Michael R. Belleau, December 5, 1957 - March 2, 2010

It is with great sorrow I, Mike's ghost writer and assistant, share the following news. Tuesday evening last week we lost a great person and a great mind. Peace be with those most affected by this loss.

Mike's Obituary: (Click on the link to sign the Guestbook.)

"Salem…..

Michael R. Belleau, age 52, husband of Wanda (Phillips) Belleau, with whom he shared 26 wonderful, loving years, died unexpectedly Tuesday, March 2, 2010 in New Bedford MA shortly after finishing his workday.

Born in Salem the son of Mary Jane (Davis) (Belleau) Blais of Salem and the late Jean Paul Belleau, he was the step son of the late Armand Blais. Michael was raised and educated in Salem attending St. James Grammar School and graduating from Salem High School in the Class of 1976. During his teens and twenties, he enjoyed competitive motorcross racing and customizing vans. He competed in the World of Wheels show in Boston having been honored with First Place. An innovative thinker and inventor, Mr. Belleau held five U.S. Patents, most notably for his Spray Foam StuccoWall system. Recently he and his son Dylan showcased his Stucco Wall Motor Home or "Motorcastle" as he loving referred to it from Salem to Florida and back to demonstrate his technology. During the trip they enjoyed wonderful father son time while Dylan served as the trip mechanic making necessary repairs.

Michael was always well known for his comedic personality and great wit. He loved to make people laugh and smile, even in the worst moments. Generous to a fault, he was always upbeat, saw the silver lining in every cloud and was loved by all, he will be greatly missed. In addition to his wife and mother he is survived by two children Kristyn and Dylan Belleau both of Salem, his two brothers David Belleau and his wife Doreen of Peabody, Richard Blais and his wife Meghan of Salem, two sisters Sandra McMahon and her husband Michael of Salem, Donna Michaud of Beverly, a sister in law Anita Belleau of St. Mary’s, PA and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his brothers Robert Blais and Paul Belleau, his father Jean Paul Belleau, and his stepfather Armand Blais.

His funeral will be held on Monday March 8, 2010 at 9:45 A.M. from the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., (cor of North ST) Salem to be followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 A. M. in St Pius V Church, 215 Maple St., Lynn. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visitation will be Sunday from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.at the Murphy's Funeral Home, 85 Federal Street, Salem. Interment will be in Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the Michael R. Belleau Scholarship Fund, c/o Salem 5, 210 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970 (or at any branch location. For online guest book or additional information please call 978 744 0497 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com. "

You can also read a personal letter from Doug Commette of SprayFoam.com which is below the obituary on their website, click the aforementioned link to read. It is a very thoughtful letter. Thank you Doug for your kind thoughts.

Obituary originally posted on www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.

Peace be with you,

Virginia Berry

Spray Foam Stucco Motorhome Makes Front Page of SprayFoam.com!

Check out the article on the Masterbond-SP wall system and Spray Foam Stucco Motorhome published today on the front page of www.SprayFoam.com For a direct link to the article click here.

"Masterbond-SP Offers Unique Spray Foam Product For Use On Buildings’ Exteriors
Foam is covered in stucco, creating a moisture controlling, seamless insulation

Unlike most spray foam products which are applied to a building’s interior, Masterbond-SP, Inc. offers a unique product that is applied to the exterior of a building, planed flat and then covered in stucco. As the only company in the industry with the patented technology to do this, Masterbond has a distinctive competitive advantage. The company insists that this application is just as effective and durable as standard spray foam and has rigorously tested their product to ensure it meets the highest quality standards. In fact, the company’s owner, Michael Belleau, is so confident in the product that he used this method to insulate a motor home and then drove it 3,000 miles from Salem, MA to Orlando, FL and back without a crack!

While the Masterbond motor home is a novel way to demonstrate the effectiveness and durability of the wall system, the real value of the product can be seen in its residential and commercial applications. Belleau explains that “the residential housing market is our main market, especially customers looking to reinsulate existing homes without ripping out their walls. Masterbond is the ultimate solution for brick and concrete restoration. It literally glues crumbling structures back together and gives them a stunning finish.”

He describes the application process, “The Masterbond-SP wall system is applied to a clean, dry wall surface. The wall surface is prepped and exterior grade closed cell spray foam insulation is sprayed directly onto the existing exterior surface of the building. Foam is sprayed to 1.5" or more, depending on the desired application. The spray foam is then flattened with the patented Masterbond-SP Vac-Plane Tool which gives a perfectly flat result with minimal effort and clean up. It has an attached vacuum which cleans up foam chips as you work. The flattened foam surface is then covered with a base coat and structural mesh. Once this is dried and sculpted where needed, stucco is applied. Culture stone, brick facing and siding can also be applied to this system to allow for a wide variety of aesthetics and finish options.”

