Window Replacement in Harrison, Maine

Roughly half of Harrison homes were built before 1980, so many still have old wood sashes, single-pane glass with storms, or first-generation double-pane units whose seals have failed and fogged. On a lake house those windows let wind-driven rain past the sill every autumn storm, and in winter the drafts show up as cold rooms and high heating bills. Camps that were winterized in stages often mix three or four window types in one wall.

Replacement can be either a pocket insert that fits the existing frame or a full-frame unit that lets the installer inspect and re-flash the rough opening, which is the better choice where rot is suspected. Vinyl replacement windows keep costs down on ranches and camps, while wood or clad units from Andersen, Marvin, Pella or Integrity suit older village houses where the look of the sash matters. Bedroom windows in a converted camp may need to meet egress size rules, and any house built before 1978 falls under the federal EPA lead renovation rule, which sets work practices for disturbing old painted surfaces. Choosing low-e glass with a warm-edge spacer cuts condensation on cold January mornings, especially on windows facing the lake.

Census estimates count about 1,800 housing units in Harrison, with a median year built of 1980. Roughly 20 percent went up before 1940 and about 26 percent before 1960, another 24 percent date from 1960 to 1979, and about 26 percent were built in 2000 or later. Close to 89 percent are single-family detached houses, and about 90 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. Nearly 500 units, a bit more than a quarter of the stock, are held for seasonal or recreational use, mostly camps and cottages on the lakes. In practice that means three kinds of houses: 19th-century capes and connected farmhouses in and around the villages, modest ranches and camps from the postwar decades, and larger year-round homes and rebuilt lake houses from the last 25 years. Many older camps have been winterized and added onto in stages.

Harrison has two villages, Harrison and Bolsters Mills, and the town is drained by the Bear River and the Crooked River. James Sampson built the first sawmill and gristmill at Harrison village, and after the Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened in 1832 the village shore filled with wharves and warehouses. Scribner's Mill, built in 1847 on the Crooked River, is now a museum. Three buildings are on the National Register: Deertrees Theatre, a 1936 Adirondack-style hall built of rose hemlock cut on its own grounds; the former Caswell Public Library at 42 Main Street; and Lakeside Grange No. 63 on Main Street.

Building permits come from the Harrison Code Enforcement Department at the Town Office on Front Street, whose officer is also the shoreland zoning administrator. The town Building Permit Requirements Ordinance requires a permit before anyone builds, modifies or adds to a structure, and names only routine minor maintenance, such as painting, as exempt, so ask the office before a residing or re-roofing job. The officer has 30 days to act on a complete application, and a permit lapses after a year without a substantial start. Inspections are booked 24 hours ahead. Near the lakes, the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance sets a 100-foot setback for new structures from great ponds.

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 Harrison exterior services overview, or see every town on our Cumberland County service areas page.