You turn up the thermostat. The furnace runs. The baseboards heat up. And yet, you still feel drafts in the living room, the floor is freezing in the morning, and your Hydro bill climbs month after month without comfort following.
It's a situation we hear about often in Charny and in the older neighbourhoods of Lévis. And in the vast majority of cases, the problem isn't your heating system — it's the building envelope letting heat escape as fast as it's produced.
Winters in the Lévis region are long and rigorous. The humidity of the St. Lawrence River, the winds coming down from the north, and the repeated freeze-thaw cycles create conditions that put houses built before the 1990s to the test. Many of these houses have never been insulated to current standards — or have been partially renovated, without addressing the areas that cause the most losses.
At Solutions Rénovation Quebec (SRQ), we regularly intervene to diagnose and correct these problems in bungalows and single-family homes in Charny, Saint-Romuald and Lévis. We are RBQ licensed contractors (licence 5811-7821-01) and we explain here what is really happening in your house — and what we can do so that next winter goes differently.
Is your house difficult to heat? Contact SRQ for an inspection before the next deep freeze
Why does your house stay cold despite heating at maximum?
Turning up the thermostat is a response to the symptom. But if the heat produced escapes as fast as it enters, you are essentially heating the outdoors — and you are paying for it.
A poorly insulated or poorly air-sealed house loses its heat continuously, through several paths at once. The attic, the walls, the basement, the junctions between materials, the electrical outlets on exterior walls — each weak point contributes to the total heat loss. And in a house built 40 or 50 years ago, these weak points are often numerous.
The frustration you feel — the heating running non-stop, the rooms that never really warm up, the cold floors in the morning — is the measurable result of this reality. It's not a question of the power of your heating system. It's a question of how much heat your house is capable of retaining.
The attic is often the biggest problem
If we had to identify the area that causes the most heat loss in older houses in Charny and Lévis, it would be the attic — almost every time. Heat rises naturally. If the roof space is not sufficiently insulated, this heat passes through the ceiling and literally warms the outdoor air instead of staying in your house.
In Quebec, the recommended standard for attic insulation is R-60 — which corresponds to about 18 to 20 inches of blown cellulose. Many houses built in the 1960s to 1980s have insulation levels equivalent to R-12 or R-20. That's two to five times less than what is recommended today.
Why Charny houses lose up to 40 % of heat through the roof
A house with an insufficiently insulated roof space can lose up to 40 % of its heat through the ceiling. (reasonable estimate based on residential construction industry data) This isn't a theoretical figure — it's what we observe in the energy diagnostics we carry out in the field.
The chimney effect amplifies the problem in winter: warm air rises and exits through weak points high up, while cold air enters from below — under doors, through rim joists, through electrical outlets. The greater the temperature difference between inside and outside (and in Charny in January, it can exceed 40 °C), the more intense this exchange.
Humidity in the roof space is the other consequence of deficient insulation. The warm vapour rising from the house condenses on contact with the cold surfaces of the roof — which leads to moisture accumulation, ice dams in winter, and sometimes mould on the wood sheathing.
Air infiltration makes the house uncomfortable
A house can have adequate thermal insulation and still be uncomfortable if it is not airtight. Insulation slows heat transfer through materials. But if cold air enters directly through gaps in the envelope, insulation can do nothing about it.
The most frequent air infiltrations in houses in Lévis and Charny are located around window and door frames, at the junctions between the floor and walls, in basements at the rim joists, behind electrical outlets and junction boxes on exterior walls, and in plumbing and electrical penetrations that pass through the envelope.
These gaps may seem small individually. But added together, they can be equivalent to leaving a window ajar permanently — summer and winter alike.
The blower door test
The blower door test is the most accurate way to measure the airtightness of a house. We depressurize the house with a fan installed in a door, and we measure the airflow entering to maintain this depression. This gives a precise figure on air losses — and often, an infrared thermometer used at the same time allows us to pinpoint exactly where the infiltrations are entering.
