Index

Intro
Main Duties
Employment Requirements
All Titles
Exclusions

Intro

Insulators apply insulation materials to plumbing, air-handling, heating, cooling and refrigeration systems, piping equipment and pressure vessels, and walls, floors and ceilings of buildings and other structures, to prevent or reduce the passage of heat, cold, sound or fire. They are employed by construction companies and insulation contractors, or they may be self-employed.

The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.

Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Main Duties

Insulators perform some or all of the following duties:

Read and interpret drawings and specifications to determine insulation requirements and select type of insulation required
Measure and cut insulating material to required dimensions using hand and power tools
Apply and secure insulation using spraying, blowing, pasting, strapping, taping and other application and installation methods
Fit insulation around obstructions and between studs and joists
Install vapour barriers
Apply waterproofing cement over insulating materials to finish surfaces
Remove asbestos or urea-formaldehyde insulation from buildings when required.

Employment Requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program
or
A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in insulating is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
Trade certification for insulators (heat and frost) is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified insulators (heat and frost) upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

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