Oct 17, 2011 | Insulation
Having TAP Insulation (or Energy Star Insulation) installed in your attic is a benefit to your home as well as yourself. When you have TAP installed, a Northwest Exterminating professional will check the current r-value (indicates an insulation’s resistance to heat flow) in your attic and let you know how much TAP Insulation will be needed to bring your home to the Department of Energy’s standards. The Department of Energy recommends an r-value of 49 with a minimum of 30. Once you have been notified how much insulation you will need, TAP insulation will be added to the current insulation in your attic.
Attics are known to be housing for invaders like wildlife, rodents and pests. Oftentimes, the attic insulation is damaged by these un-welcomed visitors by moving the insulation or contaminating it with their urine and fecal matter. Northwest Exterminating will remove any contaminated insulation and replace it with TAP Insulation to rid your home of any health risk that contaminated insulation may cause.
TAP Insulation offers several benefits to the homeowner:
- Immediate Return on Your Investment – Typical to see anywhere from 20-38% savings on your energy bills!
- 10% Tax Credit in 2011 – Homeowners can claim a 10% tax credit (or up to $500) on the installation investment, if TAP is installed in 2011.
- Permanent Pest Protection in Attic – Roaches, ants, and other pests like to nest in attics. TAP Insulation controls these unwanted invaders.
- Fire Safety – TAP is treated with a fire-retardant that forms a charred surface which, when burned, limits the spread of fire.
- Year-round comfort – TAP allows you to keep more consistent temperatures throughout the seasons.
- A Break for Your HVAC System – With proper insulation, your heating and cooling systems will not have to work as hard.
- A GREEN Solution – Insulating your home with TAP saves landfill space and conserves energy used in your home.
Call Northwest Exterminating for the best insulation for your home!
Oct 14, 2011 | Insulation
Attic Before TAP
This past summer we experienced extreme heat in Atlanta. The rising temperatures not only put a strain on our bodies and outdoor activities but it also put a strain on our energy bills as well. I have been in my home for 8 years and this summer was the highest my energy bill has ever been in the summertime. And if last year’s winter was any indication of how bitter the winter will be…then we’re in for another cold one in the coming season. Luckily, Northwest Exterminating provides a solution to the rising energy bills due to the extreme temperatures we’ve recently faced in the summer and winter times. Northwest offers attic insulation that not only lowers your energy bills but protects your home from pests as well.
Attic After TAP
TAP Insulation, or Energy Star Insulation, is a loose-fill cellulose insulation that is put into your attic. The insulation is made of 87% recycled newsprint which makes it one of Northwest’s GREEN services. TAP is the only pest control product on the market that carries an Energy Star Rating. The insulation allows you to reduce your heating and cooling bills up to 38% by keeping your home at a comfortable temperature year round. Besides the energy savings and pest protection it also provides sound barrier qualities.
If you’d like to read more about how to insulate an attic with TAP Insulation call Northwest Exterminating at 888.466.7849 or visit us ONLINE.
Oct 10, 2011 | Pest Control
Ants in the home are a common problem this time of year. NorPest Green from Northwest Exterminating is a green solution to this common pest control problem. For more information on how NorPest Green can eliminate your pest problem, visit us ONLINE or call us at 888.466.7849.
Here are some unique facts on ants that you probably didn’t know:
- Ants stay awake their whole life.
- Ants move their jaws sideways to chew their food.
- One single ant colony can house half a million ants.
- Certain honey pot ants become a colony’s warehouse. Their bloated abdomen produces a liquid food that serves as food to other individuals in the colony.
- A fire ants sting is worse than a hornet’s sting.
- A fire ant grows as big as a grain of rice.
Oct 7, 2011 | Pest Control
Crickets are not only annoying with their high pitched chirps that keep you up all night but they can also be damaging to your home. Crickets feed on just about anything. This includes clothes, wall paper, wood, food in your pantry and even wrappers. It is important to avoid crickets getting into your home to avoid damages and them laying eggs inside your home. Female crickets lay hundreds, sometimes thousands of eggs. The good news is that these eggs can take about a year to hatch. The bad news is that detection can be difficult, if not impossible. These are all reasons why it is so important to keep crickets out of your home.
The best way to control crickets is to prevent them from entering your home in the first place. Block off any entry points for the crickets which may include sealing any cracks and crevices, and covering any areas with screens. Crickets love vegetation and look for plants surrounding your home. Keep any vegetation trimmed and under control. General housekeeping is important in the control of crickets, as well as other pests. Clean up debris in the garage, basement and gardens. Messy places that are rarely visited are prime locations for cricket nests. Cover and seal garbage bins so you are not attracting them to your debris and food. Regular maintenance of your drains and roofs are important for cleaning out any nests that crickets may have built in the debris. Crickets, like other pests, are attracted to bright lights outside of the home. Replace any bright lights with low-lights that emit a yellowish glow.
If crickets have already invaded your home, call a pest control company to get rid of the pests.
Oct 3, 2011 | Wildlife
Fall is notorious for bringing rodents into the home. Here are 10 helpful tips on how to make sure your home is not attractive to rodents:
- Minimize the amount of standing water around your property.
- Keep all pet food in air tight, closed containers.
- If you feed your pets outside, take the food and water in at night.
- Clean up the area around your bird feeders. Bird seed debris left on the ground will attract hungry rodents.
- Make sure to keep the vegetation around your home trimmed and cut away from the exterior of the home.
- Keep your garage door closed whenever possible.
- Make sure to replace any worn or damaged weather stripping around doors.
- Make sure to seal up around any plumbing or electrical entry points.
- Compost areas should be enclosed and in bins whenever possible.
- If you are experiencing a rodent infestation call a Northwest Exterminating professional for additional help!
Adam Vannest
Monroe Service Center Manager
Northwest Exterminating
[email protected]
