Cambridge Bay (Mar 01/04) - Warmth indoors in Nunavut depends, not so much on the type of heat you're using, but on the kind of insulation you use and how well cracks in the doors and windows are sealed.

"Weather stripping and good insulation," is the bottom line for Jim Bleackley at Fro-Build in Iqaluit.

The most popular type of insulation in Nunavut is fibreglass, according to Bleackley, mainly because it is the cheapest.

But fibreglass has its limits. It is vulnerable to moisture damage, so it must be vapour-barriered.

"When you're thinking of building a home, if it is dry outside (like in Nunavut) and moist inside," Bleackley explained, "that moisture is going to penetrate the walls. If it starts to freeze inside the walls it can cause all kinds of weird problems."

A vapour barrier with your insulation is essential, Bleackley stressed.

Freezing in walls can pull joints apart or cause rotting inside the wall.

Fro-Build is an Iqaluit company with over 25 years of experience serving the Baffin and Keewatin regions.Bleackley, the store manager, said another important point when building your own home is not to scrimp on the windows.

Consider vinyl, double-paned plastic windows.

"Plastic has many advantages over wood," said Bleackley. "It doesn't warp, twist, swell or shrink when humidity changes," he said. "It's easy to maintain a good seal," he said.

Metal framed windows are another option. They are extremely strong, rigid and attractive. But one double-paned, six-foot-square window can cost you $400.

The low-down on heat

The most popular heating system being used in Nunavut right now is forced air, said Bleackley.

Hydronic systems are common, too, especially in large, commercial buildings and schools.

Forced air is created by a burner with a fan, which blows air into the ducts and distributes it throughout the building.

Hydronic ("water-filled") heat is appealing to many builders because it's cheaper to install.

Dave Tomkinson is the general manager at Natik Plumbing and Heating, based in Cambridge Bay.

He said large buildings in his community usually go with hot water or hydronic heating systems.

Even the brand new high school in Cambridge Bay has 12 big boilers that provide Hydronic heating for both the high school and elementary school.

Tomkinson recommends two-inch by six-inch exterior walls insulated with barriers on both sides then strapped and re-insulated on the inside to keep the heat in.

"In some cases you end up with walls with 10 to 12 inches thick of insulation." Styrofoam board or compressed fibreglass is best, said Tomkinson.

The biggest mistake people make when building a home in the North is not having the windows properly done.

"If they haven't wrapped the barriers and insulated between the frame and the rough opening that's one of the biggest flaws," Tomkinson said.

Look up, way up

Hot air rises. So when the standard amount of insulation for a home is six inches in the walls, the ceiling should be double that. But do your research on foams. Two inches of certain types of foam insulation can be better than six inches of fibreglass.