Our Service Area

~ Proudly serving all the communities in the greater Vancouver, BC area~

Vancouver

West Vancouver

North Vancouver

Richmond

Delta

Ladner

Tsawwassen

Arbutus Ridge

Downtown Vancouver

Dunbar-Southlands

Fairview

Grandview-Woodland

Hastings-Sunrise

Kensington-Cedar Cottage

Kerrisdale

Killarney

Kitsilano

Marpole

Mount Pleasant

Oakridge

Renfrew-Collingwood

Riley Park

Shaughnessy

South Cambie

Strathcona

Downtown Eastside

False Creek Flats

Sunset

Victoria-Fraserview

West End

English Bay

Coal Harbour

Lost Lagoon

West Point Grey

Ceiling & Flooring Insulation

Less common areas to insulate are your ceilings or floors. Our insulation contractors find this to be a big oversight for homeowners because it can really help maintain temperatures between the different levels of your home. For example, let’s say you have a bonus room above your attached garage or outdoor room. This is an area often missed for insulation because we assume the attic and exterior walls will offer enough protection. Another example would be between your basement and your main living floor. Basements are often colder than the rest of the house and can leave the upstairs floors feeling cool to the touch. While this may be welcomed in the hotter months, this is far from ideal during the colder seasons. Insulating your floors or ceilings will keep your home from developing cold spots and make it easier to maintain a common temperature throughout the house. If you're not sure how to navigate this, find our professionals by searching "insulation services near me".

So what R-value do you use within your home? Well if the floor is over an unheated space such as your garage, you will want to choose a rating such as R-35 or R-40. If the ceiling or floor is within the home, we recommend using something lighter, such as R-30. Our insulation installers can walk you through each area to help you make your decision and keep your installation on budget and completed on time. The biggest benefit of this added layer of insulation will be how evenly you will find the temperature is managed throughout the house.

Basement Insulation

As a qualified insulation installation company, we can tell you from experience that spray foam is the best material for the basement because it can withstand moisture better. When using spray foam, we go for the closed-cell spray. Closed-cell spray will lock out vapour and prevent it from increasing the humidity levels in the basement. However, installing this type of insulation can get costly and lots of homeowners are looking for a cheaper insulation alternative. This is where we suggest Batt and Roll insulation for your basement. Batt insulation is a fibreglass style of insulation that is easily installed, reducing labour costs as well as the overall lower cost of the materials.

Moisture control in your basement is really important. Higher levels of condensation can cause the growth of mildew and fungi such as green and black moulds. Mould creates a health risk for your family and friends who live and visit your house. Spray foam insulation often creates its own vapour barrier, while batt insulation can require a vapour barrier to be installed in tandem. Navigating these options as a homeowner can be a challenge, but that is why our team of insulation contractors is here to help!

Understanding Your Insulation Choices

Due to current regulations, you need to meet specific requirements when choosing insulation and then there are other options that you get to choose as the homeowner. If you are removing old insulation, you may want to consider replacement insulation services to bring your house up to the new building codes. There are different types of products that can be used for insulation repair and installation services. Each type of insulation has similarities, but some very key differences. Here are some of these products and what you can expect from them:

Fibreglass Batt and Roll Insulation

Batt and roll (or blanket) insulation is primarily fibreglass, an insulating material made of fine glass fibres or mineral wool. During manufacturing, it is cut into long flat sections and then rolled or stacked into easy-to-install packages. It is a flexible material that is easily shaped to fit in between studs, framing, rafters and joists a-like. There may or may not be paper (kraft) or foil facing included. You will most likely see this facing included in Vancouver, BC because of the humidity and climates we get throughout the year. The facing is a type of vapour barrier. When we do an insulation installation we often recommend to our clients that they choose a blanket insulation with the facing included. If batts aren’t correctly installed it can leave gaps when it’s improperly fitted. Any gaps or spaces that you have in your insulation create an area that reduces the effectiveness. It may be possible to seal the gaps with an insulation repair.

Batt insulation is easily the most common type of insulation installed in residences. The top two reasons for this are the ease with which it is installed and that it’s typically the cheaper insulation option. Other types of insulation can become expensive due to the time and cost to install, including material costs. Blanket insulation can be installed manually and without the use of high-tech machinery. Its roll style makes it as easy as that, it is rolled into place to tightly fit between stud cavities. The cost of the materials is among the lowest of your insulation choices.

