Restoration centre teaches Alsunga residents to repair wooden windows
Monday 10th August 2026 on 17:45 in
Latvia
The Kuldīga Restoration Centre held a workshop in Alsunga teaching residents how to repair wooden windows and offering advice from specialists, LSM reported.
Participants were able to try the work themselves, learning that a hand plane does not always glide smoothly across the wood and that glass can slip outside the marked area when someone is restoring a window for the first time.
The centre’s craftsmen explained that glass set into the frame, rather than attached with a strip, offers better protection against moisture. They also advised that not all paint needs to be removed.
“If something is firmly attached, the paint is still good. There is no need to scrape it off and damage the wood. Cut the glass to size if it is damaged or missing, prime it and apply putty,” said Mihails Sivuhins, a restorer at the Kuldīga Restoration Centre.
The Kuldīga Restoration Centre has operated for 16 years. One of its tasks is to care for wooden building elements in the old town and help residents restore them by providing advice and materials.
More than 20 families take part in the centre’s annual window campaign, with each family restoring at least two windows per season.
The centre’s specialists are currently restoring historic windows at Alsunga Castle. The travelling workshop in Alsunga was one of the events in the “Liepāja 2027 European Capital of Culture” programme. It was the second workshop in the series, and organisers plan to hold a final workshop next year during Craft Days.
“What makes us very happy is that people are already coming with pictures on their phones and showing us what their project looks like. If they have not brought their window frame with them, they use the opportunity to seek advice,” said Ilze Zariņa, head of the Kuldīga Restoration Centre.
The event took place during Suiti Craft Days, where visitors could also try other traditional skills, including handicrafts, weaving and spinning. The programme also featured sklandrausis, other Suiti dishes, dancing, bagpipes and drums.