People Saving Places Through Preservation

2020 Award of Merit Recipient

Working Bale Grist Water Wheel. Photo courtesy: Napa County Regional Parks & Open Space District.

Rob Grassi working on water wheel. Photo courtesy: St. Helena Star.

Rob Grassi award for Category 5, Preservationist of The Year, was presented by NCL Board Director Michael Pratt. His remarks, “On behalf of Napa County Landmarks, I am pleased to announce that Rob Grassi is this year’s recipient of the Award of Merit for Preservationist of the Year. The Award is given periodically to honor individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the preservation of historic resources.

Planing wood surface for water wheel. Photo courtesy: St. Helena Star.

Rob is responsible for the maintenance of Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and Bale Grist Mill, built in 1846. A miller and millwright, Rob apprenticed under Charles Howell at Phillipsburg Manor in Tarrytown, New York and subsequently served as Chief Millwright at the Hanford Mills Museum in East Meredith, New York. During his three-decade career, Rob has worked on mills in Canada and all across the United States, including biennial stints at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon gristmill. Prominent in his area of expertise, Rob has served on the board of the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills and is a member of the International Molinological Society.

Rob getting ‘into’ his work. Photo courtesy: St. Helena Star.

Rob’s current project is the painstaking restoration of the 36-foot diameter water wheel that powers Bale Grist Mill. This labor of love is critical to the operation of the mill. Additionally, Rob regularly sharpens the mill stones used to grind grains at the mill. Using traditional methods and hand tools, Rob is able to sharpen each stone in 2 to 3 days. Rob’s work ensures that one of Napa County’s most valuable historic resources can continue to operate and fulfill its important educational and cultural mission.

The Board of Directors of Napa County Landmarks would also like to express its appreciation for Rob’s gracious and valuable support of its Vintage Trailer events at Bothe from 2015 through 2017.

Bale Grist Mill water wheel bolts. Photo courtesy: St. Helena Star.

In addition to his work on historic gristmills, Rob has a deep appreciation for history and its impact on living culture. He is a fine guitarist and mandolinist specializing in Old Time music.

His passion for bringing the past to life through his profession and avocation make Rob Grassi a worthy recipient of Preservationist of the Year.”

Top Ten Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows

1. Because your windows fit your house.
• Quirky as they might be, your older windows fit your house. Care was taken to match the weight and style of window to the building, the trim, etc. They have expanded and contracted with the seasons. With proper weather stripping they can be made to fit and seal even better. Replacement windows have a rigid structure that fits within your window openings. Old houses move and shift over time and frequently the gaps that open up around replacement windows and the window openings result in more drafts than the original windows.

2. Because you appreciate good craftsmanship.
• The true mortise and tenon construction of antique windows is incredibly strong and even when it begins to weaken is easily repaired. Many unique window shapes were created because of the craftsmanship with wood joinery. Antique windows were built to last and not end up in landfill.

Example of curved antique glass. Photo courtesy: www:clearywindowrestoration.com.

3. Because you value good materials.
• Antique wood windows are constructed of old growth timber. The wood is much denser and more weather resistant than today’s tree farmed softwoods. Delicate profiles are possible because of the density of the wood. The reason these windows are still around, even with years of neglect, is because the wood is of very high quality requiring no cladding or additional materials to give them weather resistance. Minus all the ugly paint your wood windows are usually quite beautiful, graceful, and strong.

4. Because you love the character of antique glass.
• Even the glass in antique windows tells a story. It may be roundel or cylinder glass, each indicating a certain era of manufacturing. Old glass has varieties of color and texture that are a delight to the eye. Two layers of glass are better than one, and in an antique home that second layer of glass should be the storm window that protects the original window.

5. Because you think a warranty should be more than 20 years.
• Chances are your windows have done their job for fifty or more years already. Sure, they may be a little creaky and may not be as attractive as they once were, but it’s a far better investment to repair a proven performer than to sink money into a new window that only has a 20 year warranty at best. With proper maintenance your antique windows should last another 100 years. Heck, even without maintenance they may last that long!

6. Because you want to avoid vinyl.
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is becoming one of the greatest concerns in the building industry. Not only does the production of it create an environmental nightmare, but the gases it emits over time are becoming a concern. Heaven forbid your house catches fire, and PVC burned will release toxic amounts of dioxin. If you are concerned about lead, please understand that it is used as a stabilizer in the manufacture of PVC. If you are concerned about our planet’s health you should read up on efforts to reduce the use of vinyl.

7. Because you want more light.
• Replacement windows are set into the window opening, and the sash is smaller than the originals. You get less viewing area and less light. Who wants less light?

Restoring the weight & pulley system in an antique window. Photo courtesy: doublehungwindow restoration.com

8. Because windows are a functional part of your house.
• Weights and pulleys are the best balance systems ever invented. There is a prevalent myth that a lot of cold air comes in through the weight pocket. If there is cold air in the weight pocket it’s generally because there is a gap between the outside trim of the house and the siding. It may also indicate a poor seal at the floor joists. Replacing easily serviceable weights and pulleys with vinyl jamb liners or invisible balance systems means installing a system that has a maximum life span of 10-20 years but generally fails in less time. You can’t believe how joyful it is to open and close windows easily with one hand when everything is restored to the way it was designed to work!

9. Because you really can save 30-40% on heating costs.
• According to the Field Study of Energy Impacts of Window Rehab Choices conducted by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, the University of Vermont School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering laboratory the estimate first year energy savings between a restored wooden window with a good storm window vs. a replacement window was $0.60. Yup, less than a buck. In their conclusions section they noted “The decision to renovate or replace a window should not be based solely on energy considerations, as the difference in estimate first year savings between the upgrade options are small.” Broken glass, failed glazing, no weather stripping – these small and repairable items are what really effect energy efficiency in windows.

10. Because the greenest building is one that is already built.
• Replacement windows are touted as a way to save energy. But when evaluated from the perspective of the entire production, shipping, installation and removal process replacing windows consumes a whole lot of energy, or viewed the other way an older building has a great deal of embodied energy. If the total energy expenditure to manufacture replacement windows is considered the break even period stretches to 40-60 years. In the words of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation “We can’t build our way out of the global warming crisis. We have to conserve our way out. That means we have to make better, wiser use of what we have already built.” Repairs and restoration work are done by local craftspeople paying local taxes. The use a minimum of materials and resources and a maximum of labor. Restoring windows is the best use of existing materials and the best way to support the local economy.

Restoring antique stained glass windows. Photo courtesy: www:savingspaces.org.

Article written by New England Window Restoration Alliance, www.windowrestorationne.org

Rob Grassi

People Saving Places Through Preservation

2020 Award of Merit Recipient

Preservation Corner

Wooden Window Restoration

Top Ten Reasons to Restore or Repair Wood Windows

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