Improving the insulation of a building can be the most ef-fective first step towards conserving both energy and money. Good insulation makes buildings more energy efficient and more comfortable in both winter and summer. Appropriate insulation also helps protect buildings from condensation, and the damage that it can cause.

How Much Insulation is Needed?Deciding how much insulation to use in a renovation project is affected by factors such as: the amount and type of insula-tion that is already in place, local building codes and design and construction methods of the building itself. Natural Resources Canada’s Energuide book “Keeping the Heat in” gives guidelines for recommended insulation levels.

Insulation is typically located inside a building in the walls, ceiling and floor, but it can also be found on the building’s exterior, often hidden beneath siding. Adequate attic insula-tion is particularly important as 25% of the building’s heat loss is through the roof.

The quickest money-saving insulation improvements are to caulk, seal and weather-strip all seams, cracks and openings to the outside (including windows and doors). These simple strategies can reduce energy bills by at least 10%!

What is ‘R’?The ‘R’ value of an insulation product refers to its “thermal resistance”, or how difficult it is for heat to move through it. Slowing down the transfer of heat keeps living spaces from getting uncomfortably hot or cold. The insulation value of a wall, roof or floor depends on the type and amount of insulation used. In some renovations, people will increase the depth of their walls to give extra room for additional insulation.

In Nova Scotia, insulation values of R20 in main walls, R17 in basement walls, R32 in the roof or ceiling, and R27 for floors above unheated spaces, are the minimum recom-

mended standards1 – additional insulation beyond these recommendations is often a good investment.

Where to insulate?Before adding insulation to a building, it is important to first determine how much, and what type of insulation is already in place. This is straightforward in areas such as at-tics, where the insulation is visible, but it can be difficult to determine what is there inside walls. One way to understand what is happening in these areas, is to turn off the power, remove an electrical plug plate, and check the voids around the outlet with a flashlight. Sometimes it is also possible to check under the base of exterior siding. A little detective work of this kind will generally reveal what sort of insula-tion is in place.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has developed an insulation assessment worksheet that can help establish the type and thickness of insulation recommended for specific installations.2

Insulation basics for renovations• Increase insulation to an R-value of at least that recom-mended by local building code and exceed that if possible. • Add insulation first to those areas that are below the recommended standard• Blown-in insulation works well in difficult to access areas, without removing drywall. Rigid or batt insulation is appropriate where drywall will be removed.• If mold is detected a building specialist can identify the type of mold, and determine whether it needs to be removed professionally.3 • Ensure there is good ventilation in attics and roofs, with appropriate baffles etc. to off-set condensation build up. • Ensure thorough and even distribution of insulation materials. This prevents thermal bridging, which are gaps in the continuity of insulation in a wall, ceiling or floor that allow heat to pass more easily between the inside and outside of a building.

INSULATION

Green Renovation Toolk it

Type

of

Insu

lati

onB

AT

TS

Fibe

rgla

ss

Cot

ton

Shee

p W

ool

Min

eral

Woo

l

RIG

ID B

OA

RD

Stra

w b

oard

Extr

uded

Po

lysty

rene

(EPS

)

Expa

nded

po

lysty

rene

(XPS

) (pe

arl b

oard

)

Poly

-isoc

yanu

rate

LO

OSE

FIL

L

Cel

lulo

se

*R-v

alue

per

in2

Stan

dard

: 3.

2

Hi-d

ensit

y:

3.8

3.5

~3.3

2.

2-2.

9

1.4

5

3.8

5.6-

7

3.1-

3.7

Supp

lier

Man

y su

pplie

rs.

