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Orono Insulation, Energy Audits and Mold Removal

Professional insulation, mold remediation, and waterproofing for homes in Orono

Insulation, Mold & Water Problems in Orono Homes

Orono is a university town with an older core. The University of Maine has been here since 1865, and Census estimates show fewer than half of Orono homes are owner-occupied, with many apartments and converted houses near campus. About 19% of homes predate 1940. Whether you live in one or rent it out, the common problems are the same: drafty older buildings, damp basements and mold in rooms that stay closed up.

Lumber-town homes and student rentals

Orono was incorporated in 1806 and was a lumber town before the university shaped it. The Orono Main Street Historic District keeps many 19th-century buildings, and the older part of campus is its own historic district, while apartment buildings of 10 to 19 units make up about 12% of the housing stock, per Census estimates. Older houses split into apartments tend to have hidden attic bypasses and uninsulated walls. An energy audit maps the leaks before any insulation goes in.

Where the Stillwater meets the Penobscot

The Stillwater, an 11.5-mile side channel of the Penobscot, divides the town and joins the Penobscot near downtown, where the Orono Dam impounds it. Part of Moose Island on Pushaw Lake also lies inside town lines. Homes on low ground near these waters see the water table rise each spring. A block or stone foundation that seeps then needs basement waterproofing, usually an interior drain to a sump pump.

A mixed heating picture

Orono's heating mix differs from the surrounding towns. Fuel oil or kerosene heats about 35% of occupied homes and electricity about 26%, per Census estimates, with utility gas near 20% and wood about 7%. In electrically heated units, heat lost through the attic shows up directly on the electric bill. NOAA's normals for the Bangor area list about 7,600 heating degree days a year, which is a long season for a poorly insulated rental. For landlords, sealing and insulating once lowers costs for every tenant who follows. Air sealing and insulation may qualify for Efficiency Maine rebates, whichever fuel the house burns.

Closed-up rooms and summer mold

Rental rooms often sit shut from May to August, when the air is most humid, and the basements of older houses collect that moisture. The result is musty closets, mold on basement framing and damp insulation. Mold remediation with containment and HEPA filtration removes it, and a dry, properly finished basement keeps it from coming back. Running a dehumidifier in the basement through the summer months helps between tenants.

Water service and neighbours

The Orono-Veazie Water District supplies public water in town. Check building permit requirements with the Town of Orono before starting insulation or basement work. Old Town, Bangor and Brewer are close by.