Afton
Nelson County, VA
A lot of storms, a lot of snows. The original windows on the front of the Rockfish Valley Community Center have seen them all, for decades. This past weekend volunteers got together with Jim Imbur a certified lead based paint removal specialist and historic building preservation specialist to give some of the old windows new life.
The day involved removing one of the large front windows, repair the sash weights to make the windows open and close, remove old paint using lead based paint safety procedures, glaze the window panes and then reinstall the window.
Pretty neat!
Jim Imbur did a great job showing us how to restore the windows. Not only is he certified, but also he noted all the “do’s & don’ts” as well as all the safety issues including the EPA rules.
After putting down plastic, we removed one window, which consists of 2 panels of 8 over 8 windowpanes. Each panel is supported by approx. 25lbs counterweight on each side, so the panel weighs in at about 50 lbs. The windows were stripped as per EPA regulations, then dried to be reglazed, primed, and painted before reinstalling. Jim noted that these windows were made of original old growth heartpine.
RVCC will be looking for volunteers to help out in this long-range project. Once the windows are out and on a table, the work is easy and should take just a few hours out of a weekend. If you are interested in helping, contact Bo Holland at RVCC (434-361-0100) BHolland@RockfishCC.org.