Do I Need New Insulation?
Cold floors, rooms that never quite warm up and ice-cold rim joists are common in Northern Alberta. If your home feels too cold even when the heating is on all day, it’s usually a sign your insulation is underperforming.
Call Fusion Foam for an inspection and new insulation quote: (780) 835-1760
Signs You May Need New Insulation
If your furnace seems to run nonstop and certain rooms stay cold, it’s a good sign your insulation has settled or thinned out. You might feel cold air along baseboards or walls, or notice one side of the house is much warmer than the other. During windy days, a draft that moves around windows or outlets usually points to missing or weak insulation behind the walls.
High energy bills are another giveaway. When heat keeps escaping through ceilings, walls or floors, your system has to work harder just to hold a steady temperature. Ice buildup along the roof edge or frost forming in the attic can also mean that warm indoor air is leaking upward and melting snow on the roof—then refreezing at the edge. Over time, that can damage shingles and soffits.
Basements tell their own story. If the walls feel damp or cold to the touch, the insulation behind them may be soaked or missing altogether. In some homes, you’ll notice a musty smell or dark patches on the drywall where moisture has been trapped. The same goes for rim joists—the area where the basement wall meets the floor above. Condensation often forms there, showing that warm indoor air is meeting a cold, poorly insulated surface.
If you can see the insulation in your attic, take a quick look. Uneven levels, bare spots or insulation that’s grey and compacted are signs that it’s no longer doing its job. Modern materials sit high, fluffy and dry. Anything that looks thin, dusty or wet is ready for replacement.
Why Upgrading to Spray Foam Insulation Makes a Difference
We use spray foam insulation because it seals air leaks while adding insulation value, which is a big advantage in older homes. In basements, spray foam keeps walls dry and warm. At the rim joists, it blocks drafts and stops the chill that seeps through the floors.
If your home is showing these signs of poor insulation, it’s time to have it checked. We serve Grande Prairie, Peace River and the surrounding areas with full insulation and building envelope solutions. Contact us to schedule an inspection and see how an insulation upgrade can make your home warmer, quieter and more efficient this winter.
What is the Cost to Spray Foam 1,000 Square Feet?
Spray foam is often the premium insulation choice on Alberta builds, and one of the first questions we get is: how much will it cost to cover 1,000 square feet? Without getting into any (important!) details, we can estimate between $.045 and $1.60 per board foot. The answer depends on a few variables—foam type, thickness, labour and jobsite complexity—but we’ll walk you through typical ranges and what changes the price in Peace Country. Remember that we can provide a more accurate project quote with just a few details about your space!
Get in touch for a quote today: (780) 835-1760
Key Cost Drivers for 1,000 Sq Ft Spray Foam
Open-cell and closed-cell foam carry different base prices. For example, closed-cell can run $1.00 to $1.60 per board foot, while open-cell might be $0.45 to $0.75 per board foot. A “board foot” means one square foot covered to a depth of one inch.
If you apply a 3-inch layer of closed-cell spray foam over 1,000 sq ft, that equals 3,000 board feet. At $1.25 per board foot, that comes to about $3,750 in materials. With labour, masking, cleanup, scaffolding, and possible drywall removal or repositioning, the installed cost often lands between $4,500 and $6,500 in conventional settings.
For a more precise estimate of your spray foam insulation costs, just give us a call! The simpler the setup, the less you can expect to pay.
What Changes the Price in Northern Alberta
Insulating in Peace Country adds challenges that often push the cost upward:
Temperature control & curing: cold weather slows cure, demands heated enclosures or tenting, and more staging.
Access and masking: high walls, awkward roof angles, or large windows may require extra scaffolding, foam guards, or wrapping.
Complex geometry: vaulted ceilings, angled rafters, and rim-joist details require more setup and precision.
Preparation & repair: old insulation removal, patching, vapour barrier reinstatement or rework can add scope.
Because we pair waterproofing and insulation scopes, our teams often coordinate prior tasks. That can sometimes reduce rework but often requires careful sequencing, which affects cost.
How Do We Estimate Your Insulation Costs?
First, we decide whether to use open-cell or closed-cell foam (closed-cell gives higher density and moisture control, but open-cell is preferable for oddly-shaped spaces.
