Wartime and early postwar houses
Oak Ridge's original housing went up in a hurry along the Oak Ridge Turnpike, Tennessee Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Robertsville Road and Outer Drive. Many homes were built from prefabricated cemesto panels, a bonded cement-and-asbestos material. Window work on these houses needs more care than on a typical brick ranch.
- Asbestos-containing panels: cutting or drilling cemesto can release fibers. Before any opening is enlarged or trimmed, have the material evaluated and handled by qualified people.
- Lead paint: these homes predate 1978, so window replacement falls under the EPA lead-safe rule.
- Odd sizes: original openings may not match today's standard sizes, so plan on custom-sized units.
Keep the opening, change the window
Because changing an opening in a cemesto wall raises cost and hazard, most owners keep existing openings and use inserts or full-frame units sized to fit. Whatever the original operating style is, matching it keeps the 2018 IRC replacement-window exemption for bedroom egress in play. See casement windows.
Newer Oak Ridge and the lakes
West and north of the original town, newer subdivisions and homes near Melton Hill Lake have standard modern openings, often with large rear windows facing the water or wooded ridges. There the usual choices apply: energy-efficient windows with lower SHGC on sunny walls and fixed picture units where the view matters.
Permits and county lines
Oak Ridge spans Anderson and Roane counties; permits run through the city. Neither county is on Tennessee's Home Improvement license list, but any job of $25,000 or more needs a state contractor license. Ask the city whether your project needs a permit, and expect one for any change to an opening.
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