Insulating Your House from CMHC series 9,10-10 - 11/12/09 03:53 PM
Is it Cost Effective to Insulate?The right insulation system can save you money, reduce the amount of energy you use and make your home more comfortable. Keep in mind that installation costs (including changes to the framing, cladding, and finishes) are usually the most expensive part of an insulation project. The local climate has an impact on the cost-effectiveness of any insulating project.Check the cost, heat loss and heat gain of all available options. Review all details to ensure that moisture movement is handled correctly. You can then select the right insulating system. When in doubt, consult a professional.The Final AnalysisIf … (2 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC, series 8-10 - 11/11/09 06:33 PM
Basement Insulation
Basement walls are unique because they must handle significant moisture flows from both inside and outside the house. The preferred method, from a building science perspective, is to insulate the wall on the outside with rigid insulation suitable for below-grade installations, such as extruded polystyrene or rigid fibreglass.The advantages are as follows:
Insulating the outside of the basement works well with dampproofing and foundation drainage. Rigid fibreglass or mineral wool acts as a drainage layer, keeping surface and ground water away from the foundation. The basement walls are kept at room temperature, protecting the structure, reducing the risk of … (1 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC Series 7-10 - 11/09/09 09:34 PM
Attic Insulation The attic is often the most cost-effective place to add insulation. Usually, a contractor blows loose fill into and over the top of ceiling joists. For the do-it-yourselfer, batts laid sideways on existing insulation are an easy alternative.
The air barrier at the ceiling line must be tight to ensure warm moist air from the house does not get into the cold attic and condense in the winter. Check ceiling light fixtures, the tops of interior walls and penetrations such as plumbing stacks for air leakage. Ensure that soffit venting is not blocked by added insulation; baffles may have … (0 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC Series 6-10 - 11/08/09 01:32 PM
Wall Insulation for Existing Construction
The two most common wall types are wood-frame and solid brick. In a wood-frame wall, insulation (loose fill and some foams) is typically blown into the cavities through holes that have been drilled through the drywall or siding. In solid brick, the largest cavity is usually 25 mm (1 in.) wide, which is not enough for any significant increase in R value. The builder must create a cavity. Usually, a new cavity wall is built inside and insulated as a new wall, or board stock and new siding are applied to the exterior. When planning a … (0 comments)

Wall Insulation for New Construction, Series 5-10 - 11/07/09 10:16 PM
Typically, this is a wood-frame wall with the potential for insulation in the stud cavity (batts or spray-applied) and on the exterior face of the studs (rigid insulation). See Figure 1. During planning and installation, note the following:
The vapour retarder should be at or near the inside surface of the insulation and would most commonly be 6 mm (0.2 in.) polyethylene sheeting at the inside face of the studs or vapour-retardant paint on the finished drywall. The air barrier can be provided by the polyethylene vapour retarder, by the interior drywall or by air-barrier sheeting on the exterior face of … (4 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC Series 4-10 - 11/06/09 06:18 PM
Effective Insulation SystemsEffective insulation systems slow the movement of heat and deal with the movement of moisture at a reasonable cost. To do this, they have the following:
An air barrier, which prevents the movement of interior or exterior air through the system. Carefully filled cavities, which leave no gaps in or around the insulation and which do not compress the insulation. A minimum of thermal bridges. These are parts of the wall that, with a lower R value, extend from the warm side to the cold side of the insulation, giving heat an easy escape. The structural members in the … (0 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC Series 3-10 - 11/05/09 09:22 PM
Insulation EffectivenessR values and their metric equivalent, RSI values, are a way of labelling the effectiveness of insulating materials. The higher the R value or RSI value, the more resistance the material has to the movement of heat. Insulation products sold in Canada are labelled with R and RSI values. Provincial building codes specify minimum R (or RSI) values for new construction, with different values for different applications. It is important to know what your local building code requires when planning new construction.Note: The way the insulation is installed plays a large role in its effectiveness. Compressing the insulation, leaving air … (0 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC, series 2-10 - 11/04/09 08:41 PM
Signs of Insulation ProblemsIn the winter
walls cold to touch cold floors high heating costs uneven heating levels within building mold growing on walls In the summer
uncomfortably hot inside air high cooling costs ineffectiveness of air conditioning system mold growing in basement … (0 comments)

Insulating Your House from CMHC Series 1 -10 - 11/03/09 06:08 PM
Insulating Your HouseWhile previous generations may have been content to live in drafty houses, most people now want comfortable warm houses. A healthy house today is well sealed, well insulated and properly ventilated.A well-insulated house is a bit like dressing for the weather. A wool sweater will keep you warm if the wind is not blowing and it is not raining. On a windy, rainy day, wearing a nylon shell over your wool sweater helps keep you reasonably dry and warm. A house is similar. On the outside, underneath the brick or siding, there is an air barrier that does the … (0 comments)

 
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Eragorn Northe

Moose Jaw, SK

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