The Causes of Wet Maine Basements

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You may have heard in the past that you shouldn’t let moisture linger in your basement (perhaps you even heard it from us, a year ago…). But what is it that can cause moisture to infiltrate and collect in that space under your Maine home, and most importantly how can you prevent it from happening in the first place?

Whole Home Moisture Issues

It would be easy to assume that if you have moisture in the basement, the basement is also the only place where the issue stems from. However, there are areas all over the home that can contribute to the moisture and humidity that make their way down to the basement. 

Air Leaks

The easiest way for moisture to infiltrate the basement is through the visible and invisible holes, cracks, and gaps in the construction of your home. These leaks are common in the attic and basement, as well as around improperly installed windows and doors and even right through concrete foundations!

Insulation (or Lack Thereof) 

It surprises many homeowners to learn that insulation plays an important role in the overall moisture control in a basement or crawlspace. Insulation prevents the transfer of heat between your living space, the outdoors and / or basement and attic, meaning a home that is properly insulated will have more stable temperatures all year round. As these temperatures are stabilized, there will be fewer indoor drafts, and the moisture in the air will be less likely to settle out (condense) on the surfaces in the basement. 

Whole Home Moisture Solutions

Gaining total control over the moisture in your home isn’t usually a quick fix. Even if you have removed the current moisture or resulting mold from your basement, it is vital to the long-term health of you and your home to make sure the underlying causes of the moisture have been remedied from top to bottom. Here at Evergreen, we do this through a number of home improvement upgrades — and we determine which upgrades each home will need with a home energy audit. 

The Evergreen energy audit utilizes an infrared camera inspection to locate weak or missing insulation, a blower door test to determine exactly how much and locate where leakage is present in the home, health and safety inspections to ensure your equipment is operating properly, a look at your historical energy usage, and an overview of the design of your home to locate any structural factors. Once your energy audit is complete, we will develop a customized plan to tackle your wet basement issues, which can include the following home improvements:

A Drier Basement Means a Healthier Home!

Mainers know the problems that come with moisture in a home. Mold, water damage, and musty odors aren’t something any homeowner wants to deal with once, not to mention over and over again. If you are ready to take control of your wet basement and rid your home of moisture issues once and for all, schedule an energy audit with the home performance professionals that homeowners throughout Southern Maine trust, Evergreen Home Performance. 

You can even take a look at what it took to relieve this 1930s bungalow home of almost half of its total air leakage, cold morning floors, and headaches that came with moisture issues in the basement. From your first consultation to the final day of work, Evergreen Home Performance is here to help you feel more comfortable and spend less on your energy bills!

Ready to take action against your wet basement? Get started with an energy audit from Maine’s basement experts at Evergreen Home Performance. Call 207-594-2244 or get in touch here.

Looking to dry out your wet basement?

Talk to our team about a solution. 207-594-2244

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

Evergreen completed the work at my home thoroughly and professionally. An inspector from Efficiency Maine came to inspect afterwards and described it as "state of the art" and "outstanding". The crew was very pleasant and considerate during the project. Their cleanup each day was perfect. Communications with the office were easy and reliable. I am very satisfied.

Catherine H.

South Portland

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

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

We had a fantastic experience working with Evergreen to insulate our roof this winter. Everyone was extremely friendly throughout the process - the crew at our home worked hard, were approachable with questions, and the team leader even showed me around the project to point out specific areas they were working to improve.

Joel Wentz

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Bonnie Eustace

I would recommend Evergreen wholeheartedly because of their professionalism, their follow through, and thoughtful project planning.

Jennifer A

I was very impressed by the professionalism of this company and the workers. Brian R. was very prompt in replying to my questions; the crew was meticulous in all parts of the work and attentive to the safety aspects concerning Covid; and Brian was extremely thorough in the final inspection. My attic is now snug and warm and I've noticed that the second floor is warmer as well.

Julia S.

Rockland

I have always been impressed by the high level of service, quality of work, and excellent follow-through provided by Evergreen Home Performance in the three projects that they completed at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm over the past several years.

Paul D.

Wells

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

Evergreen has just completed Phase 2 of 2 at my home. They are professional, hard-working and courteous. They communicate well..no surprises. They've gone above and beyond to make my home comfortable and were very respectful of my home.I recommend them unequivocally!!!Many thanks to Brian, Brian, Rick, Eddie, Dawson and the rest of the Evergreen crew!!

David Henry Feldman

Evergreen listened and produced a thoughtful evaluation, proposal and comprehensive plan for our attic and basement. They exhibited excellent workmanship, teamwork, and came back as planned after the completion of the job to test the outcomes. Their overall performance as insulation and home improvement contractors is truly outstanding and we highly recommend them.

Susan S.

Saco

I made the mistake of NOT hiring this company last year when I bought and renovated my home. I have brought them in now and what a difference. This group knows what they are doing. They take a complete look at everything and believe they can make your home more energy efficient. They are very professional in the way they approach problems and solutions. And they find ways to save me money. Don't bother with anyone else. Bring Evergreen in before you do anything. Let them assess your issues and give you the right solutions.

Shaw

Owls Head

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 came out 2 years ago to do an assessment and insulate our roof. This year we had them come back and do the basement as well. They are hands-down the best crew we've ever hired to work on our house. They are experts at what they do, and super meticulous in their work. After working in our house for a week with blown insulation, there was no trace they were ever here. We've seen a huge decrease in our energy bills while at the same time the house has become way more comfortable. Can't recommend them enough.

RC Lations II

Portland

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