window frames

["Charles Kibby" <ckibby@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Tracy:  It's eminently do-able, but unless you know a bit about structural
issues, you'd do well to team up with a contractor or engineer to help with
the all-important issue of how to keep it safely upright.  At a minimum, it
sounds like coring and placing stainless steel dowels in epoxy to join the
original stone masonry units is required, though it wouldn't surprise me if
you may have to make a small sacrifice and modify the original configuration
in the back of the piece by forming and pouring a reinforced concrete backup
frame with adequate footings, or possibly fabricate a less-intrusive steel
frame.  This could be somewhat mitigated if you design such a supporting
'frame' to be covered in some masonry material (such as brick or more stone)
to clad the supporting structure.

I have done several seismic upgrades where we had to salvage an original
masonry feature of a structure and then re-erect it in a new location.  We
were involved in the installation of some 17th century door portals and
fireplaces for the Hearst compound at Wyntoon in Northern California, and
many of the masonry units had to be reconfigured to accept the new
supporting structure without affecting the original appearance. It's not
difficult, but it does require careful planning and a thorough understanding
of the structural issues at hand.

Good Luck!

Chaz