Homes built during the 1970 & 1980’s
Homes built in the 1970s and 80s were insulated to the standards of their time, R-12, but those standards no longer match today’s new code requirements. New homes built after 2016 fall under the new building code were homes must have continuous insulation throughout the building and increased attic insulation from R-50 to R-60.
2018 Building Code changes
The Ontario Building Code made further amendments that came into effect on January 1, 2018, stipulating a greater emphasis on airtightness, higher requirements for mechanical ventilation of homes, and more effective insulation installation. When you use the team at Chase Insulation we pledge that all the code requirements are updated. Its changes like these that can significantly affect the cost of your project.
All building renovations will need to include what is referred to as continuous insulation. Up to now, renovators have installed insulation batt, cellulose or foam in between wood studs. The studs perform at a much lower thermal resistance than the insulation, of course, reducing overall thermal resistance, and creating temperature imbalances which can lead to moisture and ideal fertile conditions for mold.
Adding another layer of insulation on the interior or exterior wall assemblies can aid in reducing thermal bridging and improves thermal resistance, reducing your home’s need for energy, lowering utility bills and improving comfort and health. The amount of continuous insulation required is dependant upon the thermal design of the house that was applied for with the Building Permit initially.
Attic Insulation
Many homes today have attic insulation that is in the R-20 range, and while some insulation is better than none, adding more attic insulation to increase your R-value to R-50, is a great idea. As we repeat time and time again, heat loss through your attic accounts for 40% of a home’s heating bill and the quickest and easiest way to save money is an attic insulation retrofit.
An attic insulation retrofit is a cost-effective way to reduce home heating and cooling bills. The cost of an attic top-up to bring your attic insulation up to an R-50 density will be recovered in cost-savings on utility bills over the course of a two year period as you save approximately 20-30% per year. When you are deciding how much attic insulation will best suit your home remember that more is always better because it will only increase the amount you save on your energy bills.
Why use a professional contractor
If you are planning a renovation, ask prospective builders about their knowledge of the building code updates. Use professionals like Chase Insulation that is up to speed on current regulations guaranteeing your insulation meet performance standards. The last thing you want is to learn about these code changes after you’ve started your renovation and haven’t factored in these financial inputs.