Insulation: It Really Is Fascinating Stuff!
You may know Daffan Cooling & Heating offers insulation installation services. It makes sense of course, because a well-insulated home can significantly increase the efficiency of your HVAC systems, helping save energy and money!
And you may think insulation is a boring topic–after all, it’s just batts or blankets, or foam or loose-fill materials strategically placed in wall cavities and attics.
But we beg to differ. Insulation can be fascinating stuff! And perhaps a great ice breaker for dinner conversation and parties.
To prove this point, here’s a news roundup we’re calling “This Month in Insulation”:
Pennsylvania Family Makes Shocking Discovery During Insulation Project
Embarking on an insulation project, the Bretzius family of Auburn, Pa. found dozens of dead animals hidden behind their walls. The carcasses of chickens and other creatures were wrapped in newspapers dating from the 1930s and 40s.
Also concealed behind the drywall were spices, which made the Bretziuses suspect that the animals had been hidden as part of some sort of strange ritual. They sent the carcasses off to an expert, who confirmed their suspicions.
In an interview with WNEP-TV of Pennsylvania, Kaija Bretzius said the expert revealed that the animals and spices were used for “what they call pow-wowing or Dutch magic. They used this to heal ailments.”
Unfortunately, the magic failed to help the Bretzius family, who were saddled with a $20,000 repair bill.
Alan Turing’s Code-Breaking Notes Double as Roof Insulation
NBC News reports that papers used by legendary cryptographer Alan Turing to help crack the German “Enigma” code in World War II were found by workers restoring a hut in Britain’s Bletchley Park in 2013. That building was one of the locations where Turing and his team conducted their research, featured in the 2014 movie “The Imitation Game.”
The papers, used to calculate settings for the team’s cryptanalytic machine, had been wadded up by Bletchley Park workers and stuffed into ceiling cracks and other holes to keep cold drafts at bay.
Fortunately, the papers, known as “Banbury sheets” were preserved and restored. They will be made part of an exhibition at Bletchley Park this year.
Wanted Felon Discovered Hiding Under Attic Insulation
Indiana State Police nabbed a convicted felon, wanted on multiple warrants, who was found hiding beneath attic insulation at the home he had been staying at.
WRTV of Indianapolis reports that Jamie Shultz, 39, was under surveillance by a bond recovery agent, who spotted Schultz enter a home on West Third Street.
State police were contacted, and they received permission from the homeowner to search the premises.
Insulation protects from the cold, but it does not protect from the long arm of the law. Schultz was arrested after emerging from the attic insulation.
As a convicted violent felon, Schultz is not allowed to possess firearms. Officers searching the home found two rifles, two shotguns, a crate of ammo, and four sets of brass knuckles.
That’s a wrap for this month’s strange and unusual insulation report.
