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RODENT
AND VERMIN RESISTANCE OF CELLULOSE INSULATION
Contrary
to some of the statements that are floating around, cellulose insulation
is not a haven for rodents. This
may come as a shock to some individuals who may recall bedding down
their pet hamsters in shredded newspaper.
But, even though cellulose insulation is made from newsprint, it
does not behave like one might expect newsprint to perform.
The primary reason for the differences is that cellulose
insulation contains chemical additives to achieve various desired
physical properties. Take
flammability for example, cellulose insulation does not behave at all
like untreated paper. However,
even though cellulose insulation is flame retardant one should not
violate local or national codes that work toward reducing fire risk.
Some individuals have demonstrated the flame resistance of
cellulose insulation by melting a penny on top of a small pile of
insulation with a torch while holding it in their hand.
This practice is of course not recommended, but it does tend to
demonstrate that cellulose insulation is definitely a different product
than simply ground up newspaper. The
situation is analogous when it comes to rodent and insect resistance;
the material does not perform at all like untreated paper.
This is not to say that the material will kill rats and mice;
anything that strong would likely be unsafe to handle.
However, some limited studies have shown that when mice were
given a choice between cellulose insulation and blown fiberglass, the
mice tended to prefer the fiberglass more than the cellulose insulation
for nesting purposes. One
of the reasons cellulose insulation tends to be resistant to rodents is
that cellulose insulation does not contain starch.
The second reason that cellulose insulation resists vermin is
that cellulose insulation normally contains about 12-14% inorganic [Main] [Cellulose VS Fiberglass] [Regal Wall] [Contractors] [Cellulose Applications] [Technical Information] [Contact] 9564 East 600 S -
Crothersville, IN 47229
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