Page 31 - WCM 2023 Winter Flip

outlet team moved to the cellar to insulate hot water pipes while I took a tour of the unheated rooms above the living space. At times, we found previous attempts at weatherization that we were able to add to or update, and it was clear that as the farmhouse residents changed over time, spaces changed, moving in or out of the heating envelope. Some spaces landed in a gray area, neither fully insulated nor completely separate from the heated portion of the home. Seeing these discrepancies reminded me of places in my own home that I could check for insulation and weatherstripping.
The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy
(CEBE) is a non-profit whose mission is to
engage the community in addressing the climate crisis. Overlapping focus areas of shelter, energy, transportation, food, education, and climate action cover the diverse avenues of ecological solutions
that the center promotes. Launched in 2022, the
free Community Weatherization Project (CWP) continues to enroll applicants on a rolling basis.
The CWP complements WindowDressers, a non- profit that CEBE partners with, to offer an annual community build of reusable window inserts. Each fall, volunteers and insert buyers give their time to
the community build to keep costs down, as well as provide subsidized inserts for qualifying lower-income households. Both of these projects align with the goals of We Built This, which began as a CEBE project,
and is now spreading its wings. We Built This offers introductory carpentry workshops to those who are new to carpentry, especially groups who may not have felt welcome in shop class or the trades. This overall increase in skill of local residents to tackle small projects to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of their homes is a key strategy to addressing Maine’s aging housing stock as a factor driving the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Most homeowners have identified getting started as the biggest challenge, but it’s never too late or too early to start weatherizing your home for the next heating or cooling season. If you’re ready to tackle things on your own, this list will help you find the low-hanging fruit with the greatest savings for the least work and investment. If you’d like to join the Community Weatherization Project crew to gain some hands-on experience and the momentum of others facing similar challenges, stop by CEBE’s office on Main Street in Norway, or check out www.ecologybasedeconomy.org
Now you’re well on your way to a warmer winter with more affordable heating bills and less energy used, and you’ll also find that your space stays cooler in the summertime thanks to your
Above: Adding or replacing weather stripping around doors quickly changes a room’s temperature dynamic.
Below:Adding spray foam to fill cracks in masonry around doors is both effective and economical.
www.westcoastmaine.com
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