A Guide to Attic Insulation

Insulation is a crucial part of keeping your attic and thus the rest of your home cool and well regulated. The most popular insulation can be found in your attic. Here’s a guide to understanding some of the basics of attic insulation.

What is attic insulation?

Insulation can be placed anywhere, but it is usually used in attics. It prevents heat transfer by reducing the temperature difference between the warm house air and the roofing material. This keeps you cool in summer because your roof doesn’t get as hot. It also keeps you warm in winter because your roof doesn’t lose as much heat. With the attic being a big determining factor in your house’s overall temperature, insulating means keeping the rest of the house at a reasonable temperature during hot and cold seasons.

Types of attic insulation

Most attic insulation comes in two types – fiberglass or cellulose.

Fiberglass insulation is a popular type of insulation. It has been the most common attic insulation since its invention in 1938. Fiberglass also comes in two forms: loose-fill and batts/rigid rolls. Loose-fill is made of fiberglass and resembles the insulation that is blown into your attic and is available with a reflective foil covering. Batts/rigid rolls are made of compressed fiberglass and come in different thicknesses.

Cellulose attic insulation is another popular attic insulation material. It comes from recycled newspaper, wood pulp, or other plant-based materials. It is often blown into the attic by a machine, but sometimes it can be poured in too.

Do I need attic insulation?

If you don’t already have attic insulation, you should get it to reduce your energy bills! Insulation does a lot more than just saving a few dollars on energy bills. It also reduces the amount of air leakage and heat loss in your attic and prevents damage from mold, water, and mildew! Another less significant benefits of insulation include noise reduction. Let the outside world remain outside with proper insulation.

So let’s recap that;

reduce energy costs for heating and cooling
reduces outside noise
prevents damage to houses due to water leakage, mold, mildew

Cons of not installing attic insulation

wasted money on energy bills for heating/cooling unused space in the house
It contributes to global warming by wasting energy through air infiltration.

Are you looking to make a move and get your attic correctly insulated? Get the best attic insulation Ottawa has to offer! Then, don’t waste any more time! Instead, go to our website and get in touch with us about a free estimate. Ottawa Insulation is ready to chat with you about your insulation ambitions.

How To Qualify For The Greener Homes Grant

Many homeowners have a lengthy “To Do” list of upgrades and repairs that they want to make to their homes. Maybe you’ve been dreaming of some new windows, or switching to a renewable energy source by installing solar panels? Perhaps a new water heater is in order or a new thermostat to help better regulate the heating and cooling in your home? All of these things cost money. If you have been saving your money in an effort to make some upgrades to your home, the Canada Greener Homes Grant just may be the ticket. If you qualify, the Canadian Government could pay you up to $5000 to retrofit your house. So, just what is the Greener Homes grant and how do you qualify? Continue reading to learn more about this helpful initiative that entices Canadians to have more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly homes.

What Is the Greener Homes Grant

Approximately 18% of all greenhouse emissions in Canada come from buildings, including residential homes. In an effort to reduce Canada’s overall carbon footprint, the government has introduced the Greener Homes Grant. This grant could entitle you to receive up to $5000 in reimbursements for retrofitting your home insulation, windows, air sealing, and more. In addition to reducing your home’s carbon footprint, these retrofits can help you save on monthly utility costs, make your home more comfortable, and become more energy efficient.

How To Qualify

In order to qualify for the grant, you must be a Canadian homeowner. Only one homeowner per home may qualify for the grant. Additionally, you must provide proof of ownership and demonstrate that the home is your primary residence.

The first step to qualify for the grant is to conduct a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation. This evaluation will make recommendations of qualifying retrofits to your home. Once you have completed at least one of the recommended and qualifying retrofits, you can then conduct your post-retrofit evaluation. At this point, you will be reimbursed for both evaluations, upto $600, as well as any qualifying retrofits recommended by your energy advisor. The biggest thing to understand is that this is a reimbursement process. You will not receive any grant money without the pre and post-retrofit evaluations. In addition you must have completed at least one of the recommended retrofits. Basically, If you decide to have the pre-retrofit evaluation and do not follow through with any of the recommendations, you will not receive a reimbursement. Finally, by submitting the required paperwork online, you will be reimbursed for any recommended and qualifying retrofits completed after December 1, 2020.

