Volunteers at Sustainable Woodstock’s 2023 Window Dressers build.
Barn raisings were common in 18th and 19th century rural North America. During these one-day events, neighbors came together to build a barn from the ground up as a community effort. Barns were crucial for rural life, providing the space needed for animals, hay, grain, and other crops in an era when most people were farmers. Given the significant cost of labor for such large projects, farmers often couldn’t afford to build a barn on their own. Barn raisings offered a way to pool community resources and labor.
Barn raisings are a rare sight in the 21st century, but the same values of cooperation, mutual aid, and community are just as important now. In fact, in the face of rising global temperatures and increasing natural disasters, these values are more important now than ever.
Sustainable Woodstock’s third Window Dressers Community Build is coming up this September 12th-19th. During this week-long event, volunteers come together to construct insulating window inserts for low- and moderate- income community members. These inserts act as interior storm windows, reducing drafts and insulating homes.
About 25-30% of a home’s heating energy is lost through its windows. That said, replacing old leaky windows is typically a very expensive venture, and there aren’t many good state or federal incentives to help with the high cost. The best place to focus energy and money is usually insulating the attic, basement, or both– windows are comparably not a very good return on investment. This leaves homeowners, especially low-income homeowners, without many good options for insulating windows.
Window Dressers inserts are a low-cost, efficient way to address this issue. Each insert is made of a custom-made pine frame wrapped in two layers of tightly-sealed, clear polyolefin film and 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 that stops drafts and adds two more insulating air spaces. They are installed on the interior side of the window, and act as interior storm windows.
Just like a barn-raising, there is a job for everyone at our Community Build. Some volunteers will bring lunch and snacks for others to eat, some will greet and sign in volunteers as they enter, and the rest of the volunteers will physically construct the inserts themselves. Absolutely no carpentry or building skills are necessary– we have taught steps in the process to children as young as 12 years old, and to many adults without experience.
Window Dressers estimates that on average, 10 inserts will save 105 gallons of heating fuel per year which, at around $5.50/gallon, amounts to more than $550 in savings per year. This means that our 2022 and 2023 builds save ~5,029 gallons of fuel, or $27,662 for homeowners per year.
It is easy to feel powerless when it comes to climate change. Window Dressers is a chance to see how collective action can make a real difference. This community effort not only provides practical support for those in need but also helps fight climate change. Joining in this build is a way to take meaningful action, reinforcing the idea that together, we can tackle even the most daunting challenges.
What You Can Do: Volunteer at Woodstock’s Window Dressers Build from September 12th-19th. Register at: https://signup.com/go/LkxELuj
