Great News, Ontario! The NEW up to $1,000 Attic Insulation Rebate Just Launched.
As of August 5th, you can get up to $1,000 back for making your home more comfortable. Qualify instantly with no assessment cost & get your rebate fast.
As of August 5th, you can get up to $1,000 back for making your home more comfortable. Qualify instantly with no assessment cost & get your rebate fast.
Fibreglass insulation is one of the most common materials in Canadian construction. But choosing the right insulation for your home can feel overwhelming. Spray foam companies promise better performance. Cellulose installers talk about environmental benefits. How do you know when fibreglass batts are the right choice?
This guide gives you straightforward answers. You’ll learn what fibreglass insulation is, where it works best, and when to choose it over spray foam or blown-in cellulose. Whether you’re a homeowner planning a renovation, a contractor buying materials, or a builder working on new construction, you’ll get the information you need to decide with confidence.
At Logik Group, we’ve installed fibreglass insulation in over 3,000 GTA homes during our 17+ years serving Durham Region. Our CUFCA certification and hands-on experience have taught us one important truth: no single material is “best” for every job. The right choice depends on your building conditions, budget, and what you want the insulation to do. Fibreglass batts work great in specific situations. Understanding when to choose them saves money and gives you excellent results for decades.
Fibreglass insulation is made from extremely fine glass fibres. Manufacturers spin these fibres from melted glass and sand. The process creates millions of tiny air pockets in the material. These trapped air spaces slow down heat transfer. That’s exactly how insulation works.
Manufacturers form the glass fibres into batts (pre-cut sections) or rolls (long continuous pieces). They make them in standard widths to fit between wall studs and ceiling joists.
You’ll find fibreglass batts in thicknesses from 3.5 inches to 12 inches. Each thickness gives you a specific R-value. R-value measures how well something resists heat flow. Higher numbers mean better insulation. Standard R-19 batts (6 inches thick) fit perfectly in 2×6 wall framing. R-30 batts (9-10 inches) work well for attic floors in Ontario’s climate.
Fibreglass batts work exceptionally well in specific places. Wall cavities during new construction benefit from pre-sized batts. They fit perfectly between studs spaced 16 inches or 24 inches apart. Basement walls, cathedral ceilings, crawlspaces, and rim joists also work well with fibreglass when you install proper vapour barriers.
The material bends and flexes to fit irregular spaces while keeping its insulating power. Professional installers know how to cut and fit batts to get complete coverage without squashing them. That’s a critical detail that DIY installations often miss.
Fibreglass batts typically cost $0.50-$1.00 per square foot installed in the GTA. Compare this to closed-cell spray foam at $2.50-$4.00 per square foot. For a typical 1,500 square foot attic upgrade to R-50, fibreglass typically costs $750-$1,500. Spray foam typically costs $3,750-$6,000. Both reach the same R-value. Fibreglass can save you $3,000-$4,500 while giving you similar thermal performance.
For homeowners working with real budgets, this price advantage makes big upgrades possible. You can insulate your entire attic, all exterior walls, and basement spaces without breaking the bank.
Glass doesn’t burn. Fibreglass insulation won’t catch fire or spread flames. It actually slows fire spread in your walls and attic. This protects your family. It may help reduce home insurance premiums. It meets code requirements without extra fire barriers. Unlike some foam products that need expensive fire-rated drywall, standard drywall works perfectly with fibreglass.
Standard R-19 fibreglass batts can reduce sound transmission by up to 40-50 decibels in interior walls. That’s enough to make conversations in the next room difficult to hear. Installing fibreglass between bedrooms means your teenagers’ late-night gaming won’t keep you awake. Between your home office and living room means you can take client calls while kids watch TV. One material solves both temperature control and noise problems.
Fibreglass insulation can last 80-100 years when installed correctly. That’s longer than you’ll own your home. Think about the lifetime cost: a $3,000 attic project lasting 80 years works out to approximately $37.50 per year. Compare this to HVAC systems ($15,000 every 15-20 years = $750-1,000 per year) or roofing ($12,000 every 25 years = $480 per year). Fibreglass gives you the lowest cost-per-year performance of any major home system. You pay once and benefit for decades.
Modern fibreglass batts often contain 40-60% recycled glass. This cuts raw material demand. At end of life, fibreglass is 100% recyclable. Old batts get reprocessed into new insulation or other glass products. The energy you save over the insulation’s lifetime can offset the manufacturing energy within the first few years of use.