This process creates a “moisture controlling, seamless exterior insulation finish”. Belleau says, “Customer satisfaction is extremely high as this system gives 50% savings in energy costs, is energy efficient (green), aesthetically appealing and easy to apply to the exterior of buildings year round without disturbing inhabitants. It is the best solution for customers with existing homes or commercial buildings looking to improve their insulation and energy costs without disturbing their daily lives.”

He details some of the product’s additional benefits, “The Masterbond-SP wall system eliminates the drainage plan required in traditional EIFS systems. This, in effect, completely eliminates moisture and mold issues. Our patented system of application, surface preparation and flattening allows spray polyurethane foam to be applied directly to the exterior surface of any structure which results in an effective R-value of R-6.8 to R-21 depending on application, significantly greater than interior applications of SPF. The Masterbond-SP wall system is especially effective in harsh coastal environments where moisture control is essential as is a system that can withstand high winds and storms.”

Looking ahead, Belleau explains, “In 2010, Masterbond-SP plans to license at least one applicator in each state. We are seeking out people across various trades looking to grow their business and profits. This is a cost effective solution for failing EIFS systems. It provides two times the R-value of alternative systems and is a product that people in various fields can install. If you currently work in virtually any craftsman trade, we can train you to apply the Masterbond-SP wall system, diversifying your existing skills and business and making it more profitable. We are going to create green jobs!”"

Article copyright SprayFoam.com published 3/3/10

In 2010 Masterbond-SP Will Have at Least 1 Applicator in Each State

February is coming to an end and I am still on track to accomplish my goal of signing up one applicator in each state by the end of 2010!

I met a lot of great people at the spray foam trade show in Orlando last week. Many people expressed interest in becoming licensed Masterbond-SP applicators. I'm having converstations with them as we speak. Still more people have found Masterbond-SP through Google searches and by watching our YouTube videos.

Are you involved in the spray foam, insulation, stucco, plaster industries or other manual trades?

I can train you to do the Masterbond-SP wall system on the exterior of buildings.

Spray Foam applicators: The Masterbond-SP wall system allows you to use your existing equipment in additional ways. You can significantly increase your profits while offering your customers 2x the R value than spray between the studs insulation. This also opens an entirely new market to you: customers with existing homes or buildings that don't want to open up the walls. You can apply the Masterbond-SP wall system to the outside of their buildings without disturbing the inhabitants inside.

Insulators: Diversify your insulation options. As with spray foam insulators, you can use my system on the outside of buildings without disturbing occupants.

Stucco applicators: There are a few ways Masterbond-SP can work for you. You don't even need to invest in a spray foam machine to get started, you can actually make a Masterbond-SP applicator license work by subcontracting the spray foam to an approved spray foam applicator. Within a year you'll have made enough profit that you can buy a machine cash down. Or, you can invest in a license and a spray foam machine right away and I can train you how to do the whole Masterbond-SP system start to finish.

Plasterers: If you can use a trowel I can train you how to do the Masterbond-SP wall system. As with stucco applicators, there are a few ways you can use your Masterbond-SP applicator license.

Manual trade workers: If you are able to do hard work, are detail oriented and a craftsman, I can train you to do all aspects of the Masterbond-SP wall system. If you are looking to get into a profitable, energy saving, green trade, becoming a Masterbond-SP Licensed Applicator is the solution for you.

Now is the time to get on board the Spray Foam Stucco Motorhome. Contact me today to find out more about becoming a Licensed Masterbond-SP Applicator. masterbondspinc@gmail.com

Down and Back with No Cracks!

We made it back to Salem, 3000 or so miles round trip with no cracks to report on the spray foam stucco finished exterior. My patented Masterbond-SP wall system has passed the road trials!

The only trouble I had with the motor home was a leveler pump on the front end broke off due to the pothole laden roads just north of NYC on the way home and was dragging for a few miles before I noticed it. Luckily we caught it in time and strapped it onto the front bumper. Getting that welded back on this week. These roads were so bad they broke a heavy metal piece lose from its weld, my wall system is so strong it withstood this abuse for 3000 miles with no cracks in sight.

