Dover-Foxcroft Insulation, Waterproofing and Mold Removal

Old village houses on both banks

More than a third of Dover-Foxcroft's homes were built before 1940, according to Census estimates. Houses of that era often stand on fieldstone or rubble foundations, with walls that have little or no insulation and attics that leak air into every room below. The best order of work in these houses is usually air sealing first, then dense-pack or blown-in insulation. About one home in five in town is a manufactured home, which calls for different fixes: skirting, belly wrap and the ducts beneath the floor.

When the Piscataquis runs high

The river drains about 298 square miles above the U.S. gauge near town, and its recorded flow has ranged from 5 to 37,300 cubic feet per second. That swing shows how hard spring melt and heavy rain can push the water table. Stone cellars near the river commonly seep at the base of the wall. Interior drainage with a sump carries that water out, and on the outside, French drains and downspout lines keep roof water away from the foundation. The town's Code Enforcement Office keeps floodplain maps, so check your lot before planning any basement work.

A cold inland climate

NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the Dover-Foxcroft station show roughly 8,500 heating degree days and 77 inches of snow a year. About 70 percent of homes heat with fuel oil and about 13 percent with wood. With that much snow sitting on roofs, heat leaking through a poorly insulated attic melts the underside of the pack, and the water refreezes at the eaves as ice dams. Insulation and air sealing in these homes may qualify for Efficiency Maine rebates.

Musty cellars and seasonal places

A fieldstone cellar never fully dries out, and the damp rises into the first floor through gaps around pipes and framing. Where a white or grey growth shows on sill beams and floor joists, professional mold removal should come before new insulation goes in. Census estimates also count more than 500 seasonal homes in Dover-Foxcroft. A house left unheated for part of the year needs its ventilation and vapor control planned with that in mind.

Permits and utilities

The Code Enforcement Office enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code and issues building and land use permits. The town's Wastewater Department runs sewer service in the village; rural properties usually have wells and septic. Neighbouring towns include Sangerville, Garland and Sebec, and Dexter is about 15 miles southwest.

Areas We Serve in Dover-Foxcroft