Heat rises, and your roof absorbs more direct solar energy than any other surface on your home. By late afternoon, that surface has been baking for hours. In a well-insulated, air-sealed attic, most of that heat stays outside. In a home with thin insulation and gaps around wiring, pipes, and framing, it moves right into your living space.

The result is a top floor that feels like a different climate from the rest of the house: stuffy bedrooms, AC that runs constantly, and sleep that doesn’t come easy.

Most older Maine homes fall into the second category. Attics built before modern energy standards are under-insulated by today’s measure, and almost all have air leakage that insulation alone can’t fix. Sealing those gaps around recessed lights, at the top plates of interior walls, anywhere wires or pipes pass through the ceiling is what keeps summer heat out and winter warmth in.

It’s the same problem in both seasons, and the same fix.

For most Maine homes, dense-pack cellulose is the right choice for attics and wall cavities. It handles irregular framing well, resists air movement, and performs reliably through Maine’s humidity swings. Spray foam has a role too, particularly at rim joists and foundation walls, where you need a material that air seals and insulates in one step. The right answer depends on where in the home you’re insulating and what the space looks like. We’ll tell you which makes sense for your situation.

Evergreen Home Performance serves Southern and Coastal Maine from two offices: Portland and Rockland. Our Portland office covers Greater Portland south to York County and north through Brunswick and Bath. Our Rockland office covers the Midcoast from the Brunswick area through Knox and Waldo counties, including Camden, Belfast, and Damariscotta. Call 207-594-2244 or send a message to confirm we serve your area.

Yes. Portland and Rockland are our two home bases. Our Portland team covers Greater Portland and the surrounding region. Our Rockland team covers the Midcoast. Between the two offices, we serve most of Southern and Coastal Maine.

Insulation project costs vary based on the size and condition of the home, which areas you’re insulating, and which materials make sense. Attic insulation projects typically run several thousand dollars. Wall insulation, basement work, and whole-home projects are priced based on scope. We cover pricing directly during the consultation, so you have clear numbers before you decide anything.

Efficiency Maine offers rebates on insulation and air sealing work, up to $8,000, depending on your home and household income. The three-tier structure provides rebates for all income levels, with higher amounts available for moderate- and lower-income households. Evergreen handles the application process for every customer. You don’t navigate the program yourself; we collect the required data after the project is complete and submit the paperwork on your behalf.

To access Efficiency Maine rebates, you need to work with a participating contractor. Evergreen is a participating contractor and the leading rebate processor in the state. We’ve helped more Maine homeowners access insulation rebates through Efficiency Maine than any other company, and the rebate process is built into every project we do.

Common signs include rooms that are difficult to heat, floors that feel cold even when the heat is running, drafts near walls or the floor, ice dams forming on the roof in winter, high heating bills relative to the size of the home, and visible moisture in the basement or crawlspace. Homes built before 1980 almost always benefit from an assessment, even without obvious symptoms.

Blown-in insulation, typically cellulose, is loose material installed under pressure to fill cavities. It’s the right choice for most attic floors and wall cavities in older homes. Spray foam is a two-part liquid that expands and hardens on contact, air sealing and insulating simultaneously. It costs more and is the right call in specific applications: rim joists, foundation walls, and areas where air sealing is the primary need. Most whole-home projects use both.

Usually, yes. Ice dams form when heat escapes through the attic, melts snow on the roof, and the meltwater refreezes at the cold eave. Inadequate attic insulation combined with air leakage is the most common cause. Improving attic insulation and air sealing reduces the heat escaping through the roof, which is what causes the problem in the first place. We can assess whether your ice dam situation is driven by insulation, air sealing, or both.

Yes, and that’s most of what we do. The majority of homes we work on were built between 1900 and 1980. Older homes have their own characteristics: balloon framing, irregular stud bays, fieldstone foundations, and minimal access in some areas. We’re experienced working through all of it and the assessment tells us what’s realistic for your specific home.

Most attic insulation projects take one day. Wall insulation and whole-home projects vary depending on scope, but we give you a clear timeline before the work starts. Most insulation work is minimally disruptive to daily life.