Low-cost insulating window inserts stretch heating dollars

After last year’s successful Dover-Foxcroft Window Dressers community build, volunteers in the Dover-Foxcroft region are again making appointments to measure windows for cost-saving insulating window inserts.

“If you live in a home with windows that are older than 15 years, you can benefit,” says Steve Jackson, local builder and strong advocate for the program.

Last year’s build involved 54 volunteers who measured and built over 250 inserts for 27 people/families. Reports from satisfied customers confirm that the inserts provided reduction in draft through old windows making it more comfortable to sit nearby, reduced heat loss and reduced road noise for some customers whose homes are on busy roads. Many are requesting more inserts this year.

Window Dressers is a 5-year-old nonprofit supporting barnraiser-like Community Builds in local communities in Maine, gathering neighbors to help neighbors build the inserts. The local group, organized under the leadership of the Maine Highland Senior Center area and the Charlotte White Center-Thriving in Place Project, is eager to help local families reap the benefits of this fabulous community project.

“This is a project that not only helps our friends and neighbors save money in the heating season, but it is an opportunity to build community and reduce CO2 generation” says Dr. Lesley Fernow, organizer and volunteer for the local effort.

“The biggest lesson from the first year’s build was that people really had a good time and many have said they would love to help again this year! Now that we know how to do it, things should be even better this year,” says Fernow.

Residents in Dover-Foxcroft, Dexter, Sangerville Milo or Guilford can sign up to have their windows measured by local volunteers and then help make the inserts at the Community Build in Dover-Foxcroft. WindowDressers inserts can lower heating bills by as much as 25 percent and help the environment by lowering CO2 emissions levels by the same amount.

Inserts are custom measured and cut, then wrapped with clear polyolefin film and shrunk

drum-tight on both sides to create clear views through an insulating dead-air space. Foam weather stripping around the outer edges stops drafts and gives the insert a clean custom fit. Window experts have said that, when combined with a good storm window, this is more effective than replacing old windows with new, expensive, double-pane windows, and is a fraction of the cost. Each step of the assembly is done by local volunteers who can be taught at the time to perform their individual task.

Inserts cost an average of $2.21 per square foot, and are available in white or natural pine finish (white finish is an additional $4 per unit). Homeowners can usually recoup their investment in the first year with savings on heating fuel. Special pricing is also offered to low-income residents.

The group is also interested in recruiting people who will help with the community build scheduled for the week of, November 14-18 at Central Hall in Dover-Foxcroft. We will need help with the build itself, calling volunteers, providing food and snacks for the work teams. Everyone can help in some small way.

You can sign up for window measurements or to volunteer by calling (207) 596-3073, on our website, www.windowdressers.org, or by email at info.windowdressers@gmail.com, or call me. We will also have a table at the Whoopie Pie Festival (at the Historical Society building) if you want to see a sample window and sign up there. There will be a limit of 300 inserts for this year’s build, so it is essential to get your name in soon if you don’t want to be “left in the cold.” A local measuring team will contact you to make an appointment.

Readers are invited to offer feedback about this column and to suggest topics for future articles. You may do so by contacting Lesley Fernow at (207) 992-6822 and  lmfernow@rcn.com.