Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

After noticing some water pooling in his dirt floor crawl space, this homeowner in Sea Girt, NJ, called our Crawl Space Division to determine the cause and discuss possibly encapsulating his crawl space. Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture and once the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise and can lead to mold and mildew issues (fortunately, there was no mold or mildew in the crawl space). After speaking the owner, he decided that he wanted to encapsulate his crawl space!

First, we removed all the debris and old insulation, leveled the ground for proper draining, and installed drainage matting, which is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to the sump pump. Next, we installed a SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump. The SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump protects vulnerable crawl spaces by combining an intelligent WaterWatch® alarm system with a sump pump that's specifically designed for crawl spaces. Additionally, both the lid and floor drain are specially designed to prevent collected water from evaporating back out into your crawl space. Any water from a plumbing leak or sump failure must first pass by the alarm and will then drain down into the sump. The alarm will sound immediately if this happens, so you'll know you have a leak in your crawl space.

We also cleaned off all the beams in the crawl space and installed SilverGlo™ on the walls of the crawl space. SilverGlo™ is a waterproof foam insulation that seals the walls from outside moisture and humidity. Next, we installed a vapor barrier. A vapor barrier is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. By encapsulating the crawl space & installing the vapor barrier over the foundation walls and floor will create a continuous air and moisture barrier. The vapor barrier is extremely durable and is treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold. 

Lastly, to control the humidity levels in the crawl space, we installed a Sedona dehumidifier. This is a powerful, energy-efficient, commercial-grade dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. Now the homeowners have a clean and healthy crawl space as well as an additional area in their home for storage.

This homeowner in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, had a slight wildlife issue. A groundhog was burrowing against the foundation of her pool in several areas. A short while after setting up our retrieval devices, we successfully and safely retrieved the groundhog and relocated it to a new, humane environment.

To prevent groundhogs and other nuisance wildlife from burrowing against the pool foundation, we installed Dig Defense® around the entire pool foundation. Dig Defense® is a below-ground fence system that is 15 inches deep and 4 feet across. It protects structures against invasive nuisance wildlife and feral animals. Now, the area is properly protected against groundhogs and other nuisance wildlife. 

A new customer in Little Silver, NJ contacted our Little Rascals Nuisance Wildlife Division after seeing a raccoon rip apart his gable vent and enter his home. Over time, the gable vents get weathered and dry rotted. This makes it easier for raccoons as well as squirrels to break into the home. 

After we safely removed and relocated the raccoons to a new, humane environment, we disinfected the attic area and removed the old, broken gable vent. We did offer to replace the gable vent, but the homeowner mentioned that he will fix it on his own at a later date. As a temporary solution, we installed Pest-Blok over the gable vent. Pest-Blok doesn't restrict the airflow to the attic, undergoes a silicone-protected polyester coating process that makes it last longer, and guards the home against raccoons, squirrels, pests, birds, and all other nuisance wildlife.

A property manager of an apartment complex in Little Silver, NJ, called Little Rascals for assistance after his maintenance team found several squirrels in one of his tenants' attic. When we arrived, we started thoroughly inspecting the exterior of the building and noticed squirrel hair near the gutters. We took a closer look and determined that the squirrels were entering the unit via the builders gap. A builders gap is the gap between the fascia board, where the gutter is hung, and the roof decking. It's caused when roof decking is stopped too short and isn't flush with the fascia. The gap is meant to help with airflow throughout the attic, but also presents an opportunity for squirrels, as well as raccoons, birds, and bats, to infest the attic.

There was one area of the fascia that was chewed out by squirrels, so we installed a one-way device over it, temporarily enclosed the area with hardware cloth, and set up several baited devices nearby. The one-way will allow the squirrels to safely leave the attic but prevent them from getting back in. A short while later, we successfully retrieved all the squirrels and relocated them to a new, humane environment.

To prevent any future infestations from squirrels, or any other nuisance wildlife, from the building we installed Pest-Blok over the builders gap. Pest-Blok doesn't restrict airflow, undergoes a silicone-protected polyester coating process that makes it last longer, and guards the home against squirrels, pests, birds, and all other nuisance wildlife.

A new customer in Little Silver, NJ, wanted our Attic Systems team to come out, remove all the old fiberglass insulation, and add blown-in cellulose insulation to his attic space.

First, we removed any and all debris in the attic and then air sealed all the gaps and cracks in the attic. This will eliminate air flow between the living space and the attic, improving energy efficiency. Afterward, we installed Tight Shell Can Light Covers over the recessed lights in the attic. These are made out of a fire resistant material and is specifically designed to stop unwanted air leakage through the recessed lights.

Next, we installed ComfortTherm® insulation. ComfortTherm® insulation provides excellent temperature and noise control, and comes with a vapor-retarder for use in hot, humid climates. Afterward, we added over 10 inches of TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation. TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation maximizes home comfort, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating & is resistant to mold and pests.

Lastly, we installed an attic door insulation cover. This attic door insulation cover is made of high-quality fireproof materials and 2 layers of aluminum, which can effectively block heat transfer, makes the indoor temperature more pleasant, and gives the homeowner a comfortable and healthy environment.