How Kamloops is built
- Before 1961 11%
- 1961–1990 51%
- 1991–2000 15%
- 2001 or later 24%
What inspections find in Kamloops attics
Of Kamloops's 32,450 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 11% were built before 1961 and 62% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Attics in older houses commonly have a fraction of today's recommended insulation, and top-ups done over the years often buried air leaks instead of sealing them first.
Kamloops gets about 3,365 heating degree-days a year, a measure of how much heating its climate needs, and its winter design temperature, the cold day heating systems are sized for, is −17.8°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Kamloops in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That's about 14% less heating demand than the middle of the 70 cities we cover. The colder the climate, the faster added attic insulation pays for itself, and in a hot summer the same insulation keeps attic heat out of the bedrooms below.
Vermiculite. Loose, pebbly, grey-brown or silver-gold insulation may contain asbestos. Health Canada's advice is not to disturb it; have it sampled before any attic work. Asbestos and vermiculite testing in Kamloops
The right order for the work
- Seal the air leaks first: top plates, pot lights, plumbing stacks, the hatch.
- Fix ventilation baffles so new insulation doesn't block soffit vents.
- Then top up the insulation. Burying unsealed leaks under new insulation wastes much of the benefit.
BC Southern Interior Okanagan and Thompson valleys
What this means in Kamloops’s climate
Hot, smoky summers and cold winters: plan cooling, filtration and heating together.
The Okanagan and Thompson valleys have cold winters and the hottest summer afternoons and driest air of any region we cover. Wildfire smoke often keeps windows shut in summer, and radon levels are among the highest in Canada. An EnerGuide evaluation here should cover heating, cooling, smoke filtration and a radon test together.
- Seal and insulate the attic. Attic air sealing and insulation cut winter heat loss and summer heat gain. Today's new-home minimum here is about R-49, a useful target for older attics. Ask: Ask for an attic inspection that checks insulation depth and air leaks around light fixtures, the hatch and plumbing stacks.
What else homes in Kamloops need →
Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026
- National Building Code of Canada 2020, climate data (NRC)
- Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (ECCC)
- Keeping the Heat In (NRCan)
- Air-Source Heat Pump Sizing and Selection Guide (NRCan)
- Heating and Cooling With a Heat Pump (NRCan)
- Gas and heat pump hybrid systems (NRCan)
- Primary heating systems by household, Table 38-10-0286-01 (Statistics Canada)
- Wildfire smoke: protecting your health (Government of Canada)
- Wildfire smoke, filtration and cooling (Island Health)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2021 (ECCC)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2023 (ECCC)
- 2024 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure
- Guide for Radon Measurements in Homes (Health Canada)
- Conditions for thermal scans, ASTM C1060 summary (Cx Associates)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2017 (ECCC)
Communities served
Area guide for the surrounding region, with every town and hamlet listed: Okanagan area guide (West Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Summerland and more).
NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Kamloops
A service organization is a company that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) licenses to deliver EnerGuide evaluations; its registered energy advisors do the home visit. Every EnerGuide evaluation includes an attic inspection: insulation depth, air leaks and red flags such as vermiculite or knob-and-tube wiring.
- Acacia Engineering
- Capital Home Energy
- Energy Werx Profile
- Enerhome Consulting
- EnerSolution Profile
- ER Energy Solutions
- GETS Energy
- Green Canada Home Advisors Profile
- Greenbrain Profile
- HomeTech Energy Solutions
- Isle Energy Consulting
- Sensible Home Inspections
- The Energuy Profile
- VerdaTech Energy Management and Consulting
- Canada Energy Audit Profile
- Engreen Home
- Green Think
- EnerVision
- City Green Solutions
- CoEfficient Building Science
Insulation programs in Kamloops
Attic insulation inspection in Kamloops: common questions
How much attic insulation should a Kamloops house have?
Advisors commonly target around R-50 to R-60 in attics. Your EnerGuide report gives the recommendation for your house.
Can I top up the insulation myself?
Only after the air leaks are sealed and you've confirmed there is no vermiculite. The inspection tells you both.
Does attic insulation help in summer?
Yes. Sealing and insulating the attic floor slows the heat that builds up under the roof from reaching the rooms below, so upstairs bedrooms stay cooler. Keep the soffit vents clear with baffles so the attic can still dry out in damp months.