Window Replacement in New Gloucester, Maine

New Gloucester's window stock runs from original multi-pane sashes in 18th- and early 19th-century houses to builder-grade vinyl in homes from the 1990s and 2000s. The old sashes are a question of preservation as much as efficiency: on a house in the historic district, replacement units should match the original muntin pattern and proportions, and wood or clad double-hungs from Marvin, Andersen, Pella or Integrity are the usual answer. Newer homes are more often dealing with failed seals and fogged glass.

The code office's handout counts window replacement as regular maintenance with no permit when the opening is not altered. Enlarging a bedroom window is different, and the town's FAQ spells out egress: a sill no more than 44 inches off the floor and a net clear opening of 5.7 square feet, or 5 on a grade floor, at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide. Casements reach that opening in a smaller frame than double-hungs. In homes built before 1978, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires lead-safe practices from paid contractors who disturb painted surfaces.

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.

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