Insulating Niagara Region's Historic Homes

June 13, 2023

Live in the Niagara Region? Here’s why you should put home insulation on your to-do list.

According to Statistics Canada, nearly a third of Niagara Falls' homes were built before 1960. Which means they were insulated looooong before current building codes came into effect.

There probably aren’t that many of us concerned about our house being “up to code” – after all, Niagara’s historic homes are about charm and heritage, not the R value of their insulation. But with that charm comes a lack of energy efficiency and a living space that’s too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. And let’s not forget the higher energy bills that are one of the great joys of an under-insulated house.

But no matter how old your Niagara home is, you don’t have to live with those challenges – a quick insulation upgrade can do wonders.

“A lot of people just aren’t aware of the huge difference proper insulation can make in terms of comfort and cost savings,” says Phil Moore, GNI’s Niagara Region Manager. “Or they think they don’t have the money to make those kinds of upgrades. But it’s easy to get that money – Ontario has some incredible incentives to help people upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes.”

The Home Efficiency Rebate + (HER+) is a relatively new program that offers great rebates, particularly for upgrading attic insulation, which can make a significant difference to home comfort and efficiency. For a $3000 attic upgrade, you can get as much as $2,300 back, which makes it pretty affordable.

Upgrading your insulation has big benefits

You get greater comfort with less energy output. Lower energy bills. A greener footprint. Plus one more thing a lot of people don’t think of: less wear-and-tear on your furnace and A/C. When they don’t have to work as hard or as often, they last longer and operate better – so that’s yet another way you save money and benefit the environment.

Meet GNI’s “new” Niagara region insulation team

If you’re thinking about doing an insulation project on your home – whether it’s an historic 1800s mansion in Niagara-on-the-Lake or a post-war bungalow in St. Catherines – Phil’s team is your go-to for expert installation.

And while they may be new to the GNI family, they’re old hands in the insulation game. Until 2022, the group operated as independently-owned Moore Insulation, founded by Phil in 1987. When he sold it to GNI, he took on the role of regional manager, leveraging his local knowledge and relationships to keep business moving seamlessly forward, servicing our customer base in the Niagara region.

“We couldn’t handle all the retrofit and new construction work that was coming our way,” says Phil. “Being part of Ontario’s largest insulation company means we now have the support we need to serve all our customers, no matter how busy things get.”