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Whether it was your family, your new neighbors, your realtor, or someone you barely know who saw your Facebook post about “moving to Maine”, someone probably warned you about your first winter in the Pine Tree State. The classic phrases usually go something like “Well, I hope you like snow!” or, “The Pine Tree State? More like the snow plow state!” or, “I hope your new home has off-street parking and a warm fireplace…”
The Maine lifestyle takes some work, but the rewards make it all worth it. Here are some of the things you will need to know about keeping your home comfortable and efficient through our bitter cold, snowy, and icy winters, complete with a new Homeowner Checklist you can use to keep track of your new-home weatherization tasks.
Prepare Yourself for the Snow
…and lots of it. Snow can fall in heaps here in Maine (especially during a Nor’easter), and those heaps will stick around for a while with cold temps and short daylight hours.
Snow is also going to pile up on your roof, which can eventually lead to a homeowner’s insurance claim nightmare: ice dams.
Ice dams form when poor attic insulation and high amounts of air leakage allow the heat from your furnace or boiler to escape into the attic, warming up the underside of your roof. This melts some of the snow accumulation which will then drain down your roof, where it can re-freeze and create a barrier, or a “dam,” that will prevent future moisture from properly draining. This moisture buildup can cause damage to your roof, and can even seep down into your attic where it can wreak havoc in rooms below.
Your attic is one of the most important parts of the house to insulate, and adding air sealing for your home can help prevent the nightmare of ice dams while also keeping your house warm in the winter and stabilizing indoor temperatures. Not sure what type of home insulation is best for your house? We can help there, too!
Prepare Yourself for Ice and Power Outages
It won’t take long after moving to Maine to hear someone reference the great Ice Storm of 1998. Ice storms of this magnitude do not happen often, but storms are increasing in frequency and even smaller ice storms can cause power outages that last for days. It may be worth considering a backup-power system, like a generator or a solar battery storage system designed for off-grid operation.
If the power does go out, you will not have access to your home heating system. Upgrading how your home performs can help reduce the sting of a winter power outage or make a generator-powered back-up heating/cooling unit far more effective by helping the home retain its ambient temperature while you wait for the power to return.
How You Can Prepare Your Home
Here are some other ways in which you can prepare your home for winter comfort and energy savings:
Basement Upgrades
Similar to how the attic can have an effect on how your home handles the challenges of winter, your basement can have an effect on your overall comfort throughout the colder months. Air cracks in the foundation or deficiencies in insulation allow the cold outside air to infiltrate your home, displacing the conditioned air from your furnace and creating cold main floors and reducing the effectiveness of your home heating system.
Depending on the type of foundation and design of your basement or crawl space, the Evergreen Home Performance team can customize a plan to upgrade the insulation in your basement, or encapsulate it entirely. This will prevent moisture and cold air from causing problems like indoor drafts, mold growth, musty smells, and high heating costs.
Upgrade Your Windows & Doors
The historic homes of Maine often come with historic windows and doors. However, even when old, historic windows made with the best of materials are properly maintained, they won’t be as efficient as new replacement windows that are properly installed. Give your home a curb appeal “facelift”, and increase your efficiency and comfort in the process with Maine’s first Marvin Windows Authorized replacement contractor, Evergreen Home Performance.
Homeowner Maintenance Checklist
For other upgrades you might not be able to accomplish in the thick of winter, we have created a Home Maintenance Checklist so you can prepare your home for whatever the weather might throw at you and your family throughout the year.
(View as a downloadable PDF version)
Need Help for your New Home? Evergreen Your Home!
Evergreen Home Performance is standing by. We’re ready to get started on developing a customized plan to “Evergreen your home”. We know that no two homes will ever be exactly alike, so we often start with a thorough visual inspection or an energy audit to get a sense for the challenges your home is presenting to your overall comfort. We’ll also explain to you how Maine Efficiency Maine rebate and financing programs help make your project even more affordable. Then, we will work with you to implement the most beneficial solutions. Our team is at the ready, so what are you waiting for?
