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Author: Ashley Nichol

How to measure your home for insulation

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Not all homeowners are measuring experts, especially when it comes to the measurements of your entire home, and that’s okay. It may sound daunting, but if you follow these steps, you’ll be able to get an easy and accurate measurement of your home.

Having precise measurements of your home is important for planning your insulation project. This will ensure you purchase the correct amount of insulation and you receive an accurate rebate estimate when applying for our Home Insulation Rebate.

How to Calculate in Square Feet

When you take your measurements, measure everything in inches, length x width. You’ll have to convert all your measurements from square inches to square feet. To do this divide the square inches number by 144 to get square feet. You will probably need a measuring tape, calculator and possibly a step stool or ladder.

Insulation Tip

When working with insulation, remember to wear protective equipment and clothing – check with the product manufacturer or supplier for any safety guidelines. It’s important to take the proper precautions and where applicable, engage the appropriate service contractors when working or measuring in an area that could have hazardous materials, like asbestos or lead.

Follow the steps below to learn how to calculate the measurements in your home.

How to Calculate Your Attic Area

  1. Measure the outside of your home.
  2. Before measuring the first wall, walk around the exterior of your house to get familiar with the shape. Choose a corner of the house as a starting point, hook the end of the measuring tape to the starting point and begin measuring wall by wall.
  3. Keep in mind, interior attic space may differ. Areas such as home additions may have different levels of insulation. Prior to measuring, group these areas separately if necessary.
  4. Multiply the length and width of each rectangle to get the area.
  5. (Area A+ Area B+ Area C) ÷ 144 = total square feet

How to Calculate Your Wall Cavity or Exterior Wall Area

  1. Measure the outside of your home.
  2. Measure the height of the walls from the floor to the ceiling, excluding gable ends or above grade foundation in your square footage. If you own a multi-storey home, measure from the floor to the ceiling of the top storey.
  3. Subtract the area of any walls you aren’t planning to insulate.
  4. [(Exterior perimeter × height) − (any walls/areas not insulating)] ÷ 144 = total square feet.

Calculate your basement or crawlspace area

  1. Measure the inside perimeter and the height of the walls from the floor to the underside of the subfloor.
  2. Subtract the area of walls you aren’t planning to insulate.
  3. [(Interior perimeter × height) − (any walls/areas not insulating)] ÷ 144 = total square feet.

Are you a business owner?

You can apply for an insulation rebate through our Building Envelope Program.

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Should you upgrade your home’s insulation? Knowing your R-value is key

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Upgrading insulation can improve the comfort of your home, help you save money on energy bills and can increase your home’s value.  Knowing the R-value of the insulation you have now, and the R-value you’re looking to achieve is critical to getting the results you want. This information is also important when applying to our Home Insulation Program. This rebate can cover up to 100% of the cost of insulation materials for homes that qualify.

Find out if you qualify for a Home Insulation Rebate.

The R in R-value stands for resistance – the resistance to heat transfer from one object to another. The R-value indicates how good your insulation is at keeping heat in your home in the winter and keeping it out in the summer. The greater the R-value, the better the energy efficiency.

Use the insulation R-value per inch chart to learn about common insulation materials and their common R-value per inch of thickness. To determine the current R-value of your insulation, follow these three easy steps:

Step 1: Determine the type of insulation you have

Using the chart as a reference, check which insulation material you have.  Glass Fibre for example, can appear in several different forms, such as batt or blown in, each with its own R-value per inch.

Learn more about the different types of insulation.

Step 2: Determine the thickness of your insulation

  • If it is pretty consistent across the whole area, measure in inches how thick it is at any point.
  • In places like your attic, where the insulation is often bumpy or may have settled in places, it’s best to measure in a few places and take the average thickness.

Step 3: Calculate your R-value

  • Refer back to the R-value chart, multiply the R-value of your insulation by how many inches thick it is.
  • For example, 3 inches of glass fibre insulation with an R-Value of 3.4 is calculated as: 3×3.4 = 10.2
  • In this case, the R-value is 10.2

Now that you know your current R-value, find out the R-value you need to reach to qualify for a rebate.

Are you a business owner?

You can apply for an insulation rebate through our Building Envelope Program.

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Types of insulation

Insulation 101

More insulation in your home means you can have lower heating and cooling costs, and less environmental impact. If your home is older, it may have poor insulation and be leaky too. When looking to add insulation to your home, it’s important to know and understand your options. Before deciding on what insulation product to install, take some time to learn exactly what insulation is, how it works, and how it conserves energy.

Knowing what type of insulation you need is important for planning your insulation project. This will ensure you purchase the correct amount of insulation and you receive an accurate rebate estimate when applying for our Home Insulation Rebate.

What is Insulation?

