San Anselmo has some of the oldest housing in Marin, and you can see it in the windows. Around downtown and up the hill toward the Seminary, many homes date back a century or close to it, with wood sashes, wavy old glass and trim that's been painted more times than anyone can count. Sashes stick in wet weather, rattle in dry weather and let the cold straight in. Out in Sleepy Hollow, the houses are newer, mostly midcentury ranch homes, but they still carry original aluminum windows that have long since lost their seals. And the creek running through the middle of town keeps the air damp in the lower neighborhoods for much of the year.
We replace and repair windows throughout San Anselmo, and we pay close attention to how the new ones look on an older house. For homes where the original character matters most, wood-clad windows keep real wood inside and shed the weather outside. Call or send the form for a free estimate.
Older Homes Near Downtown and the Seminary
On a house that's been standing for a hundred years, the first question is whether the old windows can be saved. Sometimes they can. Sashes with sound wood can be freed up, reglazed and fitted with new weatherstripping, and that keeps the original look intact. When the rot runs into the sill and frame, or the glass is single-pane and the rooms are freezing, replacement is usually the better investment. In that case we match the details that make the house what it is: the grille pattern, the width of the frame you see from the street, and the color of the trim. Before deciding, it's worth getting an honest look at what can be fixed, and our window repair visits cover sash cords, glazing and stuck windows on older homes.
Sleepy Hollow and the Creek Neighborhoods
Sleepy Hollow is a different story. The midcentury homes there tend to have standard-size openings and simple lines, which makes them a natural fit for retrofit vinyl or fiberglass windows. The work goes quickly, the stucco and siding stay untouched, and the improvement in comfort is immediate, especially in bedrooms that face the afternoon sun. Down in the lower neighborhoods near San Anselmo Creek, the damp is the bigger concern. We check the framing around every window for soft wood, flash the sills so water drains out, and use hardware that won't corrode. Homes up the road in Fairfax share a lot of the same older-home and creekside issues, and we work there regularly too.
Common Questions
Usually, yes. We match the grille pattern, keep the frame width close to the original so the house looks right from the street, and pick colors that suit the trim. Wood-clad windows let you keep real wood inside for stain or paint. We'll bring samples and show you how each option looks against your existing trim before you decide.
If the wood is mostly sound and you love the original glass, restoring them with new glazing and weatherstripping can work well. If the frames are rotted or you want the rooms to actually hold heat, replacement usually wins. We'll look at each window during the estimate and tell you plainly which ones are worth saving.