The Green Cocoon was a sponsor of Rett’s Roost 5K held on September 23. Rett’s Roost is a nonprofit that helps children with cancer and their families.
The event was held at the Throwback Brewery in Portsmouth and raised over $25,000!
The original house is from 1690 and it has additions dating from the early to late 1700s! The walls have layer upon layer of history. It was wallpapered hundreds of years ago and then new walls were built over those. Hand etched drawings of sailboats with a British flag can be found on the exposed first-floor ceilings.
To make sure this house maintained its historical preservation we blew in Mineral wool with an adhesive into the exterior walls. The roof is insulated from the exterior with rigid foam board so as to not damage any of the beautiful interior.
"Flash and batt" is a popular technique for insulating walls. But if you are going to use this technique, make sure to start with at least two inches of closed cell foam first. A one inch "flash" is not enough to prevent condensation!
The largest misconception people have regarding energy is where they believe they use and waste the most energy.
Heating and cooling are the main energy consumers in buildings. Moreover, they account for two thirds of a building’s total energy consumption. However, most of this energy is wasted due to inadequate insulation.
Insulation is the most effective way to reduce energy costs. By using energy-efficient insulation techniques, 70 to 90 percent of a building’s heating and cooling need could be cut.
Call us today. Ask how you can reduce your energy waste with eco-friendly insulation!
In early 2017, The Green Cocoon was nominated for the SPFA National Industry Excellence Award at the national spray foam convention in Palm Springs. Dozens of companies enter their projects hoping to win the Award. However, only five are chosen to be publicly recognized at the awards luncheon. We we were proud to be one of the five!
Although we did not win, we were in the top 5 for the Commercial Wall Spray Foam category. This was for our work on the 233 Vaughan Street Project in Portsmouth, NH, In an industry with thousands of companies, being voted in the top 5 is a testament to our company's passion for excellence, honesty, and drive to be the best in our industry.
To read more about this project click here. To see photos of the Vaughan Street project click here.
We at The Green Cocoon are always striving to be the best we can be. That is why team building is so important. We truly believe we are only as great as our weakest link and that is why we are constantly striving to empower and inspire our team members. The Green Cocoon wants our employees to not only be great employees, but great people.
Participating in a team building exercise with our good friends at UROCK Marketing proved fruitful. Teammates made a vision board and filled it with dreams, aspirations, and inspiration. We hope that by having a visual path to their goals our employees will be successful in every aspect of their lives!
Watch our short video above of the event. To find our more about UROCK's team building and vision board parties, check out their website- www.urockmarketing.com.
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 been fortunate enough to work on everything from small renovations and existing attics to energy positive, net-zero and our favorite, 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 building envelope consisting of a highly insulated roof and floor slab as well as highly insulated exterior walls keep the desired warmth in the house – or undesirable heat out. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling.
Currently in the U.S. there are less than 100 certified passive houses in existence, and we have worked on 4 of them. In the fall we will be starting another passive house in Rhode Island. We like to think of ourselves as the "go-to insulation company" for highly energy efficient projects.
To learn more about this project and passive house building in general, click here.
When it comes to reducing our carbon footprint and making our homes more efficient, the phrase "The more insulation the better" is often used. While all insulation materials reduce greenhouse gas emissions (by saving energy and reducing our use of fossil fuels), insulating with thick layers of spray foams often results in long “payback periods” for the global warming potential of the insulation, mainly due to the most commonly used blowing agents. Now, don't get the wrong idea. The long-term benefits of spray foam greatly outweigh the possible environmental impact of the initial application of the material, but in the pursuit of energy efficiency and the reduction of green house gas emissions, companies are always trying to make the manufacturing process and installation as environmentally safe and efficient as the final product. Honeywell has found a solution to this problem. 
They have created a new blowing agent called Solstice that has a GWP (Global Warming Potential) that is 99.4% less than the most currently used blowing agents. To give you an idea of ratings, the current blowing agents have a GWP of 725 and an atmospheric life of 10.8 years. The new Solstice LBA has a GWP of 1 and an atmospheric life of only 26 days. We are very excited to be installing spray foams with this new technology. Now, not only will you lower your carbon footprint by having an air-tight and well insulated home, but you can rest assured that the initial application of the product will not harm the environment. For more information on blowing agents, take a look at the websites listed below. Do you want to know how spray foam can help your home or commercial building? Contact us via email or call us at (978) 462-0082.
http://www.honeywell-blowingagents.com/products/solstice-liquid-blowing-agent/
http://www2.buildinggreen.com/article/avoiding-global-warming-impact-insulation-0
Do you live in Southern Maine and are looking to upgrade your existing insulation? If so, Efficiency Maine is currently offering rebates and incentives for energy improvements. This includes air sealing and insulation through the Home Energy Savings Program, which can give you tax and rebate incentives.
Efficiency Maine data indicates that the majority of Maine homes have inadequate insulation. Furthermore, insulating to recommended levels in Maine attics, basements, and walls can cut heating costs by 40 percent or more.
The Green Cocoon is proud to be a Qualified Insulation Partner with Efficiency Maine. Go to their website today to find out if you qualify for the program.
The Green Cocoon was thrilled to work on an old farmhouse in Rye, N.H. We used closed cell spray foam on most of the farmhouse.
The house was completely gutted and rebuilt to current energy codes. We made sure that the house was well insulated all around, using spray foam on the roof and exterior walls. We used mineral wool for the interior walls and in the ceilings to help with sound deadening.
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