Insulate Your Home and Save Money

Building Science, Energy Efficiency, Insulation, Save Money

The fall has officially arrived in New England and winter is approaching quickly! With temperatures already slipping below freezing in some areas, the thought of high heating costs is on our minds. Insulate your home and save money. By adding or upgrading your insulation, you can save money on heating costs, thus making your home more energy efficient. By using Efficiency Maine, you can save up to $3,000 by upgrading the insulation in your home!

The Green Cocoon is located just over the border in Massachusetts, but we also service our sister states like Maine. Maine is known for its diverse landscapes, lighthouses, and its delicious bounty from the sea. However, it is also known for its harsh winters. And, that has many homeowners bracing themselves for indoor drafts, cold floors, and hard-to-heat rooms. What if you didn’t have to put up with these home comfort pains this winter?

Why Upgrade My Home’s Insulation?

Many Maine homeowners don’t realize just how effective insulation can be at making their homes more comfortable and efficient. Insulation in key areas like the attic, basement, and exterior walls slows heat transfer into and out of the home. This means that in the winter, that valuable heat you’ve paid for stays inside your home, right where you want it. Cellulose and spray foam insulation are especially effective insulation materials (which is why we install them in homes here in Maine!)

With the right insulation upgrades, you can expect benefits like:

Fewer drafts and cold spots
Warmer floors
Lower annual heating/cooling costs
Enhanced overall comfort
Greater home energy efficiency
Reduced outside noise

When insulation is paired with proper air sealing to eliminate air leaks, the benefits go even further!

Insulate & Save up to $3,800 with Efficiency Maine Rebates

While an insulation upgrade does have an upfront investment, there are valuable local incentives available through Efficiency Maine to offset that cost. As a matter of fact, upgraded insulation helps you save money on your heating bills over time, and insulation has a remarkably short payback period.

Currently, you can receive up to $3,000 on an insulation rebate, $400 on an energy assessment and another $400 when you air seal troubled spots. The Department of Energy graphic below has a useful cross-section diagram illustrating the most common air leakage spots.

Take Advantage of Efficiency Maine Rebates with The Green Cocoon

As a Residential Registered Vendor with Efficiency Maine, we’re here to help homeowners on the southern coast of Maine save on their next insulation project. In addition to assessing the unique insulation needs of your home, we will help you determine the rebates for which you qualify.

The Green Cocoon would love to help you. We are just a phone call away at (978) 462-0082.

Don’t Make These Basement Insulation Mistakes

Building Science, Insulation, Save Money

Incorrectly installed basement insulation is a common error. We see this problem not only with do-it-yourself installation, but also with contractor installation. The results can be disastrous as severe mold and mildew may become a problem, not to mention the loss of money on your heating bill. This is why we beg you, “don’t make these basement insulation mistakes.”

Use Treated Lumber

Since most basements are inherently moist, you need to keep all untreated wood away from the concrete surfaces. Moisture below the slab can wick up into the concrete and get to the base plates of the wall. Therefore, you need to make certain the bottom plate of the wall is treated lumber.

Avoid Using Fiberglass Insulation in Basements

As seen in the photo above, putting polyethylene over fiberglass insulation is a no-no as it doesn’t allow the insulation to breathe. Consequently, this homeowner had moisture build-up and ultimately mold growth!

For years contractors have been treating basements much like regular living space. It’s not uncommon to see fiberglass insulation in direct contact with basement foundation walls. Here in the northeast, we see several common mistakes, including:

Plastic vapor barrier against concrete wall, fiberglass insulation inside stud wall, then drywall
Fiberglass insulation inside a “bag” hanging from the rim joist down along the foundation wall
Stud wall filled with fiberglass insulation an inch or two away from the concrete wall^[1]

Those mistakes can increase the chances for mold to grow.

What Causes Mold to Grow in Basements?

