Window Replacement in Frye Island, Maine

Frye Island windows have a hard job for a house nobody lives in half the year. They have to keep out wind-driven rain off Sebago through fall storms, stay sealed through a winter of cold, and still open easily in May. Older cottage windows, including those from the 1960s and 1970s that make up about 28 percent of the island's stock, often have single glazing, loose wood sashes or early double-pane units whose seals have failed.

Full-frame replacement is often the better choice here, because it exposes the rough opening so rotted sills and missing flashing can be fixed while the ferry is running and materials are easy to bring over. Vinyl replacement windows are practical for many cottages, and wood or clad units from Andersen, Marvin, Pella or Integrity suit houses where the interior trim is part of the character. Houses built before 1978 fall under the federal EPA lead renovation rule, which governs how old painted surfaces are disturbed. Sleeping lofts and bedrooms added in camp conversions should be checked for egress. Good locks and sturdy sashes also count on a house left closed for six months. Windows usually arrive from the manufacturer weeks after ordering, so measure early in the season.

Census estimates for Frye Island are rough, because so few people live there year-round, but the picture is clear. The survey counts about 575 housing units with a median year built of 1990, and almost all of them, about 560, are held for seasonal or recreational use. The 2020 census counted just 32 residents. Nearly every unit is a single-family detached house, none of the counted stock predates 1960, about 28 percent went up between 1960 and 1979, and about a third date from 2000 or later. On the ground that means wooded lots of summer cottages and camp-style houses, a steady stream of newer and larger seasonal homes, and a lot of houses that have been enlarged since they were first built.

Frye Island is named for Captain Joseph Frye, and the land was part of the 1750 grant that became Standish before the island seceded to form its own town. Twin 65-foot car ferries make a roughly seven-minute crossing, every half hour through July and August and less often in spring and fall. Once across, golf carts are the usual way around, on roads with a 20 mph limit. The island has a golf course, two marinas and recreation facilities, and its town hall sits on Fairway Lane. Houses are scattered along the shore and through the woods.

Permits go through the Frye Island Code Enforcement Office in the new Town Hall at 10 Fairway Lane, open Tuesdays and Thursdays. The town posts separate applications for building and construction, electrical, plumbing, septic and tree removal. Completed forms go in the town office drop box or by email, and the officer sets the fee after review. Any tree over 4 inches in diameter needs a free tree removal permit before it is cut, which matters when clearing space for a deck. Since February 2024 an impact fee applies to new dwelling units. Sebago is a great pond, so state shoreland zoning rules apply near the water.

A new window is only as good as the way it is set into the wall. Replacement windows go in either as inserts inside the existing frame or as full-frame units after the old frame comes out; the right choice depends on the condition of the frame, the trim you want to keep, and the siding around it. The site lists vinyl replacement windows and wood or clad units from Andersen, Marvin, Pella and Integrity, in double-hung, casement, picture, bay, sliding and awning styles.

• Each opening is measured and checked for rot in the sill, jambs and framing.
• Old sashes or whole frames come out; damaged wood is repaired before the new unit goes in.
• Units are set level, plumb and square, shimmed, and fastened as the manufacturer requires.
• Low-expansion foam and backer rod seal the gap without bowing the frame.
• Flashing, exterior trim or capping and interior casing are finished so the opening sheds water.

• Fog or condensation between the panes of insulated glass
• Sashes that stick, will not stay up, or let in drafts
• Soft or rotted sills and frames
• Single-pane glass or storm windows you take on and off every year
• Frost or ice on the inside of the glass in winter

• Number of windows, their sizes, and any custom shapes
• Vinyl versus wood or clad units, and the brand and series
• Insert versus full-frame replacement
• Glass package and grille options
• Interior and exterior trim work, and whether siding is open around the opening

Every job is priced from a free on-site visit. Typical ranges for the trade are on our window replacement page, and the details of this service are on the window replacement overview.

Back to the Frye Island exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.