Old Homes, New Comfort: How to Retrofit Rochester Houses for Year-Round Efficiency
Rochester is a city built on history. With tree-lined streets, century-old architecture, and neighborhoods like Browncroft, East Avenue, and Corn Hill filled with character-rich homes, it’s no wonder so many homeowners love where they live. But many Rochester houses built before 1950 face a common issue: they weren’t designed for today’s comfort, energy efficiency standards, or the demands of modern living.
If your home is drafty, hard to heat in winter, or struggles to stay cool in summer, you're not alone. A smart comfort and energy retrofit with Halco Home Solutions can transform your older Rochester home into a comfortable, energy-efficient space, without sacrificing its charm.
The Challenge of Rochester's Aging Housing Stock
More than half of the homes in Rochester are over 75 years old, with many now reaching or exceeding the 100-year mark. These historic homes often come with beautiful architecture but big energy problems:
- Little or damaged insulation in walls, attics, or crawl spaces
- Air leaks around windows, doors, foundations, and attic hatches
- Outdated heating and cooling systems
- Leaky ductwork or vents
- Moisture concerns from poor ventilation or uncontrolled airflow
- Electrical and mechanical limitations that complicate upgrades
Without modern building materials or construction practices, these homes lose heat quickly in the winter and gain it in the summer, straining comfort systems and driving up energy bills.
Improving the Building Envelope: Insulation & Air Sealing
At Halco Home Solutions, we believe the foundation of any energy retrofit is a properly sealed and insulated building envelope, which blocks heat in the summer and keeps it inside in the winter. Before you invest in new mechanical equipment like a heat pump or solar, make sure your home is holding onto the energy it already has.
Key areas to focus on during an energy retrofit include attics, exterior walls, basements, and rim joists, which are often overlooked but essential for comfort. Don’t forget windows and doors, where air sealing and weatherstripping can significantly reduce drafts. With proper insulation and air sealing in these areas, your home becomes a stable, comfortable, efficient environment that’s ready for the next phase of energy upgrades.
Prepare for Heat Pumps, Solar & Geothermal
Once your envelope is optimized, your home is ready for modern energy systems like:
- Cold-climate air source heat pumps
- Geothermal systems
- Solar panels
- Heat pump and hybrid water heaters
All of these technologies depend on a well-insulated, airtight home to perform efficiently. Skipping insulation and jumping straight to equipment leads to underperformance, higher costs, and customer frustration.
At Halco Home Solutions, we never recommend a system without addressing the building envelope first. It’s the only way to maximize efficiency and long-term savings.
Why Halco? Because "Yes, We Do That!"
Unlike many contractors who specialize in just one trade, Halco provides fully integrated home energy services. That means we don’t just install a heat pump or blow in insulation and call it a day—we look at the whole picture.
We often hear: "Another company quoted me less."
And sure, you can probably find a cheaper quote for a single service. But here’s the catch:
- Installing a heat pump in an uninsulated home? It won’t keep up in February.
- Adding attic insulation without sealing leaks? You’ll risk trapping moisture and risk mold.
- Going solar before reducing energy use? You’ll overpay for solar panels you don’t need.
That’s why Halco’s comprehensive, whole-home approach delivers better results. We don’t just retrofit homes, we make them smarter, healthier, more efficient, and ready for the future.
Trust Rochester’s Local Energy Experts
Halco Home Solutions has served the Greater Rochester area for decades. We know the climate. We understand the quirks of a 100-year-old home. And we specialize in making them better, without sacrificing what makes them special.
