TAP® Insulation: Frequently Asked Questions

a termite and cockroach, white background

If you’ve explored our websites and the services we offer for homes in and around the Bristol and Johnson City area, you’ve probably heard of TAP® Insulation. And maybe you have some questions – like, why would a pest control company install insulation? What can TAP do that other materials cannot? If you’re wondering this service is right for your home, keep reading for the answers to any questions you may have!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is TAP Insulation? 

TAP® stands for Thermal Acoustical Pest Control insulation. It’s a form of loose-fill cellulose that’s chemically treated to act as a pesticide.

Q. How Does TAP Insulation Kill Pests? 

The cellulose that makes up TAP insulation is treated with boric acid, a naturally occurring mineral that isn’t harmful to pets, children or adults unless ingested in large quantities. But when smaller insect pests come into contact with it, the powder gets into their system when they groom themselves and others. Insects are unable to pass the acid, and they eventually die of malnutrition or dehydration.

Q. What Pests can TAP Insulation Kill?

TAP can kill a variety of smaller insect pests. This includes Formosan termites and ants, to bugs as big as snails, roaches and beetles.

Q. Is TAP Environmentally Friendly? 

TAP Insulation is environmentally friendly in several aspects. The cellulose we use is made up of 80% recycled material. Not only that, but when you use TAP, you’re actively keeping other, alternative and less-biodegradable materials from winding up in landfills.

Q. How is TAP Insulation Installed? 

TAP is made from loose-fill cellulose that can easily be blown into attics, or into the wall voids of newly constructed properties. It also easily covers any existing insulation, allowing you added protection without added inconvenience.

Q. How Does TAP Rank as an Insulator?

Not only is TAP an effective pesticide with the potential to last indefinitely, but it also functions as a high-quality insulator for the home. It slows down the transfer of heat, which allows your home to stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. And, while it doesn’t have the R-Rating of spray foam, it still ranks higher than fiberglass in terms of noise-canceling capabilities.

Leo’s Pest Control for TAP® Insulation

As a homeowner in Bristol and Johnson City, there’s no way to completely avoid the risk of pest infestations. What you can do, however, is to take every precaution available to you. And TAP Insulation, when installed correctly, is the best step you can take to keep infestations from ever getting the chance to form. There’s no effort on your part, all you need to do is schedule installation and enjoy a more pest-resistant home. Contact Leo’s Pest Control today to schedule an estimate! Or, if you want to know more, visit our TAP Insulation page.

What You Should Know About TAP® Insulation

Cellulose insulation in attic

 

As winter approaches and the weather cools down in the Bristol and Johnson City TN area, pests start looking for protection, warmth, and a reliable food source. All of these things are present in the typical home, which explains why insect infestations can increase later in the year. Does it really need to go that far, though? What if we told you there was a proactive step you could take to prevent infestations from starting in the first place? There is. TAP® Pest Control insulation is not only effective against the majority of common insect pests, but it’s also high-quality insulation that makes your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Keep reading to find out how!

What is TAP® Insulation?

Thermal Acoustical Pest Control Insulation is referred to as TAP®. It’s made of cellulose, mainly from recycled newspaper, which is blown into attics or wall cavities. It can be added to new or existing construction on top of the insulation that’s already there. The cellulose in TAP® Insulation has been treated with borate salts. Although the borate is not concentrated enough to harm humans, it is lethal to insects. Bugs get the borate on their skin and consume it when they groom themselves. They can’t eliminate it from their bodies, so it builds up and they ultimately die of hunger or thirst. Borate is effective at killing many common insect pests, including:

  • Ants
  • Beetles
  • Cockroaches
  • Silverfish
  • Termites

How TAP® Insulation Benefits You

The fact that TAP® Insulation doesn’t lose effectiveness over time if it’s applied properly is a key benefit. It continues to be an effective and reliable pesticide as long as the material is undamaged. In fact, it’s predicted that under ideal conditions, it can continue to work for up to 100 years!

TAP® not only works well as a pesticide but also as insulation. It increases the efficiency of your home and lessens the load on your HVAC system. This explains why it has earned Energy Star and UL labels and how it can help you save up to 30% on your yearly energy costs.

TAP® Insulation can help your home become (or remain) pest-free*, more energy-efficient, and quieter. Installed at a level of R-60, it can almost totally block outside noise. 

TAP® Insulation From Leo’s Pest Control

Since 1965, we’ve worked to keep homes in the Bristol and Johnson City area pest-free*. TAP® Insulation is just another way for us to help local residents fight pests while making their homes more energy efficient and comfortable. If your home is cold or drafty and has pests, our certified TAP® Insulation installers are ready to help. Don’t wait another winter. Contact us today for an estimate!

