With extreme temperatures becoming more commonplace in Ontario over the course of the winter and summer, ensuring your home or business is properly insulated is a great way to improve its efficiency. The cost to heat and cool your property is high enough without losing air as the result of inefficient insulation.
According to Dave Rankin, Estimator at DNM Construction Management, committing to a spray foam insulation upgrade is the absolute best way to protect your property from extreme temperatures.
“Spray foam insulation is significantly more efficient than fiberglass and mineral wool, with energy savings of up to 50 percent,” said Rankin. “It provides an air seal and vapour barrier and water barrier. It’s 100 percent sealed so the air can’t get through. Spray foam offers the best efficiency. You can compare it to a styrofoam cup. A styrofoam cup doesn't require a sleeve or to be double cupped. The foam insulates boiling liquid from burning your hands at only millimeters thick. Now imagine the insulation properties of a superior foam that is inches thick.”
According to Rankin, traditional fibreglass insulation has limitations. For starters, because it’s made of fibrous material it tends to sag over time and loses its insulation value when compressed by gravity or affected by moisture. Additionally, fiberglass insulation never fully stops air penetration even with a vapour barrier. That is because plastic vapour barriers are usually compromised by things like drywall screw holes, light switch outlets, staples, and other holes in the plastic. As a result, air will eventually get through.
Existing residential and commercial properties are able to receive upgrades to foam insulation. However, the best time to insulate buildings using foam insulation is at the point of new construction or anytime drywall is off the walls. This allows for the best unrestricted access to ensure the foam insulation is properly installed in all areas requiring insulation.
That said, in older properties spray foam can easily be installed in areas like attics and crawl spaces, or in the walls themselves. The process begins with the removal of any existing insulation, especially older fiberglass insulation.
“The benefit of spray foam is that it fills and seals leaks and air gaps in the walls,” said Rankin. “It has to connect to the actual surface or substrate to provide the full coverage. If you’re spraying onto another material you’re relying on that material for the foam to stick to and hold up. It’s best to apply spray foam directly to the surface.”
In an industry where asbestos was once considered the standard for insulation, it’s important to note that today’s spray foam insulation materials undergo rigorous testing and are regulated and approved for use by the Canadian government. Upon installation of a full foam installation there are no VOC gases detected within 24 hours. It’s a product that provides superior insulation, it’s resistant to both mould and mildew, and it doesn’t provide a food source or housing for rodents and insects. It also adds additional value to your home while making your home more energy efficient.
To get your quote, connect with DNM Construction Management online.