Attic insulation in Chatham-Kent

For the average homeowner, choosing attic insulation can be a difficult process, and can quickly turn into a frustrating experience.  It really comes down to choosing the right product and deciding on a good insulation contractor who will do the job.  In the meantime, there’s a lot of marketing going on all around us - local home-improvement contractors promote their products and services; manufacturers sell us their branded products; and we do our own shopping all over the Internet.  In the end, it seems that every insulation product is presented as the best one, and every insulation contractor is presented as the best choice.  But by choosing an established, reputable insulation contractor with good references, this whole experience can be transformed.  A good insulation contractor will work with you from the beginning of a project to the end, and will encourage a collaborative approach to the decision making process – in other words, making an effort to choose the best insulation option for your needs.

At Great Northern Insulation, we believe that customers who are well informed will make decisions that are more closely related to their requirements.  As such, our team starts off with a full attic inspection to assess current conditions, and continues with a discussion that offers next steps.  We evaluate the different product options, and make some determinations on which insulation product would be best suited for the job at hand.  We also consider the customer’s budgetary guidelines so that we match product costs and installation costs with the budget.  For customers shopping for attic insulation in Chatham-Kent, GNI has a customer approach that is designed to satisfy:  we use only the finest products on the market; we employ only the highest standard when it comes to our installations; and we deliver 100% customer satisfaction, without fail.

As it is, whichever insulation product is selected, it’s the installation by an expert with experience that’s most critical – it means applying the correct volume of insulation to meet the need, and it means ensuring maximum coverage to include every opening, hole, and cavity.  And while it’s true that an attic insulation project can be turned into a weekend do-it-yourself project, this is a job best handled by those who have the experience and expertise.  At Great Northern Insulation, the install team doesn’t just insulate an attic - they see the project as a complete system that includes air barriers to prevent air movement and vapor barriers to resist moisture penetration.  This kind of “system” approach allows for optimal efficiency of the installed insulation, and contributes to an environment that is well sealed, well ventilated and, of course, well insulated.

As for products, probably the most affordable for any budget is “blown-in” insulation.  It’s available mainly in two forms:  fiberglass or cellulose.  The fluffiness of each product traps air movement, and therefore makes it an effective insulation throughout the attic.  Both forms of “blown-in” insulation are fabricated to be fire-resistant, and will also resist mold, mildew, rodents and insects - a great option for a space like the attic.  “Blown-in” insulation uses special installation equipment, and is blown throughout the attic, so that it’s dispersed evenly and distributed with uniform density.  An excellent benefit of using this product is that it can be blown right on top of existing attic insulation.  Done properly, this is a very economical approach to increasing the existing R-value.  “Blown-in” insulation covers the attic area effectively, while creating a “thermal blanket” that contributes to very respectable levels of thermal protection.  Finally, this insulation product will cover an attic area totally, including the wooden beams, the cables and electrical wiring, and all of the ductwork.

Probably the best insulation product on the market is spray-foam insulation.  Spray-foam insulation is a combination of chemical compounds that are prepped prior to application.  When mixed, the chemical combination is sprayed out of a special hose using equipment and safety gear designed for the task.  The spray-foam initially presents in liquid form and then hardens into a thick blanket of super dense insulation.  An entire attic area can be thoroughly enveloped in one application:  this includes the crossbeams throughout the attic area; all of the plumbing and wiring; and all of the HVAC ducting that snakes throughout the space.  With expert installation, the final result is an insulated attic with a “built in” air barrier and moisture barrier combination – it’s the ultimate application, and is truly the best product on the market.

For the install teams at Great Northern Insulation, our preferred approach for attic insulation is a comprehensive approach that involves a “hybrid” insulation system.  This is an installation that combines the two types of insulation described above, into one application – in other words, it’s a combination of spray foam and blown-in insulation.  Now depending on the scope of the project, we would combine either spray foam and cellulose blown-in insulation, or spray foam and fiberglass blown-in insulation.  Throughout the industry, either of these options is well regarded, and is considered to be the best approach to insulation.  Why is that so?  It’s because this combined approach provides the ultimate in air sealing (by using the dense spray foam) and excellent value (using the spray foam along with the blown-in insulation).  As professionals, and especially when we do complete insulation removals, we will usually recommend one of our combination installs.  We remove all of the existing insulation, and we start from scratch, deciding which product combo is best for the specific job, and which combo would be most suitable for the budget.

For those customers planning to upgrade attic insulation in the Chatham-Kent region (or in the surrounding communities west of the Greater Toronto Area), Great Northern Insulation would be a good contractor to choose.  As a team, we pride ourselves on doing the job right the first time; we provide valuable warrantees for all of our products and installations; and we take care of problem issues and complaints without fail.  Quite simply, we are committed to 100% customer satisfaction.