With the shift from summer to fall, it is time now to think about keeping our homes warm for the next six months, and there is no better insurance against cold, drafty windows than an interior storm window. “Window inserts” are attractive, inexpensive wooden-framed panels covered on two sides with clear film that fit snugly inside a windowsill to provide an extra layer of insulation, as well as eliminating drafts from air leaking in around a window. Not only do these inserts keep your house warmer, they save significantly on heating bills and reduce your home’s carbon footprint.
The cost of the window inserts is kept far below similar commercially-made products because the labor is all done by volunteers, and there is no profit margin. The whole operation is directed by a non-profit organization called The WindowDressers, headquartered in Rockland, ME, which has helped Maine communities make over 34,650 insulating window inserts in the past nine years. Central to the WindowDressers’ mission is providing window inserts at no cost to people whose budgets do not allow them to purchase the inserts. There is no specific income threshold or application to receive free inserts; if the cost doesn’t fit in your budget, you are eligible for free inserts.
This December, volunteers in Buxton and Gorham will once again come together for a community workshop to build these insulating window inserts for our friends and neighbors. The event will take place December 3-7 at the Galilee Baptist Church in Gorham.
Photo courtesy of Miriam RubinVolunteers assembled over 600 window inserts during the last two community workshops in Gorham.
Teams of volunteers will take four-hour shifts and enjoy socializing during the free lunch served between morning and afternoon work shifts. All the training, materials and equipment are provided. No prior experience or skills are needed to participate in a local workshop. Simply join the fun, keep your neighbors warm, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our communities.
During the previous two workshops, the group built a total of 650 inserts for 80 homes in our local communities including Buxton, Gorham, Hollis, Limington, Standish, Westbrook, Windham, Sanford, and Steep Falls. This equates to a savings of well over $14,000 in avoided heating fuel costs each year for that collective group of homes. Inserts last for about 10 years, over which time they will result in more than 650 tons of CO2 not being released into the atmosphere because that fuel wasn’t burned.
Because all windows are unique, each window getting an insert is custom-measured by a volunteer team. To allow time for a measuring visit and preparing frames, all inquiries for inserts to be made at the December Buxton-Gorham workshop must be received before November 10. Inquiries may be made after that date, but those inserts would be made at a different community workshop (Portland and Standish will have later workshops). For more information on initiating an order for window inserts for your home or business, or to sign up for a volunteer shift (or two!), please go to www.windowdressers.org or send an email to Miriam Rubin at buxtongorhamwindowdressers@gmail.com.