Overview

The Green Brier and Commodore buildings in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago have been home to Al Capone compatriots as well as European royalty. The building’s hundred-year-old windows, however, were not so awe-inspiring. Many were stuck closed, hard to operate, or falling out of the frame. Most had no storm windows.

Window replacement in this upscale landmark—now occupied condos—was subject to intense scrutiny, including historical review. Quality had to be maintained, and replacement had to take place while the building was occupied by tenants.

Signature Products and Services

• Approximately 2,000 window units were replaced by way of a non-invasive technique that left the vintage interior oak trim intact while replacing framework and exterior trim. Wall connections were reinforced with new lumber and insulation. In some instances, the contractor restored windows that had been blocked off by drywall and reopened other walls with new windows.
  
  
• Double Hungs arrived with pre-applied detailed sills, allowing installers to address out-of-square issues with a simple cut, and to match the depth of the original oak interior trim and previous sill.
  
  
• Traditional profiles were replicated with clad Brick Mould Casing that matched the original.
  
  
• The project required custom-sized windows for each opening, with Double Hung windows as large as 68" by 84".
  
  
• At the contractor’s request, units were produced in more than 20 phases, and delivery was coordinated so that when one installation phase was finished, the next group of product was already at the lumberyard, ready to go.
  
  
• Products and Options included:
• Clad Ultimate Double Hung Windows
• Magnum Double Hung Windows
• Tilt-Turn windows
• Casemaster windows
• Clad casing
• Custom subsills