A Rotten Problem, a Better Solution: How Ty McBride Found His Market
October 15, 2026
What if a rotting window wasn’t a replacement project, but a business opportunity? In this episode of Made Locally, host Rahul Jaswa sits down with Ty McBride, founder of Preservan Wood Care & Repair, to explore how he turned a passion for restoring old homes into a growing home service franchise. Ty shares how he found an underserved niche in wood repair, turned hands-on expertise into repeatable systems, and rebuilt his business model for growth. He also explains why treating customers like neighbors, finding the right experts, and going all in on your local community can make all the difference.
Sometimes, the best business idea isn’t about building something new. It’s about seeing the value in what everyone else is ready to throw away. For Ty McBride, founder of Preservan Wood Care & Repair, that idea became the foundation for a home service business built around repairing rotting wood instead of replacing it.
In this episode of Made Locally, host Rahul Jaswa talks with Ty about growing up in his family’s construction business, discovering his entrepreneurial purpose, and finding a niche that could make a meaningful difference. Ty initially explored historic home renovations, but soon noticed that homeowners in historic neighborhoods were asking for something more specific: help restoring their old wood windows and doors. With limited capital and few local competitors, he saw an opportunity to specialize. In 2016, he launched Wood Window Rescue, building demand through local advertising, door hangers, and community involvement. The business brought in more than half a million dollars in its first year, but that early success also introduced new challenges.
As opportunities grew, Ty began asking a different question: how could he create a simpler, more repeatable home service model? The answer was to focus on the wood repair process itself, document how the work was done, and build systems that others could follow.
That shift led to the launch of Preservan, a brand designed to go beyond historic windows and repair rotting wood across a wider range of residential applications. Ty and his team spent time refining their processes, testing the model, and documenting the details before moving into franchising. The goal was to create a service that could be delivered consistently in different markets, without depending on a handful of highly experienced specialists to do everything.
Ty’s journey is a reminder that a successful local business often starts with a specific problem, grows through relationships and learning, and becomes scalable only when the right systems are in place.
What You'll Learn:
- How a moment connected to Ty’s family legacy inspired him to preserve existing homes rather than focus on building new ones
- How listening to homeowners helped Ty discover an underserved niche in historic wood window and door restoration
- Why specializing in a narrow service can create an opportunity when larger, broader businesses overlook it
- Why rapid growth can strain a business when hiring, cash flow, and operating systems haven’t kept pace
- How Ty simplified the business model and developed repeatable processes that became the foundation for Preservan
- Why documenting the work and finding the right experts matter when preparing a business to franchise
- What entrepreneurs should understand about the financial and personal responsibilities of franchising
- Why building a successful home service business requires a genuine commitment to local visibility, relationships, and community involvement
Ty McBride is the Founder of Preservan® Wood Care & Repair, a home service brand specializing in repairing rotting and deteriorating wood. Raised in a family involved in home building and construction, Ty spent years working across the industry before discovering a different opportunity: helping homeowners preserve existing wood features instead of replacing them.
In 2016, he launched Wood Window Rescue, initially focusing on historic wood windows and doors. As he refined the company’s repair methods and developed more repeatable systems, Ty expanded the concept into Preservan, a mobile wood care and repair business designed to serve a broader range of homes. The company uses a proprietary resin repair system to restore damaged wood, offering homeowners an alternative to replacement.
Ty began developing Preservan’s franchise model in 2022, with the aim of helping entrepreneurs bring the service to new markets.
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