Calculate your necessary R-value, depending on the use of space.
Multiply square footage by thickness to get board feet.
Multiply board feet by our expected per-foot rate (material + labour).
Allowance 10–25% extra for masking, waste, staging and finish work.
If you want help estimating your specific build in Grande Prairie, Peace River or the surrounding region, we can run the numbers for your wall/ceiling layout and optimize for cost and performance.
We look forward to working with you!
GENYK’s Duraflex F46 Waterproofing Membrane
Now CCMC Certified!
In Peace Country, Alberta, our buildings face deep-freeze, hydrostatic pressure and marathon UV exposure. Sudden thaws, blowing rain, spring run-off and months of freeze–thaw cycles test every joint, seam and penetration. At Fusion Foam, we help build for that reality, not just for a quick fix, and that’s why we’re very picky about the tools and materials we use in our community. We’re excited to share the news that one of our main products, the Duraflex F46 Waterproofing Membrane, has recently been certified as compliant by the Canadian Construction Materials Centre.
What CCMC certification means for spray foam insulation
CCMC is Canada’s national evaluation service for construction products and systems. Its role is to assess whether a product meets Canada’s codes and referenced standards, then publish a public evaluation that specifiers and inspectors can trust. When a membrane earns CCMC compliance it signals that the formulation, performance data and application method have been reviewed by an independent authority. Builders can reference a CCMC listing in project documentation, authorities can accept it with confidence and owners can feel better about the product guarding their investment. You can learn more about the program here at the Canadian Construction Materials Centre website, which explains how evaluations help ensure code compliance for materials used across the country: Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC).
For our customers, the headline is simple. Duraflex F46 now carries third-party validation that matches the conditions we see on northern sites. The testing behind the certification focuses on things that matter here, like adhesion, crack-bridging, water resistance and long-term exposure. That aligns with how we design our assemblies on foundations, walls and tricky transitions where seams typically fail. It also supports efficient schedules because spray-applied membranes cure quickly in cool shoulder seasons, which lets trades keep moving without days of downtime.
Because we install both the exterior water barrier and the interior insulation, we look at the whole envelope. A certified, monolithic membrane outside helps the inside perform better. When the exterior resists water under pressure and moves with the structure, our interior spray foam insulation can do its job of air sealing and thermal control without being asked to compensate for moisture problems. That combination is why we have standardized on this pairing for new builds and retrofits that see wind, temperature swings and ground moisture.
How the Duraflex F46 upgrade helps Peace Country builds
Most failures we are called to fix share the same pattern. Water sneaks through a seam, a cold joint or a poorly detailed penetration, then tracks into the assembly. In winter that moisture freezes and expands, which opens small gaps into bigger ones. In spring the cycle repeats under meltwater and wind-driven rain. A continuous, spray-applied membrane interrupts that pattern because it has no joints to fail and it wraps around corners, pilasters and pipe penetrations without cuts. Duraflex F46 bonds to the substrate, stretches to keep small cracks bridged and forms a tough shell that stands up to backfill.
On the warm side, our spray foam insulation closes air leaks and delivers high R-value in a thin profile. The air seal reduces condensation risk because warm interior air can’t reach a cold surface and drop water where you can’t see it. That’s why many clients feel rooms warm faster and stay even after a foam upgrade. If you want a quick overview of where foam brings the most value in our climate, start here: spray foam insulation. We cover rim joists, pony walls, shops and steel buildings where drafts rob comfort and energy.
The synergy shows up in real life. Homes and shops we’ve treated with this system stay drier at the slab edge, smell fresher during chinooks and shrug off spring run-off that used to leave damp stripes. Agricultural clients tell us wash bays and barns clean up easier because surfaces shed water instead of absorbing it. Contractors appreciate that the membrane sprays quickly and cures fast, which helps on compressed fall timelines when frost threatens. Inspectors appreciate a CCMC-backed product they can verify in the listing, which streamlines approvals and avoids rework.
If your basement sweats or your shop goes clammy when temperatures swing, this upgrade targets the root cause. It is not just about piling on R-value. It is about managing water outside, stopping air movement inside and letting the assembly dry predictably.