John

Man

svill

e

www.

jm.co

m(N

o fo

rmald

ehyd

e)

Inno

ther

m

ww

w.in

noth

erm

.com

, N

orth

Car

olin

a, U

SA

or B

onde

d Lo

gic

ww

w.bo

nded

logi

c.com

, A

rizon

a USA

Goo

d Sh

ephe

rd

ww

w.go

odsh

ephe

rdwo

ol.co

m

Alb

erta

, Can

ada

Rox

ul

ww

w.ro

xul.c

om

Pres

towa

ll av

ailab

le fr

om

A

fford

able

Build

ing

Syste

ms

www.

affor

dabl

ebui

ldin

gsys

tem

s.co

m

Styr

ofoa

m S

M fr

om D

ow

C

hem

ical

ww

w.do

w.co

m

True

Foa

m, T

rue W

all

ww

w.tru

efoa

m.co

m

Dyp

last

ww

w.dy

plas

t.com

and

John

Man

svill

e

www.

jm.co

m

Seve

ral C

dn m

anuf

actu

res

Ava

ilab

ilit

y/O

ptio

ns

Avai

labl

e in

Atla

ntic

Pro

vinc

es

at H

ardw

are

Stor

es. A

sk fo

r fo

rmal

dehy

de.

Stan

dard

3.5

”: R

12

St

anda

rd 5

.5”:

R20

Hi-d

ensit

y 3.

5”: R

14

H

i-den

sity

5.5”

: R22

Not

loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

Ord

er

from

US

base

d su

pplie

r

(Ins

ulte

ch in

Ten

ness

ee o

r The

Hea

lthie

st H

ome)

3.

5” :

R11

or R

13

5.

5” :

R19

Not

loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

Ord

er

from

man

ufac

ture

r 2”

blan

kets;

al

so ro

lls u

sed

for

in

sula

ting

log

hom

es.

Lim

ited

avai

labi

lity.

Acad

ia

Dry

wal

l in

HR

M.

2”

: R 4

.5 -6

an

d 4.

5”: R

10-

15

Not

loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

Ord

er

from

man

ufac

ture

r in

Whi

terig

ht, T

exas

.

2” sh

eets:

R 2

.8

4”

shee

ts: R

5.6

Loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

1”x2

”x8’

: R 5

2”x2

”x8’

: R 1

0

Avai

labl

e at

Pie

rcey

s and

oth

er

hom

e ha

rdw

are

store

s. M

anuf

actu

red

in D

artm

outh

2

”x4’

x8’ s

heet

: R 7

.6

Loca

lly, b

ut n

ot c

onsis

tent

ly,

avai

labl

e.

2”x4

”x8’

shee

t: R

12-

14

Avai

labl

e lo

cally

, can

rent

mac

hine

s to

blow

in o

r ins

talle

rs

such

as H

ome T

ite, w

ill in

stall.

$ /

ft2

$0.5

5-$0

.65

$1.0

0 &

$3

.00

ship

ped

~$5.

50

ship

ped

2”: $

0.42

4.

5”: 1

.18

2”

: ~$

4.50

sh

ippe

d $2

.62

for R

19

equi

vale

nt

$1.5

6 fo

r R

19 e

quiv

a-le

nt

~ $2

.50

Varie

s with

in

stalle

r, co

mpa

rabl

e to

fibe

r-gl

ass b

atts.

Env

iron

men

tal

Con

side

rati

ons

Ener

gy in

tens

ive

prod

uc-

tion

proc

ess,

but l

ow d

ensit

y pr

oduc

t. Ze

ro fo

rmal

dehy

de

bran

ds, m

ost c

ompa

nies

use

pa

rtia

lly re

cycl

ed p

rodu

cts.

Che

mic

al p

rodu

cts c

an o

ff ga

s. C

an b

e re

used

.

85

% re

cycl

ed c

otto

n, n

o

IAQ

pro

blem

s, tre

ated

with

fir

e re

tard

ant.

Non

-toxi

c. C

an

be re

used

. Re

new

able

nat

ural

re

sour

ce. N

on-to

xic.

C

an b

e re

used

.

Mad

e fro

m st

eel s

lag,

en

ergy

inte

nsiv

e pr

oces

s.

Mor

e fir

e re

sista

nt th

an

othe

r pro

duct

s. N

o off

ga

ssin

g. C

an b

e re

used

.

Mad

e fro

m st

raw.

Re

new

able

reso

urce

. Low

in

sula

ting

valu

e, re

plac

es

insu

latio

n an

d dr

ywal

l.