Mold can grow on virtually any organic material as long as it has the right moisture level and oxygen. Because mold eats or digests what it is growing on, it can damage a building and its furnishings. If left unchecked, mold eventually can cause structural damage to building materials and can cause health problems. That’s why we don’t want mold in our basements! Specifically, we can prevent damage to buildings and building contents in the basement areas, save money, and avoid these potential health problems by controlling moisture.

According to the EPA, indoor relative humidity in homes should be kept below 60 percent — ideally between 30 and 50 percent. ^[2] In addition to preventing mold formation, maintaining the correct humidity levels may also have a bonus effect. It may discourage pests such as cockroaches, silverfish (bristletails), and dust mites from showing up where you don’t want them!

To measure the humidity of your home or basement, you need to buy a humidity meter and track the relative humidity level. That is the first part of understanding the mold problem in your home or basement.

Education Needed

If contractors are still using fiberglass insulation in basements, it means that we in the industry need to do a better job educating our builders. In order to understand the issues with basement insulation, you first must understand the role of vapor barriers in basements.

Use the Right Insulation

Over the years, we’ve come to rely on two main approaches for basement insulation projects and remodeling, including closed cell spray foam and rigid foam board. When installed in the correct thickness, these two methods result in a proper vapor barrier and superior insulation.

Get Educated – Be the Pro!

Today, the building industry and building science are changing rapidly. In order to stand out in the competition and provide a professional service to your clients, you need to stay educated on the latest methods. You can be sure that the team at The Green Cocoon is up-to-date on the latest insulation practices in order to bring our clients the best product possible.

If you have questions or need a quote on your next insulation project, contact us and we’d be happy to help.

^[1] Be the Pro. Avoiding Basement Insulation Mistakes. Retrieved from bethepro.com.

^[2] United States Environmental Protection Agency. Mold Course Chapter 2. Retrieved from epa.gov.

Did You Know? Insulation R-Value Changes

Building Science, R-Value

In the world of building construction, improvement, and insulation, we talk about R-value all the time. Usually, we talk about it as if it’s a constant number. We see R-19 stamped right there on the product, so that’s what it is, right? Well, did you know that the insulation R-value changes?

What Is R-Value?

R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of material. Furthermore, it is important, but it’s just one of a few key factors that determines the effectiveness of an insulation material. R-value is tested in an air-tight vacuum chamber, which means that typical insulation materials like fiberglass and cellulose do not actually perform with that value unless paired with intense air sealing measures.

^[1]

How Is R-value measured?

Because of scams involving R-value claims that didn’t match reality, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) devised the R-value Rule to protect buyers of insulating products. In fact, in 2013 the FTC handed down its largest fine ever ($350,000) to a company claiming that its paint had an R-value of 100.^[2]

So, the R-value Rule requires testing insulation using one of four American Society of Test Methods (ASTM) standards. The basic requirement is that the mean temperature must be 75° F (24° C) with a temperature difference of 50° F (28° C) across the insulation.^[3]

According to Building Science Corporation, most R-value testing is done with a temperature of 50° F (10° C) on the cold side and 100° F (38° C) on the hot side.^[4]

The Lowdown on R-value

The main point here is that R-value isn’t some constant number for a given material, and installation isn’t the only factor that affects it. As you can see above, temperature has a significant effect as well.

The team at The Green Cocoon knows that the performance of the insulation is affected by how well it is installed. Energystar.gov has developed guidelines for grading the quality of installation. Moreover, they’ve developed a table that shows what levels of insulation are cost-effective for different climates and locations in the home.^[5]

Compression

Improperly installed insulation loses its R-value. For example, fiberglass can lose up to 50 percent of its prescribed R-value when compressed. Additionally, when you compress fiberglass batt insulation, the R-value per inch goes up, but the overall R-value goes down because you have less inches or thickness of insulation.^[6]

Fear not, closed cell spray foam is the only insulation material that has an almost constant R-value. The reason is because you cannot pass air through it or compress it.

