CritterChatter™ Blog
Attic Insulation
When animals take-up residence in an attic, they often leave behind sentiments of their stay – including fur, food and feces. So, when a critter control company is called to take care of an animal issue in an attic, it often involves clean up activity along with animal removal.
We find that when animals such as raccoons or squirrels have been in an attic, especially for a long period of time, they tend to not only leave behind their waste, but also pack down the insulation to the point that it can no longer do its job in keeping your home energy efficient. It is not uncommon to see an attic with raccoon activity have a majority of the insulation packed down to just 2 to 4 inches. Normally, an attic should have anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of insulation, depending on the type of insulation used..jpg)
When considering critter removal from an attic, it’s important to know that just removing the animal isn’t going to be efficient enough to fix the problem, or, eliminate issues in the future. At Critter Control, we not only remove the offending animal(s), but also repair the entry point, clean up their waste in the attic and replace damaged insulation with insulation that is environmentally friendly and controls insects.
With an overall push in our society to take-up a “green” way of life, insulation has become an increasingly important method of reducing carbon footprints and saving money through energy conservation. In fact, 28-percent of heat lost in a one-story home can be eliminated through proper insulation.
The amount of insulation is dependant upon the climate of an area. Some areas of the country need more than others, but an appropriate amount of insulation is needed to receive maximum effectiveness– which is measured in r-value (measure of resistance to heat flow.)
We recommend and use TAP Insulation because it is fire-retardant, pest resistant, all natural and able to cover all nooks and crannies. TAP is a blown in cellulose insulation with an R-value of 3.7 per inch, comparably, loose fill fiberglass only gives you an R-value of 2.5 and fiberglass batt insulation only has an R-value of 3.2 per inch, and neither are pest resistant or fire-retardant.
By installing the proper amount of TAP cellulose insulation in an attic, it not only protects the home from insects, but also makes the home more energy efficient and helps to decrease energy bills all-year-round.