We arrived in Florida last week to find out that Masterbond-SP Inc had not only won first place in the Commercial Wall category, as noted in the previous entry, but also received honorable mention in the residential wall category for a house I did right on the harsh coast of Maine, in the winter. It was actually done to exactly match a sister house I'd done a few years prior. The house to the left is the sister house. We did the outside of the second, beach front house in the dead of winter inside of a heated shrink wrap enclosure!
This house is right on the beach. The Masterbond-SP wall system is extremely well suited for beach front properties as it withstands the harsh conditions and offers superior moisture control.
The finished houses look identical!

Masterbond-SP, Inc.: Winner of SPFA Award for Best Commercial Wall Foam

It's a good thing we were able to drive the spray foam stucco motor castle to Orlando, I won the SPFA (Spray Polyurethene Foam Alliance) National Industry Award of Excellence for Best Commercial Wall Foam. The project that I won the award for was the Hartford, VT High School.

As well all know, VT is extremely cold in the winter and the sun bakes in the summer. The school had very thin outer walls and little to no insulation. They needed a cost effective solution that looked good; my wall system was the perfect solution.
HHS before with the thin walls and unknown insulation.

HHS in progress. You can see sprayed on foam, planned foam and the original walls.

HHS finished with the Masterbond-SP exterior spray foam and stucco wall system.

We Arrived Safely in Orlando with NO CRACKS!

That's right, I knew all of the nay sayers didn't know my system as well as I do. When I was working on the spray foam stucco motor castle, the biggest doubt in most people's mind was if the Masterbond-SP wall system would stay put on the road with the body of the motorhome constantly shifting and twisting. I would like to officially report that we made the 1320 mile trek from Salem, MA to Orlando, FL on pot hole ridden winter roads and there are no cracks to be seen! Now that's an effective system!

Proof we made it to Florida, there are palm trees lining the highway.

Look ma, no cracks!

Parked outside of the trade show. Had to wait for the crowds to clear so we could take this picture.

We're on The Road to The Spray Foam Show!

Have you seen the World's First Spray Foam Stucco Motor Castle? Send us an e-mail with your siting story masterbondspinc[at]gmail[dot]com and we'll share your story here.

My son and I are headed down the east coast of the USA from Salem, MA to Orlando, FL. We left yesterday afternoon and have made it to Philadelphia so far. These are a few pictures my son took from the road.

Me driving in New York off the Washington bridge.

Inventor unbowed by truck theft

"Belleau's box truck was stolen on Saturday by a man police said was drunk. The thief smashed into six parked cars and damaged Belleau's equipment that was inside the truck.
Mark Lorenz / Staff Photographer"

I'm in the news! This time about my invention, and less about the truck theft. They even got some great pictures of the full length of the motorhome.

"Inventor unbowed by truck theft

By Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
Staff Writer


SALEM — When a drunken New Hampshire man allegedly stole Michael Belleau's box truck and crashed into six parked cars and a tree Saturday night, his vehicle wasn't the only thing damaged.

Belleau, an inventor and self-proclaimed "maverick" in the spray foam industry, had his livelihood damaged, as well. Damaged, but not broken.

His equipment, valued at more than $25,000, was damaged in the crashes on Hazel Street, just down the street from Belleau's home.

"It couldn't have come at a worse time," Belleau said. "I'm trying to demonstrate to the foam industry how sharp and durable my system is so I can get the big guys to step up."

Belleau said he was home when police said Joshua Boulay, 24, of Tamworth, N.H., stole the truck while drunk. Police said he also threatened another man while rummaging through his truck.

Boulay was arrested and faces 18 charges, including drunken driving and receiving a stolen vehicle.

A judge denied Boulay bail at his arraignment on Monday, and he'll be in Salem District Court tomorrow for a dangerousness hearing.

Belleau said he didn't hear his truck start up on Saturday and that he's not one to lock his vehicle's doors.

Belleau is not letting the theft of his truck and his equipment's destruction stop him from his dream.

He still plans to drive his mobile home, which he dubs "The Mobile Castle," down to Orlando, Fla., this weekend for the 2010 Spray Foam Conference. The outside of his mobile home is sprayed with the foam using his patented "planers" that give the walls the stucco finish.

Belleau is nominated for an award at the conference.

"I don't want to sound cocky," he said, "but I'm going to win the award because no one else can do what I do."

He's been in the business for 32 years and got his start when he was 22 years old in Newfoundland, spraying foam to insulate fish holds on fishing boats.

While there, he developed handheld spray foam to be used in the building industry, as well. He later invented a handheld "planer" that allows him to spray the foam on walls. He got a patent for his invention and is now looking to license it through his company, Masterbond-SP.

