown: wood on street-facing elevations, no sandwich or snap-in muntins. DC window standards - Old Georgetown Board window guidelines |
| Philadelphia | Philadelphia Historical Commission - Society Hill, Rittenhouse-Fitler, Old City, Spring Garden, Powelton Village and the individually designated buildings | Replacement windows must match the original appearance in proportion, form and materials as closely as possible. Most applications are approved by Commission staff within a few days when the drawings show a matching wood sash. Philadelphia Historical Commission |
| Chicago | Commission on Chicago Landmarks, permit review by the Historic Preservation Division - landmark districts such as Old Town Triangle, Astor Street, Prairie Avenue, Kenwood, Jackson Boulevard, Wicker Park | Any alteration to a landmark or a building in a landmark district goes through Commission permit review. On street-facing elevations the replacement windows are expected to match the originals in material, profile, operation and divided-lite pattern; wood sash on wood originals. |
| New Orleans | Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) and the Vieux Carre Commission (French Quarter) | The strictest rule in the country: no vinyl or aluminum in place of historic wood windows at street elevations, and true divided lites to match the historic configuration on street elevations. SDL only on non-street-facing elevations, with sash sizes and profiles that match traditional wood windows. Wide hurricane-rated frames are called out as inappropriate on historic buildings. HDLC windows and doors guidelines |
| Charleston | Board of Architectural Review (BAR) - the Old and Historic District, the first historic district in the United States (1931) | The BAR reviews every exterior change visible from the street. Historic wood windows are repaired where possible and replaced in kind, in wood, with the same sash configuration, muntin profile and finish. Storm windows and glass changes have their own policy. |
| Savannah | Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) Historic Preservation Department and the Historic District Board of Review | Original windows must be preserved; a staff site visit verifies that a window is beyond repair before replacement is approved. Replacements must match the original in composition, material and design; new windows must be wood or wood clad with true or simulated divided lites with spacer bars. Savannah window FAQ |
| Los Angeles | Office of Historic Resources, Cultural Heritage Commission and the HPOZ boards - West Adams, Hancock Park, Windsor Square, Angelino Heights, Miracle Mile and 30 more HPOZs | Each HPOZ has a Preservation Plan. Original wood windows are to be kept and repaired; replacements visible from the street should match the original material, operation and divided-lite pattern. Wood casements and double hung on Craftsman, Spanish Colonial and Victorian houses. |
| Denver | Landmark Preservation Commission (Community Planning and Development) - Capitol Hill, Country Club, Potter Highlands, Curtis Park and the individually designated landmarks | Window and door replacement has its own design review. On primary and street-visible elevations the new windows are expected to match the historic ones in material, operation, dimensions and profile. Denver window and door design review |
| Seattle | Landmarks Preservation Board; Pioneer Square Preservation Board; International Special Review District | A certificate of approval is required before changing windows on a designated landmark or in Pioneer Square. Replacement sash is reviewed against the Secretary of the Interior Standards: wood where the original was wood, matching light pattern and profile on the street-facing elevations. |
Also with an active landmark commission and window guidelines: Baltimore (CHAP), Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Providence, Newport, Alexandria, Annapolis, Richmond, Atlanta, Nashville, Houston, Dallas, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Portland. Nationwide, the National Park Service Secretary of the Interior Standards and Preservation Brief 9 on wooden windows are the reference for every commission, and for the federal historic tax credit on income-producing buildings.
Why Choose Chablais Wood Windows for a Landmark Building
Profiles Matched to the Original
Sash, muntin, brick mold and sill are drawn from your existing windows. Dimensions and contours stay as close to the historic window as the glass allows, which is what most commissions require on a primary facade.
Wood, Because the Guidelines Ask for It
Painted wood is the material reviewers prefer on a street-facing elevation, and the only one accepted on many individual landmarks. We work in mahogany, white oak, Accoya, Douglas fir and pine.
The Paperwork Done Right
Shop drawings, head, jamb and sill sections, muntin profiles, cut sheets and photo elevations – the exact documents the LPC, the SF Planning Department or the Old Georgetown Board ask to see.
Modern Performance Inside the Historic Look
Insulated, laminated or acoustic glass, weather seals and multipoint hardware hidden in a sash that keeps its period proportions. Vacuum glass gives triple-pane insulation in a slim single-pane sash.