[1] Building Performance Institute (April 4, 2017). What Does R-Value Mean? Retrieved from bpihomeowner.org.

[2] FTC.gov (January 31, 2013). FTC Action Leads to Court Order: Home Insulation Marketer to Pay $350,000. Retrieved from ftc.gov.

[3] Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (March 31, 2020). R-value Rule. Retrieved from ecfr.gov.

[4] Building Science Corporation (April 12, 2013). Info-502: Temperature Dependence of R-values in Polyisocyanurate Roof Insulation. Retrieved from buildingscience.com.

[5] Energy.gov. Recommend Home Insulation R-Values. Retrieved from energy.gov.

[6] Insulation Institute. The Facts About Compressing Fiber Glass Insulation. Retrieved from insulationinstitute.org.

Homeowners Beware: Isynene Spray Foam and Your Safety

Building Science, Green, Insulation, Safety

How safe is it to re-enter my home after installing Icynene® spray foam?

Homeowners and building managers often ask us about a product called Icynene, a liquid spray foam insulation. Icynene Inc. claims people can re-enter the building one hour after installation. We decided to investigate that claim for ourselves.

The Green Cocoon follows OSHA’s and the manufacturers’ guidelines when using spray foam insulation. Those guidelines state that re-entry should only happen 24 hours after installation has been completed.

Let’s Do Some Math

According to icynene.com, “Low VOC Icynene Classic Max and Icynene ProSeal spray foam products allow for re-entry after 1 hour and re-occupancy after 2 hours of active ventilation (at 40 ACH) following installation, allowing for minimal impact on construction schedules.”

Let’s have a look at 40 ACH (40 air changes per hour). Take a small, 2-story house that has a 24’ x 36’ footprint, which is 864 square feet. If we figure it has two stories at 8 feet tall, the basement is 8 feet tall, and the band joists are 1 foot tall, that’s an overall height of 25 feet.

Now let’s take the square footage (864 feet) times the overall height (25 feet) and you’ve got 21,600 cubic feet. When multiplied by 40 ACH, you will have to move 864,000 cubic feet of air in an hour!

If we take the cubic feet of air moved in an hour and divide it by 60 minutes, we calculate that we’ll need to move 14,400 cubic feet of air per minute. That takes some pretty big fans, but the average insulation company uses fans that move 2,500 cfm of air (like the one in the photo). That means that you have to have six of these fans running while you are spraying and you’ll need to leave them running for an hour once you finish spraying. And this is on a small house! The larger the house, the more fans you will need!

TGC regularly works on homes that would require 12 or more fans to hit the number. That is a lot of fans to purchase, set up, take down, and move around from job to job.

Safety First

Ask your contractor how many and what size fans they are planning to use if they install Icynene. We suggest you stop by the home and take a peek to make sure the contractor uses the right number of fans needed (see math above). Your safety should come first.

TGC chooses not to offer Icynene spray foam as Icynene reps are only allowed to spray Icynene. TGC is an independent spray foam insulation company, so we spray the product that we think is the greenest and safest for our customers. We don’t like to be pigeon-holed into using one product that might not be the best fit.

Before you purchase any spray foam insulation, get a second opinion from The Green Cocoon.

New Report on Environmental Impacts of Spray Polyurethane Foam

Environment, Insulation

The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) recently published a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Use Phase Analysis report. The report evaluates the environmental impacts and performance of spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation. It compares the environmental impacts of spray foam insulation as compared to fiberglass insulation, specifically measuring cumulative energy demand and global warming potential for homes insulated in different US climate zones.

Three Homes Tested

Three homes were equally insulated according to 2018 IECC requirements in their respective climate zones using fiberglass as a baseline and various types of spray polyurethane foam insulation. What was the conclusion?

