Sustainable Remodeling: Enhancing Comfort & Efficiency

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Sustainable remodeling is the process of renovating a home in a way that minimizes its environmental impact, which can be done by using sustainable materials and finding ways to conserve energy. 

At Evergreen Home Performance, we believe that homes should be beautiful, comfortable, functional, and sustainable. With our expertise, we can help you improve your home’s energy efficiency, reduce your environmental impact, and save on your energy bills. We can even help you plan your home upgrades to get the most out of federal and local incentives and make your dream, green home in MidCoast Maine more affordable!

Start With an Energy Audit

When you’re remodeling your home for energy efficiency, it’s important to know where it needs improvement before you get started. A free energy assessment  from Evergreen Home Performance takes the guesswork out of home upgrades by giving you a big-picture understanding of your home’s performance. 

We use specialized tools like infrared imaging and blower door testing to evaluate your home’s insulation and discover any significant air leaks that contribute to energy loss and inconsistent temperatures. When the analysis is complete, our team will give you a detailed proposal for our recommended services so you can plan your path forward.

How to Remodel for Energy Efficiency

There are several home upgrades we offer at Evergreen Home Performance that can improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. Here are just a few of the services we provide to help with your sustainable remodel: 

Insulation Removal 

Typical fiberglass insulation degrades over time and can be contaminated by pollutants such as mold, making it less effective and even harmful to your indoor air quality. It’s important to remove old insulation before installing new insulation—especially if it is damaged—because it can affect the performance of your upgrade. 

Not sure if you need insulation removal in your home? Here are some signs to look out for:

  • Your insulation has been wet

  • There was a fire in your home

  • You have had a pest infestation

  • Your insulation is old and contains contaminants, like asbestos

Attic Insulation Upgrades

Your attic significantly contributes to your comfort and efficiency. Without proper attic insulation your home is susceptible to ice dams in the winter, high energy bills, and several other issues. Adding insulation to your attic is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase your home’s energy efficiency because it works to stabilize the temperatures within your home. Insulation creates a barrier between your living space and the outdoors and even lessens the wear and tear on your HVAC equipment, making your heating and cooling more efficient as well. 

Basement Insulation, Encapsulation, & Leakage

Because your basement is the foundation of your home, it’s exposed to moisture, potential air quality issues, and even structural damage. Cracks and holes in your foundation can lead to pests and harmful contaminants like mold or radon finding their way into your living spaces. As warm air rises up and out of your home it gets replaced with air from its lower levels, so the contaminants found in your basement air will eventually get distributed throughout your home. 

Adding basement insulation along the walls can help keep the area protected from the elements. Some basements also struggle with high humidity and moisture levels and insulation alone won’t solve the issue. In these cases, we recommend basement encapsulation to help control moisture and prevent unwanted air leakage. By installing drainage and a vapor barrier in addition to spray foam insulation, your basement will be airtight, reinforced, and safe from moisture, radon, and other pollutants.    

Whole Home Road Map from Evergreen Home Performance

Sometimes remodeling your home is overwhelming and expensive—that’s why we offer planning services to help you with a Whole Home Road Map so you can phase in energy efficiency upgrades at your own pace and budget. Using a phased approach not only allows you to break down each upgrade into manageable sections, but it also helps you maximize your savings with incentives!

At Evergreen Home Performance, we stay up to date with what rebates, tax credits, and incentives are available in MidCoast Maine, and part of our Whole Home Road Map process includes planning and phasing in upgrades so you can get the most out of Inflation Reduction Act federal tax credits and Efficiency Maine rebates. 

Are you ready to get started with your sustainable remodel?

Schedule your energy audit today. Call 207-594-2244 or contact us online.

Want your dream green home?

Call Evergreen Home Performance! 207-594-2244

I used to spend winters in the bathtub because my house was so cold. This was my first winter roaming around my whole house comfortably. This even led me to decorate a little. My heating oil usage has been reduced by over a quarter: I rarely have to boost the thermostat because the temp stays at a constant. The Efficiency Maine rebates, together with the energy savings, make it affordable for me to pay for the loan I took out to finance the project. I do not worry about my pipes freezing.

Claire Helene Bevan

Camden

They were highly recommended. I found them to be very knowledgeable and so helpful, with practical ideas. Despite my not living within their service area, they were generous with their knowledge, describing the usual solutions to correct leaks in my basement, and what the result is likely to be by following path A, B or C, and why. I was discouraged. Talking with Evergreen helped me see that my basement problems are far from insurmountable and really, fairly common in 100-year old homes. There are proven solutions.

Rosalind J

Damariscotta

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

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 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

Evergreen Home Performance shows its expertise from start to finish. Evergreen did three house projects in winter/spring/summer 2020 for me, attic insulation, crawl space under a porch insulation, and basement foam/vapor barrier. From my initial discussion with Bryan, I understood the reasons for choosing different types of insulation, the associated costs, and time estimates. Evergreen scheduled in advance, came when they said they would, and the crews were highly professional in their work and demeanor.

Iris S.

Portland

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

A thorough inspection of our (older) house and its energy needs. Competent and personable work crew.

Jacob Watson

Professional, friendly and hard-working staff. The product/approach they use for insulation is top notch. We felt the difference immediately, both from added warmth and eliminating drafts. The team and management were easily available to answer our questions or coordinate meeting times. Highly recommended.

Kevin J.

Yarmouth

Very Satisfied with the work performed by Evergreen. Professional employees, high quality work done in a timely manner. My sales rep was Justin, and he was phenomenal During the initial walk around my house, he gave me great ideas for how to improve the efficiency of our home. We will consult with Evergreen for our future home projects.

Adam G.

Westbrook

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

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

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

The Evergreen team was amazing from initial assessment and planning to the crew that came to complete the work. Our basement encapsulation is the best money we've spent on our house by far. The work was thorough and high quality. And what a wonderful group of people to work with. I highly recommend Evergreen!

Martha Bracy

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

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