Insulation cuts down
greenhouse gas emissions

Discovering more about home’s energy use can lead to other discoveries — like how easy it is to make simple home renovations that will save energy and money every day.

For Hamilton-area homeowner Donato Cascioli, having a home energy audit was definitely a big discovery.

“I didn’t know how important air sealing was, and if you have a baseboard that faces an exterior wall, how important it is to seal underneath the baseboard,” he says.

Home energy audit

During his home energy audit, Cascioli also learned that by renovating his one-and-a-half storey home, he could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 17 tonnes each year.

And he learned that the home’s main walls needed insulation to help the oil furnace work more efficiently. With more insulation, the furnace could operate just enough to heat the small home, instead of pumping out heat that was quickly lost to the outdoors.

Insulation

After his home energy audit, Cascioli decided to take the advice his Ontario Home Energy Advisor had provided. Following a checklist of recommended improvements, Cascioli decided to tackle the insulation first. He figured installing blown-in insulation would be a fairly simple task. “I did the work myself. It was easy and I learned a lot in the process,” he says.

“With blown-in insulation, the challenge is to find out how much you would need,” he explains. The goal is to evenly fill all the open spaces in the home’s walls with insulation, which traps small pockets of air.

That air prevents heat from moving through the building’s “envelope.” The better insulated the walls, the less heat is lost, so it’s important to have enough. But if there’s too much insulation, it can actually be less effective, because closely packed insulation can’t trap as much air between its layers.

Renovation help

As he worked through his renovations, Cascioli discovered that his local hardware superstores were more than happy to help him determine how much insulation was right for his home.

Just cut out hockey-puck-sized holes in the drywall at the studs and blow in the insulation. Donato Cascioli, Hamilton Hamilton insulation grants

“If you take your measurements and layout, all you need to do is go to [your local hardware superstore] and they will help you figure that out,” says Cascioli. Blown-in insulation, like the insulation Cascioli used, is made from cellulose, and installed with the help of a special machine.

At one hardware superstore, Cascioli found, patrons can use the machine for free if they buy at least 20 bags of the insulation. To get the insulation into the walls, Cascioli says, “You can get a stud finder and find out where the studs are, and just cut out hockey-puck-sized holes in the drywall at the studs and blow in the insulation. You don’t have to tear down the entire drywall.”

Afterwards, the drywall pucks are replaced, and the holes are repaired with spackle and paint.

Grants, rebates and savings

The home’s warmer and the oil consumption is about 50 percent less. Donato Cascioli, Hamilton Hamilton air sealing grants

Not only did Cascioli’s insulation qualify for grants and rebates from Canada’s federal government and the Ontario government’s Home Energy Savings program, but he’s seeing a huge reduction in the home’s heating costs. “The home’s warmer and the oil consumption is about 50 percent less,” he says. “The home holds the heat much longer.”

Making energy saving renovations is a smart move, both for energy savings and the environment, says Cascioli. “The homeowner wins because they get a much warmer house and they can save money— and hey, I would like to keep Canada clean for my daughter.”

Government grants

Hamilton homeowners can choose from a shopping list of renovation grants from the Government of Canada:

Hamilton homeowners can also get ...

And there’s more.

Take advantage of Government of Canada ecoENERGY grants for home energy renovation in Hamilton:

Enjoy all the benefits

Do it right

Each Hamilton home has its own specific energy-savings needs, and yours is no different. The right renovations add up to big savings. By following the expert advice of a certified Ontario energy advisor, you’ll make the energy renovations or "retrofits" that are right for your Hamilton home — and help improve your energy costs and the Hamilton environment.

Energy renovations help ...

And that’s not all. Here are more benefits ...

When you improve your home in Hamilton, you also make a difference to the rest of the world. You’ll help address important global issues like ...

And there’s even more. Click here to learn how Hamilton homeowners like you are saving thousands of dollars and tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, by making the right energy-saving home renovations. Hamilton Ontario homeowners can make a difference.

Get started today!

Learn more about Renovation Rebates in Hamilton Ontario ...

To qualify you need a Hamilton home energy audit before your renovations.

[ Back to Top ]