If you are planning a build or tackling a leak path that has outlasted other fixes, get in touch for a free project quote! We will look at grading, drainage and exposure, then propose a package that pairs the CCMC-compliant Duraflex F46 membrane outside with the right foam inside. We work across Peace River, Valleyview and High Level and we schedule to hit fall’s best curing windows. To book a site visit or request a quote, reach out now! We will help you head into winter with a tighter, drier structure that is ready for long nights and hard wind.
Crawl Space Insulation Code Guide
Crawl Space Insulation Code Guide
Alberta NBC 2023: Section 9.18 at a Glance
Alberta declared the National Building Code – 2023 Alberta Edition in force on May 1 2024, which means every new foundation or renovation permit must now meet its crawl-space rules. Under Article 9.18.1.3 a crawl space is judged heated when it carries un-insulated ducts or is not separated from conditioned rooms; in every other case it is unheated. The distinction matters because only heated crawl spaces inherit wall and rim-joist RSI targets from the living area above, whereas unheated spaces follow more modest minimums.
For one- and two-family homes in Climate Zone 7A (Peace River, High Level, Hay River) the prescriptive path still asks for RSI 1.96 (≈ R-11) on interior crawl-space walls plus a continuous Class I vapour retarder over exposed soil. Builders who bump their projects to Tier 3 energy performance often choose to thicken insulation to RSI 2.64 for extra blower-door margin, but Tier 1 remains acceptable when the assembly stays under 50 Pa air-leakage limits. In the Northwest Territories (Zone 8A) building officials reference the same NBC tables yet encourage RSI 2.64 outright because design temperatures sink below -40 °C.
Because medium-density closed-cell spray foam achieves roughly RSI 0.007 per mm, two 50 mm passes satisfy both the thermal and vapour barriers in a single operation. Once the foam bonds to concrete or preserved wood, it also acts as the required air barrier, eliminating poly sheeting and the maze of tape joints that accompany it. That airtight layer blocks soil-gas entry, which is critical along the Peace River Radon Belt where test kits often exceed Health Canada’s 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
Beyond Insulation: Vapour, Radon and Air Control
NBC Sentence 9.18.3.2 asks for a 0.15 mm ground sheet lapped 150 mm at seams and sealed to walls. We first spray a low-lift skim to bond the polyethylene, then return with the full-depth lift so sheet edges become locked in place. That method means the vapour barrier never peels or tears when plumbers crawl in later, and the foam’s rigidity bridges small cracks where mice or carpenter ants might otherwise slip through.
Where municipal inspectors reference CAN/CSA-B662 Radon Rough-In standards we extend the foam jacket over the drain tile to ensure suction points remain airtight for future mitigation fans. The R-value vs cost comparison by Green Building Canada explains why spray foam’s higher price per square metre can still win on lifecycle cost once air-sealing and radon protection are tallied.
Our Fusion Foam Approach in Northern Climates
We start every project with a moisture probe of concrete and sill plates, because CAN/ULC-S705.2 voids its warranty if substrate moisture tops 19 %. Heated trailers keep drums within the 16 °C to 30 °C window even during a Hay River cold snap, and digital logs record pressure, temperature and lift thickness so inspectors can sign off without extra site visits.
Once the ground sheet is locked, we spray the wall in two 50 mm lifts, waiting for exotherm to fall below 48 °C before the second pass. Each corner receives an angled fillet of foam to eliminate the vertical air-channel effect documented in NBC Appendix A. Because the foam now serves as vapour control, we omit separate poly at the underside of the floor joists and instead install unfaced drywall as the 15-minute thermal barrier required by Part 3 and Part 9.
Homes that route supply ducts through the crawl space become heated by definition, so we increase thickness to match the above-grade wall RSI and seal duct joints with mastic to avoid energy penalty points under NBC Table 9.36.8.8. Where plans call for hydronic loops or HRV cores in the space, we insulate plumbing and pipe hangers before the final blower-door test to ensure the entire plenum performs as one envelope.
Fusion Foam’s crews travel with self-contained power and heat so remote projects never sit idle waiting for utility hookups. That mobility lets us service cabins on Great Slave Lake and farm shops across Peace Country with the same code-compliant result.