Non

-toxi

c. C

an b

e re

used

. Lo

w R

val

ue.

Expa

nded

with

HC

FC-

142b

(to

be p

hase

d ou

t in

US

by 2

010)

. Pet

roleu

m

base

d. O

ff ga

sses.

Hig

h R

valu

e. C

an b

e reu

sed.

U

se fo

r ext

erio

r app

licat

ions

an

d ba

sem

ents.

Ex

pand

ed w

ith p

enta

ne, n

o C

FC’s

or H

CFC

s. Pe

troleu

m

base

d. L

imite

d off

-gas

sing.

C

an b

e reu

sed.

(int

erio

r use

). Ex

pand

ed w

ith h

ydro

carb

on

mix

. Low

off

gass

ing.

Can

be

reus

ed.

Freq

uent

ly u

sed

in

roofi

ng a

pplic

atio

ns.

80%

recy

cled

. Low

ene

rgy

proc

ess.

Fire

reta

rdan

ts an

d m

old

inhi

bito

rs a

dded

. Use

du

st m

ask

whe

n in

stalli

ng.

Diffi

cult

to re

use,

but

po

ssib

le. H

igh

R-v

alue

.

THIN

KIN

G T

HR

OU

GH

INSU

LATI

ON

Type

of

Insu

lati

onB

AT

TS

Fibe

rgla

ss

Cot

ton

Shee

p W

ool

Min

eral

Woo

l

RIG

ID B

OA

RD

Stra

w b

oard

Extr

uded

Po

lysty

rene

(EPS

)

Expa

nded

po

lysty

rene

(XPS

) (pe

arl b

oard

)

Poly

-isoc

yanu

rate

LO

OSE

FIL

L

Cel

lulo

se

*R-v

alue

per

in2

Stan

dard

: 3.

2

Hi-d

ensit

y:

3.8

3.5

~3.3

2.

2-2.

9

1.4

5

3.8

5.6-

7

3.1-

3.7

Supp

lier

Man

y su

pplie

rs.

John

Man

svill

e

www.

jm.co

m(N

o fo

rmald

ehyd

e)

Inno

ther

m

ww

w.in

noth

erm

.com

, N

orth

Car

olin

a, U

SA

or B

onde

d Lo

gic

ww

w.bo

nded

logi

c.com

, A

rizon

a USA

Goo

d Sh

ephe

rd

ww

w.go

odsh

ephe

rdwo

ol.co

m

Alb

erta

, Can

ada

Rox

ul

ww

w.ro

xul.c

om

Pres

towa

ll av

ailab

le fr

om

A

fford

able

Build

ing

Syste

ms

www.

affor

dabl

ebui

ldin

gsys

tem

s.co

m

Styr

ofoa

m S

M fr

om D

ow

C

hem

ical

ww

w.do

w.co

m

True

Foa

m, T

rue W

all

ww

w.tru

efoa

m.co

m

Dyp

last

ww

w.dy

plas

t.com

and

John

Man

svill

e

www.

jm.co

m

Seve

ral C

dn m

anuf

actu

res

Ava

ilab

ilit

y/O

ptio

ns

Avai

labl

e in

Atla

ntic

Pro

vinc

es

at H

ardw

are

Stor

es. A

sk fo

r fo

rmal

dehy

de.

Stan

dard

3.5

”: R

12

St

anda

rd 5

.5”:

R20

Hi-d

ensit

y 3.

5”: R

14

H

i-den

sity

5.5”

: R22

Not

loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

Ord

er

from

US

base

d su

pplie

r

(Ins

ulte

ch in

Ten

ness

ee o

r The

Hea

lthie

st H

ome)

3.

5” :

R11

or R

13

5.

5” :

R19

Not

loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

Ord

er

from

man

ufac

ture

r 2”

blan

kets;

al

so ro

lls u

sed

for

in

sula

ting

log

hom

es.

Lim

ited

avai

labi

lity.

Acad

ia

Dry

wal

l in

HR

M.

2”

: R 4

.5 -6

an

d 4.

