How Sam and Linda Transformed Their Freeport Home with Evergreen Home Performance
In 2014, longtime South Freeport homeowners Sam and Linda welcomed guests into their 1850s-era house as part of the Sierra Club’s “Green Sneakers” event—a public demonstration focused on improving energy efficiency in older Maine homes. Among the presenters was Richard Burbank of Evergreen Home Performance, who led small groups through the home using infrared cameras and years of expertise to reveal areas where heat was escaping.
During the tour, Richard showed guests how insulation blown into the walls decades earlier had settled and left gaps. “You could shine the infrared cameras around on the walls and see inside where the insulation blown in 50 years ago had settled down and left the walls uninsulated,” Sam recalled.
Even without thermal imaging, one significant issue was visible to the naked eye: a 3-to-4-inch air gap surrounding the chimney chase, running from the basement straight up through the attic. This common feature in older homes was once intended to vent sparks safely—but in modern times, it acts as a channel drawing heated air right out of the house.
Impressed by what they saw and learned, Sam and Linda invited Evergreen back for a full energy audit. That audit revealed that their basement—a part of the home they’d never thought much about—was one of the biggest contributors to heat loss.
“We weren’t aware that 50% of the heat loss was occurring in the basement,” Linda said. “I never would have imagined that the basement would be that important to keeping energy in the house and not having it disappear.”
The audit also included a blower door test and thermal diagnostics, which confirmed air leaks throughout the home. But rather than feeling overwhelmed, the couple appreciated the clarity and support Evergreen provided.
“Richard was very easy for us to work with,” Linda explained. “What he was able to help me with was to deal with the numbers side of things—whether it was percentages of what we could save or the cost benefits of the project. He explained it to me in a way that was clear… It was so much better than if I had tried to just wade through all that information on my own.”
Working with Sam and Linda, Evergreen developed a comprehensive plan to target the home’s problem areas. The project focused on air sealing and insulating the attic, encapsulating the crawlspaces, insulating the foundation, and addressing the chimney chase. Evergreen also guided the couple through accessing Efficiency Maine rebates and securing a low-interest loan through Efficiency Maine’s financing program, making the project affordable.
In the basement and two dirt-floor crawlspaces, Evergreen installed a reinforced white vapor barrier over a drainage mat and spray-foamed the foundation walls to improve insulation and eliminate air leaks. The heating ducts were also wrapped in foil-faced insulation to stop heat from escaping before it could reach the upstairs living spaces. In the attic, Evergreen sealed leaks and installed cellulose insulation to R-60. The open chimney chase was safely sealed with fire-rated caulk and metal flashing.
“They wrapped the hot air ducts so that we weren’t losing heat to the basement anymore, which was great,” Linda noted. Sam added, “The crew was extremely hard-working. It’s not the easiest work to do and I never heard them complain or cut a corner. They just stuck with it until everything was done.”
The results were both immediate and measurable. “After a year, we had $800 left in our fuel account,” Linda said. “Within a year we had the numbers, and it had made a great difference that year.”
The improvements made a noticeable impact on comfort as well. “It was kind of a starting point,” Linda reflected. “For us, that was a great starting point.” Over time, they continued to upgrade other parts of the house, including replacing older windows. Still, the most dramatic shift in comfort came from the foundational work done with Evergreen.
Sam agreed, adding, “It still feels like a difference in the house, with the leaks and also with the windows that we’ve added… less rattling in the wind.”
Ten years later, they’re still grateful they moved forward with the project—and especially that they took advantage of the Efficiency Maine loan. “Now that it’s been 10 years and we’ve completed the finance part of it,” said Linda, “I feel like we’re kind of ready for another project.” She added, “I celebrated a bit when I finished dealing with a certain financial institution that helped make it possible.”
Their reflections, a decade after the work was done, are simple but powerful. “A comfortable home is a comfortable home,” Linda said. “I think it was a great starting point for us.”
