We install continuous exterior insulation on new homes for GTA builders using two Soprema boards: SOPRA-XPS 20 extruded polystyrene and SOPRA-ISO V ALU foil-faced polyiso. It goes over the water-resistive barrier and under the cladding, fastened and strapped to suit your wall design, and timed to your framing and cladding schedule so it doesn't hold up the next trade. Working GTA-wide. Call 905-251-0101.
Exterior insulation helps your homes meet their energy-code targets and gives buyers a warmer, quieter house. It's installed while the shell is open, so it has to fit tightly into the sequence between the envelope and the cladding.
Products we install
We install two Soprema rigid insulation boards:
- SOPRA-XPS 20: a rigid extruded polystyrene (XPS) board made of closed-cell foam. Soprema makes it for above-grade wall systems, with shiplap, butt or grooved edges; the grooved boards take 1 x 3 in. wood strapping.
- SOPRA-ISO V ALU: a closed-cell polyisocyanurate (polyiso) foam board with a reflective foil facer on both sides, made by Soprema as thermal insulation for wall systems.
Both are fastened with the fasteners and strapping your design calls for. Your designer or energy advisor sets the board and thickness, so tell us what's on your drawings or specification and we'll price to it. If you're still choosing, we'll talk through how each board affects fastening, strapping and window details, but the product decision belongs with your designer.
What's not included: energy modelling or code design, the water-resistive barrier itself (quoted separately under building envelope), cladding and masonry.
Where it goes: over the WRB, under the cladding
In a typical new-home wall, the order from inside to outside is: framing and cavity insulation, sheathing, water-resistive barrier (such as Tyvek, Blueskin or a SOPRASEAL membrane), continuous exterior insulation, strapping or furring where needed, then cladding or masonry veneer with its air space. Keeping the insulation outside the sheathing reduces thermal bridging through the studs and keeps the sheathing warmer.
Fastening, strapping and window bucks
- Fastening: boards are fastened through to the framing at the spacing the manufacturer and your designer require, with joints tight and staggered.
- Strapping: where siding is installed over the insulation, strapping or furring is fastened through the insulation to create a nailing base and drainage gap.
- Window bucks and openings: window openings need extensions or bucks so windows sit in the right plane and flashing still laps correctly over the insulation. We follow your window detail and coordinate with your window installer.
- Brick veneer: where brick goes over the insulation, ties must be long enough to span the insulation and air space. See brick tie installation.
Energy-code paths (confirm with your designer)
Ontario's building code offers more than one way to show a new house meets energy-efficiency requirements, and exterior insulation is one tool designers use to get there. Which path your homes follow, and how much exterior insulation it requires, is decided by your designer or energy advisor. We install to the drawings; please confirm the product and thickness with your designer before ordering.
Scheduling with framers and cladders
- Framing and sheathing complete.
- Water-resistive barrier installed and openings detailed.
- Exterior insulation installed and fastened; strapping added if needed.
- Windows installed or integrated to your detail.
- Cladding or masonry follows.
Insulation left exposed for long periods can be damaged by weather, so we time installation to when cladding is ready to follow. In winter, the scaffold can be tarped with our winter scaffolding tarping so work continues.
We install exterior insulation across the GTA, including Vaughan, Markham, Aurora and Pickering.
What to send us for an insulation quote
- Wall sections showing the insulation product, thickness and fastening
- Cladding type (brick veneer, stone, siding) and any strapping detail
- Window installation detail and whether bucks or extensions are required
- Number of homes, storeys and target dates
Exterior insulation FAQ
Which exterior insulation products do you install?
Soprema SOPRA-XPS 20 (extruded polystyrene) and SOPRA-ISO V ALU (foil-faced polyiso). Your designer sets the board and thickness; send us the specification and we'll price to it.
Does exterior insulation go over or under the house wrap?
In most new-home walls it goes over the water-resistive barrier and under the cladding. Follow your designer's wall assembly.
Is exterior insulation required by code?
It depends on the energy-code path your designer chooses. Confirm the requirement with your designer or energy advisor.
Can you install strapping for siding?
Yes. Strapping or furring can be fastened through the insulation to give siding a nailing base and drainage gap.
Do longer brick ties need to be used over insulation?
Ties must span the insulation and air space to reach the backing wall. We install ties to code and your engineer's detail.