When it comes to taking care of your home, it can sometimes feel like a battle to decide which upgrades and changes take priority and which ones can take the backseat. With the Canadian Greener Homes Grant, you don’t need to prioritize. As long as you qualify, the Canadian Government will help you make all of the energy-efficient upgrades your home needs. For further information, you can visit their website or contact your local energy advisor to start your pre-retrofit evaluation today.

Why Do Ice Dams Happen On Roofs

Have you ever woken up and seen those dangling icicles hanging from the roof? Well, those are called ice dams, and they’re not something you should celebrate having anywhere near your home. While they’ve been romanticized in movies and television as a result of the winter season and snow, they’re actually far more preventable than you’ve been led to believe. But what actually causes ice dams?

We’re going to break down some of the reasons why you might be experiencing ice dams.

Air Leaks

When air leaks through areas of your home like the ceiling, the issues come in that as the air rises, it warms your attic and melts the snow leading to ice dams.

Ventilation Equipment

This isn’t as common as it once was because we rarely see things like furnaces, air conditioners, or ductwork in attics these days. However, if you’ve read all three of those things and have even one of them, then they’re likely contributing to the problem of ice dams.

On another note, if you do have one of these ventilation systems in your attic, then you’re adding a likely 25% to your energy bill. Again, this is because you’re keeping them running in a room that is regularly the hottest or coldest room in your home.

Pot Lights

This isn’t likely the biggest culprit of ice dams because they generate heat themselves; however, they’re difficult to seal. The worst part isn’t even the difficult sealing process, but more than the cold air passes through the bulbs. The heat of the bulbs can have an intensified effect on forming ice dams.

Thermal Bridging

Inadequate insulation is often the biggest culprit when it comes to ice dams. Older homes especially lack sufficient insulation requirements to prevent ice dams from forming. Low sloped roofs with a short overhang suffer the most because when the heat rises and is transferred through the frame, with warms the roof deck. This, in turn, melts the snow. As a result, the water runs down slowly and freezes again quickly as it falls down the sides.

Snow/Sun/Wind

When there’s a considerable amount of snow on your roof, it places a giant blanket over your attic and insulates it. As the attic warms up, so does the snow before it gets to a melting point. This is made worse with the sun and wind, where they have a similar effect on the snow by melting and moving it to form the ice dams you’re seeing every morning.

Regardless of how it happens, however, ice dams are not something you want anywhere near your home. It’s essential to solve the problem before it damages your home.

Final Thoughts

Want to stop ice dams in their tracks? Want to protect your home from the damaging effects of these frozen daggers? In that case, you should probably give Ottawa Insulations a call.

When it comes to insulation, when it comes to local insulation companies Ottawa, we’re the best around town.

Ways To Improve Energy Efficiency

Energy is expensive, and you don’t want to be spending more money than necessary every month just to keep the lights on. However, there are so many ways to improve your energy efficiency and create a more sustainable energy dependency.

Here are eight ways you can improve your energy efficiency.

Replace Dated Appliances

Appliances have changed considerably in the past few decades. Technology has advanced to make appliances run more efficiently, all while using less energy. The problem is, you’re probably still working with the models of yesteryear! So look around your home and start considering making a few upgrades to your appliances.

Insulate Your Pipes and Water Heater

If you’re not going to insulate your entire home, which we recommend you strongly consider doing, then at least insulate your pipes and water heater. You can purchase a water heater jacket that will do most of what you need when insulating your water heater. They’re affordable and easy to install.

Maintain Clean Filters

Air filters, when left unmaintained, can get extremely dirty. Not only is this actually a health hazard, but it is also a significant energy consumer. When your filters are dirty, the energy needed to run the HVAC system doubles, triples or even quadruples. So never neglect your filter maintenance for your health and wallet’s sake.

Insulate Various Rooms In Your Home

When winter rolls around, it’s going to get cold, and your home is going to feel that chill in the air. Adversely, when the Summer rolls around, you’re going to feel the heat. The likeliness is that you’ve got a really good heating and cooling system. Awesome! But, if your home isn’t insulated, that system is working twice as hard to replace all the reproduced and well-regulated air that the heating and cooling system worked so hard to create. Why? There are so many places for that air to escape.

