How to determine the thermal insulation required in a renovation, addition, or new build.
Questions about how much insulation is required on exterior walls, in ceilings and what about above a crawl space?
Determining the Insulation Rating Required
When sorting out the insulation requirements there are several factors that come into play such as:
- What climate zone is the build in?
- What is the efficiency of the heating system?
and - Is the build for year-round occupation, or is it a vacation property?
The insulation requirements can be sorted out from the Ontario Building Code (see the link below)
Supplementary Standard SB-12 “Energy Efficiency for Housing
Also, it is not enough to know what insulation is required because the code refers to the effective insulation rating.
Here is a helpful publication from the Government of Canada on how to calculate effective insulation ratings taking into account items that will bridge the thermal barrier of the insulation. Thermal bridges are construction elements that have poor insulative properties such as lumber and concrete.