Langlais Sculpture Preserve gets energy efficiency updates

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The 90-acre Cushing homestead of renowned Maine artist Bernard Langlais will soon be gifted to the Georges River Land Trust as the Langlais Sculpture Preserve, but first it’s getting an energy efficiency makeover.

“The Georges River Land Trust is thrilled to work with Colby College and Kohler Foundation to celebrate Bernard Langlais’s legacy,” said Gail Presley, the Land Trust’s Executive Director. “Langlais was inspired by the Maine landscape, so this preservation project is focused on conserving natural resources as well as his work.”

While the Land Trust leads stewardship of the land, creation of trails, and restoration of perennial gardens, and Kohler preserves the ten large wooden sculptures that will remain on site, Evergreen Home Performance is upgrading the 18th century farmhouse. Home to Bernard and Helen Langlais for more than a decade, the house presents a perfect location for conservation and programming – as well as a number of efficiency challenges.

“Like a lot of old buildings, the Langlais house was long on charm and history, but short on comfort and efficiency,” said Brian Robinson, the Evergreen Home Performance Energy Advisor who assessed the property and engineered upgrades. “Fortunately, these buildings have the potential to function quite similarly to modern homes, once they’re fully upgraded.”

In the first phase, Evergreen improved the attic with air sealing and cellulose insulation, and installed a durable, operable attic hatch. These upgrades will keep warm conditioned air from leaking up and out during the heating season, and, in the summer, keep super-heated air from leaking down into the cooler interior. Phase two will likely include basement encapsulation to eliminate moisture problems and insulating walls to continue maximizing comfort and efficiency.

“The first phase of energy efficiency upgrades have addressed the critical needs for keeping the house warm,” said Presley. “We hope to be able to raise the funds to complete the second phase to assure the house will be dry and comfortable, and keep the Langlais legacy alive for many years to come.”

On July 12, Georges River Land Trust is hosting their 24th annual Gardens in the Watershed Tour and this year’s tour-goers can get a sneak peek of the Langlais property, sculptures, and more-efficient farmhouse during. For more information on the Preserve or the Garden Tour, visit www.georgesriver.org or call 207-594-2244. For more information on energy efficiency upgrades like those we installed at the Langlais house, contact us today.

Contact us today to learn more!

207-594-2244

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

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

I waited a year to write this review. Evergreen finished our job late last winter. Terrific results!!! we've gone from 12-day propane deliveries to 30+ day propane deliveries. The house is noticeably warmer. The Evergreen crew was/is professional, prompt, thorough, scientific, gracious and immaculate with respect to keeping our house clean. Money well spent.

John E.

Boothbay

We absolutely loved our experience with Evergreen. The team was incredibly kind, professional and great to work with. We're very impressed with the quality of work of the Evergreen team and how easy they made everything! Our house had barely any insulation ahead of this project and the results are amazing. Insulating the attic, walls and basement with Evergreen allowed us to tear a 50-year-old furnace, ductwork and oil tank out of the basement and now heat the home with new heat pumps. Evergreen also added 100 sq ft of clean, new storage space to the attic!

Nick S.

South Portland

My experience with Evergreen was excellent. From their thorough and thoughtful initial consultation to their detailed post-work visit, the team was professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. Their workmanship was top notch. Our home is now much warmer and more efficient. I highly recommend their services!

Douglas R.

Edgecomb

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks Evergreen Home Performance for helping to make our home more efficient. Many thanks as well to Bryan for the initial walk through and recommendations to make our home more efficient and to Dave, Roland, and Jacob for a job that was done professionally and courteous.  We were amazed at the level of efficiency and everyday they made sure to protect our floors, carpets, and furniture. We had daily discussions with Dave about progress and what was being done and where they were at in the project.

Carol Fink

Evergreen did an amazing job insulating our historic home. Their professional staff worked hard to ensure the tough areas in the attic were covered, and clearly communicated their progress. We are seeing the results with our discounted heating bills. Thank you, Evergreen!

Melissa Knoll

Portland

We had Evergreen come out to our tiny old (100+ year old) house to see what they would recommend for decreasing our carbon footprint, saving money, and increasing our comfort in the cold season. Richard and Bryan were great to work with, patiently answering our many questions and walking us through multiple options. We could only afford to tackle a few areas this year; we ended up replacing some windows and having them weatherize the entire house.

Alan M.

Falmouth

This team of individuals was professional at all times. They set up barriers that kept the dust at a minimum. They conducted an air flow audit and cut the draft circulation from the outside in half by sealing cracks. They hauled out the old insulation and replaced it with blown in insulation with an R - 60 Value. They also did the rebate paperwork so that I could get my $1500.00 rebate from the state of Maine. I highly recommend Evergreen Home Performance!

Daniel B.

Rockland

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