Builders who install fibreglass batts during framing appreciate how well the material works with standard construction practices. Wall cavities in 2×4 or 2×6 framing get R-13 or R-19 batts. Installation happens after rough electrical and plumbing but before drywall. This fits naturally into construction schedules. Cathedral ceilings and vaulted spaces can hold thicker batts when you maintain proper ventilation channels.
Basement finishing projects commonly use fibreglass batts against foundation walls. The batts install between wood framing that creates the finished wall. Homeowners remodeling older homes sometimes add insulation when siding comes off for exterior work. Attic floors are another common retrofit. Fibreglass batts fit between ceiling joists, adding thermal resistance to homes built decades ago with too little insulation.
Choose fibreglass batts when you have standard 2×4 or 2×6 wall framing with easy access. Choose them when noise control matters as much as temperature control. Choose them when you have budget limits for large projects. Choose them when you want future renovation access since batts are removable, unlike spray foam.
Consider spray foam when air sealing is your main problem in older homes with lots of air leaks. Consider it when you have irregular cavities or hard-to-reach spaces. Consider it when you need maximum R-value in limited depth.
Still unsure which material fits your situation? That’s exactly what our free assessment figures out. We look at your home’s unique conditions and recommend the material that gives you the best performance for your money.
Fibreglass insulation loses R-value when you squash it. Stuffing R-19 batts into spaces designed for R-13 can cut effectiveness by 30-50%. You paid for R-19 but you’re getting R-12 performance. The trapped air pockets that provide insulating value get squeezed out. Professional installers understand this and pick the right thickness for each space.
Gaps and empty spots create even bigger problems. Air moving around insulation defeats the whole purpose. Careful cutting and fitting around obstacles ensures complete coverage. This attention to detail separates quality work from rushed jobs that fail to deliver the energy savings you expect.
Here’s something many homeowners get wrong: vapour barriers in Ontario go on the warm side of your insulation. That’s the side facing your heated rooms. Why does this matter? Get it backwards and moisture gets trapped in your walls. This leads to mold growth and insulation failure.
Our installers know this automatically. In 17 years and over 3,000 Durham Region installations, we have not had moisture-related callbacks. Meanwhile, we’ve fixed dozens of installations where unlicensed contractors placed vapour barriers wrong. Those homeowners faced mold remediation costs that can exceed $8,000.
Attic and cathedral ceiling installations must keep ventilation pathways open. Fibreglass batts can’t block soffit vents or touch roof decking directly. Proper ventilation removes moisture and prevents ice dams. Ice dams are those destructive ice formations that damage shingles, gutters, and soffits. We’ve seen winter damage that can exceed $15,000 from blocked soffit vents.
Our installers maintain 2-inch clear ventilation channels from soffit to ridge. This prevents ice dams while protecting your roof investment. It’s detailed work that takes knowledge of how buildings handle moisture and temperature extremes. Skip this step and you risk serious damage within a few winters.
Spray foam excels at air sealing. It provides higher R-value per inch—about R-6 to R-7 per inch compared to R-3.5 per inch for fibreglass. Spray foam also fills irregular cavities and seals air leaks at the same time.
Fibreglass batts cost far less for standard cavity insulation in well-built homes. A properly air-sealed building with fibreglass performs nearly as well as spray foam at one-third the cost. Fibreglass also lets you access walls later for renovations or repairs. Spray foam creates permanent installations that are hard to remove or change.
Both materials meet code-required R-values. The difference comes down to your specific application and budget. For standard framing with good air sealing, fibreglass delivers excellent value. For homes with major air leakage or irregular spaces, spray foam might be worth the extra cost.
Blown-in cellulose works well for attic floors and retrofits where you can’t easily access cavities. The material fills irregular spaces and covers joists for continuous insulation. Cellulose also dampens sound well.
Fibreglass batts work better for wall cavities and new construction than blown-in materials. You can see that every cavity is filled properly. Cellulose needs chemical fire treatment. Fibreglass is naturally non-combustible. Both materials reach similar R-values per inch when installed properly. Your choice depends on your specific application and access conditions.
Logik Group looks at every project individually. We recommend the right R-values and installation approach for your specific situation. During your assessment, we photograph your current insulation. We measure current R-values with thermal imaging that shows exactly where heat escapes. We identify air leaks.
