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+--- Thread: Inner frame for historic windows (/thread-16844.html)
Inner frame for historic windows - paleftina601 - 08-15-2025
Anyone here wrestled with stained glass windows on a landmarked place? I’m in a 1910 brownstone with original leaded panels facing a busy avenue. Can’t replace the units (landmark rules), and winter nights bring both traffic noise and a little draft. I’m eyeing interior secondary glazing on magnets—basically a lift-off inner pane—but I’m worried about condensation between the layers and how annoying cleanup gets. If you’ve done magnetic inserts, did they fog up, and how did you handle day-to-day maintenance without messing with the old sash?
RE: Inner frame for historic windows - hegribremmouwa - 08-15-2025
(5 hours ago)paleftina601 Wrote: Anyone here wrestled with stained glass windows on a landmarked place? I’m in a 1910 brownstone with original leaded panels facing a busy avenue. Can’t replace the units (landmark rules), and winter nights bring both traffic noise and a little draft. I’m eyeing interior secondary glazing on magnets—basically a lift-off inner pane—but I’m worried about condensation between the layers and how annoying cleanup gets. If you’ve done magnetic inserts, did they fog up, and how did you handle day-to-day maintenance without messing with the old sash?
I’ve run that setup in a prewar condo and it helped a lot—biggest wins were street hiss and voices. A few tips from trial and error: (1) make the inner panel truly airtight at the perimeter; tiny leaks let humid room air reach the cold outer glass and fog it. (2) Keep a decent air gap (an inch+ if you can) and watch indoor humidity—bathroom fans/dehumidifier on cold nights made a difference. (3) Acrylic is lighter and safer over delicate stained glass; clean it with plastic-safe solution only. (4) Plan for seasonal lift-off so you can dust the cavity and check the lead came. I had a quick walkthrough with New York Soundproofing they sketched a reversible, no-drill magnetic frame and showed how to pair it with a tighter door and a soft rug to keep the room calm without touching the historic window. Zero drama with the board once we framed it as “removable interior storm
RE: Inner frame for historic windows - SpeculatorGuy - 08-15-2025
Just chiming in as a passerby: if it’s a protected facade, it can help to document that any insert is fully reversible and doesn’t change exterior appearance or block ventilation paths. I’ve seen people track room RH for a week before installing so they know whether condensation risk is real or just a cold snap. Also, stained glass often looks and sounds better once the room’s echo is toned down—so even a few fabric panels inside (away from the window) can make conversations feel calmer while you figure out the glazing plan