Will Rodents Damage My Insulation?

rat covering eyes with paws

You may already know the signs of a mouse or rat infestation. There are the droppings, the punctured bags of food and gnawed-on stored belongings. Some people don’t even need to hear the trademarked scratching coming from inside their walls or above their heads at night, but anyone who does knows they need help. Leo’s Pest Control can handle a rodent infestation, regardless of the species. But if the rats or mice get into your insulation, they can cause damage beyond our scope of expertise.

How does a rat or mouse infestation get in your insulation? What can you do to protect your home, and how can Leo’s Pest Control Help? Let’s go into all of that below.

Insulation: A Rodent’s Best Friend

Rodents aren’t that different from any other living thing in the world. All they want is shelter, something to eat, and to not be bothered while they do so. When it comes to the average home, a rodent can find all of that in the quiet corners of the attic or in the void between walls. It’s just a happy coincidence that these are also the two most insulated parts of the average property. Happy for them, at least.

Fiberglass insulation is the most common in households in Tennessee and Virginia, as it’s affordable and fairly durable. Unfortunately, it’s also the favorite amongst invading rodents. Once rats and mice get inside the structure of a house, they enjoy tunneling through the soft and fluffy material. They’ll even tear it apart to either eat it or use the material for their nests. You can call us and get your property clear of mice and rats, but that might not be enough to solve your rodent problem in its entirety. The nest they can leave around can be foul-smelling and messy. And rodent droppings may contain Hantavirus, a flu-like condition that can be fatal, so trying to handle damaged insulation on your own can actually be hazardous to your health.

You can’t fix insulation once it’s been contaminated. What you can do is call for professional home technicians to replace the material safely and efficiently. Or, even better, you can make sure rodents don’t get into your home to begin with.

How Leo’s Pest Control Can Help

We already said that there isn’t much we can do with insulation once rodents have damaged and contaminated it. We offer TAP® Insulation, but that borate solution isn’t designed to deter or kill anything larger than a slug or cockroach. What we can do is plan and execute a wildlife exclusion strategy tailor-made for your specific property. This will involve finding every potential point of entry in your home and addressing it, covering gaps and filling cracks as needed. When we’re done there will no longer be easy access for not only rodents, but many other pests as well. This is only one step in our rodent exterminating process, which we’ve been using to treat homes around Bristol and beyond for years. So if you want to protect your insulation, your home, and your peace of mind, do so with Leo’s Pest Control. Contact us today to get started!

Why Insulate Your Home Part 1: Saving Money

Installing insulation in Bristol TN - Leo's Pest Control

There are a variety of reasons to insulate your home, but one of the most enticing is the amount of money that you can save with properly-installed insulation. You spend a lot of money heating and cooling your home, so if your insulation is inefficient, a lot of that hard-earned money is quite literally going right out the window. Having insulation installed is one of the best choices you can make as a homeowner—your quality of life will improve while you’re there and you’ll greatly improve your return on investment for when it’s time to sell. To learn more about the financial benefits of having insulation installed in Bristol TN, read on for advice from the experts at Leo’s Pest Control!

Is Insulation Worth It?

Professionally-installed insulation can save you a fortune on your utilities. The Energy Star program has estimated that properly insulating a typical home can save a homeowner up to 15% on heating and cooling bills, and this number only increases with the age of your home. In essence, uninsulated homes are filled with unnecessary leaks, and patching them will allow you to better regulate your home for less.

Remodeler Magazine releases an annual “Cost vs. Value” report that analyzes the return on investment of popular home improvements. Recent reports have shown that insulating an attic with fiberglass insulation was the most efficient home improvement option, resulting in a 117% return on investment. The savings in energy expenses contribute to an even greater return on that investment.

The Many Benefits of Home Insulation

Residential electricity costs have nearly doubled in just over a decade, and nothing indicates that these increases will slow down in the near future. The Department of Energy makes doing the math easy: they offer the Home Energy Saver calculator to help homeowners understand the return they can expect on energy upgrades, including insulation.

The savings that you can expect with insulation aren’t limited to energy conservation, though. There are a variety of local, state, and federal utility incentives available to homeowners who do their part to conserve energy by investing in insulation. You can find out more about utility incentives through the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE). You could even be eligible for a tax credit of up to $500 of qualified energy efficiency improvements through the IRS.

Professional Insulation Installation in Bristol TN

If you are looking to improve your quality of living and the return on investment of your home, reach out to your local insulation installation company. The technicians at Leo’s Pest Control are trained to conduct efficient and targeted installations to help you save money, and additionally, prevent pest problems! To learn more about the types of insulation we can provide you with or receive a free quote, contact our team today.