When you insulate your home, you’re giving the air little to zero chance of escaping. When your house can retain the well-regulated temperatures, well, then the heating and cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep up. As a result, this ends up saving you a ton of money on your energy bills.

Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

This task is super easy. All you need to do is go out to your favorite hardware store and grab a ton of LED or CFL bulbs to replace all the old energy waiting bulbs. It may seem like it’s a waste of time, or maybe you think the effects will barely be noticeable; you’d be shocked when you start seeing your energy bill go down month-to-month.

Final Thoughts

Suppose you’re looking to make some capital improvements to your property and want to consider insulating your home to improve your energy efficiency. In that case, you should probably give Ottawa Insulations a call.

We’ve been doing this a while, and we’re some of the best insulation contractors Ottawa has to offer. When it comes to insulation, when it comes to local insulation companies Ottawa, we’re the best around town.

Top Areas of the Home That Need Insulation

The statistics for how many homes in certain countries are actually insulated properly might shock you. They’re not good, and they’re not getting better any time soon. So don’t be a part of the negative statistics when it comes to protecting your home and saving money in the long run.

We’re going to tell you the five top areas of your home that need insulation, like yesterday!

Basement

Have you ever gone into your basement and thought, ‘why is it so cold in here?’ Well, the likely answer is that your basement just isn’t insulated, and if it is, it’s probably not done right. When you properly insulate your basement, it doesn’t just add warmth to the area, but it also helps prevent pests and mold, which can affect your entire home.

Properly insulating your basement means your heating and cooling systems don’t have to overwork themselves to keep your home temperature regulated.

Attic

When your attic isn’t insulated, heat escapes your home through the roof and is replaced with the cold/cool air from outside. For these reasons, you need to prioritize your attic when it comes to insulating your home, especially in preparation for the winter season.

Properly insulating your attic will keep your home both Winter and Summer ready by keeping it warm and cool when necessary.

Walls

Insulating your walls is a big aid to comfort as it can prevent air from escaping through the walls. In addition, when you insulate your walls, you’re preventing the drafts from ever occurring by creating a barrier between the outside and the inside of your home through interior/exterior wall insulation.

A big plus to insulating your walls is that they help dampen sound so you can get a touch more privacy in your home, from room to room.

Floors

Floors in rooms like the garage, crawl spaces, etc., should be insulated because when they aren’t, you allow conditioned air and heat to get lost. When you insulate your floors, you’re reducing the risk of moisture, preventing drafts, and most importantly, retaining cooled and heated air.

Ceilings

The biggie is always the ceiling. Winter can be a difficult time for your home to keep up and retain the necessary heat to keep you and your family warm. As the heat rises, an inadequate (or non-existent) insulation job can leave your home, giving away heat, and in the Summer, it can make the heat far worse.

Insulating your ceiling means you’re not going to get drastic shifts in temperature because your home will be able to keep up with the varying temperatures of the seasons. Furthermore, you’re preventing a host of potential problems that you could face, like condensation, mold, and other threats to your home.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking to make some capital improvements to your property and want to consider insulating your home, you should probably give Ottawa Insulations a call.

We’ve been doing this a while, and we’re some of the best insulation contractors Ottawa has to offer! Because when it comes to insulation, we’re the best local insulation company Ottawa has with a wide range of services to meet your needs.

The Benefits of Insulating Your Basement

There are so many benefits to insulating your entire home, but if you’re looking for a place to start, the basement is where you should look. Ignore the cons of insulating your basement, such as the cost or the reduced airflow, because the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Here are some of the benefits that come with insulating your basement.

Improved Temperature Management

When your insulation is not up to par or is non-existent, then cold and damp air that emanates in the basement works against the efforts of your HVAC. While it tries desperately to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, your basement is acting as the thorn in its side.

Since heat rises, you’re going to lose a vast amount of heated or cooled air in the rooms above your basement if your basement isn’t insulated correctly.

Energy Bills Will See A Decline

This is more felt when you insulate your entire home, but that doesn’t mean you won’t notice a slight improvement in your energy bill if you stick to the basement only. The main reason behind this is because of the improved temperature management. You’re helping your heating and cooling system work less hard to achieve the same results. By eliminating gaps for warm or cooled air to escape, the HVAC systems aren’t working overtime to replace lost cooled/heated air.