Throughout the process we reference our insulation-renewal program for owners who must first strip mouldy fibre batts. We remove debris, disinfect wood and deliver a conditioned crawl space that stands up to wind-driven snow and summer humidity alike.
Call Fusion Foam for Ag, Commercial & Residential Crawl Space Insulation
If you are planning a build or retrofit in Alberta or the Northwest Territories and need crawl space insulation that passes inspection the first time, reach our team through the Fusion Foam contact page. We will size the foam, document CAN/ULC-S705.2 compliance and leave you with an airtight, radon-safe crawl space ready for decades of northern winters.
Attic Insulation Code Alberta
Unvented Roof Clause and Variance 19-BCV-022
The National Building Code – Alberta Edition says that every attic or cathedral ceiling must be ventilated unless “it can be shown to be unnecessary.” Article 9.19.1.1 creates that opening, but an authority still needs formal proof. Alberta issued province-wide Variance 19-BCV-022 to spell out when an unvented roof insulated with spray polyurethane foam is acceptable.
The variance cites Sentence 9.19.1.1 and allows a sealed roof deck when closed-cell foam provides the full thermal resistance and doubles as the vapour and air control layer. In practice that means we spray medium-density foam directly against the roof sheathing, then finish with gypsum or an intumescent coating so the assembly earns the 15-minute thermal-barrier rating required by Part 3 and Part 9.
Peace Country, High Level and Hay River lie in Climate Zone 7A, where Tier 1 of Section 9.36 calls for RSI 6.0 (about R-34) at the roof deck. Our closed-cell product delivers roughly RSI 0.007 per millimetre, so 175 mm of foam passes Tier 1 without ventilation. Builders who step up to Tier 3 add only another 20 mm. In the Northwest Territories, Zone 8A nudges the minimum higher, so we thicken the foam to 200 mm and still keep the roof cavity slim because no vent channel is needed. That slimmer section gives designers freedom to push ceiling heights without exceeding overall building height caps.
CAN/ULC S705.2 Daily-Log Discipline
Spray foam is accepted under Variance 19-BCV-022 only when the installation meets CAN/ULC S705.2, the national site-practice standard for medium-density foam. S705.2 demands that every project generate a Daily Work Record noting substrate temperature, ambient humidity, pressure calibration and lift thickness. The standard also obliges the installer to carry a photo licence that proves current training status (Standards Council of Canada). We run those logs on a cloud app so municipal inspectors can view them in real time, which speeds approvals in remote districts where a second trip could mean a 600-kilometre drive.
Thermal-Barrier Choices in Crawl Spaces and Kneewalls
Because the foam in an unvented roof now acts as insulation, vapour retarder and air barrier, the only remaining code item is fire protection. The default is 12.7 mm Type X gypsum, yet Alberta accepts intumescent coatings with CAN/ULC-S124 listings when space is tight. Our crews document wet-film thickness and cure time to show equivalency before the inspector arrives. The same approach serves crawl-space walls, where Sentence 9.18.2.1 calls for RSI 1.96 insulation and a ground vapour retarder. Two passes of foam meet both clauses in one operation and seal radon entry points, a bonus in Hay River where soil readings can spike.
Energy-Audit Payback
Unvented foam roofs reduce air leakage because there is no vent chute interrupting the air barrier. Tier 3 homes in Zone 7A must test below 2.5 ACH @ 50 Pa; our completed attics usually fall under 1.0 ACH. That airtightness lets mechanical designers downsize heat-recovery ventilators and furnaces, trimming both capital cost and emissions. For owners curious about basic chemistry we recommend the public overview of spray foam on spray foam insulation which explains why the material doubles as an air seal as soon as it hardens.
Every attic project begins with a site review and ends with an electronic code-compliance file that you can forward to appraisers, insurers and warranty providers. If you have existing batts that sag or show frost stains, consider our insulation-renewal service. We remove damaged fibres, spray closed-cell foam to the exact thickness required by Variance 19-BCV-022 and leave your home ready for drywall the same day.
We travel throughout northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Visit our contact page to schedule a code-ready attic upgrade that will keep winter heat where it belongs.