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What is T·A·P insulation? View
Video Here!
T·A·P is a natural fiber insulation treated with boric acid and
other proprietary formulations to produce fire-retardant,
environmentally-friendly, thermally superior, sound-deadening insulation with
pest-controlling properties. T·A·P is acceptable for use around humans
and pets but deadly to cockroaches, silverfish, ants, termites, and many other
crawling insects. T·A·P is a U. S. EPA-labeled pesticide.
T·A·P is the result of a revolutionary merger of two well-respected
technologies - natural cellulose insulation and natural borate pesticides -
creating Thermal, Acoustical & Pest Control Insulation, the only stabilized
pest control insulation. As part of a total pest management package, T·A·P can
be used to cap existing insulation in attics, or can be installed in the
attics, walls and crawlspaces of new construction.
T·A·P pays for itself quickly in reduced energy costs (up to 38%)
and then continues to save you money for the life of the structure.
Homeowners & General Info
Thermal insulation is a material having air-filled cells or
voids, or heat-reflective surfaces, which retard the transfer of heat to cold.
Acoustical insulation retards the transmission of sound.
Pest control insulation, while performing the other
functions of thermal and acoustical, is labeled to control listed
insects. By Federal law, such insulation (and the manufacturing plant)
must be registered with the US EPA, and carry an EPA-approved label.
Additionally, the product must be registered with the pest control authorities
in each state in which it is sold or manufactured. Because T·A·P is an
EPA-labeled pesticide, in many states only a licensed PMP may sell the
insulation.
What are the energy & money saving benefits?
T·A·P saves energy. T·A·P saves money by decreasing energy
bills. It keeps homes cool in summer and warm in winter for less money:
Comfortable year-round. Because T·A·P is denser than fiberglass
insulation, air does not move through it well, so it resists heat transfer by
convection, as well as conduction and radiation. And since there aren't
the leaks and drafts associated with ordinary insulation, mechanical systems
don't work as hard and can be down-sized further saving money. Areas in
the home maintain more uniform temperatures between floors and ceilings,
upstairs and downstairs, even next to exterior walls. Comfort.
Conservation!
| Heat Transfer
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Types of Heat
Transfer:
There are 3 types of heat transfer
conduction, convection and radiation. |
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Conduction is heat transfer through a
material as thermal energy moves from molecule to molecule through a substance;
or from one object to an adjoining object. If you pick up the handle of a cast
iron frying pan from a hot stove you’ll experience conduction! The heat reaches
your hand via conduction from the burner to the bottom of the pan through the
metal handle to your hand.
Heat is conducted through the ceilings, walls and floors of homes. Effective
insulation slows conduction by keeping heat out during summer and in during
winter. |
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| Convection is the transfer of heat by a
liquid or gas (such as air). Circulatory air motion due to warmer air rising
and cooler air falling is a common mechanism by which thermal energy is
transferred. An open chimney flue provides a good example of convective heat
loss during the winter. Warm air will rise up the chimney and cold air will
fall down into the home. The energy used to warm the air that escapes is lost.
The cold air must now be heated. The greater the temperature difference between
the inside and outside of the home, and the larger the openings in the home,
the easier it is for air to move and the greater losses you will have due to
convection. Convective heat loss occurs through cracks and holes in the home
and gaps and voids in ceilings, walls, and floors—and in the insulation.
Convection also occurs if air can circulate through the insulation — if
insulation is to be effective, it must prevent air from flowing easily through
it. Properly applied insulation reduces convective heat loss by resisting and
minimizing air movement.
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| Radiantheat transfer occurs between objects
that are not touching. The sun heating the earth is an example of radiant heat
transfer. The sun warms the earth without warming the space between the sun and
the earth. An example of radiant heat transfer is found in a typical attic
during the summer. The sun radiates heat to the roof, which in turn radiates
heat down toward the ceiling. If the insulation covering the ceiling does not
effectively resist radiant heat transfer, then the ceiling will become
increasingly warm - radiate heat down into the home - and the home will be
uncomfortable. Properly applied insulation arrests radiant heat transfer. |
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R-value
Insulation is rated by R-value. The higher the R-value the less heat is
transferred through a material in a given period of time. (The R-value is the
reciprocal of the U-value.) Attic insulation rated at R-40 will have a greater
resistance to conductive heat transfer than attic insulation rated at R-19.