Soundproofing

When you insulate your basement, you’re adding a layer of soundproof to the room that means you can finally break out the old drumkit and go wild. It might not be the biggest selling point, but it is something to celebrate.

Local Building Codes Will Be Adhered To

If you’re not up to date with your local building codes, then maybe contact people who know them inside and out because you might actually be violating them. For example, some areas actually require homes to insulate their basements and other rooms and require homes to meet R-standards, which varies from region to region. To achieve the required R-value means insulating your basement and perhaps other rooms in your home.

Comfort Will Improve

If you use your basement for more than just storage, then insulating it will add to the comfort levels felt in the room. However, regardless of the use of your basement, the truth is that you will feel additional comfort throughout the home, thanks to the proper insulation job. This is because now heat and cooling can be retained, and it can go uninterrupted.

Allergen Prevention

A big deal is that insulating your basement means you’re preventing allergens like mold, mildew, dust, and more from occurring. This means so much to the air quality in your home as you’re allowing it to be cleaner.

Final Thoughts

Suppose you’re looking to make some capital improvements to your property and want to consider insulating your home to gain all the benefits that come with this investment. In that case, you should probably give Ottawa Insulations a call.

We’re some of the best insulation contractors Ottawa has to offer. When it comes to insulation, when it comes to local insulation companies Ottawa, we’re the ones to call first.

Why Do I Have Ice Dams on my Roof?

Have you ever wonder why ice dams always appear on your roof? Maybe you’ve thought about how nice it looks and never really considered what it might mean for your home if they occur.

We’re going to break down what ice dams are, why they occur, and what they might mean for your home!

What are Ice Dams?

Ever wake up in the morning and take your coffee out onto the porch to notice that there are pointy bits of ice hanging from your roof? Well, that’s an ice dam.

Those chunks of ice appear when snow from your roof melts and travels down to cooler points of the building only to freeze again into what is referred to as ice dams.

What Causes Ice Dams to Form?

There are several reasons ice dams form, including;

Inadequate Insulation – Older homes often feature inadequate insulation from way back when the house was built. Low sloped roofs and short overhangs especially suffer due to insufficient insulation at the spots where the wall and roof meet. As heat transfers through framing members, it warms the roof, melts the snow, and freezes again into ice dams at the overhang.
Ventilation Equipment – This isn’t as common as it maybe once was, but ventilation in attics was once a leading cause of ice dams. If you have this equipment in your attic, know you’re wasting money on a space that doesn’t benefit from such measures.
Snow, Sun, and Wind – When snow falls, it insulates your home as it collects on the roof. It warms your attic, causing snow to melt, and as it runs down the roof, eventually forming into ice dams at cooler temperature points. Another issue is that as the wind blows the snow off and the sun heats the top, causing the attic to heat up with it, the snow melts and runs down the roof again, resulting in ice dams.
Pot Lights – Since they generate heat, they aren’t as much of a problem as some of these other reasons. However, due to their inability to be well sealed, and the air leaks, the heated air only intensifies the problem.

What are the Dangers of Ice Dams?

Ice dams can cause extensive damage to your home as it’s able to let water penetrate your interior walls allowing for damage to the wall and roof. Ice dams can have unimaginable consequences if not effectively dealt with, so start making some calls if you see ice dams.

Prevention and Protection from Ice Dams

Some of the reasons for ice dams are unavoidable. You are never going to be able to control the weather. Snow, wind, and sun will always be present in some capacity, contributing to the ice dams. However, a properly insulated home can prevent the snow from melting prematurely.

When the home is insulated, the snow can melt when the overall temperature has returned to an ice melting point. Snow melting when it’s ready is far better than it melting prematurely due to the temperature of your home. In addition, insulation can keep the interior and exterior temperatures separated and save your home from the damaging effects of ice dams.

Are you looking to make a move and get your basement or attic correctly insulated? Then, don’t waste any more time! Instead, contact us and get in touch with us about a free estimate. Ottawa Insulation is ready to chat with you about your basement ambitions.

What Does an Insulation Contractor Do?

Insulation contractors are simply specialized contractors. Their job is to install thermal insulation in your home to solve a whole host of issues that could severely damage your property during extreme weather conditions.

