Green Story

These days, everyone is looking for ways to mitigate increasingly unpredictable energy costs of home-heating. For many, this means incorporating more efficient equipment; others turn the thermostat down and put on a sweater. But the easiest and most effective road to efficiency rests not in better equipment or heavier sweaters, but rather by addressing what builders refer to as the “envelope” –of the home. To that end, Mike Wilson, owner of MJW Drywall & Foam Insulation in Hampton, N.H., has made it his goal to educate local consumers on how much energy –and ultimately money --can be saved with good old insulation. MJW offers the most efficient and effective insulation on the market today; spray and injection foam. With an R-value nearly twice that of fiberglass or cellulose, Wilson’s state-of-the-art closed-cell foam insulation can reduce a building’s energy use by 50%. And while foam –which can be used in everything from window frames, attics, foundations and roofing, to inside the walls themselves –costs more up front, a cost-savings analysis over time makes it one of the best energy cost investments around. From the environmental stand point, a building insulated with closed-cell foam will use substantially less energy, emitting less CO2 and particulate into the air every year. And, as a certified insulator, MJW allows the building owner access to federal and state weatherization rebates and tax credits that can ultimately cover 30% of the insulation job costs.