Three Portland homeowners describe their home performance experiences.
In the past couple of weeks, three Hammer & Hand clients have written online reviews of our Clean Energy Works Oregon retrofit work. I thought I’d take a moment to share their comments here.
Julia, owner of a 1946 home in the Mt. Tabor area of Southeast Portland said: “My house has gone from damp and cold to delightfully warm and toasty.”
Hammer and Hand were my contractor for the Clean Energy Works Oregon retrofit project. They were receptive to our needs and gave me answers to all of my questions. I didn’t feel like I was being oversold at any time. My house has gone from damp and cold to delightfully warm and toasty. I love my new furnace, tankless water heater, bathroom exhaust fan, external wall insulation, and crawlspace encapsulation. The H and H team managed the project and the subs really well. I am so happy with the results and would recommend them to anyone looking for a contractor that will provide you with quality work and dedication to sustainable practices and materials. – Julia
Patty, owner of 1930s home in Portland’s Colonial Heights said: “Now, I can take my hat and coat off when I’m home.”
My family lives in the family home that was built in the early 1930’s. There have not been many upgrades to this house. The house was so cold in the winter, I would wear my coat and hat in the house all day and night and I could feel the wind coming through. In the summer, if the weather got to 90 degrees , it would get so hot, my room air conditioners would be on the rest of the day and night and never really cool down. I applied to Clean Energy Works of Oregon who connected me with Hammer and Hand. Both CEWO and H & H came in to do a Home Performance review and determined my home would greatly benefit with attic and wall insulation, a new furnace, and a tankless water heater. Kevin Berg of H & H gave me an overview of the process and advised me step by step what to expect at each phase of the project. A schedule was given to me before the work started so I would know what to expect and the work was done as scheduled. When the work started, Tom Elsass of H & H was the point person who oversaw the project and interfaced with the different workers coming in and out of the house. Communication was great between workers, myself, and Tom. All the workers were very attentive listening to my concerns and responding in a timely and professional manner. Everybody was respectful of the house and each other. They put on shoe covers each time they entered the house and prepped the rooms so that the dust and dirt didn’t go everywhere. When the work was finished, everything was clean. Through this process I learned that Hammer & Hand and CEWO are highly knowledgeable and up to date with trends in sustainability. I respect their honesty and using the best quality materials. Immediately after the work was done, the first thing I noticed was that my home was quieter. Now, I can take my hat and coat off when I’m home. I can’t wait to see what summer brings to the house and I hope I will see a big savings in my utility bills. I highly recommend Hammer and Hand! – Patty
Margaret, owner of a 1924 home in St. Johns said: “With my environmental allergies, it was very important to me to work with a green contractor to keep my house super-healthy, and H&H were always sensitive to my needs.”
When I contacted Hammer and Hand regarding my remodeling project, they encouraged me to apply to Clean Energy Works Oregon for a subsidy and low-interest loan for an energy-saving upgrade. What a great idea that was! My little 1924 bungalow was fairly comfortable in summer, because it has lots of cross-ventilation, but by winter, I was very uncomfortable because there was only one heating duct in the whole house, so my office, bedroom and kitchen/dining rooms stayed cold all the time. H&H built new ducts in the outlying rooms, scaled down a huge, space-wasting grate in the living room, and added state-of-the-art insulation. The new ducts alone made my house a million times more comfortable, and I was able to stop using the expensive electric space heater in my office. With the new insulation in, the temperature of the house stays more even, so I’m comfortable at a lower temperature, and I’m expecting to see a big reduction in my monthly gas bill, too. I really enjoyed working with all the H&H personnel, who are easy to talk to and always ready to explain things. With my environmental allergies, it was very important to me to work with a green contractor to keep my house super-healthy, and H&H were always sensitive to my needs. – Margaret
On behalf of H&H, thank you for the kind words. It’s a privilege to be doing this work!
– Zack
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