Curved, Arched, Round, Oversize
Segmental and round-top sash, curved glass, oculus and dormer windows, tall parlor-floor units. Shapes that stock window lines cannot do are our daily work.
Factory Finish in the Approved Color
Primed and painted in the workshop, color matched to the chip approved by the commission, or stained for the historic districts where the original wood was clear-finished.
Landmark Window Features
– True double hung with weight and chain balance.
– Simulated double hung with tilt-and-turn bottom sash.
– In-swing and out-swing wood casements.
– True divided lites or SDL with spacer bar.
– Exterior putty profile, interior ogee, muntins from 5/8 in.
– Brick mold, sill and casing replicated.
– Insulated, laminated, acoustic or vacuum glass.
– Restoration and seeded glass on request.
– Factory-applied paint or stain.
Available On
– Brownstones, rowhouses and townhouses
– Victorian and Edwardian houses
– Federal, Colonial and Greek Revival homes
– Pre-war apartment buildings and co-ops
– Churches, schools and civic buildings
– Historic estates and French chateau style homes
Where Landmark Windows Make the Difference
New York City brownstones
Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Harlem: one-over-one and two-over-two double hung in mahogany, with the LPC application prepared from our drawings.
San Francisco Victorians
Pacific Heights, Alamo Square, the Mission: wood double hung and casements matching the original sash, as the city standards require on any street-visible window.
East Coast townhouses
Boston, Washington DC, Georgetown, Philadelphia: six-over-six and two-over-two sash, curved bow-front sash, painted wood with putty-profile muntins.
Southern historic districts
Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans: tall nine-over-nine and six-over-nine sash, true divided lites, louvered shutters and French doors onto the gallery.
Historic estates and French style
Country houses, chateau-style homes and HPOZ districts in Los Angeles: in-swing French casements with cremone bolts, arched and curved units.
Do you have a window project in a landmark or historic district?
Why Chablais for Your Landmark Windows
Landmark work is a job of details. A muntin that is 1/4 in too wide, a sash that sits too far back in the opening, a brick mold that is flat instead of molded, and the reviewer sends the application back. We have more than 25 years in European wood windows and we have been through the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission process on brownstones in Brooklyn and Harlem, and we know the San Francisco window standards line by line. Our windows are built by craftsmen who still make a mortise and tenon sash by hand when the shape asks for it, and finished in the workshop so every unit arrives in the approved color. Send us photos of your existing windows and the address: we come back with a drawing and a price, and we work directly with your architect, expediter or contractor until the permit is in hand.
Landmark Windows - Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace windows in a historic district?
Yes, in every city with a landmark commission, a permit or certificate of appropriateness is required before any window visible from the street is replaced on a landmark or in a historic district. Routine repairs, repainting in the same color or replacing clear glass usually do not need one. Most window applications that match the historic windows are approved at staff level, without a public hearing.
Can a landmark window have insulated glass?
Yes. All the major commissions accept insulated glass as long as the sash keeps its historic dimensions and the glass area is not reduced too much (New York allows up to 6 percent less glass on a wood window). Where the sash is very thin, vacuum insulated glass gives triple-pane performance in a pane about 5/16 in thick.
True divided lites or simulated divided lites?
It depends on the city. New York, Washington DC and San Francisco accept simulated divided lites if the exterior muntin is permanently fixed, has the right profile and depth, and a spacer bar sits between the panes. New Orleans requires true divided lites on street elevations. We make both, with the same putty-profile muntin outside.
Can the bottom sash of a double hung be a tilt-and-turn?
Yes. Our simulated double hung keeps the look of a double hung window with a fixed top sash and a meeting rail, but the bottom sash tilts and turns like a European window. New York City rules allow the lower sash of a double hung to be converted to hinged operation, which makes this window a good fit for landmark apartments that want a tighter seal.
Does the finish have to match the original color?
On a primary facade, yes. The finish has to match the color, texture and reflectivity of the historic windows. We apply the paint in the workshop, matched to the color chip approved by the commission, and we can send a painted sample before production.
Which cities do you work in?
All of them. We have delivered windows for landmark projects in New York City, and we work with architects, expediters and contractors in San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, Los Angeles and other historic districts across the country. Send us the address and photos of the existing windows, and we tell you what the local commission will expect.