Mar 7, 2023 | Insulation
Alabama Pest Control: Attic Insulation
The transition from winter to spring can wreak havoc on your home’s energy consumption. Living in Alabama during the early spring gives us cold mornings and hot afternoons. Changing your thermostat to keep you comfortable inside shouldn’t be a daily task. Your attic insulation should be able to properly keep your home either cool or warm depending on the outside temperature. Let’s go over the benefits of getting your home properly insulated.
Benefits to Attic Insulation:
- Lower utility bills: You can save an average of 15 percent on your utility bills by getting better insulation in your attic.
- Safer home structure: Insulation can help prevent gradual damage to your home caused by heat and moisture.
- Better indoor air quality: Poor insulation can allow dust, dirt, mold, and mildew to enter your home.
- Keep pests away: Some insulations are coated with borate, which can affect pests such as roaches, ants, and more by causing a disruption to their stomachs and can also affect their nervous systems. It isn’t harmful to pets or family.
Attic insulation creates pockets that slow heat or cool air from attempting to flow through your home. This will help with uneven temperatures throughout your home. Installing insulation will also help your HVAC system run more efficiently and will help cut down on the times you have to adjust the thermostat, allowing lower energy bills.
If you believe you need to replace your attic’s insulation, consider reaching out to your local Opelika pest control company for a free quote!
Dec 14, 2022 | Insulation
We all know that during the summer, attic insulation works as a heat reflector from the sun. But how does it work in the wintertime? If your attic isn’t well insulated, then the rising heat won’t stay inside the home, resulting in major energy loss for your home. Here are some tips when it comes to getting your attic insulated:
Removing Old Insulation
Over time attic insulation can begin to appear damaged. It could be from old age, excess moisture, or a wildlife infestation. If you think your attic’s insulation is not working like it needs to, then your best bet is to invest in replacing it. A good rule of thumb when determining it’s time to replace is noticing insulation that looks out of place, as this can cause your energy bill to spike.
Airtight Seal
Air leaks can make your insulation not as efficient as it needs to be. When insulation is installed, it’s important to ensure your attic is sealed correctly. The tiniest hole will cause your HVAC system to work overtime, causing an increase in your energy bills. The best way to discover any holes in your attic is to inspect them during the daytime when the sun will shine through them. Be sure to mend these holes with caulk to lessen the chance of moisture or critters getting in.
Get an Energy Assessment
A home energy audit can help you detect places other than your attic that need additional insulation. It should be the first step towards getting your home on the right path to maximum energy efficiency.
Need to get your home insulated? Give our team a call and receive a free inspection today!
Jun 22, 2022 | Insulation
The summer months in the south bring bugs, humidity, and unbearable heat. When inside, you might feel inclined to touch the thermostat to create a cooler environment, but maybe it doesn’t seem to budge. If this is your case, it might be time for new or better insulation in your attic.
When the hot summer sun is beating down on your home, your attic is the first thing to see higher temperatures. The heat will absorb into the hard materials that make up your home and are likely to transfer downstairs into your living area, creating an uncomfortable living environment. An easy solution is to get the insulation checked in your attic.
Attic insulation creates air pockets that slow the heat from attempting to flow through your home. This will help uneven temperatures between the rooms in your house. Installing insulation can additionally help your HVAC system run more efficiently. This will keep you from wanting to turn down the thermostat and result in lower energy bills.
There are many benefits to getting your attic insulated, including:
- Lower utility bills: You can save an average of 15 percent on your utility bills by getting better insulation in your attic.
- Safer home structure: Insulation can help prevent gradual damage to your home caused by heat and moisture.
- Better indoor air quality: Poor insulation can allow dust, dirt, mold, and mildew to enter your home.
- Keep pests away: Some insulations are coated with borate, which can affect pests such as roaches, ants, and more by causing a disruption to their stomachs and can affect their nervous system. It isn’t harmful to pets or family.
If you believe you need to replace your attic’s insulation, consider reaching out to your local pest control company for a quote to experience a cooler and pest-free home for the summer.
Jul 1, 2020 | CrawlSpace, Insulation
Not only does a Southern summer bring swarming pests, but it also brings the unbearable humidity. When it gets too hot, many of us head back inside and simply turn down the thermostat to a comfortable degree. Though some might find that turning the cool air up isn’t actually working, and the summer heat isn’t budging.
When the sun is beating down on your home, your attic will easily see high temperatures. The heat absorbs through the hard materials that make up your home and is likely to transfer downstairs into your living area, creating an uncomfortable living environment. An easy solution that could help is making sure you have enough insulation in your attic.
