Attic & blown-in insulation

In most GTA houses, the attic is where the most heat goes — and it's the easiest place to do something about it. A lot of Toronto-area housing went up when insulation standards were a fraction of today's, and plenty of attics are still running on whatever was blown in decades ago. The attic is also accessible: no walls to open, no gut job. That's why, when someone asks us where to start, we usually say start here.

Air-sealing comes before insulating

Insulation slows heat down. It doesn't stop air. Warm, moist air escapes into the attic through pot lights, plumbing stacks, wiring holes, the hatch and the gaps above interior walls. Pile new insulation over those leaks and you've buried the problem, not fixed it. Sealing those bypasses first is the step cheap quotes quietly skip. We don't skip it.

Top-up or full replacement

If what's up there is dry, evenly spread and clean, a top-up over it works fine — there's no point paying to remove good material. If it's wet, mouldy, badly compressed, or sitting on knob-and-tube wiring, it comes out before anything new goes in. We'll tell you which one your attic needs. We don't default to the bigger job.

Why most attics get blown-in, not foam

Spray foam is our specialty, but it's not always the right tool. For an attic that just needs more depth, blowing in loose fill is fast, effective and costs a lot less than foam. We still foam-seal the leaky spots where it earns its keep, then blow in the rest.

The same loose fill also works in closed wall cavities in older Toronto houses. If you've got a wartime semi with plaster walls you don't want to open up, blown-in can be fed into the cavities through small holes — no gutting, no drywall bill.

Cellulose or fibreglass?

Both do the job when they're installed to the right depth and density. Cellulose is denser, settles into gaps well, and is mostly recycled paper treated for fire resistance. Blown fibreglass is lighter, handles moisture differently, and tends to hold its loft over time. The honest answer: for most attics, either works, and the quality of the install matters more than the material. We'll tell you which one we'd put in our own house, based on your actual attic — not a script.

How this works with us

Straight up: spray foam is what we do in-house. Blown-in is installed by partner crews we know and trust. Here's why that's a strength, not a catch — we quote the job, we coordinate the schedule, and we stand behind the result. You deal with one company from estimate to done. If something's not right, you call us and we make it right. No chasing a sub you've never met.

What the assessment looks at

When we come out for the free estimate, we check the depth and condition of the existing insulation, whether the soffit vents are clear and baffled, where the air bypasses are, whether the hatch seals, and whether any bathroom fans are venting into the attic instead of outside. Then you get a written quote covering materials, labour and timeline before anything starts — no surprise extras. Based in Markham, serving Toronto and the GTA since 2007.