Also known as
- Boiler and Pipe Insulator
- Building Insulator
- Firestopping Insulator
- Insulation Applicator
- Insulation Mechanic
- Insulator
- Insulator Apprentice
- Sound Insulator
Your duties | Work conditions | Essential Skills | Apprenticeship | Certification | Where to study | Salary ranges | Building your career | Job prospects
Do you like precise work? Are you looking for on-the-job variety? Do you like working with your hands and with machines? Could you work on scaffolding in high places and indoors or out in all kinds of weather? Then Heat and Frost Insulator could be the career for you!
What the work is like
Heat and frost 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.
Heat and frost insulators work mainly in the Heavy Industrial, and Institutional and Commercial construction sectors. To learn more about the construction sectors, check out Inside the industry.
Your duties
As a Heat and Frost Insulator, your duties may include the following:
- applying and securing insulation
- measuring and cutting insulating material using hand and power tools
- installing vapour barriers
- applying waterproofing cement over insulating materials to finish surfaces
- removing asbestos or urea-formaldehyde insulation from buildings
- reading and interpreting specifications to select the type of insulation required
Work conditions
The standard work week for heat and frost insulators is 40 hours (8 hours a day, 5 days a week). As with many careers in construction, there are peak periods that will require you to work overtime. The number of additional hours you work each week depends on the construction sector and region you work in, and will vary from one job to the next. If you work in maintenance, you may have to work in shifts.
As a Heat and Frost Insulator, you may work indoors or outdoors, usually with a team of other construction professionals. The job can be physically demanding – you may work on ladders or scaffolding and in confined areas.
As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. Heat and frost insulators are trained to work safely and use equipment such as respirators, coveralls and safety goggles to protect themselves from dust and fibreglass.
Essential Skills
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has identified nine Essential Skills that are necessary to succeed in the workplace. These skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and apply to most construction careers. Best of all, you can learn and improve on these skills in school, on the job and during your everyday life.
The most important Essential Skills for heat and frost insulators are the following:
- Oral Communication – conveying or exchanging information verbally
- Problem Solving – coming up with solutions to challenges
- Job Task Planning and Organizing – working independently to plan and organize daily tasks
- Working with Others – interacting with co-workers to get the job done
Click here to learn more about Essential Skills.
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is one way of starting out in the construction industry. It involves both classroom studies and on-the-job training under the supervision of a certified Heat and Frost Insulator, called a journeyperson.
As an apprentice, you earn while you learn and are paid by the hour while working on the job site. Wages start at about 50% of a journeyperson’s hourly rate and increase during your apprenticeship until you reach the full rate.
Entering an apprenticeship program
Requirements for heat and frost insulator apprenticeship programs vary across Canada. In most provinces and territories, you must be at least 18 years old and have a Grade 12 education or equivalent to enter a heat and frost insulator apprenticeship program. You may find it helpful to have courses in math.
Some provinces and territories offer secondary school apprenticeship programs that allow high school students to work towards a career as a Heat and Frost Insulator.
For more information, check out the Apprenticeship section.
Program length
Apprenticeship training programs for heat and frost insulators vary across Canada, but generally involve four 12-month periods, including at least 5,650 hours of on-the-job training, three eight-week blocks of technical training and a final certificate exam.
Related work experience or completion of a heat and frost insulator program at a college or technical institute can reduce the time required to complete your apprenticeship.
Certification
Certification is required in Quebec. It is available but voluntary in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and the Yukon. Where certification is not available, it may be possible to study as an apprentice through your local labour organization. Check out Related links to find out who to contact. Even where certification is voluntary, it is still recommended. Certification tells employers and other workers that you are a skilled professional. It also helps you get jobs.
To be certified as a Heat and Frost Insulator, you usually need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the required on-the-job training, technical training and exams, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.
You may be eligible for certification in some provinces and territories if you have more than four years of on-the-job experience and some high school, college or industry courses in insulating.
As a certified Heat and Frost Insulator you may attempt the Interprovincial Exam to qualify for the Interprovincial Standards’ Red Seal. With a Red Seal, you can work as a Heat and Frost Insulator anywhere in Canada.
To keep your skills current, you have to keep up with new technological developments by reading and by talking with other heat and frost insulators.
Where to study in Canada
In addition to the Canadian schools listed below, many employer and labour organizations offer training. For more information, check out Related links.
Alberta
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
British Columbia
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Specialty programs
In addition to the schools listed above, new Canadians and women can enrol in one of the following specialty programs:
For new Canadians with experience as heat and frost insulators, NorQuest College offers a program called Transitions to Technical and Trades Careers.
Lambton College offers an integrated program for women called Women in the Trades.
Salary ranges
Heat and Frost Insulator hourly wages vary depending on the contract, the company, collective agreements, and local and national economic conditions. Typical hourly wage ranges for heat and frost insulators (based on national or regional averages) are as follows:
Junior apprentices
| Region | Typical hourly rate |
|
National average |
$13-$18 |
Based on national averages, junior apprentices can earn annual salaries ranging from $27,000 to $37,000 per year, not including overtime.
Journeypersons
| Region | Typical hourly rate |
|
National average |
$18-$25 |
Based on national averages, journeypersons can earn annual salaries ranging from $37,000 to $52,000 per year, not including overtime.
Highly experienced journeypersons
| Region | Typical hourly rate |
|
National average |
$28-$35 |
Based on national averages, highly experienced journeypersons can earn annual salaries ranging from $58,000 to $73,000 per year, not including overtime.
Construction work can involve overtime, so your total annual salary will vary depending on the number of overtime hours you work.
In addition to the hourly rate, many construction workers receive statutory holiday and vacation pay. Depending on the contract, you may also receive benefits such as group insurance for health, dental, and vision care, as well as retirement packages and training benefits up to 30% of your hourly rate. If you are self-employed, it is up to you to arrange your own benefits.
Building your career
With experience and additional training you can move into supervisory roles, including foreman, general foreman or superintendent. You could also become an Estimator for the insulating industry. As an Estimator, you would review blueprints for proposed work, determine how much material is needed and how long the work will take.
As with most careers in the construction industry, your skills are portable. If you want to move, you can take your skills with you.
Job prospects
Construction careers across Canada are booming! To learn about the forecast for heat and frost insulators, check out Job prospects. There you’ll find information on their expected demand by province for the next nine years.
The Construction Sector Council accepts no responsibility or liability connected with the use or reproduction of the information contained on this website. It is provided “as is” and is intended for informational use only without warranty, express or implied.
