Cutting Costs and Improving Health

Case Study | Belfast Maine | Evergreen Home Performance The House
This Greek Revival home in Belfast, Maine was built in 1842. Even with the thermostat set at a moderate level, it took 1500 gallons of oil, 150 gallons of propane, and “a whole lot of money” to heat the place. There were shallow puddles in the basement whenever it rained hard, which of course encouraged black mold.

The Homeowner
Mike and Lee suspected that to bring their home’s performance up to manageable proportions would stir “a nest of hornets,” but they couldn’t ignore the rising cost of oil and off-putting basement conditions. When they took into account their wet, moldy basement, unhealthy indoor air, and Lee’s respiratory problems, they knew they needed to do something.

The Audit
Evergreen’s Energy Advisor used a blower door test to evaluate air leakage and an infrared survey to identify areas of heat loss where insulation was missing. Computer energy modeling helped to quantify the savings from improvements in the attic, basement, and sidewalls. However, the home’s ultimate longevity depended on dealing with the moisture issues.

Belfast Maine Case Study | Evergreen Home Performance | Midcoast MaineThe Project
In the basement, Evergreen Home Performance installed a vapor barrier to keep moisture outside the building envelope.  Affixed to the foundation walls with spray foam insulation, slipped under appliances and support posts, and topped with a new concrete slab, the barrier creates a  capillary break.  The basement has been transformed from a damp, uninviting place to a clean, dry space.

In the sidewalls and attic, dense-packed cellulose reduced air leakage and heat loss and improved the home’s thermal envelope.  Double-plastered walls and the discovery of knob-and-tube wiring complicated this stage of the project, but Mike and Lee were pleased that the crew “kept working around it, and through it, and finished the job.”

Evergreen’s persistence was just one part of the “calm, professional tone” that impressed the Silvertons. “Everyone was so respectful of our home and our neighborhood,” Lee said. “There were six or seven people working here most days, and they let us know what they were doing and where they were working. It was a professional operation.”

The Results
Reducing air leakage was a major goal, and the results are impressive. Thanks to strategic air sealing and insulation, the house is 45% less leaky. Keeping warm air in the house will reduce heating costs by a projected 40%, saving almost 550 gallons of oil annually. Best of all, Mike and Lee can relax and enjoy their home. “I tend to worry about everything,” said Lee, “but I have less to worry about now.”

They’d love to see other historic homes get the kind of upgrades they’re enjoying.  “These old places are long on charm,” said Mike, “but they have to be brought up to speed or they’ll become uninhabitable.”

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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

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

We just finished a large project of air sealing and reinsulating our 1890s basement and attic which 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.

Emily Gallant

Nothing but good things to say. The guys that came and did the actual work were extremely nice and did a great job. The energy audit was thorough and I was presented with multiple improvement options, I was even given ideas for improvement that Evergreen didn't offer. I never felt like I was being "sold".

Ryan Adams

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

Very easy process, start to finish.  Friendly, professional, and really know their stuff.  They made some improvements to our condo and we were very happy with how it played out.  Would definitely recommend them.

Clayton Eames

Evergreen came back this year to finish insulating our house. We have been remodeling and renovating an 1850s cape for several years. Their employees are very professional and pleasant to deal with. Over several years Brian Robinson has been able to schedule us in for several small areas that needed addressing and finally turning a room we used to close off in the winter into a comfortable usable space. We primarily heat with wood and since Evergreens great work our furnace has only come on ONCE this winter. Fantastic. Really satisfied customer in Thomaston.

Chris F.

Thomaston

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

Working with Evergreen was a dream! Professional, knowledgeable, and super clean work. Communication was fast and service impeccable. The bedroom floors in our 1960's split ranch will be warm with the new insulation between them and the garage. Bring on the snow! (not really, but sort of)

Jess Dee Proctor

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

Great team!

George S.

Bath

We had Evergreen Home Performance of Rockland come in to make our home more energy efficient, and what a TOP notch crew. Brian and his crew did an amazing job from start to finish. Very knowledgeable and professional. We would Definitely highly recommend this crew to anyone who is looking for energy efficiency in their home with a company that truly is an expert and knows how to do a quality job and truly cares about their customer.

Melissa S.

Owls Head

I highly recommend Evergreen! 1st, I had a home efficiency inspection (that was free) & Bryan P. was great! He took the time needed, asked & listened to what I thought were priorities, explained clearly what he thought were priorities & why, then gave me numerous options. No pressure whatsoever. Then I had my attic sealed & insulated as the 1st step & Bryan came along on day 1 to introduce everyone & make sure we were all on the same page. Bruce's team (inc. Kelsey & Roland) did the work - they were exceptional!!

Melissa M.

Kennebunk

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 is a highly professional company from start to finish. They went over all of our options, costs and rebates thoroughly before even beginning the job. Once the job began, they worked in a timely, neat, thorough, friendly and thoroughly professional manner. We waited 14 years to have the insulation redone in our attic and within days of it being completed we seen a drastic difference in the warmth of our home. We have a wood stove on our main floor and although it has warmed the main rooms of our home, the bedrooms were always still chilly.

Andréa C. de Almeida

Portland Buy Local
Efficiency Maine
EPA Lead-Safe Certified
Building Performance Association
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