FAQ

To do the job properly is the short answer. Comfort Insulation’s trained installers will install the correct amount of insulation needed avoiding common mistakes that cause air infiltration or make the house too air tight. Improperly installed insulation can cause additional expenses for heating/cooling or even cause structural damage to the house due to humidity or moisture build up.

R-value is a measure of how effective the insulation is at resisting the flow of heat. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation.

A properly ventilated house lets the house breathe preventing moisture build up in the house. Not ventilating the attic properly allows the heat from rooms below to build up in the attic with a potential for humidity, mildew and rotting. A home that doesn't breathe well, i.e. is too air tight can have problems with odor, moisture and humidity, and hazardous air contamination from carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and radon.

Air infiltration occurs when air enters the home due to cracks or lack of properly installed vapor barriers. One third of the energy to cool a home may be due to air infiltration through electrical outlets, air ducts, sill plate, foundation, etc

Often new home purchasers are unaware that sound travels easily between walls of rooms and floors where no insulation is installed. The sound system from a TV room or the noise of a washing machine, or the rush of water in pipes can often be heard in adjacent areas of the home. Insulation forms a barrier that interrupts the flow of sound waves and dampens the acoustic flow between rooms in the home. Areas that often require additional insulation are:

• walls containing stack pipes
• walls, ceilings and floors of entertainment and recreational rooms
• walls, ceilings and floors of laundry or work rooms

Fiberglass 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, fiberglass insulation also acts as a sound absorber. When installed in walls, ceilings and floors, it can reduce the transmission of sound from one room to another or diminish exterior noise. A well insulated home increases the overall comfort of the home and adds to its resale value.

Heating and cooling systems consume 50% to 70% of the energy used in the average Canadian home. New home-owners can save on energy costs if the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling is reduced. Insulation helps your home retain heat in cold weather and reject heat in warm seasons.

The The Icynene® Insulation System is a complete insulation, air and moisture barrier system that wind-proofs and seals wall, floor and ceiling cavities against air movement, including spaces around electrical outlets and light fixtures, at baseboards and where walls meet windows and doors. This means that outside air (either hot or cold) cannot seep through walls, causing drafts or cold spots. It also means that humid interior air cannot enter the walls and condense.

As in addition to simplifying the construction process for the builder, Icynene® insulation eliminates the major causes of building envelope problems, air-borne moisture movement and entrapment. Blower door tests have shown that a steel-framed home insulated with Icynene® insulation, and with no polyethylene vapor barrier, measures 1.2 ACH at -50 Pa. depressurization. This is well under the 1.5 ACH50 rating for the most energy efficient home. Heating and cooling costs are typically reduced by 30 to 50%, and smaller, less expensive heating and cooling equipment can be used. For the homeowner the advantages are:

• Compared to other technologies, The Icynene® insulation system is a less expensive method of building an energy efficient home.
• A more energy efficient home means that energy costs can usually be reduced between 30 and 50%.
• A more comfortable home, free from drafts and cold spots.
• A quieter home because Icynene® creates a continuous sound barrier against outside noises.
• A healthier home — when used with a mechanical ventilation system, superior indoor air quality provides your family with a much healthier place in which to live.

The foam is created in seconds after spraying. You can watch it expand within seconds to 100 times its original volume, literally before your eyes. It completely cures within a few minutes.

Icynene® insulation is a breathing foam, and any moisture in the building's concrete or lumber can escape through the insulation as the building dries out, thus eliminating any risk of rot or mildew.

There are two different ways to install Icynene® insulation — spray it onto any open surface and studded wall or pour it into an existing wall cavity when renovating. An Icynene® trained, licensed dealer must be used in both cases.

With any open surface, Icynene® insulation can be sprayed on when electrical and plumbing services are in place. It then expands to 100 times its initial volume in seconds, permanently adhering to the surfaces of the surrounding building materials and sealing all gaps.

For retrofitting existing walls, a slower expanding formulation of Icynene® is used during renovations. The material is simply injected into small holes drilled into plaster or gypsum walls, or from the outside of the wall.

R-Values of insulating materials are measured in laboratories and are designated a nominal R-Value per inch. In the wall or ceiling of a building, most factory-made insulation materials suffer a reduction in performance due to air leakage and infiltration. The insulating value of many building components may be as low as 50% of the nominal R-Value of the insulation they contain.

By contrast, the insulation of a wall containing Icynene® insulation will perform closely to the laboratory tested R-Value of the material and seal the wall cavity from air infiltration as well.

The Icynene® insulation system is particularly suited to steel frame construction. Icynene® expands 100:1 as it is installed, adhering to surrounding building components. It completely seals joints, crevices and voids, including difficult-to-insulate spaces such as steel stud U- and C-sections, double studs and non-standard stud locations. A continuous air/vapor barrier is formed around the building structure in a single application.