Addressing thermal bridging — the most effective strategy is continuous insulation — a layer of rigid foam or other insulation that runs continuously across the face of the framing, uninterrupted by structural members.

Adding a layer of rigid foam to the exterior of a wall or the interior of a basement wall breaks the thermal bridge created by the framing or concrete, delivering a meaningful improvement in effective R-value beyond what cavity insulation alone can achieve.

Important note on older Manitoba homes: Many Manitoba homes built before 1990 — and some built before 2000 — have insulation levels well below these targets, particularly in attics where R-12 to R-20 was common in homes built in the 1970s and 1980s.

The attic is almost always the highest-priority location for insulation improvement because heat rises and attic heat loss is typically the single largest insulation-related energy loss in a Manitoba home.