You get a detailed report—not just a quote. The report shows precisely where your home loses energy. It shows which improvements give you the best return on your money. This data-driven approach means your insulation budget targets the areas that matter most.
Our CUFCA-certified crews use proper techniques to avoid compression and gaps. We keep ventilation paths clear. We install vapour barriers according to Ontario building codes. Quality checks ensure every part of the installation meets professional standards.
The Canadian Urethane Foam Contractors Association oversees insulation industry training and standards. CUFCA certification requires 40 hours of technical training. This covers building science basics, moisture management in different climates, and installation standards that help prevent callbacks.
Our crews recertify every three years. They stay current with changing building codes and new materials. This ongoing education separates certified professionals from contractors who learned on the job decades ago and never updated their knowledge.
Working with CUFCA-certified contractors gives you peace of mind. You’re hiring professionals who understand the “why” behind every installation step. They’re not just workers following instructions. Our certification shows our commitment to ongoing education and national best practices.
When we assess your attic for insulation, our GAF-certified roofing specialists also check your roof deck condition, ventilation, and shingle integrity. If we find issues—moisture damage from poor ventilation, aging shingles near failure, inadequate attic venting—our roofing team can address them as part of your project.
One assessment appointment. One company. One comprehensive warranty covering both roofing and insulation work. You avoid the headache of hiring separate contractors who blame each other when problems show up.
While insulation-only companies leave you searching for a roofer when we discover ventilation problems, Logik Group can solve both in one project. This integrated approach has helped prevent delays for hundreds of Durham Region homeowners.
We partner with residential builders, property managers, and renovation contractors across the GTA. Our commercial crews understand construction schedules. They coordinate smoothly with other trades. They complete installations to pass inspection the first time.
Volume projects get dedicated project managers who help ensure on-time delivery. We’ve completed insulation for over 40 new home developments in Durham Region over 17 years. Builders choose us because we show up on schedule and work to avoid creating delays.
Durham Region homeowners who upgrade from minimal R-12 attic insulation to R-50 fibreglass can reduce heating costs by 25-35% in the first year. Take a typical 2,000 square foot home spending $2,400 per year on heating. That’s potential annual savings of $600-$840.
With a $3,500 fibreglass investment, payback typically occurs in 4-6 years. Over the 80-year life of the insulation, total potential savings can exceed $48,000. That assumes energy prices stay the same, which they rarely do. Prices tend to increase over time, which can make your savings even larger.
Federal and provincial rebate programs often help offset upfront costs. We help you navigate available rebates to maximize your savings.
Energy-efficient homes can sell faster and command higher prices in the Durham Region real estate market. MLS listings that highlight recent insulation upgrades attract buyers looking for low operating costs.
Real estate agents often report that documented energy upgrades can strengthen offers and reduce price negotiation. Energy-efficient homes can help speed up time-to-sale.
Beyond money, proper insulation delivers improved comfort with steady temperatures and fewer drafts. It gives you better indoor air quality. It cuts noise that improves daily living.
Yes. Installed fibreglass sits inside wall cavities and attic spaces, separated from living areas by drywall. Once installation finishes and dust settles, fibreglass doesn’t release particles into indoor air. The material is non-toxic. It’s been used safely in millions of homes for decades.
Fibreglass doesn’t soak up water like some materials. If it gets wet from a roof leak, it dries out and keeps working once you fix the leak. Proper vapour barrier installation helps prevent moisture problems from happening in the first place.
Fibreglass can last 80-100 years without major performance loss when properly installed. The material doesn’t settle much. It keeps its R-value over time when protected from moisture and compression.
Fibreglass batts are easier for DIY than spray foam. But proper installation requires expertise in vapour barriers, air sealing, and avoiding compression. Mistakes can cut performance by 30-50%. Our CUFCA-certified crews complete detailed installations that DIY approaches often miss. We maintain an excellent installation track record. We’ve helped fix dozens of failed DIY projects.
Ontario building codes require R-50+ for attic floors, R-20 to R-24 for exterior walls, and R-12+ for basements. Your specific needs depend on when your home was built and where it’s located. During our free assessment, we check your current R-values with thermal imaging. We recommend upgrades that give you the best energy savings for your money.
Fibreglass batts keep their thickness better than loose-fill materials. Properly installed batts held in place by friction and correct sizing don’t settle much. This helps ensure long-term performance without gradual efficiency loss.
