Between "restore it" and "replace it," there's a gap. We work in it.
Restoration specialists won't touch a full replacement. Replacement companies quote every old house like new construction. On an older Lancaster County home, the right answer is usually neither extreme — and depends on the specific window or door in front of us.
Three questions before we recommend anything
Is the opening original?
If it is, we measure it and try to match it — resizing a 100-year-old opening to fit a standard unit changes the whole facade.
Is the wood actually bad?
Old-growth wood sashes often outlast their glazing and hardware by decades. Rotted glazing putty isn't the same problem as rotted wood.
What does the house need?
A historic-district street front and a back-of-house utility window don't need the same answer, even on the same building.
Repair the sash, replace the storm, leave the frame alone.
That's a common outcome on a pre-1950s Lancaster County home — the original window gets re-glazed and weatherstripped, a proper storm window goes in front of it for the energy performance, and the exterior proportions never change. It's not the only outcome, but it's the one we check for first.