How Can You Know If You Have Enough Insulation in Your Attic?

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Most Maine homes have some level of insulation up in the attic, but few homeowners know if they have enough. Even if you are familiar with how insulation is meant to work, assessing your insulation levels and its effectiveness in keeping your home comfortable can be daunting. Here are some signs to look out for, both in your living space and up in the attic, that indicate you could benefit from an insulation and air sealing upgrade.

Visible Mold Growth or Damage to Attic Insulation

Mold is never a good thing in a home, and attics can become traps for the moisture and temperatures that encourage mold growth. Take a look at your insulation (where you can), and scan for any evidence of water or black, green, or grey mold growth. Not only does mold render your insulation less effective, but it can also send spores into your attic air, which can circulate throughout your home’s breathing air and create health issues. 

Uneven Temperatures Throughout Your Home

One of the goals of insulation in your home is temperature stability. If there are areas of your attic that are poorly insulated, it can make certain areas of your home warmer or colder than other areas, depending on the season. This is especially true for two-story homes!

A hot second floor in the summer (or any room with temperatures different from the rest of your home) is a warning sign that the insulation and overall air sealing in your home is in need of an upgrade. 

Indoor Drafts

If you feel drafts in your home even when all windows & doors are closed, that’s a sure sign that your home needs an insulation and/or air sealing upgrade. Heat dissipates, so if you have an area in your home with higher temperatures than another (caused by uneven insulation or a lack of air sealing), the air in your home will move in patterns that cause predictable drafts. Upgrading your insulation and air sealing prevents outdoor air from entering your home and conditioned air from leaving your home, thus reducing uncomfortable drafts.

Ice Dams and Icicles Along the Edge of Your Roof

Ice dams cause problems for Maine homeowners every winter, and the answer to avoiding them may lie in your attic. Ice dams form when the underside of your roof warms up enough to melt the lowest layer of snow accumulation, which then drains further down the roof and refreezes. That ice creates a dam, preventing melting water from draining off your roof and forcing it into your home, damaging your remaining insulation, sheetrock, roofing materials, and more. If you have had ice dams in the past, your insulation should be looked at; your heated home air may be causing the problem!

High Energy Bills in Both Winter and Summer

If you’ve been looking for a way to lower your heating bills in winter or your cooling bills in the summer, your insulation should be the first place to start. Most of the symptoms and signs we have already mentioned point to your heating and cooling system needing to work overtime to make up for the extra heat transfer, which will mean higher energy bills all year round. Upgrading your insulation in the attic makes the job of your air conditioner, boiler, furnace, or heat pump much easier, as the hot and cold air they provide is able to stay put!

Evergreen Your Home with an Energy Audit

Have you experienced any of these problems inside your southern or midcoast Maine home? Get to the bottom of your home insulation issues once and for all with the home efficiency experts that Mainers trust. 

Through an energy audit, we can diagnose your insulation levels and issues, and show you where your home is in need of air sealing. We nearly always pair an insulation upgrade with air sealing, to increase the effectiveness of your new insulation and to ensure you will get the desired results:

  • Fewer indoor drafts

  • Reduced heating and cooling bills

  • A more comfortable home year-round

  • No more ice dams

Ready to upgrade your insulation for more comfort and lower energy costs? Schedule an energy audit today! Call Evergreen at 207-594-2244 or get in touch here.

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Great company. Very professional and thorough. They take the time to explain everything and offer options to fit your budget. Wonderful experience from start to finish.

Bonnie Eustace

Evergreen is the "go-to" company for improving the efficiency of your home. There are others to choose from but none so effective, honest, and capable as Evergreen. They did a great quantity of dense packing cellulose to improve our home (both for energy efficiency and for sound insulation) and it was totally successful. They are on-time, helpful, and caring. They clean up to a level that can't be over emphasized. This was the second time we employed them and we'd use them again if the opportunity came. You'll not be sorry to select Evergreen.

Dirk F.

Belfast

I cant say enough about this company and the benefits that it created for our family. They are very professional and have effectively re-insulated our home. The heating bill proves the point.

Bob O.

