Wildlife Removal Photo Album: Wildlife exclusion on roof attic vent fan installed in Ocean Gate
Attic fans (sometimes referred to as ventilation fans or powered attic ventilators) are housed in the slope of the roof or in the gable wall of the attic. They serve an important function: pushing hot humid attic air out of your home during the summer months, and rushing in a flow of cooler outside air. An attic fan in good working condition will help you save on your summer utility bills by reducing the burden of the air conditioner in the home. By decreasing the amount of heat moving from the attic through the roof, it will also extend the life of your asphalt shingles. Finally, by reducing your attic’s humidity levels, you reduce the likelihood of dangerous mold growth. Most of today’s attic fans have built-in thermostats that turn the fans on and off automatically, so you can pretty much set it and forget it.
While attic fans are extremely important, the wildlife technicians at Cowleys often have to deal with one of their downsides: they can be used by wildlife to gain access inside your home. Unfortunately, the “manufacturer’s standard” ceiling fan cover used to deter wildlife from entering when the fan isn’t running is often a fairly flimsy piece of mesh, either metal or some kind of poly-based cloth.
Attic fan without exlusion lets animals in
Attic fan manufacturers are in the fan business, not the wildlife exclusion business. When manufacturers are looking to save on their production costs, it seems that the attic fan covers get the short end of the stick. They just don't put a lot of money into these deterrents. Time and time again, wildlife technicians have found these covers ripped out or chewed through numerous species of nuisance wildlife. These covers are simply no match for the razor-sharp teeth and claws of raccoons and squirrels.
Installing the cover in Ocean Gate, New Jersey
After centering the cover over the fan, I put a dab of silicone in each one of the screw holes used to secure the cover to the roof.
Close up of the silicone in the screws
Dab of silicone in each of the screws on the other side.
Installed attic fan cover in Ocean Gate, NN
As the screws are being screwed into the roof, the silicone is coated on its threads, creating a seal to block rainwater. For added measure, after all the screws are in place, I spread silicone around the head of the screws and the entire area where the screws are placed to create an additional water protection sea
Installed wildlife attic fan exclusion
For homes that have had issues with wily wildlife entering through the attic fan, Cowleys can shore things up. We install tough galvanized steel mesh covers that fit over the entire outside of the fan that stop wildlife from even thinking about entering your attic. When installing any structure on the roof, you have to be extra careful. You have to know what you are doing because any new hole can potentially be the source of a roof leak.
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