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5 signs your home needs insulation

October 19, 2021

Looking to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient this year? Replacing or upgrading your insulation can go a long way to making your space warm in winter and cool in summer - and keeping your house healthy. But how do you know when it’s time to call the insulation pros? Look for these 5 signs. 

 

1. High utility bills. 

If you’ve already invested in energy efficient appliances, but your bills are still higher than they should be in summer and winter, air leakage could be the culprit. Your warm (or cool) air could very well be sneaking out through a poorly insulated crawl space or attic, walls with old or pest-damaged insulation, inadequately insulated areas that house your mechanicals, you name it. There are lots of potential sources for heat loss. 

Ask us how we can find the air leak paths in your home. 

2. Your home feels drafty.

A sense of draftiness can happen even if your house is air-tight. In fact, there may be no actual “draft” coming in: the feeling could be caused by a cold, poorly insulated building envelope. When warmth leaves your body and tries to warm up the wall, that can give you the sensation of a draft. 

3. Cold floors. 

If you have a room that’s above an unheated garage or your floor is otherwise exposed to the outdoors, it can leave the floor – and the rest of the room – feeling uncomfortably chilly. This can be an indicator of damaged or insufficient insulation. Insulating that floor from below can make a huge difference in the comfort of a room, and it can be a particularly quick fix if the area below is unfinished. 

4. Melted spots on a snowy roof. 

Take a look at your house the next time it snows: if you see spots where the snow has melted, that’s a warning sign. Those melted areas tend to be the result of a heat source, air leakage or otherwise poorly insulated area, and indicate that heat is escaping through the roof. This issue can lead to more than just higher energy costs: melted snow and ice cause condensation in your attic, which can drip down into your insulation, compressing it and also leading to mold damage. 

5. Icicles along your roofline. 

These may look beautiful, but they’re a sign of heat loss and can cause a lot of damage. This phenomenon is called ice damming, and it happens when lost heat melts the snow on your roof, which then runs down the roofline and freezes. That ice is very damaging to aluminum and soffit: it can get heavy enough to rip an eavestrough right off. Ice buildup can also lift and get under shingles: as soon as it melts, that water will leak into your house and cause all kinds of damage. 

 

Is your home showing one or more of these warning signs? 

Talk to us! Book a consultation with a Great Northern Insulation specialist today to see how we can help you stay warm this winter. 

Western Ontario

935 Keyes Drive
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada N4V 1C3

Phone: 1-800-265-1914

Fax: (519) 539-7946
TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

Muskoka, Haliburton, Northern Ontario

1027 Elwell Park Road
Gravenhurst, Ontario
Canada P1P 1R1

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

Central Ontario

29 Ferndale Industrial Drive
Barrie, Ontario
Canada L4N 9V5

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

Greater Toronto Area

2 Guided Court
Etobicoke, ON
M9V 4K6

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

GTA East

103 North Port Road
Port Perry, Ontario
Canada L9L 1B2

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

South Central Ontario

450 Industrial Dr,
Toronto (Milton), Ontario
Canada L9T 5A6

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

Eastern Ontario

1035 Moodie Dr #1,
Nepean, ON
K2R 1H4

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

Niagara Region

25 Lincoln Ave
St. Catharines, ON
L2P 2C7

TOLL FREE: 1-800-265-1914

BBB

Great Northern Insulation - Better Business Bureau Profile.

Homestars Best of 2021 Award

Best of 2021

HomeStars has ranked Great Northern Insulation as a company that goes above and beyond in every aspect of business for the year of 2021.

Homestars Best of 2022 Award

Best of 2022

HomeStars has ranked Great Northern Insulation as a company that goes above and beyond in every aspect of business for the year of 2022.

Lowes

GNI is the Authorized & Trusted Insulation and Air Sealing Installer for Lowe’s

Trusted for Over 40 Years

Over 40 Years in Business

At GNI, we service your project with the most experienced staff in the industry. Ongoing professional development is an obsession at GNI and we will not compromise at any level to bring to our customers the very best Installers, Sales Representatives, Customer Care Personnel, Field Superintendents, Estimating and Technical Support to your project.

100% Canadian

100% Canadian

Great Northern Insulation is recognized as Canada's largest full-service insulation contractor. GNI is 100% Canadian owned, proudly serving Ontario customers since 1980.

Foam Masters

Do it right the first time
- with foam mastersTM

January, 2021 regulatory phaseout of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with the introduction of WALLTITE CM01. Using hydrofluorolefins (HFOs) with lower global warming potential (GWP) compared to HFCs, WALLTITE CM01 is the next generation of spray foam insulation.

HEATLOK® SOYA HFO™ 

Huntsman HEATLOK® SOYA HFO™ 

Heatlok® Soya HFOTM leverages Honeywell’s latest Solstice® Liquid Blowing Agent technology. This new hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) blowing agent is the most environmentally conscious blowing agent produced to date, with a zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and a global warming potential (GWP) of 1, which is more than two orders of magnitude (99.9%) lower than HFCs used in this industry.

3M

3MTM products.
Quality + Performance = Savings

3MTM energy-saving products are designed to keep warm air in, and cold air out, while keeping energy bills down. Products optimize energy efficiency in buildings and homes; improve indoor environment for occupants; and effect the reduction of seasonal energy costs. 3M products are authorized for LEED credits (Leadership in Energy/Environmental Design).

Holmes and Holmes

Holmes and Holmes

 

Mike Holmes and his son Mike Jr. (MJ) convert MJ’s bachelor bungalow into a two-storey home for MJ and his girlfriend Lisa. Choosing the newest materials and build techniques, the father and son team follow Mike’s famous motto – “Make it right.” The show can be watched on HGTV and DIY Network.

Enbridge

Enbridge Incentives

The Home Efficiency Rebate Plus program offers up to $10,000 in home reno rebates – and Great Northern Insulation can pave the way.

Renomark

Great Northern Insulation proudly abides by a renovation-specific Code of Conduct set by RenoMark™.

eRenovate

We are Verified & Bonded by eRenovate. When you choose to proceed with our services through their platform, you receive the gaurantees set forth through their program.

As Seen on Love It or List It

The GNI crew have been featured installing insulation on Love It or List It - have you seen our logo in an episode?

Climatizer Cellulose

Climatizer

CLIMATIZER PLUS cellulose insulation is manufactured from a minimum of 85% locally-sourced post-consumer recycled newsprint. Non-toxic additives are applied to the uniquely fiberized paper generating a building material with superior thermal and acoustic properties, as well as exceptional resistance to fire, moisture, mould and pests.

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