subject: The Concept Of Insulation In Vancouver [print this page] The effect of this mild, coastal climate on buildings and residential housing in particular is significant. Moisture drive is the main issue though the seasonal temperature range exceeds 40 degrees Celsius and contributes to structural damage and energy consumption over the course of the year.
Vancouver homes are almost all insulated with fiberglass insulation though recently other fibrous materials such as cellulose and mineral wool have made inroads to the market. Insulation in Vancouver must provide protection from moisture drive as well as thermal protection because of our climate. In Vancouver, insulation needs to perform as an air barrier and a vapor barrier. While traditional walls are built with air barrier and vapor barrier layers to protect the fibrous insulation, these have resulted in costly damage on an enormous scale in Vancouvers climate. Either because of poor installation, failure to seal with caulking (in older homes), post installation penetrations placed in the wall by homeowners or failure of the sealants over time, this technique fails to stand up to the environment of our coastal homes.
Insulation in Vancouver is cheap and readily available and most homeowners give it little thought because it is so widely accepted that insulation comes in plastic bags and is pink in color. This ready acceptance needs to be challenged for in Vancouver, pink insulation is responsible for water damage from water ingress, vapor drive from the interior side of the wall and the resultant mold and mildew issues that this soon to be trapped water creates.
Homeowners need spray foam insulation in Vancouver and need to familiarize themselves with its cost, benefits and limitations for no other product can withstand the high humidity of our climate. Spray foam insulation in Vancouver provides an air barrier/vapor barrier and thermal insulation in a single application. Spray Foam insulation is made of billions of tiny plastic wrapped bubbles which are not subject to air movement or moisture drive, making it the very best insulation material for Vancouver's coastal climate on the market. While more expensive to install, it results in lower utility bills, less structural damage over the life of the building, longer building life and a far lower overall ownership costs than fibrous products.
