Does My House Need Basement Encapsulation?

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Many houses throughout Maine, especially older ones, suffer from various basement issues. If your home’s basement is unfinished and unencapsulated, you may be dealing with these problems regularly and not even know it.

Many houses throughout Maine, especially older ones, suffer from various basement issues. If your home’s basement is unfinished and unencapsulated, you may be dealing with these problems regularly and not even know it.

Most homeowners aren’t even aware of just how serious the issues can be if not properly addressed. Your basement has an influence over just how healthy, energy efficient and pleasant your entire home is, so if the basement in your house has problems with leaks, cracks, mold or pests, it needs to be encapsulated.

Common Basement Problems

From Bar Harbor down to Cape Elizabeth, many homes are suffering from the same concerning issues, including:

  • Leaks Causing Problems with Moisture & Mold

Basements that aren’t encapsulated tend to experience a buildup of moisture, particularly in the transition from winter to spring when leaks can easily appear due to the melting snow and influx of rain. The dark, damp environment fosters the growth of mildew and mold which can weaken the structural integrity of your home.

The moisture and mold also compromise indoor air quality. With mold spores and contaminated particulates floating around in your home’s excessively humid air, allergy and asthma symptoms are exacerbated.

  • Air Escaping & Entering

Air leaks contribute to poor indoor air quality. Radon, a colorless, odorless and radioactive gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer, can more easily infiltrate and endanger your family.

With cracks and gaps constantly letting air in and out, your home’s energy efficiency begins to suffer. You’ll notice chronic discomfort with areas of your home that are never quite the right temperature. Your heating and cooling systems will work exceptionally hard to keep you comfortable, increasing your energy bills.

  • Breeding Grounds for Pests & Rodents

Basements with cracks and gaps are perfect homes for pests and rodents. Their presence affects indoor air quality and can even introduce other illnesses. Over time, these unwanted creatures can also make their way upstairs and infest your home.

Basement Encapsulation Process

At Evergreen Home Performance, we strive to address all the problems that can be plaguing your basement with a comprehensive encapsulation process. It will make your home healthier, more comfortable and energy efficient while also being the first step towards a finished basement, if that’s an upgrade you’re considering in the future.

1. Drainage for Bulk Water

Since moisture is one of the main issues affecting basements from the Midcoast down to Southern Maine, we begin by drawing away excess water. We build a trench and install a sump pump system to address bulk water. Our team also installs an effective water channeling system to draw water away.

2. Vapor Barrier Installation

Since water can also infiltrate through excess moisture in the air, our expert team will install an airtight, durable vapor barrier. The vapor barrier always runs under support posts and appliances, and up the foundation walls, where it’s fixed with spray foam insulation.

3. Concrete Slab

After the vapor barrier is in place, most homeowners have a new concrete slab installed. A durable, level surface will make it easier to convert the basement into living space in the future.

4. Radon Mitigation Preparation

We want your home to be safe and healthy for you and your family. That’s why our basement encapsulation process includes measures for radon mitigation preparation like helping with radon testing and making sure your project is fully compatible with a radon ventilation system.

Midcoast & Southern Maine Basement Encapsulation by Evergreen

If your basement is damp, moldy, drafty and infested, it’s time to encapsulate the space. Not only will this make finishing the basement much easier in the future, but you’ll also get rid of issues that cause discomfort, health and energy efficiency concerns in your home. The experienced, professional and caring experts at Evergreen Home Performance are here to help.

Ready for improved home health, comfort and energy efficiency? Take the first step towards a finished basement by contacting us or calling 207-594-2244 to schedule a consultation for basement encapsulation today.

Contact us today to learn more!

207-594-2244

I highly recommend Evergreen! 1st, I had a home efficiency inspection (that was free) & Bryan P. was great! He took the time needed, asked & listened to what I thought were priorities, explained clearly what he thought were priorities & why, then gave me numerous options. No pressure whatsoever. Then I had my attic sealed & insulated as the 1st step & Bryan came along on day 1 to introduce everyone & make sure we were all on the same page. Bruce's team (inc. Kelsey & Roland) did the work - they were exceptional!!

Melissa M.

Kennebunk

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

Greetings one and all! I am writing to express my gratitude to all involved in my insulation project.  From start to finish, I appreciate the universal theme which was maintained by each and every one of you, to ensure that my home was insulated and protected from freezing pipes as if it was your home. Andrea, thanks for helping me navigate my way to the project. Nate, thanks for the thorough initial assessment and the time you took to explain this project to me, step by step. Brian, thanks for setting up my project - so happy

Michele

We needed basement encapsulation to stop moisture coming up into the house from our regularly flooding basement. We had mold growing on windowsills and furniture. All the staff were friendly, respectful of our home, and easy to work with. Humidity has gone from 70% down to 40% and mold has not grown back after two months. Very grateful.

Sarah C.

Belfast

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

Thorough, smart, informative, integrated, and communicative -- that's how my experience was with Evergreen even with the covid interruption midstream. The team picked up where they left off, insulated basement and air sealed attic and knee wall in 100' temps under the eaves! This business group was a pleasure to work with.

Karen W.

Gray

Highly recommended. Our heating usage is now less than half what it was before we had our roof insulated. Evergreen was knowledgeable, friendly, and left no trace they were ever in our house. Not only is our heating bill much lower now, but our home is generally more comfortable year-round with less temperature fluctuations. Money well spent.

RC Lations

We had Evergreen energy do blow-in cellulose. I was very happy with the result. They tested with blower-door before and after. House is now MUCH warmer. Also, in the time since when I've had to open walls for various access, I've been impressed with how they got the insulation packed in everywhere. I'd use them again.

Noah

Peaks Island

"Working with Evergreen from start to finish was a great experience." See what our customers have to say about their experience with Evergreen Home Performance. 

Jeff L.

Our house still the most efficient home we’ve ever lived in. And we have you folks to thank for that! A special howdy to Brian Robinson please!

Bruce O’Donal and Eva Butler

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

Evergreen has insulated two homes that we've owned now and both times we experienced exceptional service and craftsmanship. Our rep, Justin, went above and beyond answering questions and the installation team was attentive to every detail, including pulling out old poorly installed insulation and redoing a bathroom fan that wasn't up to current code. They also left the place spotless every day! Our home is already so much warmer this fall and we are looking forward to using less oil this winter.

Eva G.

Falmouth

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

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

Jennifer A

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

Portland Buy Local
Efficiency Maine
EPA Lead-Safe Certified
Building Performance Association
BPI Certified