Before & After Photos

A homeowner in Deal, NJ had a “builder grade” metal crawl space entry door installed when the home was built. This door was definitely a contractor money-saver item — and it showed. Over a few years, the door failed to stand up the the wear-and-tear of the outdoor elements. When we arrived, the door was rusted out and rotted. It wouldn’t even close. This crawl space entry point was trouble waiting to happen, and we were surprised that wildlife had not yet exploited this weak spot and visited the crawl space. This was an open invitation. 

The homeowner knew that Cowleys had a specialized contractor division that handles a variety of crawl space improvements, up to and including full encapsulation. He contacted us for a replacement. We had the perfect item  — a customized Everlast door that’s specifically designed for crawl spaces. 

With this installation, the homeowner now had a crawl space door that would block rodents and possibly bigger critters like skunks, squirrels, and raccoons from gaining access and using the crawl space as their private nesting area.  Also, for homes with crawl spaces, homeowners have more to work about than just wildlife entry. These below-grade areas are notorious trouble spots for mold growth and other water-related issues, and these doors help do the job. Of course, there are other ways that water and moisture can infiltrate vented crawl spaces, but this door was an important start. 

Our installers love these Everlast covers because of their flexibility. They can be installed against wood framing or masonry, work exceptionally well, and have great aesthetics, blending in perfectly with the home’s foundation. These doors are made of a “bulletproof” hard durable plastic. Unlike wooden or metal crawl space covers, they don’t rot, warp, crack, or rust, and never need to be painted.  

Even though these covers form a tight seal over the crawl space access, they are super-easy to open for those rare occasions when homeowners or repair persons require entry. The door has four large, easy-to-grip knobs that twist off without a hitch. The door comes right off, and you’re in. 

The homeowner was quite pleased with the installation. With this small crawl space improvement, the crawl space now had a cover that actually worked. As an added benefit, the outside of the home looked much better.

A homeowner in Brick Township, NJ had water entering the crawl space area through the entry door. The homeowner was concerned about standing water in the crawl space, and rightly so. Stagnant water in the crawl space can trigger mold growth and is a major attractant for insects, rodents, and all sorts of nuisance wildlife. 

Even though the homeowner had a well-sealed entry door, rainwater was nevertheless still seeping in. To remedy the problem, we installed a Bilco StackWEL, a window well, to serve as a second barrier to prevent water entry. The Bilco Company manufactures a variety of USA-made specialized doors that are highly regarded in the building industry.  

By preventing standing water in problem areas around the foundation, and crawl space vent doors often top the list, you can prevent water seepage into the crawl space. These window wells are made of durable PVC (high density polyethylene), so they don’t warp or rot, and are corrosion resistant. These wells also have a grip-step design so it makes it easy to enter and exit the crawl space access area. We also dug a shallow trench, about one and one-half feet and installed a layer of stones that would collect water and filter it into the ground instead inside the crawl space. 

It may seem unusual to install a window well around a crawl space door. After all, we think of window wells installed around basement windows! In that situation, the well around the window — that semi-circular “dig-out” in front — has to be supported by some materials or the hole or well in the ground will eventually collapse. It is the exact same rationale why retaining walls are sometimes necessary. However, window wells can also serve the same purpose with below-grade crawl space doors where the home’s foundation is built in such a way where water is directed toward the crawl space door. 

As you can see by the before and after pictures. the aesthetics of the crawl space access was greatly improved after our installation.  With this second barrier in place and the placement of the stones to filter the water away from the foundation, the crawl space water intrusion issue was successfully resolved.

After getting attacked and stung by several yellow jackets, this homeowner in Montgomery, NJ called Cowleys for help and we were sent out.

When we arrived and spoke to the owner, he had mentioned that he was attacked by his shed, so that's where we began inspecting. Minutes into our investigation, we located a small in-ground yellow jackets nest right next to an old piece of wood behind the shed.

For treatment, we injected a knockdown dusting application directly into the in-ground nest. This will quickly neutralize the yellow jackets. A short while later, we removed the nest and the piece of wood next to the nest (in order to not attract termites to the area), disposed of them, and filled in the burrow. 

After our mold team treated this attic in Kendall Park, NJ, we returned to remove the broken and clogged gutter screens, clean the gutters, and install RainDrop® Gutter Guards. This cutting-edge product provides maintenance-free, self-cleaning gutter protection for both new and existing gutters and is compatible with all roof types and gutter styles. Made of its own unique polypropylene blend, the RainDrop® Gutter Guard withstands severe storms, heat, and cold, is specially formulated to absorb heat from the sun, melting ice and snow quickly to keep water flowing, and blends seamlessly with the gutters.

We also installed end caps that closes off the system to keep out birds, bees, squirrels, and other nuisance pests. Most importantly, the self-cleaning gutter guards prevent build-up, keeping pests away, and creating a safer, more enjoyable environment. Now the homeowner will no longer have to worry about his gutters getting clogged and causing any further moisture issues. 

For years, this small business owner in Fair Haven, NJ has dealt with his gutters getting clogged, which caused some severe moisture issues as well as pest issues at his home business, which terrified his clients! The gutter screening he had wasn't cutting it and was actually causing more damage to his property!

So we removed the old gutter screening, cleaned the gutters, and installed RainDrop® Gutter Guards. This cutting-edge product provides maintenance-free, self-cleaning gutter protection for both new and existing gutters and is compatible with all roof types and gutter styles. Made of its own unique polypropylene blend, the RainDrop® Gutter Guard withstands severe storms, heat, and cold, is specially formulated to absorb heat from the sun, melting ice and snow quickly to keep water flowing, and blends seamlessly with the gutters.

We also installed end caps that closes off the system to keep out birds, bees, squirrels, and other nuisance pests. Most importantly, the self-cleaning gutter guards prevent build-up, keeping pests away, and creating a safer, more enjoyable environment! Another great feature is that RainDrop® doesn't change the look of the property and is invisible from the ground.