Eliminating cold and dampness in a crawl space
A crawl space, which in earlier years took the form of a dirt cellar, is a volume of air between the earth and a house’s main floor whose purpose is to keep the floor of the building raised up off of the ground and away from moisture. Today, builders generally raise a home’s main floor anywhere from a few centimetres (at least 20 cm) to as high as 1.8 metres off of the ground. To comply with the Building Code, a crawl space may not have an access door with stairs (although one without stairs is acceptable), hold any type of combustion appliance or be used as a bedroom or office. Continued
Basement renovation: insulation best practices
In comparison to today’s standards, the basement insulation in homes built between the 1950s and 1980s was generally inadequate. The practice in those years of insulating using pieces of 1” white styrofoam or fibreglass batts (with a vapour barrier of questionable effectiveness) is known to create moisture problems that can, in turn, lead to air quality issues due to the development of mould. Continued
Soundproofing: best practices for winning the war against noise
Whether you live in a triplex or a single-family home, you may often be bothered by noise coming from upstairs or downstairs or through the walls. From the sound of a chair on a floor to music being played too loudly, annoying noises heard through floors and walls due to poor acoustic insulation can disrupt your peace of mind and, in some cases, become a daily nightmare. Continued
Insulation and soundproofing products
We encourage the use of the following products, which are among the most effective and environmentally friendly products available: BASF, Heatlok Soya and Igloo Cellulose.
- Sprayed Urethane
- Cellulose
- Batt insulation
- Soundproofing
- Thermal barrier
Our certifications
Demand that your contractor and applicator employees be certified by a recognized association such as CALIBER.
Make sure that the products that are applied have a CCMC certification number (Canadian Construction Materials Centre).
What is Sprayed urethane ?
Urethane combines three key elements in the construction of sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient buildings:
- A high-performance insulation
- An air barrier
- A vapour barrier
In other words, it helps you reduce your energy consumption, both in winter and in the summer!
