Prioritizing Efficiency in a New Old Home

Case Study | Rockland Maine | Evergreen Home Performance The House
This 3000 sq. ft. home in Rockland was built in 1895 and historically used 1000 gallons of oil, six cords of wood and 4,800 kWh of electricity annually.

The Homeowners
When Jay and Rebecca bought their first house, they knew it was a fixer-upper but “energy efficiency wasn’t anywhere near the top of a long list of projects.”  A statewide incentive program that helped homeowners finance weatherization projects in 2010 and 2011 convinced them to call Evergreen Home Performance.

The Audit
Energy Advisor Brian Robinson used a blower door test to evaluate air leakage and infrared analysis to identify areas of heat loss.  After finding that air moved through Rebecca and Jay’s home at double the recommended standard, Brian proposed an energy efficiency project that would reduce air loss, improve ventilation, increase comfort – and save energy.  “Having Brian lay out the energy savings over the long run made it clear that we had to start here,” said Rebecca.

The Project
Strategic air sealing in the attic – especially around the chimney – eliminated escape routes for warm air, and insulating the foundation with spray-foam insulation to one-foot below grade prevented cold air from seeping in.  Rebecca and Jay also replaced their ancient boiler – then tied in a new hot water heater when the old electric one burst a few weeks later – and installed low-flow showerheads and ventilation fans in both bathrooms to eliminate a major moisture problem.  The project required an investment of almost $10,000, some of which they had accounted for when they purchased their home, and the rest financed through state and federal rebates.

The Results
Jay and Rebecca cut their home’s energy consumption in half, and they didn’t have to wear three sweaters to do it. 

“It’s easy to spend a fortune getting the house painted – which we did – because people drive by and say, ‘Oh, the house looks so nice,’” Jay says.  “It’s harder to explain why we’re spending the money to insulate the basement, which no one ever sees.  But, having gone through a winter, it was unquestionably worth it.”

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Evergreen was so helpful in securing us Efficiency Maine funding for a big attic insulation project early this winter. They did all of the paperwork, and totally guided us through a vermiculite removal process that included a payment from a trust for the procedure. I could instantly feel the second floor being so much warmer than before. The boiler does not kick on nearly as frequently since they completed the job. It was worth every penny! Brian Robinson was so thorough throughout the whole process including a full walk through after the job had been completed.

Todd W.

Camden

From start to finish, our experience was incredible. Justin was extremely helpful. The crew was fast, friendly, and efficient. And most importantly, our home is WAY warmer and our heating is less costly. I'd highly recommend evergreen to anyone looking to upgrade their home!

John S.

South Portland

Great team!

George S.

Bath

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

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 job installing windows and insulation.

Bob S.

Rockland

Evergreen did an amazing job insulating our historic home. Their professional staff worked hard to ensure the tough areas in the attic were covered, and clearly communicated their progress. We are seeing the results with our discounted heating bills. Thank you, Evergreen!

Melissa Knoll

Portland

Evergreen has insulated two homes that we've owned now and both times we experienced exceptional service and craftsmanship. Our rep, Justin, went above and beyond answering questions and the installation team was attentive to every detail, including pulling out old poorly installed insulation and redoing a bathroom fan that wasn't up to current code. They also left the place spotless every day! Our home is already so much warmer this fall and we are looking forward to using less oil this winter.

Eva G.

Falmouth

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

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

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

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

The Evergreen crew from initial inception to installation were professional, on time, and left our place spotless. The end result was exceptional.

John Brown

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

The Evergreen Team did a fabulous job and was very tuned and responsive to the particular needs we had. The job was done right on budget and we are thrilled with the improved warmth and energy efficiency.

Ira M.

Rockland

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