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NORWAY — Nonprofit organization WindowDressers, with help from a team of community volunteers, came to Norway on Oct. 14 for a Community Build, building 30 insulated window inserts for residents in Norway and Bridgton.
The window inserts were built at the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy 447 Main St.
WindowDressers is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to helping Maine residents reduce heating costs, fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by lowering the amount of heat loss through windows.
The organization uses community volunteers who want to help fellow community members, help conserve fuel and spare the environment from unnecessary CO2 pollution.
The target for WindowDressers is leaky windows in Maine’s housing, which is the oldest in the nation.
Inserts offer an affordable alternative to window replacement. With 30 percent of building heat loss occurring through windows, customers save 10 to 20 percent on their fuel consumption with inserts, which translates in most cases to payback within the first heating season. They donate 22 percent of the inserts to low-income families who could not otherwise afford them. Many of the families donate back to the program to help other families.
Thermal window inserts with pine frames are wrapped on both sides with polyolefin and are installed on the inside of windows. A dead air space between the two layers is created and a foam weather strip edging reduces heat loss and block air leaks. They are estimated to have an R-factor approaching 3. With reasonable care, they can be reused year after year.
James Miller and Katie Bessey of the Shelter Working Group at CEBE contacted WindowDressers in 2016 to begin the process of Community Builds coming to the area. In the spring, Miller worked with Frank Daggett from the Bridgton team to learn how to take orders and measure windows for customers.
Miller and Zizi Vlaun of CEBE were then trained to build the inserts, with help from Frank and Barbara Daggett, who brought the equipment and supplies to Norway from Bridgton for the build. WindowDressers Board Member Steve Shaw joined them for further training and to ensure that the quality of each insert met the WindowDressers’ standards.
Volunteers included Miller, Bill Miller, also of Paris; Robert Reddy, of Norway; Dennis Frappier, of Raymond, Zizi and Jasper Vlaun, of Otisfield; Jeff Laughton and his daughters, Astra, Sheyla and Mia, from South Paris.
CEBE plans to expand the program and will take orders next spring for customers in the area. Depending on size, inserts cost around $30, with special pricing for those who cannot afford them.
To volunteer, call CEBE at 207-739-2101. For more information on WindowDressers, visit www.WindowDressers.org