This type of diagnostic is available through the Rénoclimat programs and can be combined with a complete energy audit. It can also give you access to grants for the improvement work that follows.
Is your house difficult to heat and are your Hydro bills increasing? Have your insulation inspected by SRQ
The most problematic areas in houses in Lévis and Charny
Not all houses have the same weaknesses. But in bungalows and single-family homes 25 years and older that we see in Charny, Saint-Romuald and Lévis, there are areas that come up systematically in diagnostics.
The cold and damp basement
An uninsulated or poorly insulated basement is a major source of heat loss — and a moisture reservoir that can affect the rest of the house. Foundation concrete is an excellent thermal conductor: it absorbs cold from outside and transmits it directly to the indoor air, floors and adjacent walls.
In houses where the basement is unfinished, or where foundation wall insulation is absent or deteriorated, the temperature difference between the ground floor and the basement can exceed 10 °C in the middle of winter. The ground floor is cold, the lower rooms don't heat properly, and the heating system runs longer to compensate.
The impact of the St. Lawrence River on foundation moisture
Proximity to the St. Lawrence River creates a higher water table and a higher ambient humidity level in several sectors of Lévis and Charny. The foundations of these houses are in contact with wetter soil — which results in condensation on concrete walls, rising damp infiltration, and conditions favorable to mold in unventilated spaces.
This humidity doesn't just make the basement uncomfortable — it affects the air quality of the entire house and can accelerate the deterioration of insulation materials already in place. See our basement insulation and finishing service
Insufficiently insulated exterior walls
In a house built between 1960 and 1990, exterior walls were often insulated with rolled fiberglass installed between the studs — generally R-12 or R-14. That was the standard at the time. But fiberglass tends to sag over time, especially in a humid environment, and to lose some of its insulating value.
Thermal bridges — the areas where heat passes directly through conductive elements such as wooden studs — make the situation worse. Even a wall properly insulated between its studs loses a significant amount of heat through the wooden structure itself.
In older houses, some wall sections may have no insulation at all — especially in additions or extensions built afterward, or in attached garage walls that were never treated.
Rim joists forgotten in several renovations
Rim joists — the wooden structural area that runs around the house at the main floor level, just above the foundations — are among the areas most frequently forgotten in insulation renovations. They are difficult to access, barely visible, and less experienced contractors often skip over them.
Yet it's one of the areas where cold air enters most easily in winter. An untreated or poorly sealed space at this level creates a continuous draft at floor level — which often explains why feet are cold even when the rest of the room is heated.
Sprayed urethane is particularly effective for treating rim joists: it fills irregularities, seals the air and insulates in a single operation.
Request a complete assessment of the cold areas in your home
Why simply turning up the heat doesn't solve anything
It's the instinctive response — and we understand why. It's the immediate solution, the one that requires no investment and brings temporary relief. But practically and financially, it's the most costly in the long term.
More heating = more expenses, not more comfort
When a house is poorly insulated, turning up the thermostat only increases the amount of heat you lose to the outside. The rate of heat loss is proportional to the temperature difference between inside and outside: the more you heat, the more you lose. The heating system runs more often, the cycles are longer, and the Hydro-Québec bill goes up accordingly — without the perceived comfort really improving.
Homeowners who seriously improve their insulation regularly report savings of 20 % to 40 % on their annual heating bill. (reasonable estimate based on industry data and Rénoclimat programs) For a house heated by electricity with significant winter bills, the return on investment of an insulation project can be realized in a few years.
The hidden risks of poor insulation
Beyond bills, poor insulation creates conditions that can affect your family's health and the durability of your home.
An under-insulated attic accumulates the moisture that the house generates (kitchen, bathroom, occupants' breathing). This moisture condenses on the cold surfaces of the roof and creates conditions conducive to mold on the wood decking. A poorly insulated basement promotes condensation on concrete walls. Walls without adequate insulation can develop interstitial moisture — condensation that forms inside the wall itself.
These moisture problems progress slowly and silently. When they become visible — stains on ceilings, odors, mold — the damage is often already extensive.
