Protect Your Roofing Insulation from Rodents

The insulation for your roof system is generally found in the attic area or crawl space beneath the roof. Several different types of insulation materials are available to hold in the heat and cooled air from your heating ventilation and air conditioning system. Your pipes may also be wrapped with insulating materials, and various types of insulation can also be found in your walls.

Your attic area has soffits: small, often decorative vents that allow for air circulation through the insulated attic to prevent the build-up of mold and wood rot from excessive moisture. Some roof systems have larger vents that extend above the roof. The vents are designed to increase airflow through the area beneath the roof underlayment, and they usually have slats or screens to keep out rodents. An attic in a large building may also have a blower to circulate air under the roof.

There are many important components to your roof and building systems, which are important to protect from damage. Critter damage is one of the prevalent concerns.

Insect and Rodent Damage

Small insects may be able to fly or crawl into the attic through slots and vents, attracting rodents to follow for food. These rodents (squirrels, mice, and rats) enter your insulated attic area through holes in the roof or in your air ducts. They use and traverse electrical lines and poles, and they find a warm home (your attic) where they can nest. These small rodents can also enter through holes where overhead power lines are attached directly to a building. This is usually in the area under the eaves of a roof. Squirrels may be living in a tree on your property, and it is a short hop to the power line connected to your home.

After settling in, problems arise: debris from rodents and insects contain harmful bacteria infest your home, other pathogens grow, odors that you do not want in your home sit, and other costly damages unveil. Pesky squirrels can chew through wood, plastic, aluminum, and even low-voltage power lines. They may easily chew their way through your insulation materials. Damaged insulation become ineffective and must be replaced for your HVAC system to run efficiently. Squirrels and other rodents may even die from ingesting inorganic attic insulation materials. Then you have to deal with the problem of removing dead rodents!

Critter Guard's Line Guard and Pole Guard systems humanely block squirrels and other rodents from using power lines to gain access to your home to damage roof insulation. Contact us for more information on how you can protect your roof, along with your power line connections from pesky rodents.