While his foam-making equipment was damaged, his rotary planers were in his "mobile castle," which went untouched.

Belleau is waiting to hear from his insurance company about the loss. Regardless, he's trying to be optimistic.

"It's all about moving forward and being positive (about) anything that happens," he said. "

"This mobile home owned by Mike Belleau is coated with spray foam, applied to the outside like stucco on a house. Belleau holds the patent to use spray foam in this manner.
Mark Lorenz / Staff Photographer"

Copyright Salem News. Article published 2/11/10 and can be read online at: http://www.salemnews.com/archivesearch/local_story_042001106.html

When it Rains, it Pours and Pours

In a financial climate where jobs for my crew are fewer and fewer each day and I am already having financial troubles, the theft of my work truck, filled with my equipment, slows the nationwide launch of my technology even more. Saturday night, my work truck was stolen from in front of my home by a drunk burglar. It was then totaled as he drove it through the neighborhood smashing into 6 cars and finally a tree that busted the box of my truck open spilling my equipment into the street.

Pictured above is a picture taken by the Salem News of the damage done to my truck. In the red circle you can see my foam machine, my bread and butter, hanging out the opening in the side. It is only hanging there as luckily it was bolted to the side of the truck. We still don't know how severely damaged this equipment is as I have not been given access inside my truck as this case is in court and being assessed by insurance.

My spray foam truck is the bread and butter that supports my family of four and the families of four employees. It is also the bread and butter that supports Masterbond-SP and my efforts to share my energy efficient, green technology with the world. I had planned to drive my spray foam stucco motorhome to the Spray Foam trade show in Orlando this month. It still requires some finishing touches and a visit to the mechanic before I can take it on the road.

The theft of my work truck, my sole income generator, makes the likelyhood of me getting to the Spray Foam show, very slim to none. I want more than anything to share my technology with people so that they can provide a building construction service to their customers that will instantly give them 50% savings in energy costs. A wall system that will not only make their building more energy efficient, but also looks good and solves the moisture and mold issues that plague existing stucco systems.

I want to share with you the article that was published in the Salem News so you can fully grasp the gravity of the situation:

Police: Man steals box truck, hits six cars

By Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
Staff Writer


SALEM — David Ruiz only stopped at his Geneva Street home Saturday night for a short moment, but it was enough time for an accused burglar to find his way inside Ruiz's car to rummage through his belongings.

What followed was even more brazen, as the two men fought in the street until the burglar, whom police have identified as Joshua S. Boulay, 24, of Tamworth, N.H., took off in a stolen box truck, barreling down crowded residential streets, striking parked cars along the way.

Police caught up with Boulay, and he now faces a total of 18 charges, from drunken driving to assault and battery. Boulay is being held without bail at the Salem police station until his arraignment today at Salem District Court.

Police were first called to the area at 9:55 p.m. for a report of a fight in the street.

Patrolman Deni Gaito learned from Ruiz that while home, he came back outside to find a man he didn't know inside his vehicle with his GPS.

A fight started, and Ruiz told police Boulay pulled out a 12-inch knife and threatened him. Ruiz responded in kind with a punch and dragged him to the street.

Boulay managed to get away, and with a description, police searched the area, police said.

About 20 minutes later, police received a report of a hit-and-run crash involving a box truck near Hazel Street and Ocean Avenue.

Gaito responded to the area and saw the box truck on Cabot Street coming toward his cruiser. Boulay struck six parked cars on Cabot and Gardner streets, police said.

Boulay then got out of the box truck on Gardner Street and fled on foot toward Lafayette Street, according to police. Officers later found Boulay walking down Lafayette Street. Gaito and Ruiz confirmed Boulay was the man they had dealt with earlier. Police found a 12-inch knife on Boulay.

Boulay is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage (six counts), breaking and entering in the nighttime, assault with a dangerous weapon (a knife), drunken driving, disorderly conduct, driving while unlicensed, negligent driving, larceny of property, possession of burglary tools, assault and battery, failure to stop for police, malicious destruction of property, and receiving stolen property.

The article is also available on the Salem News website should you wish to leave a comment.

Photo copyright belongs to the Salem News and Photographer Christopher Padgett and was published February 8, 2010.

Stunning Stucco Finish on Spray Foam Exterior!

Today is the day we've all been waiting for: I have FINISHED the stucco on the exterior of the World's First Spray Foam & Stucco Motorhome!

