FAQ's About Insulation
What does insulation actually do for my home?
Fiber glass insulation keeps your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, because insulation resists the flow of heat. Heat is a form of energy and always seeks a cooler area - flowing out of the home in the winter and into the home in the summer. By reducing heat flow, a properly insulated home uses less energy for heating and cooling.
In addition to being an energy saver, fiber glass insulation also acts as a sound absorber. When installed in walls and ceilings, it can reduce the transmission of sound from one room to another or from the outside. In today's noise-laden environments, more and more homeowners are soundproofing their homes.
A well-insulated home increases the overall comfort of the home and adds to its resale value. Whether your home is new or old, it pays to insulate.
What areas of my home should be insulated?
Insulation is not just for attics and outside walls. Insulation should also be installed in other areas of your home such as ceilings with unheated spaces, basement walls, floors above vented crawl spaces, cathedral ceilings, floors over unheated garages or porches, knee walls, and in between interior walls (especially bathrooms), ceilings or floors for extra sound control.
What is R-value?
Insulation is identified and labeled by R-value. "R" stands for resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.
Are there rebates available for installing insulation?
BC Hydro has on-going incentive programs that may include incentives for insulation. To find out about financial incentives in your area, click on the link below:
Will I have to take down interior walls to effectively upgrade my home insulation?
Not necessarily. Some of the places where heat loss can occur are easy to access and often don’t require taking walls down. In particular, unheated crawlspaces and attics don’t usually have walls that need to be removed, but insulation in these areas will significantly improve your home’s energy efficiency. Some basements are not well insulated but do have walls. In this case, it is worth the time and costs to insulate. Spray insulations can often be applied without removing an entire wall and some of them are very effective insulators.
If I am adding more insulation to my home do I need to remove what I already have?
Since R-values are cumulative, there is no need to remove what you already have. By layering two different batts together, you get the combined R-value of both batts. For example, two layers of R-19 batts will give you a total of R-38. Be sure to use unfaced R-19, R-25 or R-30 fiber glass batts and lay them cross-wise to the existing insulation covering the joists. Do not put a product with a vapor retarder or facing on top of existing insulation. If there is no insulation in your attic, use R-30 or R-38 full width, faced batts, or fiber glass loose-fill installed to the required R-value.