Canada’s weather can be extreme, making it hard to heat or cool the buildings where people live and work. Heat and frost insulators can help by making sure that the temperature inside buildings is as comfortable as possible. This trade is very important in a county like Canada, and the job is a good choice for people who like to work with their hands.

Being to cold or too hot can be very uncomfortable, and it can also make people sick. Insulation provides an extra layer between the walls of a building helps to keep the temperatures even so that people don’t use as much heat or air conditioning. This can help save energy, which reduces the amount of money that people have to spend on heating and cooling, and it also helps to preserve the environment.

Putting insulation into buildings is an important job, and people in this field can be well paid. Some people even earn close to $75,000 per year, although most people earn less than that. Heat and frost insulators measure the spaces that need to be filled, remove the old insulation, and then cut the new insulation to fit. They also put special waterproof layers of cement or other material to keep the space dry and clean.

The work is not physically difficult, although sometimes the old insulation can cause health problems, and even cancer, when people breathe in small pieces of it. Cuts are also quite common from working with knives or box cutters, and falling from ladders is another danger.

Becoming a heat and frost insulator usually involves learning on the job, but some people go through an internship program. This is especially common for mechanical insulators, who work with pipes. Have you ever heard of water pipes bursting on a very cold day in winter? Mechanical insulators can help keep this from happening if they do their job well.

Northern Canada has special opportunities for mechanical insulators. Because the ground is frozen all year long, the pipes are all above the ground in long, covered lines called utilidors. However, most parts of Canada still need insulated pipes to protect them from the cold.

Work opportunities for heat and frost insulators depends mainly on new construction, although people can usually find some work in replacing old insulation. When the economy is doing well, people buy new houses and need insulation. A slow economy means that people buy fewer houses, and work for insulators decreases. Having a second skill is a good idea so that you will always have work to do.

If you like the idea of working with your hands to help keep people comfortable, becoming a heat and frost insulator might be a good choice.

Bibliography:  

Heat and Frost Insulators.ca. “Job Description.” http://www.heatandfrostinsulators.ca/job-description

International Association of Heat and Frost Insuators.org. “About Us.” http://www.insulators.org/about-us/history.

Living in Canada.com. “Insulator Salary Canada.” http://www.livingin-canada.com/salaries-for-insulators-canada.html.

Truity.com. “Career Profile: Insulation Worker.” https://www.truity.com/career-profile/insulation-worker.