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Money, Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

Tax and Rebate Incentives

Financing

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. The program can give you tax and rebate incentives, which offers up to $5,500 in rebates!

Inadequate Insulation

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.

Qualified Insulation Partner in Maine

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.
Houzz-Best-of-Service-Award-2021-Green-Cocoon-Insulation-Maine

We Won the “Best of Customer Service” on Houzz!

News and Awards

Each year the prestigious “Best of Houzz” Awards (Houzz’s version of a people’s choice award) are presented to many top-rated professionals and popular home designs around the world. This year, The Green Cocoon, LLC (Green Cocoon) was recognized as an industry leader with receipt of Houzz’s “Best of Customer Service” award. Green Cocoon is a Massachusetts-based insulation company that delivers energy-efficient, eco-friendly insulation solutions to residences and businesses throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Southern Maine. Equally important, this exclusive award recognizes just 3 percent of the more than 2.5 million active home professionals and interior and architectural photographers on the Houzz platform.

The community-led awards celebrate the very best in-home renovation and designs, and are split across three categories: design, customer service and photography. Furthermore, customer service honors are determined by a variety of factors. These include the number and quality of client reviews. Green Cocoon received five stars for every client review in 2020!

The Green Cocoon spray foam nh owner, Jim“Earning an award from a company as distinguished as Houzz is truly an honor,” said Green Cocoon President James Materkowski. “This is the first year we’ve won the award and it is a great honor! It instantly builds a level of trust and confidence in our company. The Green Cocoon team is honored to receive the Customer Satisfaction award from Houzz. Thank you to our amazing community of homeowners and partners and the surrounding areas we serve.”

In short, this Best of Houzz award serves to confirm The Green Cocoon’s philosophy of conducting business honestly and with integrity, while sticking to their motto, “For the People, with the Planet in Mind.”
The Green Cocoon - Line Graph Showing Growth in Insulation

Study Showed Insulation Industry Supporting U.S. Economy

News and Awards

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) released a study in October 2020. The study looked at the contributions of insulation to the U.S. economy in 2019. It showed that the insulation industry—including the manufacture, distribution and installation of insulation—generated more than 564,000 jobs in the United States. Also, it contributed to more than $36 billion in payrolls that support families and local communities around the country. This is great news!

Insulation not only protects us from the heat and cold, it also keeps us employed!

Read the full news release.

The Green Cocoon loves to protect you from the heat and cold, especially with insulation in southern New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. Contact us with any questions.
home insulation company green cocoon

How to Store and Apply Spray Foam in Cold Weather

Insulation Tips

Learning how to store spray foam insulation during the winter months takes expertise. “How cold can it be when applied?” and “At what temperature should it be stored?” are just two of the many questions that need to be answered before you can apply spray foam during cold weather.

Use the Correct Material

The Green Cocoon suggests you monitor the health of your roofYou must use the correct material for the environment, especially in cold temperatures. According to IDI Distributors, “closed cell foams can be formulated into winter blends that are designed to withstand colder environmental and substrate temperatures. Open cell foams, however, cannot be formulated this way. Therefore, creating a suitable environment in which to apply open cell is critical for product performance.”

Use the Correct Temperature

Before you start applying spray foam insulation in cold weather, the material needs to be properly conditioned. This means maintaining the right temperature on the storage containers (drums). IDI says drums should be stored and used between 70- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit to get the best results. The Green Cocoon is happy to say that we always heat the product and the job site (we heat the inside of the room before we spray it). The temperature must be at least 40 degrees or we won’t spray. To keep our products warm, we use drum heaters, which are like blankets for the drums. Also, the drums are always stored inside our heated warehouse. Every product is different, so we suggest you check the technical data sheet for product-specific temperature ranges.

Proper Storage

green-cocoon-spray-foam-insulation-rigProper storage of both the applicator and the spray foam is critical for a successful application during cold weather conditions. Both components must be at a minimum of 70°F to ensure that the supply pumps can move the material to the spray machine at an appropriate rate.

At The Green Cocoon, our material and hoses are heated.  If your contractor has an older machine, it may not be able to heat the material to the required application temperature. That is why keeping the drums warm is so important.

Heaters

As mentioned above, heaters should be used to warm up the substrate prior to spraying foam. Indirect heaters are always recommended, but the most common heaters used are “torpedo heaters.” These heaters can work well when properly monitored, but it’s worth noting that they rely on fossil fuels that produce moisture. This humidity may condense on cold substrates creating moisture issues such as poor adhesion or shrinkage. Applicators should avoid the use of gas fired heaters if possible, to reduce this risk.

At The Green Cocoon, we use indirect heaters to heat the space of a spray foam job. Indirect heat does not give off CO2 into the structure. TGC has a heater on the truck and also brings in an electric heater to heat the job site.

It is also important to make sure the heaters get turned off prior to spraying foam insulation in winter. If the fumes from spraying get drawn through the heater, it can put off toxic fumes. Heat should be maintained in the building for at least 24 hours after spraying to allow the foam to complete the curing process.

To sum up, before you hire a spray foam insulation company, ask them what their process is when spraying foam insulation during the winter months. If you have any questions, please contact us. We’d love to answer them!
green-cocoon-insulation-maine-nh

Green Cocoon Purchases New IDI DV18 Vacuum + Defender

News and Awards

The Green Cocoon (TGC) is thrilled to announce it recently purchased an IDI DV18 Vacuum + Defender (DV18). The DV18 Gas Vacuum is the first of its kind with the debris containment system integrated directly with the vacuum. The DV18 features a steel fan and chamber and is powered by a rugged 18hp Briggs & Stratton V-Twin engine. This vacuum is intended for removing all types of blown insulation and for recycling damp spray.

