I’d say TAP Insulation’s blow-in attic insulation is a triple threat, but that’s not doing it justice. First, it serves its main master—insulating your house’s hottest spot efficiently. According to the company, TAP is 32% more energy efficient than traditional insulation.
Second, the natural borates in the material serve as an insect repellent, notably the marauding swarms of “drywood termites” that often live in eaves of attic spaces. The mere presence of TAP insulation in the attic space keeps those pests away. And, since the product is made from recycled paper—87% is recovered newsprint—it starts out pretty green. However, it gets greener than that: it takes (again according to TAP’s research) 10-15 times less energy to make TAP cellulose insulation than fiberglass which is what, in part, earns it both EPA and Energy Star ratings.
Finally (actually, I’m not done writing about the features, I’m just out of room) the borates—which are derived from the same resources as laundry detergent—are fire retardant and inert. They won’t break down over time like some fiberglass products can. So, bottom line: TAP can make your house more efficient, lower utility bills in many cases, and help keep it bug free. All that with a product that is super-low in embodied energy. Right. Triple threat doesn’t even begin to cover it.
