Attic Insulation in Windsor

Choosing attic insulation for your home can be challenging.  Our mailboxes are full of promotional material from dozens of companies, and product manufacturers are advertising their wares without stop.  Of course, the Internet is filled with an overabundance of information.  It’s hard to know what to believe, and who to trust when every insulation product is the best product, and every company is the best company.  It’s clearly a challenging experience, and shopping for attic insulation in Windsor, Ontario is no exception.  In the end, the consumer is faced with deciding which product is best for them and which company is best to do the work.

In the insulation industry, Great Northern Insulation has become Canada's largest full service contractor.  In business for 35 years, GNI promises a three-fold commitment on every project:  to use the highest quality products; to deliver excellent customer service; and to provide installations that are nothing short of satisfactory.  We don’t consider a project complete until the customer is satisfied with the product, the workmanship, and the service.  We honour the warranty coverage provided by our manufacturers, and extend those warrantees to the customer.  And every installation is guaranteed, regardless of the product we install - we’re proud of the fact that we do the job right, the first time.

When insulating the attic, there’s an underlying principle that contractors agree on, no matter what insulation product is used:  an appropriate layer of insulation that is installed to completely fill every space and cavity, and every “nook and cranny”.  Beyond that, the choice of product can be frustrating, unless you’re dealing with a reputable contractor who will work with YOU to determine what’s best for YOU.  This would include some basic considerations:  a thorough inspection of the attic and an assessment of the condition; some deliberation on which product is best suited for the situation; and some discussion about cost in order to match the product with the budget.

An affordable option, and one that will suit any budget, is blown-in insulation, which is available in either fiberglass or cellulose composition.  This type of insulation has a “fluffy” make-up that restricts air movement, making it a very effective insulation in large spaces like the attic.  Fiberglass and cellulose are fire-resistant, mold resistant, and rodent resistant – very important features for the attic.  Using special equipment, the insulation gets blown into the attic, gets dispersed evenly and with uniform density throughout the space.  Blown-in insulation, whether it’s the fiberglass or the cellulose, can be blown on top of existing insulation – and when it’s installed properly can be an easy way of increasing R-value.  When covering an area, the insulation creates a “thermal blanket” that prevents heat/cool loss.  Fiberglass and cellulose can both cover the attic completely, including television cables, electric wires, HVAC ductwork, and the support beams that straddle the attic.

Another product, spray-foam insulation, is considered the best insulation product in the industry.  It’s a chemical combination that is pre-mixed prior to application, and sprayed from a nozzle, using equipment and safety gear that is specially designed.  The chemical mixture is sprayed out in a thick liquid form, expands immediately, and hardens into an insulation envelope that is thick and dense.  A space like the attic can be covered with one application, with every hole, crevice and crack being filled with the spray foam.  Throughout the attic, coverage is total, including wooden crossbeams; plumbing and wiring; and all HVAC ducting for heating and cooling.  Professionally installed, a finished attic becomes fully insulated, with a built-in air barrier and moisture barrier combined.  It’s a complete “system” that’s insulated with the best product on the market.

For the team of professionals at GNI, the optimum solution for attic insulation is a “hybrid” system.  It combines both of the insulation products described previously, and results in one comprehensive application.  It means that the spray foam insulation is combined with blown-in insulation (spray foam + cellulose OR spray foam + fiberglass) all depending on the scope of the project.  Expert in the industry agree that either of these two combinations is the very best approach to attic insulation.  The combination allows the dense spray foam to provide an excellent air and moisture barrier, and the blown-in insulation to provide excellent value for dollars spent.  When Great Northern Insulation performs an insulation removal, followed be a re-install of new insulation, our team will recommend one of the two combination installations - we remove all of the existing insulation; we determine the product combination best suited for the job; and we make sure to keep an eye on the budget.

Now, while it’s true that all of the mentioned insulation products and installation techniques could be expedited as a do-it-yourself project, this work is best left to the experts.  For the team at Great Northern Insulation, for example, we don’t just install insulation – we look at every project as an insulation system.  We emphasize air barriers, in order to prevent the movement of air between inside and outside, and we insist on vapor barriers to prevent moisture penetration and the formation of condensation.  Whether we’re installing attic insulation in Windsor, or in any of our other locales in Ontario, we believe in a comprehensive approach - the home must be sealed well, ventilated well, and insulated well – something we refer to as a “true insulated building envelope”.  

For the homeowner, a comprehensive approach to attic insulation should also include a balanced heating and cooling system and the kind of optimized HVAC performance that delivers material energy savings from season to season.  For Great Northern Insulation, it always means doing the job right the first time, while ensuring full customer satisfaction, and without compromise.  We warranty all of the products that we install; we guarantee our work without any questions; and we resolve problems and issues on the spot.  And because our goal is 100% customer satisfaction, we will replace or repair problem issues (and meet acceptable government standards) at our cost.