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.

This homeowner in Highlands had wildlife gaining entry into his attic through a gable vent. The wire mesh screen covering the gable vents was damaged, most likely from the animals themselves. With the screen breached, they were able to gain access into the attic.

Homes are equipped with attic vents to provide efficient ventilation. They allow heat and humidity to escape from the attic in the summer and moist air in the winter. You’ll find vents on the underside of your soffits and on the home’s gables, which are the triangular portion of the outside wall of a house that comes to a peak between the edges of the intersecting roof pitches. Homes with a simple gable roof (two roof sections sloping in opposite directions that meet at the roof ridge), typically have gable vents at the two ends of the house, and sometimes over the garage. Homes with more ornate roof structures with multiple gables usually have multiple gable vents. While these vents are necessary for efficient attic ventilation, they often wind up being the “weakest link” in the roof structure for wildlife to gain access. Time and time again, our wildlife technicians have had to deal with infestations with wildlife that used a gable vent as their personal welcome mat to enter the attic. Once inside, wildlife can cause significant property damage. They can ruin expensive insulation and chew through wires, creating a fire hazard, and their droppings are a serious health hazard.

Two members of Cowleys home construction crew were sent in to do the exclusion work and make sure that, going forward, wildlife would be blocked from trying to re-enter the attic through this vent. We carefully removed the damaged screen and installed a new one.

Recently, I was dispatched to a home in Long Branch, NJ that was plagued by mice. Vermin were running around the basement and first floor of the home as if they owned the place. And based on the level of infestation, I have to admit, they temporarily had the upper hand!  But now that I was here, it’s game over for these rodents. 

Mice are overwintering pests that make their way into homes as outdoor temperatures drop. They can potentially contaminate food and leave droppings wherever they go. Mouse and other rodent infestations pose a serious risk for transmitting Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and other serious diseases. HPS is an infectious disease that starts with flu-like symptoms and can progress to life-threatening respiratory problems. Any activity that puts you in contact with rodent droppings, urine, saliva, or nesting materials can place you at risk for infection. Also, when mouse droppings dry and are disturbed, particles can become airborne and you can actually breathe them in. That’s why you never want to go into a small enclosed area where there is a rodent infestation without proper personal protective equipment like HEPA masks.

Mice tend to enter homes through access points in and around the foundation to get inside the basement or crawl space. Once there, they use wall voids to speed throughout the house, usually finding their way to the kitchen because of all the food attractants. Since mice are so small, there are often many entry points we are unaware of. They only need an opening about the size of a dime to make their way in. As such, they can easily squeeze their way inside through gaps and cracks in the foundation. Also, I’ve seen many homes where the mice have run along the sill plate until they find gaps around piping entering the home, such as a gas pipe behind the stove or water lines under the kitchen sink. 

During a rodent inspection, I generally start with the kitchen since this is their usual target destination. I then work backward to see how they are gaining access to the kitchen. With this home, after inspecting the kitchen for evidence of mouse activity, I moved to the basement where the homeowners had noticed most of the rodent activity. I inspected the entire home and even found mouse droppings in the attic, indicating to that mice had made their way throughout every floor of the home. 

While baiting for mice in the different areas of the home, I noticed daylight by the sill plate in the basement right by some wires. If daylight can shine in, it’s a good indication that there is enough of an opening for mice. A mouse can enter a home through a hole as small as the diameter of a dime. Since mice don’t have collarbones, if a mouse is able to poke its little snout through a hole, the rest of its body will follow. Upon further inspection, I found a large hole in the foundation — a hole large enough for a rat to enter let alone a tiny mouse. Someone had stuffed the hole with a rag. With the teeth and claws of a rodent, a rag would do absolutely nothing to deter a determined mouse or rat from getting into the house. I stuffed the access hole with chew-proof copper mesh to block any more rodents from entering. With the bait stations set up throughout the home, it will not take long for the rodent population to substantially decline. The objective, of course, is to get the rodent population down to zero. One mouse roaming around a home is one mouse too many!

I scheduled a two-week follow up to reinspect, replace the bait in the stations as needed, and determine if additional bait stations are necessary. With a heavy mouse infestation, it is important to have successive follow-up visits until there is no more observable rodent activity.