Maine-Based Contractor Insulates Residential Cabin In Remote Location

CARIBOU LAKE, ME - June 10, 2013 - If you're going to have a vacation home way off the beaten path, far from crowds, noise and city lights, you should make sure that location is as comfortable as possible on the inside. Such was the case for Maine residents who decided to build a 5,000 sq. ft. summer home 37 miles from the nearest town. A place like that calls for the best insulation possible.

Circle D Sprayfoam, Inc was brought on board to insulate the home, which was essentially an oversized cabin in the middle of woodsy Maine territory. Skip Doodson, owner and operator of Circle D, underlined the importance of having good insulation in such a remote location.

"This was located a long way up in the woods," said Doodson. "They need to be energy efficient because they can't just run out and get fuel or anything as easily when you're located that far out of town."

Doodson noted that it was precisely the distance to the site what proved to be the greatest challenge of the job itself because all the materials and provisions had to be brought in one trip.

"We had to bring everything with us," said Doodson. "We were going to be out there for the entire project so we had to make sure we had enough fuel, enough foam, and enough food and water to last us through the job. I had a full rig of foam and the GC brought two extra sets of foam so we didn't have to run back to the shop."

By doing this, the two men were able to finish the job in four days, Doodson said.

The contractor that built the home was familiar with Circle D and spray polyurethane foam, as this was the fifth job the company had done for them. The application of SPF insulation was always the first choice.

The project called for spraying the exterior walls and the underside of the roof of a three-story  cabin, which included a basement, a living first floor, and a living second floor. The SPF insulation installation would consist of starting at the top and working down to the basement.

Prior to the application, the two-man team used plastic to cover the doors, windows, and electrical outlets inside the home to avoid overspray. They both wore jumpsuits and used fresh air respirators while operating a 12-inch, 2,500 cfm blower out a window for ventilation.

To get up to the roof, the team simply used a ladder. According to Doodson, it was 11 feet to the peak of the roof, which was directly accessible by ladder. He mentioned, however, that the crew had to use 18 feet of scaffolding to get up to the cathedral roof area that spanned the two top floors.

Doodson's spray rig was equipped with a Graco Reactor H-25 proportioner and a Graco ClearShot spray gun, which was used for the duration of the project.

The team applied three inches of foam to 3,000 sq. ft. of walls and five and a half inches to the underside of the 2160 sq. ft. roof deck. Five sets of Bayseal, a 1.9 lb. closed-cell SPF foam made by Bayer MaterialScience, were used in total.

Doodson said that spray foam rendered the home with the proper insulation suited for a remote location because it made the structure airtight, provided it with a high R-value, and it will make the inside atmosphere warm and comfortable for future winters.

The home is scheduled for completion by mid July.

About Circle D Sprayfoam, Inc.: Circle D Sprayfoam, Inc. was established in 2007. Greg "Skip" Doodson is the owner/operator and has over 30 years experience in the construction field. He is also a spray foam applicator. Scott Belanger has been with the company since its inception. In addition to trimming foam, he monitors equipment to keep production at its highest standard. For more information about Circle D Sprayfoam, Inc., please use the contact details and links provided below.