INSULATION PROBLEMS AND REMOVAL
Does Your Home Or Property Have Any Of These Four Common Insulation Problems?
1. Damaged Insulation
Insulation can become damaged in a number of ways. In many cases, animals are the culprits. Squirrels, mice, and other critters are notorious for making their nests in our attics and ruining the effectiveness of the insulation. Since tattered insulation cannot retain heat properly, it is unable to provide the benefits it once did and it must be replaced. The same goes for wet insulation caused by a leaky roof.
2. Old, Ineffective Insulation
Today’s insulation is far superior to the stuff sold 15-20 years ago. New materials with improved thermal properties are now widely available. In many cases, particularly in older homes, you will realize a dramatic reduction in heating costs simply from upgrading the type of insulation in your attic.
3. Over-Insulation
Not having enough insulation can cause high energy bills. Having TOO much insulation in an attic can cause serious health problems for your family (especially if a family member suffers from allergies). Adding heavy layers of insulation in an attic can drastically restrict airflow and ventilation. This creates moisture issues on the top floor and in severe cases, can even lead to a mold problem which would affect the quality of the air throughout the interior of the property.
4. Contaminated Insulation
Much like over-insulation, contaminated insulation doesn’t only affect the quality of the insulation: it also can pose a significant health risk. Critters can find their way in your attic and contaminate the insulation with their urine and droppings. This not only contaminates the insulation and the air with harmful pollutants, but it also severely reduces the effectiveness of the insulation. These critters may also bring insects into the attic with them. Fleas, ticks and bed bugs can all make their homes and lay their eggs inside your insulation.
Even a leaky roof can result in contaminated insulation. In fact, Owens Corning reports, “when the water [or other liquid] evaporates, deposits of foreign materials that remain may decrease the R-value, and may also give mold and or mildew nourishment and a place to propagate. This growth, and/or odor may then also be transferred to other building materials.”
The Only Solution To All Four Of These Common Insulation Problems…
Step 1: Safely Remove All Of The Affected Insulation
Removing old insulation from an attic can be a time-consuming and challenging project. Not to mention hazardous. If there are animal droppings mixed with the insulation you can expose yourself to several different diseases by disturbing the insulation and then inhaling the particles that become airborne. Proper safety equipment is a must for anyone working with old or contaminated insulation.
Dragging dirty insulation from your attic through the living space of your home is NOT a safe method of insulation removal. Using this method will result in a house full of airborne fiberglass particles and all the other contaminants that were in your attic. It’s extremely important that the job is done right in order for the inhabitants of the property to be completely protected from all contaminants.
Gary’s employees are trained, bonded, and insured and we guarantee a completely clean and self-contained insulation removal process. We’ll take care of all lighting, portable generators, tools, equipment, pressure washers, pesticides, bactericides, and disinfectant sprays necessary to do the job right, eliminate any odors, and keep the inhabitants safe from all contaminates. Utilizing vacuum-mounted trucks, and a HEPA vacuum (for those hard to reach places), Gary’s quickly and easily vacuums out all the insulation, directly depositing the insulation into a dumpster outside of the building. URGENT WARNING: Do NOT remove insulation by yourself. It is not only difficult and messy but if it is not done properly and with the right equipment, the job could easily create a serious airborne health issue throughout the interior of the property.
Step 2: Install New Insulation
Gary’s has a carpenter on staff to install new insulation, but do-it-yourselfers can save money by installing it themselves.
Important Reminder: Hire a professional service like Gary’s to remove any insulation (whether it is contaminated or not). Professionals have the proper equipment and safety measures to guarantee the safe and clean removal of your old, damaged, or contaminated insulation.
Step 3: Enjoy The Benefits Of Brand-New Insulation
Once the insulation removal and replacement processes are complete, you can look forward to:
- Lower heating/cooling costs
- Greater air quality
- Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (thanks to the use of less energy)
- …and more
The immediate benefits for your family and the long-term benefits for our environment make insulation removal and replacement a smart move for anyone with old, damaged, or contaminated insulation in their property.
Step 4: Prevent Future Damage (Optional, But Highly Recommended)
If the damage was caused by an infestation, whether it’s mice, bats, squirrels, raccoons or pigeons, then we would highly recommend a pest control plan. The plan would consist of removing the pests and proofing the area to prevent any future infestations. Without proper steps to deter the pests from returning, the pests would simply return and create the same mess all over again. You can feel confident in our system. Gary’s Wildlife, Inc. has a 100% success rate in keeping the critters out!
Don’t Put This Off!
Even if you never go into your attic, contaminated insulation will negatively affect the air quality of your entire home or property. Airborne contaminants, fleas, ticks, bed bugs, bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses are just some of the problems that could come from contaminated insulation.
For commercial property, not decontaminating, cleaning, or proofing the problem area creates a hazard for employees and customers. Equipment often gets damaged from feces and dust as well. Some businesses will end up with unnecessary expenses such as equipment repair (or replacement) or even medical bills. These can easily be avoided with our complete decontamination and cleanup service. Don’t wait for the situation to get worse. Call Gary’s today: 508-946-0060
Serving Eastern Massachusetts
“Thanks so much for the help with the skunk problem, your exclusion worked perfectly and the odor is gone. You guys are great.”
from Duxbury