Truly Nolen | Knoxville, TN | Truly Insulation Plus

Truly Nolen of Knoxville is proud to offer Truly Insulation Plus; the most unique and effective insulation service on the market!

Truly Insulation Plus (TIP) service combines high-grade insulation with naturally occurring minerals to provide our customers with one of the most unique and effective insulation services on the market. In attics, Truly Nolen uses blown cellulose insulation (recycled newsprint) infused with borates (naturally occurring minerals), which provides a superior pest barrier, all while maintaining your desired climate. We can also insulate crawl spaces and under floors. In addition to climate control and added pest protection, TIP has superior acoustic qualities and high-level fire retardation.

About the R-value

Every building material has an insulation value called an "R-value". An object's R-value measures how well that object resists the transfer of heat. Simply put, it rates how effective a material is at stopping warm air from passing through it. Insulation materials start at around R-2/inch and range up to R-7/inch, with higher values being better or requiring less material to stop the heat transfer.

The R-value of TIP is rated as a 3.7, making it a higher R-value than many other types of insulation materials. Additionally, TIP offers pest protection, a secondary barrier against termites and it leaves you with the ability to treat and inspect the area for termites and other pests.

Beware of using spray-applied foam in areas where termites are prevalent. Foam does not allow for inspecting and treatment of infested wood. Until just recently, it was believed that fumigation would be sufficient for killing termites where foam was present. Fumigant manufacturers have now stated that they cannot ensure complete penetration and elimination of termites present behind foam. Furthermore, the manufacturers have also stated they cannot guarantee complete aeration of fumigants in homes where foam is present, potentially trapping dangerous gases in the structure.

Insulation PC Properties

TIP services cover attics and crawl spaces, but only in attics can we offer pest protection. Why? The answer lays in the product. Comprised of mostly recycled newsprint, blown cellulose can be infused with pest control. When produced, newsprint and other recycled materials are shredded, sprayed with oils and coated in borates. Then, the insulation is baked to help infuse and adhere the boron to the material. Other common insulation materials, like fiberglass and rock wool cannot achieve this feat, as they are super-heated in production to temperatures that break down the borates. Also, since they are porous materials, trying to add oils or a boron dust to “suspend” a pest control product is impossible. As for foam, the high temperatures during production and during the curing period again destroy the pest products. This leaves blown cellulose as "Truly" the lone ranger of pest control-able insulation materials.

Boron is a naturally occurring mineral found in all kinds of household products like soaps, detergent, deodorant and even makeup! Boron is a versatile mineral that has been used for years in pest control. When ingested by certain pests, the boron destroys a pest’s ability to digest, essentially killing it from the inside out. Don’t be afraid: as mammals, it takes massive doses of boron to have any negative affect on us, more than you could ever come in contact with or consume. But for small, self-grooming pests, it only takes a small amount to be devastating. Therefore, TIP insulation is infused with no less than 12.5% orthoboric acid, an amount deemed by the EPA to kill and control self-grooming pests like: roaches, ants, silverfish, earwigs, termites* (including Formosan), crickets, sow bugs, darkling beetles, millipedes, centipedes, and booklice. These pests will walk through the insulation, picking up the borates as they travel. Then, when its family bath time, they ingest the product while cleaning each other. Not long after, your pest problem starts to fade away. No other insulation product can say the same!

(* Not a stand-alone termite treatment)

Savings

Insulation is one of the most important components to a comfortable home, and one of the most cost effective ways to reduce energy costs. Whether you live in a tropical, desert, seasonal or cold weather climate, we are all paying for comfort. If it’s warm outside, we want it cool inside. When it’s cold outside, we really want it warm inside. Surprisingly, many people don’t think about insulation UNLESS it’s cold, however, insulation is just as useful during those hotter months. Warmer air is always trying to move to colder air, regardless of where and when. If we are trying to stay cool in the summer, but we don’t have insulation because it’s never cold (tropical and desert climates), the warm outside air is fighting with your cold inside air, making your A/C run longer and causing your meter to spin like a top. By insulating properly, you create a barrier to slow or stop this battle, allowing both your A/C and meter to take a break. Guess what else gets a break? YOUR WALLET. Energy costs are on the rise, from gasoline to electricity and everything in between. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend less every month on energy? TIP can help.

Benefits

In most instances, insulation is installed on the “floor” of the attic with fiberglass batts as the number one insulation choice. These batts will have gaps along the top, bottom and sides, allowing for airflow and energy loss. Additionally, the paper backing (kraft-faced) found on insulation batts allows for protected travel for pests and sometimes it's even a food source!

Other times, a blown fiberglass or cotton will be used to avoid these potential issues with batts. Unfortunately, these materials are on the lower end of the value scale and will naturally settle and compress. This settling will further decrease the value as time goes on, meaning you spend more on energy.

Blown cellulose is the perfect solution, filling gaps and conforming to the surface of the attic, creating a blanket of insulation more efficient than most. Cellulose will only settle up to one inch over the life of the product, so there is no natural value loss. Cellulose has a higher R-Value/inch (3.7) than the other pre-formed or blown insulations, too, allowing for less product to be used to achieve the ultimate goal.

In addition to being an excellent insulator with effective pest control properties, our insulation will also decreases noise transmission. If you live near an airport with planes flying overhead, our insulation will muffle the sound to help you sleep better.

Finally, the forgotten benefit that may save your home: Class A firing rating. Let’s be clear: all cellulose has borates present, specifically for the flame retardant capabilities. Normally, you will find between 3-5% in the brands you can buy at any large home improvement store. As stated earlier, our insulation has NO LESS THAN 12.5%, giving it an advantage over its counterparts. This elevated borate level creates a charred service with no flare up, stopping the flames from spreading and reaching exposed wood and roof in the attic.

Call Truly Nolen of Knoxville today to schedule your TIP inspection!