ᐅ Preserving an Old Window Before Demolition of the House

Hello everyone!

We recently purchased a house that is ready for demolition, on whose foundation we will build anew. Before tearing it down, I would like to carefully remove an old, round window, as I find it very beautiful and would like to reuse it in a suitable location.

Although I consider myself fairly handy, I have little experience with masonry and window work. Could I ask for your advice on the best way to proceed? So far, my idea was to use a rotary hammer drill from the inside to expose any fastenings and then remove the window inward. Is this feasible, or is there a high risk of damage?

Thank you very much in advance for your help!
Best regards

Apfelbaum schrieb:

My idea so far was to use a rotary hammer from the inside to expose any fixings and then remove the window inward. Is this feasible, or is there a high risk of damage?

I would try it that way as well.

Apfelbaum schrieb:

because I find it very attractive and would like to reuse it in a suitable place

Only use it for decoration or in an unheated garage/shed. It is no longer permitted for new builds.

P.S. Similar windows of new construction quality start at around €300 for a size of 70cm (28 inches).

Apfelbaum schrieb:

We recently acquired a house that is ready for demolition, and we plan to build new on its foundation. Before tearing it down, I would really like to carefully remove an old round window, as I find it very beautiful and would like to reuse it in a suitable location.

nordanney schrieb:

Only suitable for decoration or use in an uninsulated garage or garden shed. It is no longer usable in new construction because it is not permitted.

I would rather say it is just no longer suitable for an exterior wall of an occupied living space. I would probably use it indoors, perhaps as part of a room divider in an open-plan living and kitchen area or similar. However, judging by the picture, I seriously question whether the house is truly ready for demolition. People nowadays tend to underestimate things like this far too much.

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11ant schrieb:

However, judging by the picture, I would strongly question whether the house is truly ready for demolition. The amount of underestimation these days is incredible.

I would consider it an economic total loss rather than a technical one. Renovating to new-build standards often costs more than building new. Whether every house actually needs to be brought up to new-build standards is a more interesting question, and my answer would be no...

P.S.: Securing financing for a renovation was definitely more complicated in our case than for new construction...

11ant schrieb:

What is nowadays so often undervalued is really beyond belief.

But you don’t have to get upset about every single stone. After all, hardly anyone goes through life thinking, “Today I’m going to demolish a building.” The original poster must have thought this through carefully. And yes, a lot of poor-quality construction was done after the war and during the GDR era. I could name a few examples just in our village of 150 people where I wouldn’t hesitate to call in the excavator.