In the end I decided to go with a cream towards the top, a beige swirl pattern finish on the bottom and a blue grey in the dados. For your viewing pleasure, I present *drumroll* the finished look!

Today I Pulled Back the Curtain

We wanted to see how it's looking in daylight and get some full length pictures of the basecoat stage of the motorhome. My guys helped me finish the basecoat. Now I'm trying to decide on stucco color combinations.

Please send your color suggestions either by leaving a comment here or e-mail me

I'm thinking a medium blue on the bottom, dark blue gray in the stripes and light blue on the top half. What do you think?


I debated how to finish the edges around the windows and decided to go with a bull nose edge.

The Finish Line is Near!

One of my guys and I spent the morning doing the base coat on the exterior of the motor castle. We apply it directly to the planed flat spray foam using a structural grid material. Base coat is great to perfect the final appearance, fill low spots and mold flaws.
I'm spreading the base coat on with a small trowel.
Here I am trimming the grid work to cover the surface.
Sometimes I need to build custom tools to get the job done. This tool is to perfect the base coat application in the dados.
Here is a close up of the detail work around the wheel well.

Dado Detailing

To add an interesting aesthetic to the sides of my motorhome, and to demonstrate the versatility of flattened spray foam, I have added dado detailing along the sides. Here are a few pictures of the dados. (For those that don't know, a dado is a groove. It's a term used largely in carpentry).

This is a very slow, careful process, it requires striking a straight, level line, then taking a handsaw and cutting along the line to the desired depth. Then I take the saw and cut out the initial bigger chunks and carefully carve out the remainder with my striker tool - this one is 1.5' by 1" with short angled blades all along it; actually a key tool in my patented wall system.

Planing of the Spray Foam Complete!

Check!

Next.

It's taken me about a day to use my Masterbond-SP Vac-Plane tool to plane the exterior spray foam on my motorhome, completely flat. I've fine tuned the wall with the round brush as well. Here are some pictures of the flattened exterior walls.



Next step, acrylic base coat, then stucco finish!

Masterbond-SP Vac-Plane Tool Demonstration

This video can also be viewed on youtube.com

My office assistant and I have put together a video elaborating on the Vac-Plane tool, it's use and the general planing process.

Planing the Spray Foam

The next step in my patented Masterbond-SP wall system, is to use a tool I invented, the Vac-Planer. We use these on all of our exterior jobs as it is a crucial piece to my patented wall system process. I use my patented Vac-Planer tool to plane the dried spray foam insulation to a perfectly flat surface. It has an optional vacuum attachment that is great to keep job sites clean. It's optional as some jobs, such as this one, occupy such small spaces that the vacuum hose is not useful. Shaved foam chips are easy to sweep or vacuum up afterwards if you don't use the vacuum attachment.

The first thing I like to do is to dig out any fixtures. Here I've dug out the heater components. Here I am in action, planing the wall.
(NOTE: You may want to mute your computer or turn down volume before playing this video clip as it is live and full volume!)

This is a profile picture of the sprayed foam before I planed it. This is a profile picture of the same wall after I planed it. I've placed a straightedge on it to check for low and high spots.
Once I assess the high and low spots, I then fine tune the wall and sculpt desired portions with a round brush (actually designed for grooming horses!).

This is a sculpted flare above the wheel well.

Finally, Spray Foam Complete!

After simply heating, for about an hour, the exterior of the metal motorhome to the proper temperature for successful spray foam adhesion, I have completed the first phase of my patented Masterbond-SP exterior wall system: application of closed cell spray foam insulation. Here are a few images of the dried foam.


That's me at the end.

Under the Big Tent

All proper castles have tents in their courtyard hiding the wonders of the world within. The bearded lady...the snake man...the world's first stucco motor castle!

I had to do a little rearranging of vehicles etc. to accommodate the final phases of my stucco motorhome. Taking down the neighbor's fence was not an option. So, the souped up van I had in a car show years ago, was loaded onto a flatbed and moved to my warehouse, my large foam truck I take to jobs is parked in the street and the motor castle is now centered in my driveway.

Once in place, the winter weather approach of spraying foam insulation had to be set up. When I do exterior spray foam insulation jobs in the winter I tarp over the entire space as I need to heat the air and the surface to a certain temperature so the foam adheres correctly. This is surprisingly much easier than you would expect. It took about an hour to get the metal exterior walls of the motorhome to the desired temperature.
Boy I would hate to be my neighbors. At least I'm adding a little color to an otherwise bleak winter landscape!
I've set up a couple of stories of staging so I can easily spray the top of the motorhome.