Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

Here is a great “before and after” photo comparison where I installed a vent block to replace, what frankly, was a big mess. This project was completed for a home in Avon by the Sea, NJ. Whenever we install a dehumidifier in a crawl space, we strongly recommend to homeowners to block the crawl space vents, which helps keep outside humid air from entering the basement (not to mention insects!). Installation of a commercial-grade dehumidifier is the single most important way for homeowners to prevent mold growth and other problems resulting from sustained high humidity in crawl spaces and basements. ideally, these subterranean areas should be encapsulated to keep humid air from entering the crawl space. Building scientists that study indoor airflow have found that vented crawl spaces do exactly what homeowners want to prevent —  allowing hot humid outdoor air enter the crawl space. There is a popular misconception that vented crawl spaces expel hot humid air, when in fact, the opposite is true. However, even if a homeowner decides to not fully encapsulate their crawl space, at a minimum, we strongly recommend that homeowners at least block the crawl space vents since these are, by far, the largest entry points for outside air.

To block the vents, we cut Silverglo insulation to size. SliverGlo insulation is an Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS) insulation that contains graphite. This lightweight, rigid, closed-cell insulation is 24% more efficient than over-the-counter batt and foam insulations. Its closed-cell structure provides minimal water absorption and low vapor permanence. As an added benefit, SilverGlo is coated with a mold-resistant aluminum that naturally enhancing primary sources of light, dramatically increasing the luminosity of even a single bulb. After setting in the insulation in the vent space, we then spray a hardening foam around the outside edges to completely block off any airflow. 

Homes that were built with dirt floor crawl space foundations became very popular after World War II when there was a huge demand for new and more affordable homes. Crawl spaces could be built faster and much cheaper than basements. However, no one could foresee the major issues that dirt floor crawl spaces can have on a home. For instance, this homeowner in Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ was experiencing incredibly high humidity levels and abundant moisture buildup in his crawl space. If left untreated any longer, this could lead to mold and mildew growth and structural damage. Fortunately, the homeowner decided to have Cowleys encapsulate his crawl space.

The benefits of crawl space encapsulation are dramatic. Relative humidity will stay below 70% even if the outdoor humidity is higher. You’ll save on your utility bills, have better air quality in the crawl space, and not only keep out moisture, but also keep out unwanted pests!

First, we cleared out all the debris and installed a drainage matting. A drainage matting is a dimpled plastic mat that allows water to work its way over to the sump pump. Next, we replaced the old, broken sump pump with a smart drain sump pump to allow any water that gets on top of the liner to flow down underneath the ground. 

Then, we installed a clean space liner covering the ground of the entire crawl space. A clean space liner is a super-durable, 20mil plastic sheet material designed to permanently prevent moisture, outside air, and pests from getting into your crawl space. The vapor barrier is installed over the foundation walls and floor to create a continuous air and moisture barrier. Finally, to control the humidity levels we installed a Sani-Dry dehumidifier. These machines are a powerful energy-efficient dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. The SaniDry XP directs the extracted water pulled out of the air directly into the sump pump. 

Now the humidity levels will be at a comfortable level, the value of the home has increased, and there will be no more moisture buildup in the crawl space.

This Bradley Beach homeowner had damage to his facia board that was caused by squirrels. The fascia board on a house is the vertical finishing edge that caps the end of the rafters, and is often where the home’s gutters are attached. Squirrels had chewed and clawed their way right through fascia. 

Another common trouble spot around the roof often damaged by wildlife is the soffit. The soffit is the finished wood or vinyl horizontal underside (water-resistant vinyl is preferable) beneath the overhanging section of the roof eave. Soffits, which have small holes to help ventilate the attic, are often a magnet for attracting small animals and insects.

A Cowleys wildlife technician had already resolved the squirrel issue, and I was called in to do the repair and exclusion work. Cowleys has a crew of technicians with extensive experience in home construction. Our projects include installing TAP insulation, waterproofing crawl spaces, treating mold, and repairing damage caused by wildlife.

The homeowner was insistent that he did not want the expense of removing his gutters, replacing the damaged fascia board, and re-installing the gutters. So, I took a more expedient approach that would leave the fascia in place. First, I needed brown aluminum to match the brown fascia board. This was easier said than done. It was a challenging job. In order to do this, I had to remove the supports for the gutter, and I had to do this a section at a time so the gutter would not fall. While the supports were off, I slid the the brown aluminum between the gutter and the fascia board to cover the damaged areas.

