How To Choose Insulation Contractors in 2020

August 20, 2020

By hiring an insulation contractor in Ontario you can become better equipped to make any home insulation upgrade. An insulation contractor can ensure that your upgrades are completed effectively and within the parameters of the Ontario Building Code. A professional install can also net you much higher levels of energy performance and home comfort than that of a DIY insulation install. When choosing an Ontario insulation contractor, you will want to find the company that not only gives you the best value, but also a company that is backed by years of experience and proven to deliver results.

If you would like to start with a free insulation assessment from a GNI insulation contractor, please fill out the form below to include your contact information. Our Customer Experience Team can also be reached at 1-800-265-1914 and are happy to answer any questions you may have about your home insulation or available rebate programs. 

Certified and Licensed Insulation Contractors

Before you hire a new insulation contractor, you may want to find out if they are licensed, certified, and insured first. The Ontario Building Code actually restricts unlicensed insulation contractors or individuals from applying spray foam insulation to a home. This is to ensure that the spray foam insulation is properly installed and verified to be effective. A licensed spray foam installer will have a photo-id card administered to them that must be carried during all spray foam insulation installs, and their license must be renewed every five years. 

Test the Knowledge of Insulation Contractors

If you are interested in determining the quality of work or the level of knowledge that your insulation contractor possesses, you can always ask them a few questions that will help you form an answer. It is also helpful to ask around to several different contractors and gauge their answers against one another. This will allow you to see which insulation contractors you feel comfortable working with and which contractors you may want to avoid for the time being.   

Questions you may want to ask your insulation contractor include:

• What upgrade do you think I should do first?

• What type of insulation should I use?

• How much do you estimate this upgrade to cost?

• Will this help me qualify for any Ontario energy rebates?

• In case something goes wrong, do you guarantee all of your work?

• Do you offer environmentally friendly / sustainable insulation?

Professional Insulation Contractor vs. DIY Insulation 

A DIY insulation install can have terrific results if everything goes smoothly and no hiccups occur along the way. However this is rarely the case, as with most DIY insulation jobs there are often unforeseen challenges that pop up during an upgrade. DIY insulation removal also poses potential health risks, with the possibility of hazardous airborne particulates being disturbed during the job. For health reasons alone, GNI strongly recommends that you leave all old insulation removal jobs to an insulation contractor, along with any installs that involve tight spaces or hazardous working conditions. 

In terms of performance benefits, a professional insulation contractor can reach even higher levels of energy performance and home comfort in their installs than that of DIY insulation alone. This is due in part due to an insulation contractor's ability to get the most effectiveness out of an insulation product, but also in part to the strategy that is created before the upgrades occur. An insulation contractor can help you determine the areas of home that can be upgraded to provide you with the biggest benefits for the lowest cost possible. Targeting cost-effectiveness through DIY insulation alone is much more difficult. 

Great Northern Insulation is Ontario’s Insulation Contractor

With over 40 years of experience in the Province, GNI is proud to be a trusted and certified insulation contractor in Ontario. From attic insulation installs, to basement insulation retrofits, GNI has you covered for all of your home insulation needs. Our expert insulation contractors will even conduct a free insulation assessment in your home to help you make sense of your potential next steps. To arrange for your free insulation assessment, please contact our Customer Experience Team at 1-800-265-1914.

Canadian Made Insulation Products

Great Northern Insulation proudly uses several insulation products that are manufactured completely or partly in Canada. For example, our mineral wool insulation comes from Rockwool Insulation, which has a manufacturing facility in Milton, Ontario. And the blown in cellulose insulation used by GNI is sourced from local recycled materials which contribute to its low amount of embodied carbon.

Sustainable Insulation Products

To help homeowners make even more environmentally friendly home upgrades, GNI is proud to carry sustainable insulation products with low embodied carbon. As mentioned above, blown in cellulose insulation is made using locally sourced recycled materials, and uses air as its only blowing agent. Blown in cellulose and / or fibreglass can also be used in an array of different upgrades, and can even be combined with other types of home insulation for a combination of performance, affordability, and sustainability. The spray foam insulation we use is also third party certified to be eco-friendly, including ECOLOGO certification, Green Circle certification, and GREENGUARD certification. In terms of using sustainable insulation products for your home upgrades, GNI is the insulation contractor to call. 

Insulation Contractors Help You Get Rebates

In Ontario, homeowners are able to qualify for several energy rebates that help them save money on upgrades that improve their home’s energy performance. An insulation contractor can help you determine which energy rebates you may be eligible for, and can help ensure that you will meet each rebate’s specific qualifications. 

If you are considering applying for any Ontario energy rebate programs, the first thing GNI recommends you do is schedule a home energy audit from a Registered Energy Advisor. A home energy audit will provide you with an in-depth look at your home’s current energy performance and how it could most cost-effectively be upgraded. It is also an important part of the eligibility requirements for many energy rebates in Ontario, and should be completed before any upgrades have started. A preliminary home energy audit is not only an important part of the qualification process for many different rebates, but it also provides you with a list of every possible energy performance upgrade that you could make in your home and ranks them in order of their cost-effectiveness.