The Habermas Home-Retrofit - Bloomington, MN

Project Overview

Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
Setting: Wetland-adjacent home
Treatment area: 400 square feet of glass
Product used: Feather Friendly markers
Installation: DIY
Project type: Whole-home, multi-story retrofit
Before retrofit: 10–15 bird collisions per year
After retrofit: 0–2 bird collisions per year
Homeowner tip: Keep rolls no wider than 30 inches for easier handling.

The Habermas home sits along a wetland and once experienced 10–15 bird collisions each year. With roughly 400 square feet of glass to treat, the homeowners took on a full, multi-story retrofit through the MN Bird Coalition’s Window by Window program.

They used Feather Friendly markers. Because of the large treatment area, Feather Friendly recommended professional rolls, which were cut in half to make the DIY installation easier to manage. The whole family pitched in, borrowing a ladder from a painter already working on the home.

Since the retrofit, collisions have dropped to just 0–2 per year. The homeowner said this kind of project is doable for most people as long as the windows are accessible, and recommends keeping rolls no wider than 30 inches for easier handling.