More Adventures in Insulation

In March, Efficiency Maine came by and gave our house "a hat & socks treatment," as they say. The process of insulating the house was seamless, the crew was wonderful, and we made some great connections out of it- even if by accident.

When the lead contractor of our project came by the house to go over the work plan and be sure that everything in the workplace was safe and up to code, it was discovered that 90% of the work that was supposed to be completed as a condition of our offer on the house was not actually completed. The asbestos around our chimney had not fully been sealed, and we had some serious wiring issues. Despite the agreement to remove all knob and tube wiring from the house, we still had live knob and tube exposed in the attic, and our exposed junction box had not been covered. Luckily, the electrician for our project was already intending to arrive on Monday to begin installing the bathroom fan and would be able to give us some answers on the severity of the problems.

As he began pulling down light fixtures and removing face plates it became quite clear that the electricity situation in our house was not only ancient, but not up to code. This is why rewiring the house became our new priority. We worked with Robert to come up with a plan that we could chip away at over time, with every project conveniently priced out.

Rather than being an inconvenience, every project thus far has resulted in great benefits. When we had the bathroom fan installed, it was discovered that the lighting in the room was unsafe. However, this meant that instead of having a barely functioning pull cord, we have a fancy double light switch! When we had Robert come to look at the hallway light, he fixed the broken overhead lamp in our dining room that hadn't been properly connected. We still have a few projects to get up to code, but there is no question we will be calling Robert to have them done!

Now that it is December, we have been feeling the benefits of our fancy new insulation. Our house stays warmer longer, we have been saving money on oil, and despite the fact that our ancient windows are still rather drafty, I can sit in my living room without a coat on!