SPF Insulation Can Reduce Carbon Emissions

After reading the report, our biggest surprise was how SPF insulation can reduce carbon emissions! “The report shows the reduction in carbon emissions by using SPF insulation instead of fiberglass in a single home is the equivalent of removing 14 to 23 automobiles from the road for an entire year.”

Read the entire article at sprayfoam.com.

Questions? Contact us and we’d be happy to answer them!

ⁱSprayfoam.com (March 23, 2021) – SPFA Releases Report on Environmental Impacts of SPF

Do You Need a Thermal Barrier When Using Spray Foam?

Building Science, Safety, Thermal Barrier

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to thermal barriers regarding what they are and when they are needed with spray foam application. Luckily, we understand this subject and will explain the thermal barrier and the International Resi dential Co de (IRC) in a way that you can understand.

What is a thermal barrier?

A thermal barrier is a material that is applied between spray foam insulation and the interior living space. Moreover, the IRC says that all foam plastic insulations have to be separated from the interior of the building by a 15-minute thermal barrier. One such barrier is half-inch gypsum board (drywall). Because any type of spray foam is combustible, along with most other building materials, we need to protect the wall from the foam. By installing gypsum board over the foam, we have protection on the inside of the building for a life-saving purpose.

The IRC is trying to provide enough time for occupants to get out of the house in case of fire. A thermal barrier will give an occupant about 15 minutes to escape.

Not every area of your home has to have a thermal barrier. So, what needs to be covered and what can be exposed?

Can spray foam be left exposed?

The quick answer is yes and no, because spray foam can be left exposed in some areas of the home with other areas requiring a thermal barrier, according to the code.

If the area of the home that has been sprayed with foam is directly connected to the living space or used for storage, then it has to be separated by a thermal barrier. This would be your exterior walls and ceilings.

There are exceptions to the rule, which are the crawl space, attic, and basement rim joists. Rim joists never require thermal barriers, and attics and crawl spaces that are not used for storage or living space do not need a thermal barrier. They’re already treated with an ignition barrier. The only time a crawl space or attic needs a thermal barrier is when the space is used as an auxiliary living space or storage.

There are a couple of ways to omit or provide an alternate to the thermal barrier. One of those is large scale test using something like a cementitious-based product. If it passes the test, it can be used as a stand-alone thermal barrier.

You could also use an intumescent coating (swells up when heated). It has been tested over a specific spray foam to provide an interior finish system that acts like a thermal barrier. For example, if you’re going to install spray foam on the underside of a roof deck in an open roof assembly like in a restaurant, you would put the spray foam on the underside. You can’t leave it exposed to the inside of the building, so you’ll need to use a thermal barrier to go over it, such as drywall or thermal barrier paint. What do we do?

If you have an intumescent coating that has been approved, then you apply that over the spray foam. The coating is now an interior finish that we can leave exposed inside the restaurant, which meets interior standards.

Learn more about insulation code

In conclusion, you now have a grasp of thermal barriers, but you might have more questions about meeting insulation code in your area.

If you want to make sure your new home or remodeling project meets code, please contact us.

References

Spray Foam Advisor, Thermal Barriers, Sep 29, 2017, sprayfoamadvisor.com
Retrofoam of Michigan, What is a Thermal Barrier and When is it Needed with Spray Foam? December 26, 2018, retrofoamofmichigan.com

Gaco Profill Spray Foam Used on Northshore Project

Building Science, Portfolio

The Green Cocoon recently completed a project in Massachusetts and had the privilege to work with Gorman Homes. “We work with these guys quite often and they’re great,” said Jim Materkowski, The Green Cocoon President. “We used Gaco Profill in the walls to eliminate open cell shaving waste.”

The Gaco ProFill System is the first complete spray foam system to offer a consistent cavity fill and a smooth surface with no trimming needed. The self-compressing characteristic of this tough, true polyurethane based spray foam is the reason Gaco ProFill can be quickly and easily installed behind a membrane (either Gaco ProFilm or Gaco ProWeb) as part of the Gaco ProFill System. (gaco.com)

There is hardly any waste, which means the Gaco ProFill System provides higher yields than most open cell foams. Consequently, scrap disposal expenses are greatly reduced or eliminated.

