Insulation business to begin work Dec. 3

Mike and Annette Johnson of Johnson Construction Co. have opened a second business, Absolute Green Insulation.

The Johnsons received their LLC papers for the new business on Nov. 1 and have begun bidding jobs. They have filled two staff positions, and Absolute Green will be ready to begin installation work by Dec. 3, once the new employees complete their training, according to Annette, and can give estimates now. Word of mouth has already brought the company two jobs - one commercial site and one large residential building.

Absolute Green specializes in the installation of spray polyurethane foam insulation, which sprays out to a slab of an eighth of an inch in width and expands to fill the space where it has been installed, forming a waterproof, draft-proof and largely soundproof barrier, the Johnsons said. The company works with GacoWallFoam, a product of Gaco Western.

"I took Green Building classes and received my certifications in it in March. The spray foam intrigued me because it gave you an air filtration barrier as well as a better R value," said Mike, referring to the system used to measure an insulation medium's effectiveness.

"He saw the benefits of making homes more energy efficient with spray foam insulation," Annette said. "It's prevalent in the coastal Carolinas as well as Atlanta, but we're the first to offer spray foam insulation in the Aiken area that we know of."

"We can spray it in areas that fiberglass insulation can't get to," Mike said. "It has a higher R rating per inch than fiberglass, it reduces drafts, blocks allergens and pollutants, and it provides some soundproofing."

The Johnsons said the spray foam insulation can be used throughout a new construction project and can also be installed in existing buildings, focusing on the rooflines and crawl spaces.

Absolute Green will also offer roof coatings, will install Pella replacement windows in cooperation with local Pella representative Milt Waters, upgrades to heating vent and air conditioning systems, crawl space encapsulation and will install tankless water heaters.

"The goal is to cut down on energy loss and to allow people to take advantage of tax credits," Annette said. "There's a website with more information on energy tax credits, www.energystar.gov."

The Johnsons were aided in building their business plan for Absolute Green by Joe Gayle of the Junction Crew, who provided technical advice and insight; by Stephen Gorman with Gaco Western; and by Bob Mahaney of Aldo Products, who provided expertise in roof coatings.

Absolute Green shares office space with Johnson Construction at 808 Market Place and can be reached by phone at 644-1212; Annette Johnson can be reached at (803) 617-9879, and Mike Johnson at 646-5568. E-mail inquiries can be directed to absolutegreen@bellsouth.net, and a website is under construction at www.absolutegreeninsulation.com.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.