If Your Home Was Too Cold During the Winter, It’ll Be Hot This Summer — Here’s What To Do

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Though summer in Maine is perhaps as perfect as the season can get anywhere in the world, we’d all be lying to ourselves if we said there’s never a single need for air conditioning. From Rockland to Portland, summer temperatures can climb into the 90s or even higher, and we’ve already had a few days this year that have made doing anything more than sitting on the beach an uncomfortable experience. Naturally, AC serves a place throughout the Maine summer, but it can also drive your energy bills through the roof if you’re not careful.

There are a number of things you can do to reduce your monthly energy bills without having to sacrifice summer comfort, but it all starts with an insulation upgrade, and the team at Evergreen Home Performance is here to help.

Insulation…in the Summertime?

One of the biggest misconceptions associated with insulation is that it only matters when the snow is falling. Of course, most of us would spend the Maine winter freezing if we didn’t have insulation in our homes, but that doesn’t mean the material is a one trick pony. In fact, insulation works in the exact same way during the summer months as it does during the winter, reducing the amount of heat transfer that occurs.

Think of insulation kind of in the same way you might a sweater (if it’s winter) or a koozie that fits around a cold can (if it’s summer). The bulk of the sweater helps to keep your body heat from escaping in the same way that the koozie keeps your beverage ice-cold throughout the day, and the same scenario applies to how insulation aids your HVAC system.

According to the EPA, homeowners can expect to save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs by installing high-performance insulation and air sealing their homes. The more well-insulated a home, the more comfortable it will be no matter what the weather looks like outside.

Evergreen Home Performance: Your Coastal Maine Insulation Specialists

At Evergreen Home Performance, we’ve seen firsthand just how much new insulation can do in terms of making older homes dramatically more comfortable when the summer heat and humidity hits. We offer materials such as spray foam, cellulose, mineral wool and Thermax rigid foam insulation, all of which represent the best the market has to offer and have their own specific uses throughout the home.

It all starts with a home energy audit, where we determine exactly which parts of your home can benefit from adding new insulation. From there, we’ll work with you to come up with a plan that fits both your budget and your needs.

Boost summer comfort this year with an insulation upgrade! Contact us or call 207-594-2244 today to learn more or to schedule an appointment.

Contact us today to learn more!

207-594-2244

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

We just finished a large project air sealing and reinsulating our 1890s basement and attic. It had been completely renovated 8 years ago, but still felt cold, and lacked proper energy assessment and corrections. We met with Justin in December and were very impressed with his knowledge, professionalism and communication skills and knew Evergreen was who we wanted to work with. Dave was our on hands project manager and was excellent. The office staff has been quick to respond and helpful as well when needed.

E Gallant

Kennebunk

Led by Brian Robinson, the Evergreen Home Performance team just completed an insulation refit at my home. It was truly a great experience from start to finish, a period of time that was a fraction of the time that I originally anticipated due to the team's unbelievable work habits and professional knowledge of their tasks. As impressive were the communication skills and friendliness of each and every member of the team.

Anne W.

Rockport

My husband and I bought a home on the water in Owls Head and decided to make the investment in Evergreen's recommendations for insulation. Brian Robinson spent 3 hours examining every nook and cranny before he made practical suggestions and explained them thoroughly to us.

Marie McNeely

Owls Head

I am very pleased with my experience with Evergreen Home Performance. I met several times with Richard Burbank and he was very detailed in his explanations to all of my questions. He provided me with several options for improving the insulation to our home. The team of installers were very professional and respectful of our home. They did a great job of cleaning up every day after the days work and they were also very responsive to all my questions as well as we collaborated to get our home better insulated. It was a pleasure to work with Richard and…

Brian C.

Falmouth

Working with Brian and with Nate and the rest of the crew was a pleasure. They made everything very easy and understandable. This was a major renovation and they were always at the ready with a lot of information. We had an extensive renovation on the basement which was a dirt basement and it came out beautifully. We can already tell from all of the insulation work what a difference it's made in sound and temperature. Brian worked with me on the rebates that are available when you do this kind of work. I would highly recommend this company to…

Valerie L.

Rockland

Really great experience from start to finish with Evergreen. They helped us prioritize what needed to be completed first, and has made a significant difference in our hearing costs already. Plus they were really friendly and considerate to work with!

Amy W.

Kennebunk

From beginning to end – that is from the moment Justin McEdward stepped into our home to assess our energy conservation needs until the crew left – the Evergreen Home Performance process went absolutely smoothly. Justin made a thorough inspection and took pictures with an infrared camera. His proposal described the scope of work in detail, and he explained what we could expect the proposed work to accomplish. Our proposal was forthcoming within a couple of days, and Justin was available to discuss it and answer questions.

Adrienne Harkavy

Evergreen was so helpful in securing us Efficiency Maine funding for a big attic insulation project early this winter. They did all of the paperwork, and totally guided us through a vermiculite removal process that included a payment from a trust for the procedure. I could instantly feel the second floor being so much warmer than before. The boiler does not kick on nearly as frequently since they completed the job. It was worth every penny! Brian Robinson was so thorough throughout the whole process including a full walk through after the job had been completed.

Todd W.

Camden

Evergreen did a fantastic job insulating our 1930's home. The onsite team was professional, clean, and really just a joy to interact with throughout the process. A blower test at the end showed a significant decrease in air leakage. I highly recommend Evergreen.

Kristen H.

South Portland

The Evergreen Team did a fabulous job and was very tuned and responsive to the particular needs we had. The job was done right on budget and we are thrilled with the improved warmth and energy efficiency.

Ira M.

Rockland

Our basement was the eyesore of the house. I wanted to make improvements, but first needed to make structural, insulating and moisture mitigation improvements. Evergreen was professional and competent in taking on a complex project of not only encapsulation and insulation of basement and crawlspace, but completed needed improvements to the structural integrity of the wood floor platform above a crawlspace and brought in a concrete contractor to pour where there was once a rotting, tiered wood platform - replacing that area with a more functional and tight tiered concrete area.

Duane B.

East Boothbay

Awesome company. It was a few years ago that they did the audit and then we commissioned them to do the work. We subsequently sold our house and moved to South Africa, but their level of service and expertise will live on.

Odette Brown

We had Evergreen redo the insulation in our roof. The team handling our project did a great job. They left the house spotless. We've already noticed the difference in how much better our house is retaining heat. I would definitely recommend and will use them for future projects.

Ffej C.

South Portland

Evergreen did a fantastic job replacing 28 windows in our house. They were friendly, courteous, and very detail oriented. Brian did a great job planning, estimating and executing the project. Our energy use has dropped significantly since the work was done.

Alex B.

Kittery

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