Fixture Installation in Gorham, Maine

Gorham Homes and What They Need

Gorham covers about 51 square miles west of Westbrook and is still largely rural, and its housing has grown in waves. Census estimates put the median home at 1988: about 14 percent of units were built before 1940, largely in Gorham Village and the old farm roads, while roughly a third were built since 2000 as the town became a Portland bedroom community. About 80 percent of homes are single detached houses and about 81 percent are owner-occupied, and about 5 percent are mobile homes. Newer subdivisions are spread well beyond the village, out toward Little Falls, White Rock and North Gorham. Old farmhouses can have stone foundations, add-on wiring and no ductwork, while newer colonials usually have forced air, which is why replacing an old farmhouse boiler and a subdivision furnace swap are very different jobs.

Water Supply and Drains in Gorham

Water and sewer in Gorham depend on where the house sits. The Portland Water District provides public water to parts of town and handles day-to-day operation of the town's sewer system, which covers Gorham Village and Little Falls and sends flow to the regional treatment plant in Westbrook. Beyond those areas most homes rely on private wells and septic systems, and the town's rules require a private disposal system where sewer is not available. Maine CDC estimates about one in ten private wells statewide exceed the arsenic guideline and recommends a full test every three to five years, including uranium and radon. Rural wells also mean a pump, pressure tank and often treatment equipment in the basement. Hard or iron-bearing water shortens the life of plumbing and appliances, so a water heater choice should follow the well test, not come before it.

Getting to Know Gorham