Bay & Picture Windows in New Gloucester, Maine

The views in New Gloucester are mostly of land: hayfields along the Intervale, the open acreage around Pineland Farms, and woodlots rolling off toward Upper Gloucester. A wide picture window or a bow facing a field lets a newer home make real use of that outlook, and on an older farmhouse an opening can sometimes be widened on the ell or a back wall where it will not disturb the street facade that gives the house its character.

Unlike a straight window swap, adding a bay or enlarging an opening changes the structure, and under the town's zoning ordinance that calls for a building permit. The new header has to carry the wall and roof above, and a projecting bay's own little roof carries snow; the town's code handout cites a total design snow load of 70 pounds per square foot, so a bay roof should be framed, flashed and tied into the wall with that in mind. Low-e glass tuned to orientation keeps a big south or west window from overheating the room in August and a north window from chilling it in January.

Census estimates put New Gloucester at about 2,260 housing units with a median year built of 1991. About 11 percent of homes predate 1940 and roughly one in five predates 1960, but the largest share, about 31 percent, has been built in 2000 or later. Only about 15 percent date from 1960 to 1979, a much thinner mid-century layer than in neighboring Gray. Around 70 percent of units are single-family detached houses, and about 83 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied. Seasonal homes are rare, about two dozen by the survey's count, so nearly every house here is lived in year-round. The oldest houses are notable: the village holds many wood-frame houses built before 1810 in Georgian and Federal styles, and Intervale Farm's circa-1811 brick farmhouse is joined to its barn by a string of wood-frame additions.

The town has three villages: New Gloucester, Upper Gloucester and Shaker Village. The New Gloucester Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1974, strings Georgian and Federal houses along Route 231 where it meets Gloucester Hill and Cobbs Bridge roads, with a 1782 tavern, a replica of the 1753 blockhouse, the 1838 Greek Revival Congregational Church and an 1890 village store. Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark, is the last active Shaker community, with a 1794 meetinghouse on about 1,800 acres. In the east, Pineland Farms covers some 5,000 acres of fields and former state institution grounds.

New Gloucester's Code Enforcement Officer, who also serves as plumbing inspector and health officer, issues building permits. Under Article 6.1.1 of the zoning ordinance, no structure may be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without one. The office's handout says regular maintenance such as roofing, siding and window replacement needs no permit when it does not alter the structure. Decks do: the permit checklist asks for a foundation plan, framing cross sections and a signed plot plan with setbacks. The town's FAQ notes that work within 100 feet of a water body may need Maine DEP approval.

Picture windows are large fixed units that frame a view and pour light into a room. Bay and bow windows project out from the wall, adding floor space and light from three or more directions. Both are heavier and more exposed than an ordinary window, so the structure, support, roof and flashing around them matter. The Cumberland Center colonial on this site received Andersen 400 Series bay, double-hung and picture windows.

• The opening, header and framing are checked; widening an opening may need a new header.
• Bay and bow units are supported with cables, brackets or a framed seat so they do not sag.
• The small roof over a bay is flashed into the wall and roofed or capped to match the house.
• Insulation goes into the seat and head so the projection is not a cold spot.
• Interior seat boards, casing and exterior trim are finished to match.

• A view you want to see more of from the main living space
• An old bay that sags, leaks at the roof, or feels cold at the seat
• Fogged glass in a large fixed unit
• A dark room that needs more daylight

• Size and configuration: picture, bay or bow, number of units
• Whether the rough opening changes size
• Support method and seat or roof finish
• Glass package and brand
• Interior finish carpentry

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 bay and picture windows overview.

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