Tom Gensmer, Remodeler and Window-Repair Expert
This window and door expert is committed to repairing and restoring newer window systems to preserve their value and extend their lifespan.
Tom Gensmer gets jazzed about fenestration. From inside his 700-sq.-ft. shop in Minnetonka, Minn., he repairs and restores windows, specifically those dating from the end of World War II through today. The number of homeowners in his market with windows made during this time frame led Tom to the niche services he offers.
Tom’s career started nearly 25 years ago with a summer job doing carpentry work for a remodeling firm. Subsequent jobs with similar companies taught him various repair and restoration techniques. After 10 years as an employee, Tom set out on his own and founded Heritage Home Renewals to be a carpentry subcontractor managing small-scale projects.
“I was kind of a micro-remodeler,” he jokes. His time was spent prepping framing lumber, building small cabinetry and furniture, and assembling door and window casings.
In time, Tom started building reproduction wood doors and storms for historical homes. This allowed him to perform more work in his shop, which he really enjoyed. As clients came to him for repairs on more contemporary windows, Tom realized there is an underserved market for window sash repairs and replacements on more modern units, which now make up the bulk of his work. He still works on storm doors for historical homes, but he describes the sash work on contemporary windows as his “bread and butter.”
While most of his professional knowledge comes from past on-site projects, Tom credits the Alpine Technical Workshops in Ouray, Colo., with informing his work. Classes are held at a window production shop and focus on the production of conventional North American doors and windows as well as high-performance European doors and windows. According to Tom, attending these classes contributed immensely to his skill set and gave him the confidence to perform the door and window work he does now.
“A lot of natural resources as well as human energy, time, and money go into manufacturing windows and doors,” Tom explains, “and I worry that these newer assemblies may not realize their full potential if there is a lack of craftspeople who understand how they work.”
— Kiley Jacques; senior editor, Green Building Advisor
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