What do Insulation Contractors do?

Insulation contractors are responsible from day one of your insulation projects to do the following;

Review the area where the insulation is needed.
Assess the blueprints.
Source materials and deliberate over which is the best course of action.
Insulate property correctly to ensure it is protected from the cold, heat, and moisture.

Types of Insulation Contractors

Insulation contractors can be further specialized by method or by type of work.

Residential Insulation Contractors

Working closely with homeowners, insulation contractors with a residential specialization seek to add insulation to existing homes or incorporate it into new builds.

In the case of existing homes, insulation contractors will access the home, understand the challenges the property faces, and try to fix each issue. They’re fully aware that insulation can solve a ton of problems such as;

Energy consumption and High energy bills.
Drafts in the home.
Damage to pipes when cold weather freezes them.
Pesky Ice dams.
Regulate temperatures to avoid rooms being too hot or cold.

With the construction of new homes, insulation contractors work with contractors to ensure these problems are never experienced by future residents.

Commercial & Industrial Insulation Contractors

When it comes to commercial and industrial properties, these specialized insulation contractors work alongside builders, architects, and project managers to meet stringent building codes.

Commercial and industrial insulation contractors work on all types of non-residential buildings. For example, they insulate buildings such as schools, hospitals, office buildings, factories, etc.

When an insulation contractor specializes in commercial and industrial, they rarely cross over and work on residential insulation. This is partly due to how commercial and industrial insulation companies are structured.

Forever Problem Solving

Insulation contractors are problem solvers at heart. They’re coming in to insulate your home or business, but they’re solving problems that have long existed. Some of these problems you may not have noticed, and some you may have gotten so used to by now, you no longer realize it is a problem.

Comfort Issues

When it gets hotter and colder, depending on the season, you may have noticed your house gets hit really hard with intensive variations of the outside temperature. So when insulation contractors come and insulate your home, they’re looking to minimize or eradicate the issue entirely to regulate your home’s temperature.

Solving Annoyances and Saving you Money

You are a busy person who doesn’t have time to deal with the annoyance of what a cold front or heatwave might do to your home.

Insulation contractors work to make sure annoyances like this never happen. This not only gives you peace of mind, but it also saves you money. No more replacing pipes or worrying about the foundation.

High Energy Bills

One thing insulation contractors know is that proper insulation can lead to a reduction in energy bills. So they’re counting on that as a significant point of interest for people on the fence about going through with the process.

Nobody should be against insulating their home, considering how dangerous it can be to live in an area with extreme weather conditions. However, if there is some doubt, saving money long term is always a great sales pitch.

Are you looking for the best insulation contractors available to make to ensure you get your basement correctly insulated? Then, don’t waste any more time! Instead, go to our contact page and get in touch with us about a free estimate. Ottawa Insulation is ready to chat with you about your basement ambitions.

What Are The Benefits of Basement Insulation?

Basement insulation is an important part of any home improvement project. Providing numerous benefits to you as both a homeowner and as someone who lives in that home. We’re going to break down some of the best benefits of basement insulation for you to help make the decision that much easier.

Reduced Energy Consumption

With basement insulation, you’re allowing your home to benefit from a more regulated temperature. So while some days will get colder, and others perhaps warmer, you’re able to enjoy a home that is protected and is climate controlled by basement insulation.

As a result of this regulated temperature, you’re reducing your energy consumption on things such as heaters or air conditioners. So while using heaters or air-conditioners isn’t off the table, the need and intensity at which you use them will be considerably diminished.

You’ll reduce energy consumption and save money on your gas and electricity bills in the long run. Bonus, you’ll remain warm on those cold winter nights.

Lower Moisture Content

What might be one of basement insulation’s most significant benefits is how it works to protect your home from accumulating moisture and condensation. When a house has a high moisture content, you risk the growth of mildew, mold, and fungi over time.

The risks associated with mold, mildew, and fungi are hazardous health-wise and structurally to your home. In addition, with the accumulation of moisture and the ensuing instances of mold, mildew, and fungi, you risk allowing your home to degrade and subsequently destabilize.

When you properly insulate your basement, you stand the chance of either avoiding or decreasing the risks.