Springvale

Evergreen came back this year to finish insulating our house. We have been remodeling and renovating an 1850s cape for several years. Their employees are very professional and pleasant to deal with. Over several years Brian Robinson has been able to schedule us in for several small areas that needed addressing and finally turning a room we used to close off in the winter into a comfortable usable space. We primarily heat with wood and since Evergreens great work our furnace has only come on ONCE this winter. Fantastic. Really satisfied customer in Thomaston.

Chris F.

Thomaston

In the final stages of selling our home, and with a closing date set, an inspection came across an unanticipated issue in our attic. We quickly called in contractors, but nobody was able to identify the source of the problem. Then we thought of Evergreen. Brian Robinson was on site the next morning and immediately identified the source (a faulty roofing job completed three years earlier which had effectively sealed up portions of the ridge vent and restricted air flow - not easily visible with a quick inspection).

Robin McIntosh

Camden

The crew members from Evergreen Home Performance each made sure to greet us every day, while maintaining their distance in this time of the pandemic. Their work took a total of nine days, spread over three weeks. Even though they were working in multiple rooms of our house, as well as the basement and attic, they were unobtrusive and always cleaned up after themselves every day. The on-sight manager kept us informed of their daily schedule so we'd know which parts of the house they'd be working on.

Bob & Sue

Whitefield

I was extremely pleased with the professionalism and quality of service that I received from the Evergreen team. I met Richard to discuss options for insulation. I knew immediately that I wanted to do business with them because he did not try to over-sell extra services that I did not need. Dave was the project manager. He was not only kind, but very respectful of my home. I would highly recommend this company.

Darlyann M

Bath

The folks at Evergreen did a great job fixing a rather major insulation problem in my house, which they helped identify with a great audit. When the work began, they were thorough, upbeat, and -- dare I say it -- efficient. I strongly recommend them.

Michael Williams

The team members were very professional, worked very hard, paid very close attention to detail and cleaned up meticulously every day. I really appreciated the care they took knowing the smallest details were going to make a big difference to our heating bills. Thank you!

Pam B.

Brunswick

The Evergreen Team did a fabulous job, well exceeding our expectations, In just over a week they transformed our very drafty, noisy 213 year old house into a snug, draft-free, quiet haven with warm floors! The team was prompt, did everything they said they'd do and more. We are thrilled!

Trudy M.

Bridgton

Update 12/2018: Evergreen has completed Phase II of my house (insulating and installing air/moisture barrier on exterior walls, replacing old windows) and now that heating season is upon us, the difference is astonishing. The house is tight as a drum and so easy to keep warm. Worth every penny. Thank you all! Working with Evergreen was a positive experience from start (no charge energy audit) to finish (a MUCH more comfortable home). Brian Robinson spent a lot of time with me on the audit, explaining clearly what he was finding in my ca.

Rebekah W.

Rockport

I had gotten estimates from several other companies, but Evergreen was in another league entirely with their professionalism. If you want the job done correctly, I couldn't recommend this company enough.

Rayna Mayo

Freeport

Evergreen Home Performance shows its expertise from start to finish. Evergreen did three house projects in winter/spring/summer 2020 for me, attic insulation, crawl space under a porch insulation, and basement foam/vapor barrier. From my initial discussion with Bryan, I understood the reasons for choosing different types of insulation, the associated costs, and time estimates. Evergreen scheduled in advance, came when they said they would, and the crews were highly professional in their work and demeanor.

Iris S.

Portland

Evergreen removed and replaced the insulation in my attic. They did a great job!, Crew was excellent, and the whole thing went smoothly, and the attic was NOT easy to get into or work in, so kudos to some hard work done well!

Joel A.

Portland

First we have Evergreen do a BIG project worth about $20K (windows, basement, insulate & rebuild an entire wall, a door, attics, and air sealing). They were so great we had them come back later when we decided we did want to do our other door. They are professional and do great work. They take care of your home and are trustworthy, and on top of all that friendly! I highly recommend you call them!

Garreth C Debiegun

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Efficiency Maine
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190 Riverside St, #2A,
Portland, ME 04103

315 Main Street, #205,
Rockland, ME 04841

207-358-3706

info@evergreenyourhome.com