If you have an insulation project coming up, please contact us for a quote.

No Fossil Fuels Needed for Newton, Mass. Restoration Project

Insulation, Portfolio

Newton, Mass. – The Green Cocoon, Inc. (TGC) was recently awarded an insulation project for a home in Newton, Mass. The original home, built in the early 1900s, is being fully renovated, gutted completely to the studs. Once completed, solar panels will be installed in the home and it will run on 100 percent electricity. Consequently, this house will not use any fossil fuels!

Closed cell spray foam was used on this project, specifically Gaco HFO (hydrofluoroolefin) spray foam. HFO closed cell spray foam is a reformulated version of spray polyurethane foam. But, the reformulated version has only a tiny fraction of the global warming potential of its predecessor. HFO is a blowing agent and is an essential ingredient in spray foam insulation. It creates the tiny bubbles of trapped gas that slow the movement of heat and make foam such a good insulator with a very high R-value. But the most common blowing agent in spray polyurethane foam today, a hydrofluorocarbon, has a global warming potential (GWP) more than 1,000 times that of carbon dioxide. The newer type of blowing agent has a GWP of 1.[i]

“We have been using an eco-friendly closed cell spray foam for quite some time,” said Candace Lord, Green Cocoon Vice President. “It reduces excess waste and energy consumption in buildings by up to 50 percent while adding rigidity and strength to the structure. The R-value is over 7 per inch, and it has a greater resistance to the leakage of air and water vapor. It is a perfect vapor barrier in both summer and winter.”

The contract was awarded by Essex Restoration, a residential building and remodeling company in Wilmington, Mass. They have been working with TGC for over two years on restoration and renovation projects.

[i] Green Building Advisor (2017, February 9). Next Generation Spray Foams Trickle into the Market. Retrieved from greenbuildingadvisor.com

The sign from Essex Restoration, who is working on this project with The Green Cocoon

The Green Cocoon 2019 Newton MA Restoration Project

The Green Cocoon used closed cell spray foam on this project.

The Green Cocoon used closed cell spray foam on this room.

A photo of the home being renovated and The Green Cocoon truck.

The Green Cocoon added closed cell spray foam to this room.

Insulation Is Important Year-Round

Building Science, Insulation

Insulation isn't just for the winter months! Heating and cooling account for 50 to 70% of the energy used in the average American home. Inadequate insulation and air leakage are leading causes of energy waste in most homes. In the summer, insulation keeps the walls, ceilings and floors of your home cooler, which eases the load on your air conditioner and lowers your cooling costs.

Ask us about insulating your home today! Give us a call at (978) 462-0082

Our First Passive House

Insulation, Passive

The Green Cocoon has a passion for efficiency, not only in our daily operations, but also in the projects that we choose to work on. We have insulated every type of project. Some of the projects include small renovations and existing attics. We also love to work with energy positive and net-zero homes. But, our favorite is the Passive House.

What is a passive house?

The term passive house (Passivhaus in German) refers to a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint. A continuous, balanced supply of fresh air ensures unparalleled indoor air quality. Operable windows connect indoors with out. Super-insulated walls hold warmth in the winter and cool in the summer. Special windows and a snug building envelope help keep the desired warmth in the house – or undesirable heat out. This is done through a highly insulated roof and floor slab as well as exceptionally well insulated exterior walls. The results are buildings that require very little energy for space heating or cooling.

As of this writing, there are less than 100 certified passive houses in the United States. We had the privilege to be the insulation company that worked with most of them. We like to think of ourselves as the “go-to insulation company” for highly energy-efficient projects.

Learn more about this project and passive house building in general.

Category: Spray Foam