Protects Pipes From Freezing

Cold weather conditions can bring a host of problems with them. Any homeowner knows that the colder the temperature, the more devastating the effects it could have on certain aspects of your home. One of those aspects is water pipes, which can freeze in extremely cold conditions.

Water pipes freezing can result in damages that require costly repairs. However, suppose your basement is appropriately insulated. In that case, the risk of freezing water pipes is reduced substantially to the point where it is highly unlikely it will happen to you.

Protect the Foundation

When you apply exterior basement wall insulation, you’re protecting your home from outside water damage. In the colder climates, when freeze and thaw cycles run rampant, having an insulated exterior basement wall means it acts as a buffer, protecting the structure from moisture problems.

Code Compliance (Area Dependent)

Some provinces/states, counties, towns, etc., actually have requirements for homes to be adequately insulated to ensure longevity in the structure. Make sure you actually look at the building codes for your location.

Knowing the building codes can completely change the topic of discussion. The conversation will go from ‘what reasons should I get my basement insulated?’ to ‘how do I get my basement insulated?’

Are you looking to make a move and get your basement correctly insulated? Then, don’t waste any more time! Instead, go here and get in touch with us about a free estimate. Ottawa Insulation is ready to chat with you about your basement ambitions.

Attic Insulation – What You Should Know

Why Should You Insulate Your Attic?

Insulating your attic can help prevent gradual damage to your home. With extreme heat or cold comes moisture and water. The presence of moisture can cause wall erosion and negatively impact the structure of your home.

Insulation minimizes and effectively prevents such an occurrence.

What Should You Know Ahead of Insulating Your Attic?

Here are three things you need to know ahead of insulating your attic.

What is the Current Condition of Your Attic?

Grab a builder or architect and inspect the current state of your attic. Look out for existing moisture problems such as wet or damp insulation, mold, or rotted rafters. This can identify if there’s a potential leak in your roof.

Also, take note of the rafter size. Many older homes have undersized rafters that are no longer up to building codes. As a result, when the heat rises in the attic, helping to melt snow accumulated on the roof, it can sag the rafters, leading to roof failure.

Properly Seal The Space

Once you’ve made an evaluation, make sure the attic is properly air-sealed. Ensuring the space is appropriately sealed means you need to be on the hunt for any space air can get in from; holes, cracks, gaps, etc.

Deciding on the Best Insulation Method Beforehand

Now it’s time to decide on the method of insulation. We’re going to break some of the processes down to help in your decision-making and understanding.

What Are The Different Methods of Attic Insulation?

There are many different insulation methods for your attic, but these are a few we believe are worth mentioning and going over.

Fiberglass Batt Attic Insulation

Fiberglass Batt is a double-edged sword. It’s easy to add insulation but doesn’t do a great job insulating. Regardless, people focus on the straightforward and speedy nature of this method and, in turn, have made it one of the most popular attic insulation methods.

Loose-Fill Fiberglass Batt Attic Insulation

When it comes to new construction homes, loose-fill fiberglass batt insulation is dominating the space. To insulate, you’ll need an insulation blower as it’s nearly impossible to spread it around yourself. In addition, older fiberglass can be itchy and bothersome to your skin and lungs, so keep this in mind as time goes on.

Loose-fill Fiberglass Batt Insulation has an estimated R-value of 2.5 per inch.

Cellulose Attic Insulation

Cellulose is made from recycled ground-up paper and boric acid. The boric acid helps control bugs and protect against fires. Like loose-fiberglass batt, you’ll need an insulation blower to install the material properly.

Cellulose Insulation has an estimated R-value of 3.5 per inch.

Spray Foam Attic Insulation

There are two types of spray foam insulation materials.

Closed Cell – (R-Value of 6.5)
Open Cell – (R-Value of 3.6)

When installed correctly, these insulation materials do a phenomenal job of filling in all gaps and ensuring no air gets through. The closed-cell foam also acts as a moisture barrier. However, it is an expensive method of choice and shouldn’t be installed as a DIY project.

A final note on spray foam attic insulations that heed against a DIY method is the use of highly toxic chemicals, which, if misapplied, can have devastating effects on the health of home residents.

Are you looking to make a move and get your attic correctly insulated? Then, don’t waste any more time! Instead, get in touch with us about a free estimate. Ottawa Insulation is ready to chat with you about your basement ambitions.