Attic Insulation & Restoration

Attic Insulation Services

You’ve now had your raccoon, bat, squirrel, or other animal guest removed from your Greater Pittsburgh area attic, but what now? Your attic won’t be magically as clean as it was prior to your critter "friend" moving in. Fortunately, our team is trained specifically for this. Cleaning up after an animal is a major part of the wildlife control process and we will make sure that your attic gets back to the clean and insulated place it once was.

Keeping your attic in appropriately-insulated shape will help keep the space more efficiently heated and cooled, i.e. money in your pocket. Check out the DOE’s website to compare your insulation level with that of the national standard and read more to find out the benefits of restoring your attic with Critter Control of Greater Pittsburgh.

Keep Animals Out of Attics

A number of common attic invaders include mice, raccoons, and squirrels, and each animal in the attic can pose a threat to your home. The biggest problem with animals in the attic are listed below:

Mice in the Attic—Mice love your attic because of its natural isolation and cover. It offers a warm space in which they can nest and live. The primary issues associated with mice in attics are their droppings and chewing habits.

Squirrels in the Attic—Like mice, squirrels are also frequent chewers. This can impact soft items like insulation or more solid, structural components like wooden beams. Squirrels, like other animals, also contribute to waste and urine stains, odors, and illnesses.

Raccoons in the Attic—Perhaps the most common attic visitor, raccoons find entry through roof damage and chimneys. The largest attic invader you will likely have, raccoons can also cause the most damage. Oftentimes, the raccoon will be raising a new litter of babies, so please do not handle them yourself. Raccoons can cause damage to ductwork, insulation, feces and urine, wooden beam damage, and more.

Protecting Your Home From Wildlife Damage in Attic

Warning: If you think you have vermiculite insulation in your attic, there's a chance it could contain asbestos. Don't disturb it. Only attic insulation contractors certified to handle and remove asbestos should deal with vermiculite insulation.

There are some steps to take before installing new insulation in your attic. Consider the following attic insulation tips from Critter Control:

• The majority of insulation doesn’t actually stop the flow of air, so you have to remember to seal points of airflow between the outside of your home and your attic.
  • Ductwork and exhaust fans to the outdoors will require a tightly constructed box to cover fan housing on the attic side. Be sure to seal around the duct where it leaves the box and the sides of the box where the drywall meets the attic.
    • For interior wall-ceiling areas, use long-life caulk to seal smaller gaps and holes. Use expanding foam or strips of rigid foam board insulation for the larger gaps.
    • Use a high-temperature caulk or furnace cement to seal chimney and framing areas.
    • Cover openings like dropped ceilings, soffits, and bulkheads—into the attic area with plywood and seal to the attic side of the ceiling.
• Install blocking (metal flashing) to maintain fire-safety clearance requirements (usually 3 inches) for heat-producing equipment found in an attic, such as flues, chimneys, exhaust fans, and light housings/fixtures unless the light fixtures are IC (insulation contact) rated. IC-rated lights are airtight and can be covered with insulation.
• Make sure insulation doesn't block soffit vents to allow for attic ventilation.
• Check the attic ceiling for water stains or marks. They indicate roof leaks or lack of ventilation. Make repairs before you insulate. Wet insulation is ineffective and can damage your home.
• Also, insulate and seal your attic access if it's located in an air-conditioned part of your Pittsburgh area home. You'll want to properly insulate and air seal any knee walls (vertical walls with attic space behind them) in your house as well.

Finally, if you're building a new home or doing remodeling, make sure any attic decking, which provides additional storage space or a platform for an HVAC unit or hot water tank, is raised above the ceiling joists to ensure proper insulation depth. The decking then should be installed securely to the top of the raised lumber after the insulation has been installed.

Cleaning Up After Animals in the Attic

Getting rid of animals in the attic is one thing, but what about their waste? Anytime an animal lives in any area of your home, they are going to leave traces of their stay. Animal droppings can be dangerous to human health and wellness.

Our attic restoration professionals remove soiled insulation and replace it with your choice of insulation products. Our specialists can prepare insurance bids with most major insurance companies and get your attic back in shape in no time. Many of these nuisance animals cause problems to your chimney as well and require professional chimney repair. For all of your attic insulation tips, attic repair, attic restoration, and chimney repair needs, contact Critter Control of Greater Pittsburgh at 412.767.4067 or by clicking HERE.