How freeze-thaw makes invisible problems worse
Each freeze-thaw cycle stresses the building materials. In a wall or attic where moisture has accumulated, this movement accelerates degradation. Wood that repeatedly absorbs and releases moisture eventually warps or rots. A deficient or missing vapor barrier cannot prevent this moisture migration — and in houses built before 1985, vapor barriers are often absent, poorly positioned, or punctured by successive renovations.
Reduce your bills with insulation adapted to the Quebec climate — get an SRQ quote
SRQ's recommended solutions for a more comfortable home
We don't offer a one-size-fits-all solution. The right insulation plan depends on the age of the house, its current condition, the configuration of the attic and basement, and your budget. What we always aim for is the best possible impact for every dollar invested.
Adding insulation in the attic
This is generally the first intervention to prioritize — because that's where the gains are greatest, and because it's often the least costly intervention relative to the benefit obtained.
In most bungalow attics in Charny and Lévis, R-60 can be reached by blowing cellulose over the existing insulation — without having to open the ceilings or do major work. Blown cellulose is a product made of recycled fibers, formaldehyde-free, that uniformly covers all irregularities and resists Quebec's climatic conditions well.
Before blowing, we make sure the attic ventilation is adequate and that light flashing and electrical penetrations are properly sealed — because an attic that is too airtight without ventilation creates its own moisture problems.
The return on investment of an attic blow-in project is among the fastest in residential renovation. And combined with the Rénoclimat or Hydro-Québec LogisVert programs, part of the cost can be reimbursed as a subsidy.
Correcting air infiltration
Caulking and air sealing are less spectacular work than adding insulation — but their impact on comfort can be immediate and significant. We treat door and window frames, junctions between structural elements, plumbing and electrical penetrations, and rim joist areas.
This work is often done in combination with insulation work, which optimizes travel and reduces the overall costs of the project. In some cases, correcting air infiltration in a basement or attic can provide as much comfort as an additional layer of insulation — because direct drafts are eliminated rather than simply slowing heat transfer.
Insulating the foundations and basement
Foundation insulation directly improves comfort at the ground floor level and reduces heat loss from the entire heated volume. It also reduces condensation on concrete walls — which decreases humidity in the basement and improves air quality throughout the house.
Depending on the basement configuration (finished or unfinished, available height, presence of moisture), we can work with rigid panels, mineral wool, or sprayed urethane — each approach having its advantages depending on the context.
Why sprayed urethane is popular in Quebec
Closed-cell sprayed urethane is particularly well suited to Quebec foundations and rim joists. It is impermeable to moisture, which makes it a logical choice for areas in contact with foundation concrete. It adheres directly to irregular surfaces, fills cracks and gaps, and seals air while insulating — in a single application.
Its insulating value per inch of thickness is higher than fiberglass or cellulose, which is an advantage in low-clearance spaces such as rim joists. And its durability in humid environments makes it a long-term investment in the climatic context of Lévis.
Get a clear energy renovation plan for your home
Why choose Solutions Rénovation Québec (SRQ)?
There are many contractors offering insulation services in Quebec. What sets us apart is our knowledge of the local context, our methodical approach, and our commitment to work done right the first time.
An approach adapted to the realities of the Quebec climate
We work exclusively in residential, in homes like yours, in the same climatic context you endure every winter. We know the particularities of Charny bungalows, the humidity problems of the riverside sectors of Lévis, and the frequent mistakes of insulation renovations done hastily.
When we recommend a solution, it's a solution adapted to your specific home — not a standard package applied without thought. If an approach isn't justified in your case, we tell you. And if we find a problem during the work that changes the initial plan, we inform you before continuing.
Work compliant with RBQ standards
All our insulation and residential renovation work is carried out under the responsibility of Marco Savoie, licensed general contractor RBQ (5811-7821-01). Compliance with the standards of the Quebec Building Code is not an option — it's the basis of everything we do.
It also protects you in a resale or insurance context: work carried out by a licensed contractor, with the appropriate documents, is much easier to justify during a pre-purchase inspection or an insurance claim.