R-values are determined in laboratory conditions by placing carefully prepared
test specimens between two plates and measuring heat flow by conduction through
the insulation. It is widely believed that the higher the R-value, the better
the insulation. This is not necessarily true unless all other factors (such as
density or gaps and voids) are identical.
Laboratory R-values do not take into consideration many factors (for instance,
wind-wash on the outside walls, and less-than-perfect installation) that exist
in real homes.
R-value is a good measure of insulating quality—as far as it goes. But remember
that R-value is a laboratory measurement of a material’s resistance to
conductive heat transfer only. And we don’t live in carefully controlled
laboratories—and there are other methods of heat transfer than just conduction.
In other words, R-value can be a good measure for comparing different brands of
the same type of insulation; but it can be a poor predictor of ability between
different types of insulation. To get the insulating benefit you’ve paid for,
know your choices!
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| Acoustical
Properties
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Effectiveness in sound control is an important quality in
insulation, and T·A·P performs well acoustically. We naturally think of
insulation affecting noise outside the envelope of the building, such as
traffic, lawnmowers, and barking dogs. But more and more, consumers wish to
insulate interior walls to reduce unwanted noises such as appliances,
entertainment systems, and bathroom sounds.
A laboratory rating dubbed Sound Transmission Class (STC) is used to measure
sound-deadening ability, The higher the STC number, the more sound is
diminishedi. (see chart). |
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| STC Rating
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Description of Performance |
| 30 |
Loud speech understood fairly well |
| 35 |
Loud speech audible but unintelligible |
| 42 |
Loud speech audible as a murmur |
| 45 |
Must strain to hear loud speech |
| 48 |
Some loud speech barely audible |
| 50 |
Loud speech not audible |
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Both Owens-Corning and the Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers
Association have tested their products for STC ratings. The insulations were
installed in walls, and tested with an empty wall as a reference. An empty wall
does impede some sound travel, and achieves a rating of 35. Owens-Corning
reports that their fiberglass insulation achieves an STC rating of 39 .
Cellulose is commonly listed with an STC 44 .
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The major reasons for the difference in STC rating are the physical attributes
of the two products: density and texture. Denser cellulose, a wood-based
product, disrupts and scatters sound waves, so that less noise can pass through
it.
But it should be noted that STC ratings are tested in a laboratory setting that
does not always mimic the conditions of real houses. STC ratings are also
listed with perfectly-installed insulation. But gaps and voids associated with
installing fiberglass create a conduit for sound waves to skirt the insulated
portions of the wall and transmit sound into the room. Since blown-in T·A·P,
with its dense, form-fit, allows no such gaps or voids, acoustical performance
improves, and rooms are quieter. T·A·P’s excellent acoustical performance may
be an unexpected bonus for the consumer.
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| What are the pest controlling benefits? |
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T·A·P helps control pests in your home. Annoying pests can breed and form
colonies in the attic and behind walls, coming out at night, seeking food and
water. More than just annoying, they can severely damage a house. T·A·P is an
EPA-labeled pest control insulation, treated with pure boric acid. Although
deadly to many insects, T·A·P is acceptable for use around humans and pets.
T·A·P eliminates self-grooming insects, where it is installed, upon contact.
Insects cannot build up a tolerance to T·A·P, and it never needs re-treating.
T·A·P controls ants, cockroaches, silverfish, termites, and other insects
listed on the EPA label.
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| What is the insulation made of? |
 All-Natural, Permanent,
and Environmentally Friendly, too. T·A·P is Green! Well, not in color, but
T·A·P is permanent, made from all-natural boric acid and recycled newsprint;
thus while you’re saving energy, you’re also conserving landfill space. I'd
like to know more about the environmental properties. |
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The Environment
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| Environmental Building News believes that cellulose
insulation should be a preferred insulation material for environmentally
concerned builders and designers. After intense study and thorough
investigation, the journal reported that cellulose is clearly the
environmentally-friendly insulation. Cellulose is more often than not, the best
choice for architects, builders, contractors, and homeowners concerned about
responsible environmental stewardship. |
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Embodied Energy
Embodied energy is the amount of energy used to manufacture a product.