What Every Homeowner Needs To Know About Insulation [2021 Update]

Blown-in insulation in Bristol TN home - Leo's Pest Control

A well-insulated home provides a great number of benefits and is one of the best home improvement investments a homeowner can make. Once you determine that your home needs insulation, it’s important to understand some basics before having the work done. It would make the process really simple if there was one single type of insulation that outperformed the rest, but it’s not that easy. All forms of insulation perform very well if installed correctly along with air sealing. So how do you know what type of insulation to choose?

A professional home insulation company like Leo’s Pest Control can not only determine if your home needs insulation, but they can also tell you how much and what type they would recommend. With a little knowledge about insulation, you will be able to understand what work is being recommended and make a good decision for your home.

The Most Common Types of Insulation in Tennessee Homes

Insulation comes in several different forms, but there are four specific forms that are used the most. These include:

  • Fiberglass: Just as its name suggests, fiberglass contains fibers of glass that are threaded together to create an effective insulator. Fiberglass is available in loose-fill, rolls, and batts and can be used in walls, crawlspaces, attics, and other areas that could benefit from insulation.
  • Slag Wool: Slag wool is made from slag, minerals left over from smelting metals, and other raw materials. The insulating qualities are about the same as fiberglass, and it is available in the same forms.
  • Cellulose: This mix of paper, wood, and other forms of cellulose create an excellent form of insulation. Chemically treated for fire resistance, it’s available in loose form or with binders.
  • Foam: Made with different chemicals to create open-cell and closed-cell foam insulation. The foam is usually mixed on-site and applied with a sprayer into walls, attics, and other voids.

What to Know About Air Sealing & Insulation

While all those types of insulation are effective, none of them can give you the best insulation value without proper installation and air sealing. Air sealing is the added ingredient that helps any insulation insulate better. Attics, floors, windows, walls, and doors all have their “leaks” that let air in and out. Outlets, water pipes, and any other opening that comes from the outside to the inside, is a candidate for air sealing. Caulk or another sealant is used most often to seal up all those openings.

About the only other thing you need to know would be the way that insulation is rated. This means the “R factor”. The Rfactor sounds complicated, but it’s actually very simple. The higher the R factor, the better the insulating. So R60 insulation will keep you warmer than R30 insulation as long as it’s installed correctly and combined with air sealing.

Insulation Installation Services in Bristol TN

If you’re still wondering what type of insulation is best for your home or business, fear not. Leo’s Pest Control is proud to be your local home insulation expert. To pick our team’s brain or to schedule service, contact us today to get started!

How to Choose the Best Insulation Company

Installing insulation in Bristol TN - Leo's Pest Control

Making a decision as large as deciding who will install insulation in your home can be daunting. The quality of your insulation will affect your living experience in your home for years to come, including the temperature regulation, air leakage, excess moisture, and even the potential for pest outbreaks. Learning the ins and outs of insulation isn’t your job, but you should know how to choose a company that understands them. Read on for Leo’s Pest Control’s insulation experts’ advice on choosing the right company to install insulation in Bristol TN for you!

The Customer and the Company

Choosing the right company to install insulation requires a lot of trust on the customer’s end. Installing insulation takes a specific skill set that the average person knows nothing about. This means that you have to feel confident that the technicians you hire to insulate your house have your back.

When considering a new company, make a call to ask any questions that you have about the process. A trustworthy and reliable insulation company will be able to answer every question that you have and will be happy to do so. If they are truly equipped with the tools and knowledge to perform the best insulation installation, they will want you to trust them with control of the process in order to do a great job.

Reading Insulation Company Reviews

Another important way to pick the best insulation company in your area is to find reviews. There are multiple ways that you can come across this information:

  1. Online customer reviews: Yelp and Google are two common places where prior customers of a business go to leave reviews. Reading through these reviews can help you find out information from real customers about the company.
  2. Online directories: Companies like Nextdoor and Angi organize reviews and put together referral statements for local businesses, organized by industry. You can read through these for professional recommendations for insulation companies in Bristol TN and surrounding areas.
  3. Word of mouth: When all else fails, ask around! Chances are, most homeowners that you know have either had problems with their insulation or can give you a recommendation based on their lack of issues.

Insulation with Leo’s Pest Control

When it comes time to reinsulate your home, give your local insulation company a call. At Leo’s Pest Control, we come to the table with a unique and comprehensive understanding of how much insulation can protect your home from a multitude of problems. Our products are always safe to use, durable, and reliable. For more information or a free estimate on installing insulation, contact our team today!