5”: R

10-

15

Not

loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

Ord

er

from

man

ufac

ture

r in

Whi

terig

ht, T

exas

.

2” sh

eets:

R 2

.8

4”

shee

ts: R

5.6

Loca

lly a

vaila

ble.

1”x2

”x8’

: R 5

2”x2

”x8’

: R 1

0

Avai

labl

e at

Pie

rcey

s and

oth

er

hom

e ha

rdw

are

store

s. M

anuf

actu

red

in D

artm

outh

2

”x4’

x8’ s

heet

: R 7

.6

Loca

lly, b

ut n

ot c

onsis

tent

ly,

avai

labl

e.

2”x4

”x8’

shee

t: R

12-

14

Avai

labl

e lo

cally

, can

rent

mac

hine

s to

blow

in o

r ins

talle

rs

such

as H

ome T

ite, w

ill in

stall.

$ /

ft2

$0.5

5-$0

.65

$1.0

0 &

$3

.00

ship

ped

~$5.

50

ship

ped

2”: $

0.42

4.

5”: 1

.18

2”

: ~$

4.50

sh

ippe

d $2

.62

for R

19

equi

vale

nt

$1.5

6 fo

r R

19 e

quiv

a-le

nt

~ $2

.50

Varie

s with

in

stalle

r, co

mpa

rabl

e to

fibe

r-gl

ass b

atts.

Env

iron

men

tal

Con

side

rati

ons

Ener

gy in

tens

ive

prod

uc-

tion

proc

ess,

but l

ow d

ensit

y pr

oduc

t. Ze

ro fo

rmal

dehy

de

bran

ds, m

ost c

ompa

nies

use

pa

rtia

lly re

cycl

ed p

rodu

cts.

Che

mic

al p

rodu

cts c

an o

ff ga

s. C

an b

e re

used

.

85

% re

cycl

ed c

otto

n, n

o

IAQ

pro

blem

s, tre

ated

with

fir

e re

tard

ant.

Non

-toxi

c. C

an

be re

used

. Re

new

able

nat

ural

re

sour

ce. N

on-to

xic.

C

an b

e re

used

.

Mad

e fro

m st

eel s

lag,

en

ergy

inte

nsiv

e pr

oces

s.

Mor

e fir

e re

sista

nt th

an

othe

r pro

duct

s. N

o off

ga

ssin

g. C

an b

e re

used

.

Mad

e fro

m st

raw.

Re

new

able

reso

urce

. Low

in

sula

ting

valu

e, re

plac

es

insu

latio

n an

d dr

ywal

l.

Non

-toxi

c. C

an b

e re

used

. Lo

w R

val

ue.

Expa

nded

with

HC

FC-

142b

(to

be p

hase

d ou

t in

US

by 2

010)

. Pet

roleu

m

base

d. O

ff ga

sses.

Hig

h R

valu

e. C

an b

e reu

sed.

U

se fo

r ext

erio

r app

licat

ions

an

d ba

sem

ents.

Ex

pand

ed w

ith p

enta

ne, n

o C

FC’s

or H

CFC

s. Pe

troleu

m

base

d. L

imite

d off

-gas

sing.

C

an b

e reu

sed.

(int

erio

r use

). Ex

pand

ed w

ith h

ydro

carb

on

mix

. Low

off

gass

ing.

Can

be

reus

ed.

Freq

uent

ly u

sed

in

roofi

ng a

pplic

atio

ns.

80%

recy

cled

. Low

ene

rgy

proc

ess.

Fire

reta

rdan

ts an

d m

old

inhi

bito

rs a

dded

. Use

du

st m

ask

whe

n in

stalli

ng.

Diffi

cult

to re

use,

but

po

ssib

le. H

igh

R-v

alue

.

•R-v

alu

e re

fers

to

th

erm

al r

esis

tan

ce. T

able

info

rmat

ion

co

mp

iled

by

EAC

Ho

me

Co

mm

itte

e, fr

om

web

so

urc

es, l

oca

l so

urc

es a

nd

rel

evan

t ar

ticl

es a

nd

bo

oks

in 2

006.