Fiberglass is manufactured using enormous blast furnaces that consume a great
amount of energy. Cellulose is manufactured using electrically-driven mills.
Data reported to the Canadian Standards Association* suggest that fiberglass
actually requires at least 25 to 30 times more energy to make than cellulose of
equivalent R-value (adjustments for weight differences are included in the
calculation).iv |
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Recycled Materials
Fiberglass manufacturers typically use only 20% to 30%, if any, recycled glass
cullet (broken, waste glass).
Cellulose on average contains at least 75% recycled, post-consumer newsprint.
(T·A·P contains 85%.) This saves millions of cubic yards of landfill space,
provides a valuable product from what otherwise must be buried or burned, and
helps reduce the rate of depletion of our nation's limited resources. Thanks in
part to the efforts of cellulose manufacturers like T·A·P, newspaper is the
most commonly recycled household material.
Cellulose insulation manufactured from recycled paper is the least polluting
and most energy efficient insulation.
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Is cellulose a fire hazard?
Most houses are cellulose (made from wood and forest products). T·A·P contains a
fire-retardant chemical that actually makes homes safer in case of fire.
Ordinary fiberglass insulation can melt, creating a chimney-like effect in a
wall. T·A·P, with its fire-retardant characteristics, forms a charred surface
barrier which limits the spread of fire.
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Fire Retardant Properties |
| All approved building insulations must satisfy federal standards.
Cellulose insulation must meet the fire and smoldering combustion requirements
of the US Consumer Safety Protection Commission, as well as other standards set
by the FTC, DOE, HUD, and the building codes. |
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All residential structures contain large amounts of wood and
wood-based components. Wood, of course, is classified as a combustible
material. However, a "non-combustible" building component does not necessarily
out-perform a "combustible" in the event of a fire.
For example, fiberglass batts often come with a paper/asphalt backing (now
outlawed in Canada). But while the fiberglass must satisfy flammability
standards — the paper backing is not required to meet the same flammability
standard. The backing is highly flammable, with a flame-spread rating of over
1000.
Cellulose insulation is the only wood-based building material that is always
treated for fire retardancy. This makes cellulose insulation one of the safest
materials used in home construction. |
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If a fire occurs, the dense structure of cellulose and its fire
retardants slow its spread through the building by blocking flames and hot
gases and restricting the availability of oxygen in insulated walls and
ceilings. Scientists at the National Research Council Canada report that
"cellulose in the wall cavity provided an increase in the fire resistance
performance of 22% to 55%." Fire roars right through fiber glass. The NRCC
study showed that "the fire resistance of an assembly with glass fibre
insulation was slightly lower than that of a noninsulated
assembly."
Tests at Omega Point Laboratories indicated that cellulose in a wall increased
fire resistance 26% to 77%, as compared with an uninsulated wall.
Several fire demonstrations have been conducted in which cellulose-insulated
structures have remained virtually intact while uninsulated and fiber glass
insulated structures burned to the ground.
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The fire-retardant treatment in T·A·P fights fire 3 ways:
1. it gives off water vapor to cool the temperature below ignition level
2. it depletes the oxygen needed to maintain combustion
3. it promotes char to block the flame from spreading.
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How is T·A·P installed?
Blown-in T·A·P forms a perfect fit in your wall or attic when applied, seeking
nooks and crannies, filling the entire cavity. As every homebuilder knows, stud
cavities are not uniform in size; thus, gaps and voids form when uniformly
sized batts are used. Unlike fiberglass batts,T·A·P is never cut on the
jobsite, or stuffed into the cavity to fit behind pipes and conduits, reducing
the R-Value. With T·A·P, the R-Value stays in the insulation! And that means
the added value stays in the home and becomes a permanent benefit you can sell
to the next owners.
I’m interested; what’s next?
Contact us at info@apccompanies.com or
speak to your pest manangement professional about installing T·A·P into your
home or business. Or, click here to locate your nearest T·A·P certified pest
control operator.
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