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
- Measure the outside of your home.
- 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.
- 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.
- Multiply the length and width of each rectangle to get the area.
- (Area A+ Area B+ Area C) ÷ 144 = total square feet
How to Calculate Your Wall Cavity or Exterior Wall Area
- Measure the outside of your home.
- 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.
- Subtract the area of any walls you aren’t planning to insulate.
- [(Exterior perimeter × height) − (any walls/areas not insulating)] ÷ 144 = total square feet.
Calculate your basement or crawlspace area
- Measure the inside perimeter and the height of the walls from the floor to the underside of the subfloor.
- Subtract the area of walls you aren’t planning to insulate.
- [(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.