What are Ontario Building Code Requirements for Insulation?
Many homes in the GTA were built long before Ontario building code requirements for insulation were available or before builders truly understood how ventilation and other factors affect the efficacy of your insulation. Today we’re going to help you understand the Ontario building code requirements for insulation and how it affects your home and insulation installation decisions. We’ll cover a few different areas and hopefully answer some of your lingering lingering questions you may have about Ontario building code.
What Is Building Code?
The Ontario Building Code act is a legal framework set up by the provincial government to establish minimum building standards, and it applies to any new builds, renovations, or change of use construction. The Ontario building code requirements for insulation is only one of many sections within the act that helps protect you and other people from unsafe building practices, materials and construction methods. The building code requires that any space that separates the indoors from the outdoors must have:
- Insulation or a thermal barrier
- An air barrier
- A vapour retarder
Each of those points is further qualified - for example, walls must prevent moisture condensation on the interior side during the winter. The Ontario Building Code act gives both contractors and homeowners a baseline that ensures safe and comfortable interiors.
How are Insulation Materials Affected by the Code?
The Ontario building code requirements for insulation has specific guidelines for installation and materials. All insulation materials in Ontario MUST meet requirements set out by the national government; to be available on the market, manufacturers take care of this step before their products are even available - which is why it’s important to ensure you’re buying new insulation and not dead stock found in someone’s garage.
Installation of Thermal Insulation
Some of the finer points of the Ontario building code requirements for insulation govern the exact installation of the product to ensure that all the different component parts will not only work but last over time. Some of these rules are, for example:
- Insulation must be in contact with an air barrier. This prevents it from being compromised by convective airflow through the materials. An air barrier can be many things, such as exterior sheathing or a vapour barrier.
- Insulation susceptible to water damage must be kept a minimum of 2” above a crawl space floor
- Where insulation is exposed to the weather, it must be kept protected by 6mm thick preservative plywood or 12mm cement parging.
Installation of Loose-Fill Insulation
Another type of insulation we often see is loose-fill. The Ontario Building Code says that:
- Loose-fill insulation must not settle after installation
- Be covered by a membrane that can be seen through
- Must not bulge or interfere with interior finishes
Navigating the Ontario Building Code
If you’re reading this and thinking “There’s no way my house conforms to the current building code!” you’re not alone. Many houses don’t, but the important thing is to bring it up to code whenever you are renovating or changing something in your home. The best way to ensure that you are following Ontario building code requirements for insulation is to have a professional contractor like EcoStar Insulation perform your installation. We’d be happy to tell you more about our products and services and help you resolve any issues related to the building code in your home. Get in touch with us today at info@ecostarinsulation.ca or (647) 799-3106.
