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House Insulation Standards In Ontario

Most modern homes in Ontario are adequately insulated to enhance comfort and warmth. Today, no one wants to live in a house with cold drafts and poor air quality. Proper insulation is designed to maintain a comfortable room temperature regardless of the weather outside. It’s an important investment for homeowners and one that can instantly boost the value of their property.

Is Your Home Poorly Insulated?

There are various issues to look out for that signify insulation problems in your home. During those cold winter months, are the walls too cold to touch? You may also notice extremely cold floors and you end up running your heating unit throughout the day to keep the house warm resulting in high heating costs. Poor insulation can also cause uneven heating in buildings where certain parts of your home are colder than others. In cases where moisture finds its way into the house structure, you’ll notice mold growing on the walls.

Insulation problems may also be more pronounced during those hot summer months. Your home may become uncomfortably hot so you have to run the HVAC unit all day long leading to high cooling costs. Sometimes it may seem as if your air conditioning system is ineffective simply because your home is not properly insulated. If you notice such conditions its better to contact a reliable HVAC contractor as soon as possible.

Is The Insulation Material Effective?

To determine how well an insulation material is able to resist the movement of heat, which is basically how effective it is, check its R and RSI values. Your local building code may require a certain value for the insulation material and higher the values, the more effective the material is. The effectiveness of the insulation material will also depend on how well it is installed. You may end up reducing the actual R values of the material if you leave air spaces around it during installation or by compressing the material. Therefore, make sure you get an expert to install the insulation material properly.

Components of an effective insulation system

For An Insulation System To Be Effective It Needs To Have The Following Components:

  • An air barrier: This is designed to prevent air from moving in and out of the home through the system.
  • Properly filled cavities: This is meant to avoid compressing the insulation material and make sure there are no gaps or spaces left.
  • Thermal bridges: On the wall, there are points which have a lower R value so as to allow heat to escape.
  • Vapor retarder: The purpose of this component is to prevent moisture from finding its way to the colder areas in the building where it can easily condense.
  • Ability to dry: The insulation material should be able to release any moisture that it’s in contact with so that it doesn’t get to the property’s interior.

Is Insulation Worth Your Time And Money?

Certainly yes. Having a proper insulation system in your home can save you money in reduced energy bills as well as keep you comfortable in your home regardless of the weather. Factors such as the cost of standard building supplies, framing, cladding and finishing changes will add on to the cost of insulation. Consult a professional to help you select an insulation system that is ideal for your home.