Insulate Your Home. Get a Rebate From the Government!

October 30, 2016

The Ontario Government has recently updated and enhanced the Home Reno Rebate Program for residential homeowners. The HRRP provides rebates of up to $5,000 for homeowners who are doing upgrades or renovations designed to improve energy efficiency. It's an excellent incentive to better insulate...

The Ins and Outs of Continuous Insulation

October 28, 2016

Whether it's building code compliant or not, continuous insulation is far less understood than it should be - even among insulation professionals, building contractors, and home renovators. The fact is, thermal bridging reduces insulation performance significantly - up to 20% in wood frame...

Understanding Carbon Pricing For the Average Homeowner

October 27, 2016

By any description, the concept of carbon pricing is difficult to grasp, particularly for an average homeowner or driver. Essentially, carbon pricing is the approach most favoured by economists worldwide for reducing the negative effects of global warming. Simply put, whoever discharges carbon...

The Shortfalls of Thermal Bridging in a Building Structure

October 26, 2016

A thermal bridge is a surface area (mostly in a building structure), which has a higher potential for "heat transfer" than adjacent materials. Thermal bridges contribute to the overall reduction of insulation performance, oftentimes throughout the entire building structure. Often referred...

The Importance of Insulating Your Cottage

October 24, 2016

Traditional summer cottages have little or no insulation, because in most climates, there's just no need. Warm summer temperatures don't promote much indoor moisture accumulation, and for the most part, everything is dry. For those who plan to insulate their cottage, and to use it during the...

The Difference Between Nominal R-Values and Effective R-Values

October 19, 2016

The concept of "consumers beware" takes on new relevancy when it comes to home insulation. And that relevancy becomes acute with respect to R-Values - the industry measure that defines insulation performance. It's not that much different than any other consumer product - like that new...

What Are Building Codes? Why Are They So Important?

September 29, 2016

Every residential home is different - built in a different era; with different specifications; and with different building materials. As such, Building Codes allow for standardization and consistency in building practices. This would apply to everything from a newly constructed home, to a basement...

Why an Air Tightness Test is So Important

September 26, 2016

Whether building a new home, or installing new insulation, air tightness is key to performance. In most cases, professionals acknowledge this fact, and further recognize the importance of an air tightness test. The bigger issue, it seems, is how best to insulate a space, and pass an air tightness...

The Dangers of Having Excessive Attic Heat

September 23, 2016

It sounds somewhat counter-intuitive, but many homes, particularly those that are older than 20 years, suffer from excessive heat in the attic. In most cases, it's an unseen problem, but could very well lead to other issues, both in summer and in winter. In summer, excessive attic heat can...

How to Prepare a Home for Home Energy Labeling?

September 21, 2016

For many, Home Energy Labeling will be a completely new concept. It's starting to gain exposure, but will make much greater gains in the coming years. Energy Labeling is essentially about rating the energy efficiency of a home, for today, and for the future. It means that a current homeowner can...