Attic insulation will create air pockets that slow the heat that is attempting to flow through your home. This will help uneven temperatures between the rooms in your house. Installing insulation can additionally help your HVAC system run more efficiently, helping lessen the need to turn down the thermostat and reduce the cost of your energy bills.
You will also find that your home can trap in the humidity and moisture. These two factors can welcome mold, fungi, and pests into your living environment. Termites, for example, prosper in areas of high moisture which in return can put your house at risk for structural damage.
A solution to ensure your home is not met with these issues is investing in crawlspace enclosure. With closing your crawlspace, you can equally save money on energy bills, but also improve the air quality in your home, creating a more comfortable living environment.
With these heat factors in mind, consider investing in both attic insulation and crawlspace encapsulation. In the long run, it could prevent future headaches! Request a Free Estimate Now
Dec 17, 2019 | Going Green, Insulation
With the holidays looming near, you may be looking for areas where you can cut back on costs to give you that extra holiday cushion. We have a few tips you can consider that can not only help you go green but also put some extra cash back in your pocket!
- While the use of the AC has gone down, the use of heat to warm your home has increased. If you have rooms that are rarely used this time of year, close and seal off vents in these areas. This will re-direct air flow to the areas in your home used most.
- Attic insulation is essential in cutting down on air and heat escaping from your home. Attic insulation that includes pest control can not only help you save 20-38% on your energy bills but can also protect your home from overwintering pests.
- Crawl space enclosure can alleviate the workload of your HVAC unit. In addition to acting as another method of pest control, your utility bills can potentially decrease up to 18% and humidity levels throughout your home can decrease, reducing the chances of mold and wood rot.
Properly insulating your home can help energy efficiency throughout, helping you save money in the long run, not just the holiday season. Let Northwest help you go green and save green! Call and schedule your free inspection today!
Jun 3, 2019 | CrawlSpace, Going Green, Insulation
This unseasonably hot weather has catapulted us straight into summer. If you have found yourself making multiple trips back and forth to your thermostat, it may be time to look into improvements around your home that not only stop the multiple trips but also save you money in the end.
Problem #1
With the sun beating down on the roof of your home with little to no cloud cover, your attic will easily see high temperatures during the summer. Without proper insulation, the heat will absorb through the hard materials that make up your home, leading to unbearable temperatures inside.
Solution
Proper attic insulation will create air pockets which slow the heat attempting to flow through your home. This will help uneven temperatures between the rooms in your home and lessen the need to consistently visit your thermostat.
Problem #2
High heat and humidity have caused your home to become muggy and intolerable. The humidity and moisture can also become a welcoming environment for mold, fungi, and pests.
Solution
Investing in the encapsulation of your crawl space could not only save you money on your energy bills, but also prevent a headache in the long run. Termites thrive in areas of high moisture, putting your home at risk for structural damage. Not only will this method act as pest control, but it can also improve the air quality of your home and create more comfortable living conditions for you and your family.
Still on the fence? Give us a call to schedule your free inspection today, and one of our licensed professionals will answer all of your questions.
Oct 22, 2018 | Insulation
TAP, or thermal acoustical pest control insulation is an insulation product that offers two solutions in one product: an energy-efficient blown-in insulation coupled with the added value of pest control. But what makes TAP different from other forms of insulation? What are the benefits to installing TAP in your home?
- TAP is similar to traditional insulation as it is a cellulose-based, blown-in insulation. Because it is blown-in, there are no gaps between the product and your attic and it covers the entire attic floor.
- TAP is dense which means it allows less air movement between the insulation particles, keeping the ideal air inside the home instead of escaping to the outside. This decreases your energy costs by 20-30%.
- This density in the TAP insulation also helps reduce outside noise, keeping your house quieter.
- TAP also helps regulate the temperature inside your home, keeping it consistent throughout the day. This decreases the work load on your HVAC unit, prolonging its life and saving you money in the long run.
- TAP is Energy Star Rated.
- TAP is a green product, made from all natural ingredients and recycled newsprint.
- TAP is infused with borates, a pest control agent that helps control roaches, earwigs, ants, silverfish, and other pests. In fact, insects don’t build up a tolerance to the borates and the borates don’t wear off so you have pest control protection for as long as the insulation is installed in your home.
- The borates in TAP also act as a fire-retardant, adding another level of fire protection to your home.
Are you still on the fence about TAP insulation? Are you not sure if it’s the right product for your home? Let Northwest help! Fill out the form below or give us a call to request a free estimate or ask any questions you may have.