The next step to this process was to install a white sheet-metal drip edge. The drip edge is flashing installed along the edge of eaves. To install it, I slid the edging up under the shingles and carefully bent it so that it would wrap down on top of the brown aluminum layer. To fit the drip edge to size, I used tin snips, and allowed an overlap where the two pieces of drip edge meet so there would be no gap where water could potentially seep through. 

A drip edge is an important part of roofing that is often overlooked or not understood by homeowners. This drip edge is what gives a finished look to the roof and it also goes long way preventing rainwater from causing damage to the wood building materials near the roof. The drip edge helps keep out rainwater by preventing blow-under leaks caused by wind-driven rains and by directing rainwater into the gutter instead of running down the fascia where water, over time, can wreck havoc. 

A drip edge also helps prevent wildlife infestations. Moisture and water intrusions easily ruin wooden facia boards, and as this homeowner found out, fascia that weakened and softened by rain is also an open invitation for many types of wildlife like squirrels and raccoons to gain access inside the attic. These animals can rip and claw their way through weakened fascia like it was butter.Finally, a drip edge acts as a support for the shingles so they are not just hanging off the edge of the roof.

Homeowners in Rumson, NJ, had a bat infestation in their attic. Bats are often attracted to homes for maternity and nesting roosts. The species of bats found in New Jersey have adapted well to using the walls and attic spaces of homes. They make great places to hibernate or raise their young. A wildlife technician had already completed the bat exclusion and sealed their access points into the attic. But more work needed to be done. As often happens, whenever wildlife, especially bats, raccoons, or squirrels, take up residence in attics, they are rude houseguests, and that’s putting it mildly.   

Wildlife can cause a significant amount of damage in a short period of time from their activities. They can cause all sorts of problems such as chewing through wiring, which is a serious fire hazard. A major problem of any wildlife infestation is their urine and often prodigious quantities of droppings. A colony of bats can produce a significant amount of dripping, smelly guano (poop). One of the most common casualties of a wildlife infestation is ruined contaminated attic insulation. Also, from a health standpoint, bat droppings can contain the histoplasmosis fungus and other pathogens. Bat guano, like all wildlife droppings, should be treated as a toxic health hazard. Never enter an enclosed area with wildlife droppings without proper protective equipment. 

A Cowleys home improvement crew was brought in to handle this clean-up. We removed the soiled insulation, sanitized and deodorized the space, and installed 10” of our blown-in cellulose insulation. After it is installed and settles, this dense fire-retardant thermal blanket does an amazing job holding in heat in the winter and conditioned air in the summer. It is an energy-efficient money-saver for homeowners. Also, unlike fiberglass rolls, the coverage of blown insulation is complete and comprehensive. We can fill in all of those hard-to-fit spaces that roll often miss. This insulation also helps with sound and noise dampening. Finally, it even has an effective pest control component. A specialized form of borate is added to the paper fibers. If an insect comes into contact with borate particles will ingest it as part of its grooming, and soon thereafter it’s “game over.”  It’s important to mention that borates are only lethal to insects. It’s completely safe and non-toxic for humans and, for that matter, any other mammal. 

After we were done with our cleanup, you would have never guessed that this attic was once used as a dirty bat cave. Now, this sanitized and deodorized guano-free attic, with its fresh insulation, looked great, smelled great, and was safe, clean, and sanitary.

Recently, I was sent to a home in Rumson, NJ to resolve a troublesome mouse infestation. The homeowner had observed mouse activity in the garage and utility room, and contacted Cowleys before they found their way inside the living areas of the home. Here, the back wall of the utility room directly abutted the garage. Garages are common entry points for mice and I inspected the area to determine how they could be gaining access inside. There was no shortage of entry points. The mice had numerous ways to get inside the garage. I showed the homeowner what needed to be done to stop the mice from gaining access. Both the garage door and side door had openings that needed to be fixed. Often, weather stripping can deteriorate leaving openings and garage doors do not close all the way down. If you can see daylight coming in, assume a mouse can as well. 

I went to work plugging the the hole in the wall into the utility room from the garage with a chew-proof copper mesh. I also installed three RTU (Ready-to-Use) bait stations. These stations have a special key needed to open up the boxes to apply the bait cannot be accessed by non-target animals. These stations also allow me to monitor the level of rodent activity when replenishing the bait. After finishing up with the garage, I plugged up the holes in the utility room and installed two more RTU bait stations there. The homeowner did the right thing by contacting Cowleys at the first sign of rodent trouble. It is far easier to deal with an infestation before they gain access in the kitchen and other living areas of the home.