THE ARTISAN CHRONICLES

Recently, I watched a conversation unfold among a group of passionate, capable window restoration professionals. The topic wasn’t technique. It wasn’t materials. It wasn’t even historic theory. It was survival. People were talking about burnout. Feast-and-famine cycles. Pricing anxiety. Emotional exhaustion. The strain of doing everything alone. What struck me wasn’t the frustration—it was how universal it was. Nearly everyone identified as a solo operator. Nearly everyone ad

A simple question came up recently in a Facebook group: “Anyone ever use Red Devil window glazing? It says it’s oil based… not latex like DAP. I prefer Sarco but we’re in a bind and need to finish a job.” It’s a familiar situation. Every window restorer eventually faces it. Two respected voices offered thoughtful replies. John Rodgers, president of the Window Preservation Alliance, explained that most traditional glazing compounds will technically work.

Why historic windows keep falling through the cracks — and what Window Craft changes. Recently, a simple pricing conversation surfaced something much deeper about how historic windows are typically serviced. It started with numbers. Different restorers shared what they might charge to restore a set of damaged historic windows. The prices were all over the map — some higher, some surprisingly low. At first glance, it looked like a normal trade discussion. But as the conversati

Across every historic neighborhood in America, the same truth quietly echoes through the cracks of peeling paint and the rattling of century-old sashes: our windows are calling out for help. And when the windows go, the rest of the house soon follows. But here’s the good news—if we save the windows, we save the community. Not just aesthetically. Not just symbolically. Literally. Historic windows are the keystones of our built heritage.

When it comes to saving historic windows, most people focus on quick fixes: patching rot, slapping on paint, or swapping in replacements

So we have a large project coming up soon, in a couple of weeks as a matter of fact. For months we’ve been working on small to medium...

My first job was a paper route with my dad, two brothers and myself - mom wasn't in the picture. We'd wake up between four and five in...