Rockwool Batt and Roll Insulation

Rockwool insulation, also commonly referred to as Roxul insulation, is made from semi-rigid stone wool and is a form of mineral wool. Rockwool insulation comes in the form of batts, boards, and pipe forms. It is not offered as a blown-in insulation option. Rockwool batts are significantly denser than fibreglass at approximately 3 times the density. This density difference is where the superior advantages over fibreglass come from. It is important to note that rock wool insulation does not come with an R-value rating. Rockwool insulation repairs are also easier due to its density.

This batt insulation is a type of rock mineral wool making it an excellent thermal insulator and has several advantages. The advantages include its superior moisture and mould resistance properties, it has better acoustic properties than fibreglass, strong durability and long lifespan, and doesn’t cause itchiness if you come into contact with it. Roxul insulation is preferred if your building is located near a highway or a noisy market center. This is because it has superior sound resistance properties to fibreglass.

Fibreglass Blown-In Insulation

Blown-in insulation is often made of fibreglass, but can also be made with reclaimed or recycled cellulose or rock wool. It is a paper-like material that is installed using a hose that is connected to a blown-in insulation machine. This is a loose-fill style of insulation that works well in tight spaces such as your attic or hard-to-reach locations. Even though it is considered loose fill, it does tightly pack into the spaces in the framing. However, it is better suited for irregularly shaped and horizontal applications. Fibreglass loose-fill insulation can be used in attics when the drywall is over ½-inch ceilings and framing that has been installed every 24 inches. In colder temperatures, we recommend topping it with blanket insulation. Blown-in fibreglass insulation is often installed in combination with batt insulation for the walls and ceilings.

Our insulation installers work with you to ensure your insulation choices are what is best for your space. There are some critical steps that need to be completed during the installation process which our insulation contractors are well equipped to perform efficiently. One of these steps is sealing any spaces or gaps that would allow for airflow. Closing these gaps is part of ensuring the water vapour and air barrier are tightly sealed.

Cellulose Blown-In Insulation

Cellulose loose-fill or blown-in insulation is made from recycled or reclaimed paper. The recycled post-consumer products often used are newspapers or cardboard and makeup approximately 85% of the material. This makes it an eco-friendly insulation choice for your home, so if you are an Earth-conscious homeowner, we encourage you to let us install cellulose blown-in insulation. There are some things to keep in mind when choosing this insulation. For example, if you want to use this for your attic floor insulation installation, your ceiling drywall below it must be at least 5/8-inch and the framing must be no more than 16 inches apart.

You may find yourself asking if the paper fibre insulation is a fire-hazardous option. Let us reassure you that it’s treated with a fire retardant that is made up of non-hazardous chemicals to make sure it is safe for your home. Mineral borate is in the chemicals used for the added fire retardent and also acts as a pest and mould resistant. Cellulose has a Class 1 fire rating and isn’t backed with paper like fibreglass insulation batts can be which gives cellulose a higher fire rating. The R-value is calculated by the depth per inch of the material installed.

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation

Spray foam insulation is chemically created and formed during the installation process. It is a spray-applied cellular plastic that comes from mixing part ‘A’ and part ‘B’ liquids together while being sprayed into place during installation. They have a high reaction rate that expands when coming into contact with one another. The reaction creates foam insulation which effectively seals gaps and provides a strong vapour and air barrier in the process. This is similar to the foil or paper facing used in batt insulation. Spray foam offers a highly effective continuous moisture barrier when installed in corners or contoured applications. For example, we often use this around electrical fixtures and in adjoining spaces between walls, doors, and windows. Cutting off airflow is the key to an effective vapour barrier and spray foam insulation does that very well.

There are two types of cell options for spray foam insulation that could be used. Either open-cell or closed-cell foam. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, closed-cell foam has a higher R-value while open-cell foam still has a good R-value, just not as high due to thickness. Having the correct R-value installed is what helps your home maintain balanced heating and cooling efficiency. Temperature maintenance in your home keeps your energy bills low. When applying foam on the interior walls, open spray foam is preferred because of its soft low density. This foam can also be used around crawlspaces, roof decks, basement walls, and in the attic. Because closed-cell foam is rigid, it should be used for exterior use. There are other factors to consider and we can help you navigate those options.

We must mention that spray foam insulation is a chemical-based product and that means it comes with some high-risk safety factors. Our team is highly trained and supplied with the proper personal protective equipment to keep them safe. We will direct you with specific instructions on how the home should be treated upon re-entering the residence. Your safety and the safety of our team are extremely important to us. If you have any questions or concerns, please as our insulation contractors.