Doors & Windows

Custom Kalamein Doors and Windows

We’ve been making sheet metal clad doors and windows since they were first introduced in the 1920s. Today as in the past, Kalamein cladding is popular for both historical preservation and retro-oriented new buildings, typically in industrial/commercial settings, but also for high-end residences. Although their construction is straight forward in principle–wooden frames clad in metal panels–in practice it requires years of skill and experience to create the kind of unique custom work that Heather & Little excel at.

Our team will work closely with your architect, designer, and contractor to ensure the metal clad doors or windows you receive are fabricated with the

esthetic and quality your project deserves– from a simple, modern design to embellished and ornate. Although originally the term Kalamein was a nod to the mineral calemein – the ore from which zinc is produced, today it has come to mean wooden architectural elements that are clad with a variety of sheet metals including:

• Copper • Lead coated copper • Zinc • Terne • Stainless steel • Galvanized • Galvalume • Pre-painted • Coreten • Freedom Gray • Tin

We will help you determine the best architectural sheet metal for the needs of the project.

Brighton Municipal Court, MA

The original historic bronze-clad doors of Brighton Municipal Court in Boston had exceeded their practical service life and required restoration. Heather & Little recreated the six twelve-foot-high bronze Kalamein doors. This was an exacting project as the original brass doors were not typical Kalamein construction and consisted of very intricate millwork and sheet metal profiles.  Winner of a 2021 North American Copper in Architecture (NACIA) award.

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Hermant Building, Toronto, Ontario

Heather & Little reproduced eight bronze kalamein doors and transoms using an architectural bronze material called Muntz metal. This was a challenging project as the only reference we had to the original bronze doors was a vague, one sheet historical drawing with very little detail. However, our team was able to recreate the pressed bronze ornamental components for these beautiful doors using press dies made from hand carved castings.

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Metal Clad Window and Door Preservation

Preservation of significant historical buildings is our stock-in-trade, and we fabricate or repair metal clad doors and windows using traditional methods and modern technologies that faithfully capture the original. Our skilled craftspeople can also work from photos or drawings to reconstruct features that were destroyed or decayed beyond recognition. You’ll find our work featured on commercial storefronts, iconic historic buildings, and grand entryways: elegant, fireproof and long-lasting hollow metal-clad windows, lotline windows, doors and transoms, that stand out for their beauty and precise execution. If you are ready to improve or preserve your new build or heritage, commercial, unique residential, or industrial space, trust our over 90 years of expertise and craftsmanship to create your custom Kalamein doors and windows.

Preservation Consulting

And if you are looking for a second opinion on your project or have a particularly complex issue that needs a fresh eye, we’re here for that too. Tackling tricky challenges is our specialty and we welcome the opportunity to provide consulting advice, with the same exacting attention to detail we bring to all our commissions.
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