| Search: | Browse by Category: |
| We hear critters in our attic or in our crawl space - how do we get rid of them and what damage do they cause? |
We have cleaned-up after pigeons, raccoons, skunks, roof rats, field mice and other critters that have established residence in attics or crawl spaces - what a mess! First, we try to establish how they are entering and close it off to any more visitors: Overhanging trees, construction anomalies that permit entry, missing or open crawl space entry doors or ventilation screens are all common routs of entry. Closing the entry can be an issue in itself if some critters become trapped inside, death and decay may worsen the odor problem. The real problem is the urine and feces that contaminate the critters habitats and are a danger to humans. Once we know that the critters have vacated, we establish health and safety measures with containment of the affected space and we install HEPA-filtered air moving equipment for cross-ventilation of outside air or recirculation of the interior atmosphere. We start our demolition process by removing all of the insulation (tt is impossible to identify what insulation is affected so removing all insulation is the safe method to begin the remediation process). Batt insulation can be bagged in large debris bags and passed out through sealed containment chambers. Blown-in insulation requires a powerful insulation vacuum that dumps the contaminated insulation into very large collection bags or a dumpster. Sometimes, in crawl spaces, we have to physically remove soil to remove the contaminants. This is considered the first rule of remediation and odor abatement - source removal. The next step is to remove the stains and spots left on the bare lumber. Stains on the paper-side of drywall require cleaning and encapsulation (for minor staining) or removal to correct. This is completed with wire brushes, electric sanders or dry-ice pellets, depending on the severity and size of the area damaged. Odor abatement depends completely on source removal. Deodorizers or encapsulates on heavily stained surfaces are often temporary measures that fail with temperature or humidity changes. Forty-eight to seventy-two hours of air scrubbing with HEPA-filtered air moving equipment is a safety measure to remove any remaining air-borne contaminants. Smart homeowners often hire an independent Interior Environmental Professional (IEP) to verify the cleaning process by testing surfaces and air sampling. This adds considerable cost to the process but may be necessary for verification when selling the property. The last step is to replace the insulation in the attic or crawl area and/or soil in the crawl area. Replacing soil in the crawl area seems superfluous but a low spot during the raining season may collect unwanted water.
Last update: 03:43 AM Sunday, August 24, 2008 |
| Add Comment |
Comment of UTMvTQPAjurucPg:
Comment of HHMLUkSakQ:
Comment of upbamnsaiuy:
|