What type of insulation to use?Once it is established where insulation is needed, the “decision making matri-ces” in the Nova Scotia Green Sheets can help to determine what type of in-sulation would work best for a particu-lar project.4 These choices are based on: insulation properties, i.e. rigid or batt, environmental impact, indoor air qual-ity etc. Working through a matrix/chart helps to make informed decisions for specific project needs and budgets.

Environmental points to consider when choosing an insulation product :• Avoid CFC or HCFC -based foam insulation as they have high ozone-depleting effects.5

• If using fiberglass, choose formalde-hyde-free, recycled-content fiberglass insulation, because of health risks as-sociated with phenol formaldehyde.6 • Cellulose, mineral/rock wool, or bio-based insulation (see below) are recommended over petroleum-based insulation where possible. • Wool is a natural, non-toxic and re-newable resource that can be purchased in batt form or blown in.7 • Cotton (sometimes from recycled jeans) is available as batts, or as blown in insulation.• Straw bales are another insulation option. These can be used both struc-turally or as infill and have an R-value of approx. R35, almost twice that of standard stick frame construction.8 • Strawboard can replace insulation and drywall in one product.9

New insulation materials are continu-ally coming on to the market, some of these are more “environmentally-friendly” than others. A rule of thumb is to look for options with a high recycled content and/or ones made from rapidly renewable resources. For example: Bio-based insulation is an open-cell, semi-rigid, water-blown foam made from soy beans that insu-

lates seamlessly, creating a windproof barrier without emitting VOCs, CFCs or formaldehyde. Questioning design-ers and building suppliers about cur-rent research is recommended to keep informed about the best choices for any particular project.

CautionsOld insulation, when left alone, is not generally a high health risk because it is isolated from our living spaces. However, once disturbed it can be dan-gerous, especially if it contains asbestos, in which case a licensed asbestos reme-diation specialist is recommended.

Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) is another type of insulation that is no longer in use, but that can be found in retrofits completed before 1980. While this type of insulation emits toxic formaldehyde gas when new, it appears that these toxins out-gas over time.

Finally, when insulating, sealing and caulking a building it is important to ensure there will be sufficient air cir-culation once renovations have taken place. Airtight buildings can suffer poor air quality, which can be improved with a mechanical ventilation system.

BibliographyEnerguide, Keeping the Heat In, Natural Resources Canada (2004)Green Remodeling, Changing the World One Room at a Time, David Johnston and Kim Master, (2004)Healthy Housing Renovation Planner: Renovate the Healthy Way, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) (1999)Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House, Carol Venolia & Kelly Lerner (2006)

ResourcesEcology Action Centre: www.ecologyaction.ca/newhome tel. (902) 442-2202CMHC: www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca tel. (902) 426-4715 or (902) 426-5780Conserve Nova Scotia: www.conservens.ca tel. (902) 424-0790EnerInfo Hotline: 1-800-670-4636Nova Scotia Green Sheets: www.ecologyaction.ca/newhome

EnerGuide home energy evaluations:• Clean Nova Scotia: www.cleanns.ns.ca tel. (902) 420-3474• Sustainable Housing: www.sustainablehousing.ca tel. 1-877-722-2842

Efficiency information for small and medium-sized businesses:• Eco-Efficiency Centre: www.eco-efficiency.management.dal.ca tel. (902) 461- 6704

Endnotes1. “Keeping the Heat in”, page 13 oee.nrcan.gc.ca/keep_heat_in2. CMHC, Healthy Housing Renovation Planner, page 993. Look for mold-control and removal in the Yellow Pages to locate specialists.4. Nova Scotia Green Sheets www.ecologyaction.ca/newhome5. CFCs = chlorofluorocarbons and HCFCs = hyrdofluorocarbons6. “Green Remodeling, Changing the World One Room at a Time”, David Johnston and Kim Master, (2004), page 235-2397. www.goodshepherdwool.com/8. www.strawbalebuilding.ca/strawbales.shtml9. www.agriboard.com/