A Cottage Revival: Renovation of a Cottage Begins with Closed Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam

A pair of cottages sit along the water in Eastern Maryland. One is leaky, energy inefficient and uncomfortable. The other is airtight, energy efficient and comfortable all year round. Both cottages were built in the 1930-1940s. Both cottages had taken a beating from the cold, moist Maryland weather without sufficient upkeep from the owners. When the cottages were recently purchased, the new owners aimed to give them a new lease on life starting with a “to-the-studs” renovation of one them.

 A pair of cottages sit along the water in Eastern Maryland. One is leaky, energy inefficient and uncomfortable. The other is airtight, energy efficient and comfortable all year round. Both cottages were built in the 1930-1940s. Both cottages had taken a beating from the cold, moist Maryland weather without sufficient upkeep from the owners. When the cottages were recently purchased, the new owners aimed to give them a new lease on life starting with a “to-the-studs” renovation of one them. 

The cottages were originally built with actual wood sheathing. Over time in this type of construction, the building moves, opening up air infiltration points in the building enclosure. CertainTeed’s CertaSpray®  Closed Cell Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) was chosen to reinforce this building’s enclosure from a thermal, structural and moisture standpoint. Andy Pittman, the energy rater for the project, commented, “closed cell foam was the only logical choice to tighten up the leaky enclosure. It expands to fill the gaps and cracks to form a robust air barrier and moisture vapor retarder, something other insulations cannot do.” This combination of closed cell SPF’s properties makes it a unique building material that can greatly improve energy efficiency, building durability and indoor air quality. Between increased R-value, improved air tightness and the ability to put ducts in conditioned space*, the spray foam will save the homeowner $660 a year in energy bills. This represents a 66% reduction in energy usage for heating and cooling of the home.