Filed under: Smart Comfort
You may or may not be aware that insulation codes have changed for all new builds with permits issued after 2016. The two most important changes in the code for insulation have to do with continuous insulation throughout the building and increasing attic insulation from R-50 to R-60. Continuous Insulation This refers to a monolithic layer of insulation that eliminates...
Filed under: Smart Comfort
Menacingly named a Polar Vortex by the media, for many, this is just a good ol’ fashioned Canadian winter. However you look at it, there’s no getting around the fact that 2014 is off to an uncharacteristically blustery beginning. In just the first week of 2014, most of us have already had a full season’s worth of certain things: the...
Filed under: Smart Comfort
On this blog, I often refer to our tagline, smart comfort, when talking about the benefits home insulation offers, both in terms of finances, and in terms of ecological benefits and leaving our children a better world. But while these two things are indeed comforting, I tend to think of them as the elements that constitute the smart in our...
Filed under: Uncategorized
Here on the eve of Halloween, I thought I’d talk about something that certainly sends a chill up my spine. Just last week, I appeared on CBC’s Marketplace to talk about how to safeguard against problems caused by unscrupulous and careless sprayfoam insulation installers. To be clear, I wasn’t the one wearing a ghoul costume, I was on the show...
Filed under: Smart Comfort
Smart Comfort in a Lot More Ways than One The children are back to school now, your mind has switched from summer gear back to full on work mode, and the weather has turned from hot to cool – hinting at what’s to come. As thoughts of winter creep to the fore, thoughts of insulation should be right there with...
Filed under: Uncategorized
Last long weekend, I talked about one of Canada’s great resources: our national character – especially as it defines how we do business with one another. This long weekend, which marks summer’s peak and the slippery descent back toward (sorry for saying it) winter, I want to talk about another Canadian resource: oil. Oil is something we don’t talk about...
Filed under: Smart Comfort
Gotta love a long weekend! And one that celebrates who we are as nation is just that much better. Canadians often ponder what exactly defines their unique “culture”. Of course, right away things like hockey, maple syrup, celebrating the outdoors, and I dare say good beer come to mind. On a deeper level, politeness, a sense of community, and making...
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It’s a debate for the ages, and the perfect way to wrap up “Make Mold a Memory Month”: cellulose insulation vs. fiberglass insulation. As always, there are pros and cons to both types, but when it comes to mold-prevention, cellulose is the winner – hands down! Earlier this month, we talked about the important role insulation plays in managing mold...
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When we talk about home insulation as an investment, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the savings associated with lowering the amount of fuel that needs to be burned to heat and cool your house. Not only does insulation represent an immediate savings from burning less money – it also represents a hedge against the...
Filed under: Uncategorized
April 22 has been set aside for us to reflect on how well we’ve been looking after the place we call home. Not the home we typically think of. But the home we all share: the Earth. When late American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author Carl Sagan, famously called our home “pale blue dot” he created a powerful impression with...
