Add & Upgrade Insulation

Quick Facts Affordability Cost Savings CO2 Reduction		Upgrading your heating system might make your home warmer, but if it cannot hold the heat in, you will waste energy. You can upgrade the insulation in many of the key heat loss areas of an existing house (basement, attic, etc.) without too much trouble or expense. If you are building a new home, take the opportunity to insulate it well. Look for insulation with the appropriate R/RSI factor for your area. Read about R values in the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s home insulation page. Affordability Upgrading the insulation in an existing house is likely to be a cost-effective, energy-efficienct measure. Start in areas that lose the most heat, such as attics, basements and crawlspaces. If you are building a house, good insulation installed properly will save you money. Cost savings In an existing house, the attic is generally the most cost-effective place to add insulation. A well-insulated attic can reduce year-round energy use by 20-60%, saving you money. If you are building a house, good insulation installed properly is a cost-effective way to reduce your heating and cooling needs. Health & comfort A well-insulated house is a more comfortable one. Insulation holds in heat during cold weather and keeps it cool when the weather is hot. Ensure you have adequate ventilation so you don’t capture moisture indoors. See our Upgrade Your Ventilation tip for more details. Environmental considerations Saving energy with better home insulation definitely benefits the environment, but not all insulations have equal environmental impacts. Some involve toxic manufacturing processes and are hazardous to install. Research the options available in your area that meet your local R-factor requirements.		Power Smart tip sheets Insulating for energy efficiency [PDF, 169 Kb] Good ventilation [PDF, 611 Kb] Draftproofing [PDF, 58 Kb] Reduce condensation [PDF, 68 Kb] ENERGY STAR® windows and doors [PDF, 297 Kb] Attic insulation upgrade pays off "There's an incredible difference in comfort and temperature we can feel in the house already," writes blogger Nola Poirier. Read the story Buyer's Guide Learn about different kinds of insulation. Resources Look for more information on energy efficiency upgrades in the home.

What you need to know

• Use insulated exterior doors [PDF, 100 Kb], not hollow ones.
• When insulating for energy efficiency [PDF, 169 Kb], you need to consider the insulation levels, which are referred to by the RSI or R-value. The R-value of a given insulation material is an indication of how well it resists the transfer of heat. The higher the R-value, the more it will reduce heat loss or gain.
• The first step to determine if you need more insulation is to measure your existing insulation. Keep in mind that adding more insulation has diminishing returns. For example, the first R-12 of ceiling insulation pays for itself very quickly, whereas the next R-12 added will have a longer payback.
• For energy efficiency and comfort, insulate more than the minimum values designated for your area.
• Insulation is designed to resist heat flow in either direction, keeping the house warm in winter and cool in summer. It should be installed between conditioned (heated/cooled) and unconditioned areas of a home.
• Upgrade your ventilation while you upgrade your insulation for healthy air and moisture balance.
• If you are upgrading insulation in an existing house, the attic is often the most cost-effective place to insulate. An attic with too little insulation is wasting your energy dollars in both winter and summer.
• For a basement in new construction, you can insulate the interior or exterior of the foundation wall. Rigid insulation on the outside of a basement wall acts as a drainage layer as well, keeping moisture away from your foundations.
• If you are insulating a basement wall in an existing home, you may be limited to insulating only the interior of the wall.
• More people are recognizing the energy savings from insulating their basements. In B.C., it is a Building Code requirement for new homes.
• In an unheated or vented crawlspace, install insulation on the underside of the crawlspace floor. Fibreglass batts or blankets are the easiest material for this type of application. This insulation can be held in place with wire mesh, spring metal supports called "tiger claws," or wire or fishing line criss-crossed between floor joists.
• Band joists are another easy-to-access place to insulate that can result in significant energy savings. If you have a frame construction over your basement or crawlspace, you likely have a band joist. An uninsulated band joist can account for significant heat loss.

FAQ

Will I have to take down interior walls to effectively upgrade my home insulation?
Not necessarily. Some of the places where heat loss can occur are easy to access and often do not require taking walls down. In particular, unheated crawlspaces and attics do not usually have walls that need to be removed but insulation in these areas will significantly improve your home’s energy efficiency. Some basements are not well-insulated but do have walls. In this case, it is worth the time and costs to insulate. Spray insulations can often be applied without removing an entire wall and some of them are very effective insulators.

I just invested in an energy-efficient heat pump, do I still need to worry about insulation?
Yes. It does not matter how efficiently you heat and cool your home. If your house leaks the air outside, you are wasting the energy – and the efficiency – of your heating and cooling system. Read more about how your house works as a system.