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

From beginning to end – that is from the moment Justin McEdward stepped into our home to assess our energy conservation needs until the crew left – the Evergreen Home Performance process went absolutely smoothly. Justin made a thorough inspection and took pictures with an infrared camera. His proposal described the scope of work in detail, and he explained what we could expect the proposed work to accomplish. Our proposal was forthcoming within a couple of days, and Justin was available to discuss it and answer questions.

Adrienne Harkavy

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 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

Evergreen did everything they said they would and more. I actually don't mind going into the basement now since they sealed it. The air quality in the house is noticeably better and it's warmer in the winter. We can even store clothing down there where before, whatever was in there would mildew. Even the spider population declined! I used to vacuum so many of them from the corners of the ceilings in the house. Not any more!

Loriel Van Dusen

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

Jennifer A

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 did a fantastic job insulating our 1930's home. The onsite team was professional, clean, and really just a joy to interact with throughout the process. A blower test at the end showed a significant decrease in air leakage. I highly recommend Evergreen.

Kristen H.

South Portland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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