Our Insulating Inserts
WindowDressers Insulating Window Inserts let in light while stopping drafts. Each insert is made of a custom-made pine frame wrapped on each side with tightly-sealed, clear polyolefin film, creating an airspace between the two layers for additional insulation. The insert is finished with a compressible foam gasket. The foam allows enough give for the inserts to be easily slid into place in the fall and removed in the spring, while holding firmly enough to provide a tight, friction-based seal. The inserts are installed inside of your existing window frame with no fasteners required.
The inserts are free for those who cannot afford to pay, and low cost for middle and high income households. We keep our insert-prices exceptionally low (50%-75% cheaper than commercial products) through our non-profit model of cooperative insert-building. This means that customers contribute time at our local Community Builds. Please visit our Volunteer page to learn more about our participatory model.
Ordering Process
- REQUEST INSERTS by calling 207-596-3073 or FILL OUT THIS FORM. You will be assigned to your closest Community Build in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont.
- GET MEASURED by a team of volunteers who will visit, assess and measure your windows, give you a quote, and collect payment.
- SIGN UP for shifts at your Community Build. > HERE
- PAY for your inserts (special low-income pricing available upon request) > HERE
- PARTICIPATE in the Community Build where the inserts are built.
- PICK UP YOUR INSERTS from the Community Build once yours are complete.
- INSTALL your inserts in your windows.
- ENJOY a warmer home and lower heating bills!
Sample Price Chart for 2023
Our inserts are custom built to the exact measurements of your windows and are custom priced.
Below are sample prices. Your exact price will vary.
- Our Pine Frames are sturdy and beautiful: available in natural pine or painted white.
- Pine Frames provide additional insulation, unlike aluminum frames which conduct heat.
- Two layers of polyolefin film creates two dead air spaces: one between the two layers of film and one between the insert and your window. This is twice the insulative value of a single-layer insert.
- Each insert is custom-built to the exact measurements of each window, ensuring a tight fit and excellent insulation.
- Inserts are removable and reusable each year. Inserts last 5-10 years. If the plastic or foam wears out after that time (or if damaged by kids or pets), the inserts can be rewrapped for just $15.
- Our local Community Build model ensures that our inserts are as affordable as possible because we harness the power of YOU.
- Low income households can qualify for up to 10 natural pine inserts per year at no charge.
- Savings will vary depending on many factors, including the quality of your existing windows. Our research shows that, in a typical house, one medium 11-ft2 pine insert (30” x 52″) may save an average of 8.5 gallons of heating oil (0.8 gallons/ft2) every year, for an estimated savings of $15 – $43 per year, depending on variations in fuel price. Our inserts generally pay for themselves in two heating seasons or less.
See the Difference
These two photos were taken by a volunteer in Wells on a 29° day in November. The photos show two different windows at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Visitor Center— one with insulating window inserts, and one without. The windows are ten feet apart, but in different rooms. The thermometers were left for 15 minutes in each room, out of the sun, on the window sill. Insulating Window Inserts make all the difference!
