Is Your Home Ready to Ride Out a Prolonged Power Outage?

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Here in Maine, the power can go out for long stretches of time due to the weather (“ice crisis” of ‘98, anyone?) This is especially true with the number of extreme weather events on the rise. Even this last fall, hundreds of thousands were without power just because of a wind storm. Many Mainers waited for over a week for their power to be restored.

Now, you may be wondering—in addition to considering a generator and stocking up on food, drinking water, and flashlights – are there improvements you can make to your home to make the next power outage more comfortable for your family?

Our answer: Absolutely!

Inclement Weather Prep Starts with Shell Improvements

You never know when the next wind storm, rain storm, or snow storm will hit; but you can be ready. Preparing for foul weather and power outages includes improving your home’s “building shell,” or building envelope. That means making improvements to the exterior of your home for better protection against the outside elements.

With the right shell improvements, your house will:

  • Be less susceptible to heat loss from high winds

  • Retain conditioned air far longer

  • Feel more comfortable overall

  • Reduce the load on your generator to maintain indoor temperatures

Plus, when you complete basement work like basement encapsulation and sump pump installation, your home will be more resilient against flooding.

Prepare Your Home with These Shell Improvements

“How do I improve my home’s shell?” you ask. As home comfort and efficiency experts serving Mid Coast Maine, we recommend three particular energy saving upgrades:

Insulation

Insulation is key year round for keeping unwanted heat out during the summer and valuable heat in during the winter. When your home is properly insulated in important areas like the exterior walls, attic, and basement, you can expect it to remain more comfortable—especially in the event of a power outage.

Most houses here in Maine are under-insulated, so chances are your house could use an insulation upgrade. An energy audit conducted by one of our experts can reveal where insulation is needed and which types of insulation would be best.

Air Sealing

Another important step in the insulation process is air sealing. Air sealing with spray foam eliminates air leaks throughout your home’s shell. This keeps those air leaks from decreasing the effectiveness of your insulation and letting the outside elements in.

Basement Encapsulation

Basement encapsulation is a key home performance measure that many Mainers neglect, but it is especially important if you want to protect your home from water issues and flooding. Basement encapsulation involves ensuring proper drainage; installing a sump pump to handle bulk water; and installing a heavy duty vapor barrier along the floor and walls of the basement. These steps keep moisture out and keep the outside from infiltrating your home through the basement.

Find Out How Your Maine Home Stacks Up with an Energy Audit

It isn’t always easy to tell how well sealed and insulated your home is, and sometimes it can be too late. You probably don’t want to find out when your lights flicker off and your furnace shuts off with an abrupt clunk. That’s why we suggest starting your storm preparations with an energy audit. During the audit, our home experts will complete a thorough inspection and perform diagnostic testing to pinpoint potential areas of improvement before the inclement weather causes another power outage!

Is your home ready for the next power outage? It can be with help from Evergreen Home Performance. Call 207-594-2244 or contact us to consult our home performance specialists!

Make sure your home will be comfortable during the next outage.

Schedule an energy audit to get started 207-594-2244

Awesome company. It was a few years ago that they did the audit and then we commissioned them to do the work. We subsequently sold our house and moved to South Africa, but their level of service and expertise will live on.

Odette Brown

The Evergreen crew who installed insulation in my attic were fantastic! They were very professional, worked exceedingly hard, and they did an excellent job. They were very pleasant and friendly to be around. They cleaned up beautifully after each work day, and left my home in great shape on when they walked out the door for the last time. I can't believe they were able to accomplish all that they did with heat soaring into the 80s and 90s. It was pretty unbearable up there! They have my highest praise and my gratitude.

Cynthia F.

South 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

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 is the "go-to" company for improving the efficiency of your home. There are others to choose from but none so effective, honest, and capable as Evergreen. They did a great quantity of dense packing cellulose to improve our home (both for energy efficiency and for sound insulation) and it was totally successful. They are on-time, helpful, and caring. They clean up to a level that can't be over emphasized. This was the second time we employed them and we'd use them again if the opportunity came. You'll not be sorry to select Evergreen.

Dirk F.

Belfast

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

I never leave reviews, but had a great experience with Evergreen and wanted to spread the word! In short, we worked with them to insulate our roof this winter and have noticed surprising immediate results. The constant ice dams I have wrestled with are completely gone, and the home is noticeably more comfortable. It's a little too early to tell if our oil bill is going to reduce, but I imagine we will see an impact there as well.

Joel W.

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

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

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

We are so pleased with the work the team from Evergreen Home Performance did in our home. The project included encapsulation of our basement with a reinforced vapor barrier, installation of a sump pump, spray foam insulation on the walls and insulation of the heating duct work. Everyone at Evergreen was friendly and professional. The project was completed on time and in budget. Our home is much cozier and warmer since the project was completed.

Linda Metzger

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

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

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

Last week, my oil company asked if we were using some other kind of fuel because our usage was so much less than they had expected We are very happy with the results; the house is much more comfortable

Steve T.

St. George

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