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How to choose the right insulation for each room in the house?

Centre de Thermographie du Canada
wall insulation - isolant maison

You’re finally ready to solve your insulation problems, but you don’t know which materials to choose. Indeed, the variety of insulation materials can be frightening when you are not familiar with the products and their effectiveness. Whether it’s for the basement, attic or above ground walls, each area has its own preferred insulation and its own particularities. Here is all the information you need to choose the right insulation for your home.

The insulation of choice for the basement

The cement sub-slab in the basement is very cold and damp. In order to keep your floor from being cold to your feet, you need to insulate it effectively. Our choice of insulation in this case would be sprayed polyurethane. Nothing matches its performance in terms of insulation factor (R6 per inch). In addition to its ease of installation which is done directly on the gravel. Finally, it is not only an insulator, but also an air and vapour barrier with no joints required.

 

Interesting facts

The versatility of spray polyurethane puts this insulation at the top of the list for many other surfaces to insulate. For example, to insulate rim joists, foundation walls and hard-to-reach areas. Although polystyrene is a good product, it does not provide a hermetic seal between the boards and the joints. Finally, it is impossible to perfectly bond polystyrene panels to concrete to avoid possible moisture and mold growth.

 

To insulate above ground walls

Most homes built in the 1960s-1970s do not have a good insulation factor. Fiberglass wool was often used as insulation, but unfortunately its insulation factor is only R-12. This is why it is necessary to increase this insulation factor, which is clearly insufficient for today’s standards (R-24.5). The best solution is to cover the walls with type 2 sprayed urethane. This acts as a vapour barrier as well as being airtight. This insulation material is used in most renovation projects.

 

Insulate your attic in an efficient way

For attic insulation, we recommend using cellulose to cover thermal bridges. Cellulose insulation is made of recycled paper and is much less polluting to produce than fiberglass wool. Cellulose has an insulation factor of R-3.7 per inch. In other words, it is efficient, ecological and a good source of soundproofing. Finally, it is inexpensive compared to other types of insulation. To maximize the effectiveness of cellulose in the insulation of your existing attic, you must add 6 to 8 inches of cellulose. This will cover many of the holes that could be causing heat loss.

 

What about the installation method?

Now that you have chosen your insulation, you must not neglect its installation. Even if you have chosen the best insulation, if the installation method is not adequate, the result will not be optimal and you risk having further energy losses. We therefore recommend that you call on professionals who are trained to install all types of insulation according to standards.

 

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