Heather’s Basement Project with Evergreen Home Performance
Heather has spent the last 20 years thoughtfully improving her 1890s home in Westbrook, Maine—from super-insulating the attic and air sealing, to replacing windows and installing whole-house heat pumps. But one area remained unresolved: her basement.
“When I first moved in,” Heather recalled, “I had this brilliant drain around my basement that worked perfectly. Anytime it rained, water came in and just stayed in those little channels and drained right out where it was supposed to.” But as time went by, the existing drainpipe cracked and water no longer drained as it should. When a garage renovation disrupted the clay soil that had long kept groundwater at bay, “all of a sudden I had water gushing into my basement,” she said.
Despite sealing efforts and multiple cleanup rounds, the water persisted. “There were just always areas I couldn’t fix. There would be smells. I had fear of mold issues.”
Looking for a long-term solution, Heather reached out to Evergreen Home Performance.
“I’ve known Richard at Evergreen for at least 15 years,” she said. “He’s someone I look to as an expert in how houses work together as a system. I definitely felt like I was in good hands having Evergreen do my basement project.”
Initially, Heather’s goal was to improve insulation to support her new heat pump system. “In talking with them about insulating, I learned they were offering a water remediation product too,” she said. “And that made a huge difference.”
A Holistic Basement Solution
Evergreen’s team proposed a comprehensive solution: removing the old concrete slab, installing a perimeter drainage system with sump pumps and discharge lines, laying a vapor barrier up the basement walls, and insulating both the rim joists and concrete foundation walls to improve comfort and efficiency.
“They helped me solve two problems at once,” Heather said. “Now I’m not going to have to deal with the moldy smells anymore, and I’m going to have a healthier, drier space where I feel comfortable storing things.”
A long-standing obstacle had been the unique wood drop ceiling in the basement. “Every time I explored insulating, contractors told me they’d love to help but I’d need to remove the ceiling first,” Heather said. “It was always a roadblock.”
But Evergreen had a different approach. “They looked at the wood ceiling and said, ‘We don’t have to cut it.’ They were able to dense-pack the ceiling and then insulate down the walls from there. It was a really nice solution for this old house.”
The process was smooth from start to finish. “My vision of how a project should run includes great communication,” Heather said. “It’s really nice to know that your team is checking in with you, making sure you understand what’s going to happen, and asking if you have any questions or concerns. That’s exactly what I experienced—it made me feel comfortable and like I was in good hands.”
A Healthier, More Resilient Home
Heather was especially pleased that Evergreen stubbed in a radon mitigation pipe as part of the project. “Radon has always been a concern of mine,” she explained. “It always tests just under the threshold, but as the house gets tighter, the risk goes up. Now if I need to mitigate later, I can do it easily without tearing up the basement again.”
Another unexpected win? The sustainable materials used. “I went down to the basement to check the work and noticed the gravel looked like a composite. The crew told me it was 100% recycled glass. I was so excited—it’s an innovative material and a great fit for what I value.”
When it came to affordability, Evergreen helped Heather access Efficiency Maine rebates and secure low-interest financing through Efficiency Maine’s Home Energy Loan. “It made the whole project possible,” she said. “And I didn’t have to figure it all out alone. That was huge.”
And months after the work was complete, Evergreen checked in following a series of heavy spring storms. Heather’s response? “It’s dry, dry, dry!”
Reflecting on the Impact
“It’s easy to ignore the basement because it’s not a space we spend a lot of time in,” Heather said, “but it’s such an important part of the house. As we remove combustion appliances and tighten our homes, what happens in the basement really matters.”
“I’m really happy to finally have the basement insulated,” she added. “I’m excited to know it’s not going to be contributing to poor air quality in the house. And I’m just so glad this project finally happened.”