Insulation is any type of material used to fill the spaces of your home to reduce heat.  It is typically found in walls and above ceilings.

How does Insulation work?

Insulation slows the flow of heat in and out of your home, making it easier to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Most insulation does this by trapping air in tiny pockets, the smaller the pockets of air the better. Insulation also helps to reduce noise outside your home.

Prior to purchasing insulation, it’s important to know how well an insulation material resists heat transfer, measured by its R-value. The R-value indicates how good your insulation is at keeping heat in your home in the winter and keeping it out in the summer. The greater the R-value, the better the energy efficiency. R-value varies for different insulation types, often compared by its R-value per inch. When comparing insulation types, be sure to look for the R-value you want, rather than a thickness. To determine the existing R-value in your home’s roof, walls, and basement, check out our article.

The Different Types of Insulation

Loose-fill/Blown in Insulation

Loose-fill materials can be blown or poured into attics and blown into finished wall cavities. Loose-fill insulation typically consists of small glass, cellulose or mineral fibers.

  • Relatively low cost, but the R-value per inch is also lower, so you will need more insulation to reach the same R-value as other types of insulation.
  • Air sealing is needed prior to adding the insulation as air flows through these materials easily.
  • Usually installed with a blower but can also be poured out of the bag.

Batt Insulation

Batt insulation is pre-cut, glass fibre or mineral wool insulation. It can be used in horizontal or vertical spaces, like attics or walls.

  • R-value per inch is slightly higher than loose-fill insulation.
  • Typically used between framing members (joists or studs) of a wall or ceiling.
  • Air sealing is required as it provides minimal resistance to air flow.

Rigid or semi-rigid Insulation

Rigid or semi-rigid insulation comes in sheets of standard sizes and thicknesses and can be applied to the interior or exterior of a home. Not all materials are suitable for below grade applications.

  • Typical materials include expanded polystyrene (EPS), graphite polystyrene (GPS) extruded polystyrene (XPS), polyisocyanurate (polyiso or PU), and mineral wool.
  • Higher R-value per inch than batt or loose-fill insulation.

Rigid insulation is commonly applied to the exterior walls of a home. It may provide adequate air sealing when used in conjunction with sealants or tapes.

Spray Foam

Spray foam is incredibly versatile and can be applied to the inside or outside of a home. Depending on the specific product, it may be used below grade.

  • Available in various densities, but usually medium density (2 lbs/ft3)
  • Must be professionally installed by certified installers.
  • Highest R-value per inch.
  • Has air sealing properties that allow it to act as an air or vapor barrier when installed to a minimum thickness of 2 inches (for medium density foam).
  • Convenient for installation in tight or difficult spaces.
  • One-component foams or foam kits that are sold through building supply centres are not the same as medium density polyurethane foam, and are best used for air sealing.

Are you a business owner?

You can apply for an insulation rebate through our Building Envelope Program.

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Small Business Week 2020

HAPPY SMALL BUSINESS WEEK!

Small businesses are the heart and soul of Manitoba’s economy. They provide jobs, boost the province’s financial well-being, and deliver innovation and creativity to our communities. Helping small local businesses continue to be successful is incredibly important.

This year, BDC Small Business Week runs from October 18 to 24. This annual event is a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit and resilience of Canadian small businesses. The Business Development Bank of Canada has been organizing Small Business Week since 1979, and we’re excited to join them in celebrating their 41st year.

Small Business Week 2020

HOW WE’RE HELPING

During the 2019 Small Business Week, we launched the Small Business Program. This offer delivers a full-service energy efficiency solution to small business owners, helping them save energy and money. We provide them with basic energy-saving devices and a free lighting assessment. If we find that they could benefit from additional energy-efficient lighting, we’ll provide them with a 70% incentive on Premium lighting upgrades.

“The benefits of this program go beyond energy savings,” says Aleena McNeill (Energy Efficiency Specialist, Efficiency Manitoba). “We’re helping business owners improve the appearance of their space and save on maintenance costs. Our hands-on approach also takes the burden of making upgrades off the owner, so they can cross that item off their to-do list.”

Over the past year, the Small Business Program has helped approximately 350 businesses become more energy efficient.

“I love visiting local restaurants and stores who’ve gone through the program and seeing the positive impact it’s had on their spaces,” says McNeill. “It’s incredibly rewarding.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We wanted to celebrate Small Business Week in a way that helps businesses and engages Manitobans like you. We’re running a contest to top up one lucky small business owner’s Premium lighting incentive to 100% – and we need your help!

From now until November 9, fill out a short nomination form for your favourite small business. On November 18, we’ll choose the winning business and help them get started on their energy efficiency journey.

NOMINATE YOUR
FAVOURITE SMALL BUSINESS
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