Are you getting ready to do construction or major repairs on your home such as replacing your roof, replacing doors or windows, getting sewer work done on your home, or any major home repair.? Here are 5 things you should make sure are sealed before your contractor calls the job complete.
For More Information See Rodent Health Risks
Rats Enter Roof Junctions
The roof junction is a spot on the roof of your house where to roof elevations intersect, in most cases there is a small gap at the very back that is open right in the attic space. Roofers don’t really worry about that spot because water can’t get in. But this is a perfect spot for rats to gain access to the attic space.
There is a quick and easy fix for this problem. Determine the size of the hole and just simply fill it with wire mesh and liquid nails, make a ball of mesh and then stuff the hole, the use liquid nails to glue it down. These materials can be purchased at any hardware store.
Rodents will Burrow Under Decks
The common Norway rat or Roof rat found in the Southern California area loves to burrow under decks, storage building and concrete walkways among other locations. I have noticed that when a person has a deck installed on to their house they don’t think about the sub-vents or the sub-crawl door on the house that the deck may cover.
After the deck is installed it will be very difficult to gain access to the vents where rodents can gain access to the sub-area of your home. If this happens you will have to either remove deck boards or crawl under the house to access these areas and seal them up. Its better to just make sure they are sealed before you build that deck.
Rodents Live in the Sewers
One of the most common things I am seeing lately is rats entering a structure through the sewer system. Rats are infesting city sewers and will follow a sewer line right into your home. Most sewer pipes today are made pf ABS plastic, this material is no problem for a rat’s teeth, a rat can exert 2000 pounds of biting pressure, so soft plastic is no problem for a rat.
Sometimes a lazy plumber when replacing a sewer line or adding a sewer line for a bathroom or kitchen remodel will not vent the drainpipe through the roof. I see it all the time, I either find a pipe cut off into the attic space or in the wall, either way it allows a rodent to come up from the city sewer and gain direct access right in to your home.
Allowing Open Windows and Door During Construction
During the construction process it is normal for workers to leave open doors and windows, but at the end of the day they sometimes leave them open and that will allow a rat or mouse to freely come on into your home. Once inside a few things happen, rodents will urinate and defecate on the floors and countertops. Rats will leave odors for other rats outside to be attracted too, drawing them to your home.
If you know you are going to have an extended construction job on your home, I recommend exterior rodent control, this is a pest control service that will help to prevent rodents from gaining access to your home while it is under construction.
Making Sure the Trash is Cleaned Up Daily
During construction you may have multiple sub-contractors in and out of your home, they must stop for breaks and lunch, a lot of times they will just leave their trash lying around. This is not good because this will attract unwanted rats to your home. After all what rat is going to pass up a free meal.
When you are in the beginning stages of the contract with the contractor make sure you include that they will clean the job site daily, I have been inspection construction job sites for many years and have seen some dangerous job sites, in fact I have tripped over junk and debris, I have see trash everywhere and rats feeding on it.
Follow these steps and you will be one step a head of any vermin that may want to invade your home.
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