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Found 167 results for the keyword ‘Insulation’

  • CAN IT BE THAT THE OLD WALLS ARE SABOTAGING MY INSULATION EFFORTS?

    Yes. Have you heard the true story about the conscientious homeowner from Regina who lived in a pre-Second World War bungalow? One summer he insulated his attic, with proper ventilation and all and the following winter his heating bills went up, not down. The next summer he insulated the w...
  • HOW SHOULD I INSULATE OPEN WALLS?

    Insulating open walls with glass fiber or mineral wool batts is the most economical. Adding additional strapping to open stud walls (horizontally is best) will give you more wall space that can be economically insulated. Double strapping will provide room for a good air/vapour barrier (poly...
  • CAN I INSULATE INSIDE WITHOUT REMOVING THE PLASTER?

    If you want to insulate inside the house but don't want to remove the old wall, here's what you should do:-- Make a couple of exploratory holes in the wall (don't worry about being neat, you're going to cover the wall anyway) to find out how much insulation is in the wall and if there is a good...
  • WITH EXTERIOR INSULATION -- DO I USE BUILDING PAPER? DO I CAULK THE JOINTS?

    An incredible number of exterior insulation jobs are done wrong and do not follow the building codes requirements regarding the use of building paper. This can lead to immediate water problems inside the wall (rain penetration or condensation) or less evident long term decay.Building paper (m...
  • ATTICS

    Air leaks account for the greatest loss of heating dollars from Canadian homes. These are easily solved by sealing. The greatest conductive heat losses occur through the basement. Canadian basements typically lose more heat than ceilings because attics usually have a little insulation (eve...
  • HOW DO I AVOID BLOCKING THE EVE VENTS WITH INSULATION?

    Blocking the eve vents with the insulation is one of the most common causes of moisture problems in attics. The insulation should extend over the top of the outer wall and stop short of the vents, not touching the roof in such a way as to block air passages from the vents into the attic.Batt...
  • WHAT IS THE BEST INSULATION FOR THE ATTIC?

    Any insulation will work in an attic.It is easy to insulate an open attic, so expensive specialized insulations are not necessary -- anyway, it is supposed to be dry up there. My preference is loose-fill cellulose to the top of the joists (if your ceiling is sturdy enough to hold the weight) ...
  • ROOF INSULATION

    When we talk about insulating roofs we are usually dealing with situations in which there is no attic: either it doesn't exist or it has been converted into heated living space. So, we are talking about cathedral ceilings, flat, and basin-type roofs. Cathedral roofs are slanted and drain l...
  • WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT ICE FORMATION ON THE EDGE OF THE ROOF?

    Recent research from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has pointed out new priorities for solving ice dam problems. Common practice for years has been to address ice dams with more ventilation. It was when this practice wasn?t working very well that the researchers took a closer look a...
  • DOORS

    Doors are large openings in the wall which fall somewhere between windows and walls as far as the heat losses go. You can lose as much heat through a door leading to an unheated garage or basement as you can through the front door.It is now common to buy insulated metal or fiberglass doors th...