Sep 12, 2018 | CrawlSpace, Insulation
Even though the calendar says September, the thermometer still reads summer! Summer is the time of year when we see a surge in our energy costs and utility bills. As the temperatures increase outside, we spend more time inside. Kids are home from school all day running the air conditioner, using electronics and appliances, and leaving the lights on. There is also a bigger gap between the temperature outside and the temperature inside our homes – causing our air conditioning units to work harder to keep our homes cool. Summer is also a time to utilize swimming pools to have fun and cool off. Electric pool pumps, however, use a lot of energy. In fact, they can add an average of $80-90 per month to your energy bill if they run 24 hours a day. As the demand for energy increases and the supply of energy decreases, the market price of energy will inevitably go up. This helps explain why our energy bills are so high in the summer months.
So what can you do to help stay ahead of this surge in energy costs? Two options available are TAP insulation and Complete Crawlspace Enclosure.
TAP Insulation
TAP or thermal acoustical pest control insulation can help protect your home and your wallet from those increasing summer energy bills. TAP insulation:
- Is energy start rated and reduces the amount of energy needed to heat and cool your home, which can lower your energy bills by 20-38%
- Is made of 87% recycled newsprint so you can insulate your home while saving landfill space
- Is treated with borates (a natural pest control product) to help control roaches, ants and other pests
- Is treated with a fire retardant that limits the spread of fire
- Allows you to keep more consistent temperatures inside your home year-round
Complete Crawlspace Enclosure
Complete crawlspace is an enclosed crawlspace solution that includes high quality vapor liner, taped seams, sealed foundation vents, and mechanical drying. Complete Crawlspace provides you with:
- A healthier living environment by preventing mold growth and wood rot
- Decreased humidity levels
- Pest control by completely closing off your crawlspace, eliminating an entry point for pests
- Decreased HVAC repair costs by decreasing the workload of the HVAC unit
- Decreased utility bills by up to 18% with increased energy efficiency in your home
Northwest wants to make sure your house is running as efficiently as possible. Click for your Free TAP Insulation estimate or your Free Complete Crawlspace estimate or by giving us a call.
Jan 5, 2018 | CrawlSpace, Going Green, Insulation, Pest Control
Even though we’re well into the winter season, it’s never too late to weatherproof your home. These easy fixes will not only seal up your home and keep it nice and warm, they will also help save you some money on your energy bills this year. Check out these simple winter weatherproofing tips so you’ll be prepared just in case the groundhog DOES see his shadow this year!
Windows And Doors
Check your doors and windows to make sure they are in good repair. Insulate your doors and windows with weatherstripping. Use transparent weather sealant tape for any areas where the weatherstripping will be applied directly to the door or window. This tape can also be used to temporarily seal any cracked windows until you can permanently replace them. Use door sweeps on the bottoms of exterior doors to keep cold air from coming in. You can install them with nails or with adhesive.
Attics And Crawlspaces
Attics and crawlspaces are notoriously cold areas of your home. Thermal accoustical pest control (TAP) insulation is an energy star rated attic insulation that provides several benefits to your home. TAP eases the burden on your heating and cooling systems, making them more efficient and keeping the temperature in your home more consistent throughout the year. TAP also leads to a 20-38% savings on your energy bills AND protects your home against pests including roaches and ants. Finally, TAP is treated with a fire retardant that limits the spread of fire in your home.
Complete CrawlSpace enclosure is another way to weatherproof your home. Enclosing your crawlspace with Complete CrawlSpace increases energy efficiency, prevents mold growth, and completely closes off your crawlspace to pests. This can also save you up to 18% on your energy bills each year.
Garages
Most garages aren’t insulated which makes them very chilly spaces in the winter. Install weather sealing strips on the bottom of your garage door. These strips not only keep out cold air but also keep out rain and pests as well.
Outlets And Switches
Outlets and switches on the exterior walls of your home can be a big source of cold air. One solution is to install foam outlet and switch sealers. These can be installed by simply turning off the power, removing the outlet or switch cover, applying the foam sealers, and reinstalling the covers.
Floors
Hardwood and tile floors can be especially cold in the winter. Curtains and rugs can make a big difference when it comes to heating your home. if you have drafty windows, hang some heavy curtains to keep the cold air out. Use area rugs on hardwood floors and in bathrooms with tile floors to help keep them warm.
Air Conditioning
Air conditioning units in walls and windows give a direct path for cold air into your home. One solution is to install a heavy duty polyethylene and vinyl cover that fits around the outside of the unit. You can also wrap the inside grill with plastic sheeting and double sided tape. Consider installing a programmable thermostat which will automate your interior temperature. This can save you up to $200 per year in heating and cooling costs.
Hot Water Heater
Insulate your hot water heater with a water heater insulating blanket. This saves energy by reducing heat that is lost through the sides of the hot water heater by 25-40%. This reduction in heat loss can also lead to savings on your energy bills.
