Over a period of ten years, the owners of the Robert E. Lee Hotel evaluated different means of dealing with the steady deterioration of their many windows. They evaluated options such as aluminum or aluminum-clad wood window replacements, but given the historic significance of the property, those options were not possible.
Re-View was called upon to manufacture historically accurate wood sash replicas for this project. It was determined that the existing sash were in poor condition and needed to be replaced. The replacements, however, had to match the existing in virtually every detail.
Re-View worked with a local general contractor to provide 581 replicated mahogany sash. We used parts from existing sash as the basis of design to match stiles, rails, and profiles. The sash were glazed with a Low E laminated glass. This glass will significantly reduce the solar heat gain on the building and provide an added sound barrier. Since the glass doesn’t have a seal like insulated glass, it will last for many decades.
Re-View engineers spent a week onsite surveying every opening. We took five measurements per window opening by laser to assure a tight fit on the installation. Both sash were attached to the existing pulleys with new weather stripping to eliminate air infiltration.
The Robert E. Lee Hotel building window restoration proves that a combination of frame window restoration and sash window replication is a great long-term solution for historic fenestration.
History of The Robert E. Lee Hotel
The Robert E. Lee Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi was originally constructed in 1930 as a hotel and is now an office building. The hotel survived the depression and became a beacon of segregation in the 1960’s. In 2010 a major exterior renovation occurred.