5-year warranty and transparent process
Our process is simple and predictable: on-site inspection, clear diagnosis, detailed quote with fixed price, work carried out according to the agreed plan, complete cleanup at the end of the project. No fees that appear along the way. No decision made on your behalf without consulting you.
All our work is covered by a 5-year warranty on labor. If something goes wrong with our installation during this period, we come back without discussion.
500+ satisfied clients in Lévis, Quebec and Chaudière-Appalaches
More than 500 residential projects completed in the region over more than 10 years — insulation, renovation interior and exterior, decontamination and roof. work. The majority of our new mandates come from direct referrals from existing clients. It's the most concrete sign of the trust we've built in the region.
Talk to an SRQ specialist before the next big cold snap
Frequently asked questions about cold houses in Charny and Lévis
Why is my house cold even with a heat pump?
A high-performance heat pump cannot compensate for a house envelope that loses heat quickly. If your house is poorly insulated or poorly air-sealed, the heat pump will run almost continuously to maintain the temperature — and below a certain cold threshold (generally around -15 °C to -20 °C), it will lose efficiency and no longer be able to heat adequately. Improving insulation reduces the heat pump's workload, improves its performance, and extends its lifespan.
Is the attic really the priority?
In the vast majority of homes 25 years and older in Charny and Lévis, yes. Heat loss through the attic is generally the largest in volume, and the work (blowing cellulose) is often among the least expensive and quickest to carry out. It is usually the best starting point — but a complete diagnosis can reveal other priority areas depending on your home's configuration.
How much does attic insulation cost in Lévis?
For a standard single-family bungalow, blowing cellulose to reach R-60 generally ranges between $1,800 and $4,500, depending on the attic's surface area, its accessibility, and the preparatory work required. (reasonable estimate, 2026) Grants are available through the Rénoclimat and Hydro-Québec LogisVert programs, which can significantly reduce this cost. An on-site visit is necessary for a precise figure.
What assistance programs exist in Quebec?
The Rénoclimat program from Transition énergétique Québec offers grants for work to improve the thermal envelope of homes — insulation, air sealing, window replacement. Hydro-Québec also offers LogisVert programs for residential customers. These programs generally require an energy assessment before and after the work. Contact us to get an idea of the amounts available for your situation — conditions change from one year to the next.
How can I tell if my walls are poorly insulated?
A few practical clues: cold spots to the touch on exterior walls in winter, condensation on interior surfaces during extreme cold, marked temperature differences between rooms depending on their exposure, or a noticeable draft near electrical outlets on exterior walls. A thermal camera test (available in some energy assessments) can precisely locate deficient areas.
Can an old house become energy-efficient?
Yes — and it is often even more cost-effective to improve an old house than to replace it. Homes built before the 1990s generally offer the greatest potential for improvement, which also means the greatest possible savings. Work can be done in stages according to budget, starting with the highest-impact interventions (attic, rim joists, air infiltration).
Can humidity make a house colder?
Indirectly, yes. A high humidity level in indoor air increases the sensation of cold at equal temperature — humid air transfers heat more quickly on contact with the skin. But more concretely, insulation saturated with humidity loses a large part of its insulating value. Wet fiberglass can lose 50% or more of its thermal efficiency. (reasonable estimate) Fixing humidity problems is therefore an integral part of an energy efficiency improvement project.
Should I redo all the insulation or only certain areas?
It depends on the condition of each area and the nature of the problems identified. In many cases, targeting the two or three most deficient areas — typically the attic, the rim joists, and one or two air infiltration zones — provides 80% of the benefits for a fraction of the cost of a complete renovation. An honest diagnosis allows you to prioritize interventions according to their real impact and your budget — it is always the first step at SRQ.
Solutions Rénovation Québec — RBQ Licence 5811-7821-01 2552 chemin du Fleuve, Lévis, Québec, G6W 1Y3 📞 418-476-1747 | srq.quebec@gmail.com Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. renovationsolutionsquebec.ca