The still very weak U.S. housing market is leaving brokers there  with a lot of unsold building product inventory that they are looking to get rid of in Canada. The product is coming over legally, and it is cheaper than comparable products sold in Canada—they even come with the same branding—the problem is, they don’t meet Canada’s stringent building code requirements and if they are installed in Canadian homes, there is a good chance the installation won’t pass inspection.

Andy Goyda, marketing development manager for Owens Corning Canada, says Owens Corning dealers in border towns are seeing more and more insulation products coming across the border this way. It can be the result of homeowners crossing the border and unwittingly buying the cheaper product to bring it back, or contractors buying the product direct from the brokers. Either way, it is putting home renovation and construction projects in jeopardy of being held up by inspectors who realize the product is not approved for Canadian use.

Here’s Andy talking about what is happening and how to make sure you are using Canada-approved products.