New Machine Improves Indoor Air Quality

“We purchased this new machine to remove old insulation before we add anything new,” said James Materkowski, owner and president of TGC. “In the past, we used other contractors to do this work, but now we can do it ourselves! This helps to keep our costs down and also helps with quality control. Removing old insulation before adding new helps to improve indoor air quality and make the new insulation more efficient!

Some of the features of the DV18 are:

  • 6” (15.2cm) inlet and outlet allows for substantial volume
  • Engineered and designed to eliminate engine vibration and fan blade stress
  • 12-volt Magnetron® Electronic Ignition system
  • Input/output safety switches
  • And more!

If you’re feeling cold and have been putting off updating your insulation, contact us!

About The Green Cocoon

The Green Cocoon, LLC delivers energy-efficient, eco-friendly insulation solutions to residences and businesses throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Southern Maine. Our first priority is to provide you with the safest, most effective insulation. This helps keep the heat in your house during the winter, and keeps the cool air in during the summer. After all, that’s why you’re considering an insulation solution in the first place. Great insulation means you’ll use less fossil fuel and electricity, thus leaving a smaller carbon footprint.
green-cocoon-insulation-ma-open-cell

Building Code Insulation Requirements

Home Maintenance Tips

Building codes are always changing, so it is important to stay up-to-date on building code insulation requirements. Thanks to the Insulation Institute for creating this great guide as a go-to resource for staying in the know on state building codes.

Building Code Insulation Requirements Guide

The Building Code Insulation Requirements Guide also includes ASHRAE 90.1 Compliance for Metal Buildings, Facts About Certified NAIMA 202-96® Insulation, and more! Read now.
green-cocoon-hand-wash

The Coronavirus and Your Safety

News and Awards

Updated April 1, 2021
New Hampshire Governor Sununu has extended the statewide mask mandate through April 15, 2021. More.

Updated November 20, 2020
New Hampshire Governor Sununu issued a statewide mask mandate in an effort to slow spread of COVID-19. The mandate applies to all indoor public spaces, in addition to outdoor spaces when social distancing cannot be maintained. More.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker also issued a statewide mask order on November 6. Governor Baker is requiring face masks or cloth face coverings in all public places, whether indoors or outdoors, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.

Due to the nature of our work, we require our insulation experts to wear protective gear, which protects you and them from the coronavirus. Our sales people also wears masks while inside your home. They also have hand sanitizer in their vehicles.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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March 20, 2020
At The Green Cocoon, the safety and well-being of our employees and our customers is always our priority. We are actively monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and taking steps to help keep our employees and customers safe. We wanted to share with you some steps we are taking.

Protecting our employees and customers

As our employees interact with customers and the general public, we have taken steps to limit exposure to the virus.

Employees

closed cell spray foam insulation ma TGC gangThe Green Cocoon has 12 employees, so we are a small, but mighty group. We are postponing our team meetings, providing remote-work solutions, and continue to reinforce safe behavior in every environment—from customer homes and businesses to our offices. We are in continuous communication with our employees reminding them about the importance of good hygiene, providing them with health education and support whenever needed. Employees who feel ill have been told to not report to work.

Customers

When we first meet you, The Green Cocoon sends one sales person to your home. They have washed their hands and sanitized their vehicles before coming into your home. Once we are hired by you, we send a crew of two people to perform the actual work. Safety regulations mandate that homeowners be absent from the home while insulation is being installed. And, our employees must wear a protective suit, thus limiting your and their exposure while they are in your home.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We are open for business!
green-cocoon-insulation-new-england-usgbc-membership

The Green Cocoon Is a Member of the US Green Building Council

News and Awards

The Green Cocoon (TGC) is a member of the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council). This organization is committed to a sustainable, prosperous future through LEED, the leading program for green buildings and communities worldwide. The USGBC’s vision is that buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.

Education and Resources

“USGBC offers a wide-variety of courses and certifications,” said James Materkowski, president of TGC. “I love that they are helping to advance the knowledge of green building and sustainability concepts and practices.”

To learn more about USGBC, go to their website, https://usgbc.org.
The Green Cocoon has a new cellulose machine for spray foam insulation nh

Say Hello to Our New Cellulose Machine

News and Awards

It Will Make Us Faster and More Efficient!

The Green Cocoon, LLC has purchased a new Cellulose Machine. This machine is ideal for installation of loose fill cellulose insulation throughout any area of the home. The machine has wheels for easier maneuverability and transport and comes with 100 feet of hose (two 50′ sections with connector) to achieve optimum coverage.

The Green Cocoon has a new cellulose machine for spray foam insulationThe new Krendl 800-G processes 77 bags of cellulose per hour, thus allowing us to become faster and more efficient. That means we are in and out of your home in less time!

Moreover, the 800-G is the only dual power source insulation blowing equipment capable of switching from electric to gas, to assure TGC is NEVER without power. Krendl Machine designed the 800-G for the insulation contractor who may not always have a readily available power source.

Listen to her engine hum!

If you’re ready to start that insulation project you’ve been putting off, now is the perfect time. Contact us and one of us will get back to you right away!
Spray foam insulation being installed by The Green Cocoon of Salisbury, MA.

Do You Need a Thermal Barrier When Using Spray Foam?

Insulation Tips

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 Residential Code (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.

spray foam insulation contractor spraying ceiling - green-cooon

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

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