Older homes in the Central Island area will benefit from blown insulation in the walls and attic.
These older homes often have heat loss through walls, ceilings, attic and single pane windows making the home more expensive to keep it warm.
The wind blowing through leaks in window panes or siding often makes the older home drafty and more expensive to heat.

“There’s definitely a cost savings in heating,” says Blake LaBonte, owner of Phoenix Siding Inc. in Nanaimo. “It’s not just the walls, it’s the attic too.” It is also very important to have good ventilation in the attic, fresh air coming in through the soffit and out through roof vents. Helping reduce mold issues.

There is a cost savings of potentially from $30 to $100 a month on heating depending on the home. Single pane windows vs. double pane windows can also make a big difference in whether an older home is warm enough and draft free.

Besides warmth, older homes benefit from blown in insulation by sound proofing so the home will be more comfortable for residents who don’t have to hear every foot fall or music coming from a teenager’s bedroom.

Materials

Blown in insulation uses fiberglass and cellulose though cellulose is the preferred material.
That’s because it is made of recycled newspapers that are ground up and treated with special chemicals to make it resistant to mold, bugs, and fire.
Cellulose is also the most popular because it’s easier to install in walls than fiberglass.
“Cellulose is dense and doesn’t plug up in small openings,” says LaBonte.
“It’s just a better suited product.”
The cellulose is blown through a small one inch round hole so there is very little damage to the home.
“We drill as small a hole as possible so you can spackle it and paint it,” says LaBonte.

Older homes are often constructed with dry wall on the inside walls and stucco or cedar siding on the outside walls. Blown in insulation can be added to the home with very little damage done with a pneumatic spraying equipment that blows or sprays the insulation to fill up wall cavities or attic spaces.

Grants are often available to make the cost of upgrading more accessible for homeowners.
Homeowners will want to ensure their home is insulated to the right standards, especially when it comes time to sell the home.

“For resale value, it’s good to know your home is properly insulated,” says LaBonte.
This insulation makes the home warmer in winter saving on heating costs and cooler in summer.