Comfenergy Case Studies: Pests Like Fiberglass Insulation
Challenge
Pests can find their way into a lot of homes but one of their favorite places to make a nest is in the fiberglass insulation most homes have in the attic. Fiberglass traps heat and acts like a blanket for many rodents wanting to make a nest in the colder months of the year. They also expel their waste in and around the nest area to mark their territory. Pest waste can crystallize and then become like a powder that mixes into the air of an attic and can move into the living spaces below and become part of the air being breathed by the inhabitants of the home. Rodents and birds will often use these nest areas to reproduce all while causing potential damage to a home chewing wires, building materials and items stored in an attic.
Solution
While pest control companies can help expel unwanted pests and clean up whatever mess they may have left, we have the ability to treat an attic and prevent the return. We use things like spray foam insulation to help air seal areas of an attic, copper mess to fill holes and places where rodents might try and chew or burrow through and Tru Soft cellulose insulation which is treated with Borate. Borate is a human and animal safe compound that is a skin and respiratory irritant for rodents and other small animals. The effects are similar to pepper spray for humans and since they can smell it from a distance, it works as a repellant. We offer removal of old insulation with every attic project we perform and will spray cleaning fog before we install new materials to air seal and insulate.
