When they move in, rats and other rodents invariably mess with the insulation in your attic and walls. Rats gather up insulation to use as a nesting material, they urinate and defecate on it, and they chew through it in the course of making their tunnels.
Of course, damaged insulation takes a toll on the energy efficiency of your home. And that means higher energy bills and a bigger carbon footprint. Rat-damaged insulation fails to effectively maintain a consistent indoor temperature, letting your heated or cooled indoor air escape more easily.
Health Concerns of Dealing with Rat-Damaged Insulation
If you’re attempting to deal with a rat infestation and damaged insulation on your own, it’s important to be aware of and take precautions against a serious threat to your health and the health of your family and pets: diseases spread by rat urine and feces. Whether it’s in areas near damaged insulation in your walls or attic, or it’s directly on the insulation on your attic floor, rat waste can be toxic to humans and animals.
Rat urine and feces can harbor and spread all kinds of dangerous infections such as:
- The bacterial infection leptospirosis
- The fungal infection histoplasmosis
- The viral infection hantavirus
Replacing Insulation Damaged by Rats
Whether you have spray foam or injected foam insulation, fiberglass insulation, or cellulose insulation, all soiled and damaged materials need to be removed and replaced. Sometimes, this only means small or isolated sections, but sometimes the problem is widespread.
How you replace insulation damaged by rats depends on which type you have. Foams are sprayed or injected using an applicator designed for this purpose. Fiberglass insulation is rolled and fitted between beams, studs, an joists. Cellulose insulation can be blown in (as a loose-fill or dense-pack) or applied by spraying with added moisture.
Protective Measures Against Rats
A face mask and gloves are essential when entering and working in an area contaminated with rat waste. You must also be very careful not to track rat droppings through your home. If unavoidable, a disinfectant application should be used to thoroughly cleanse your home. Masks and gloves should also be worn when cleaning with harsh chemicals.
For this reason alone, it’s strongly advisable to hire a professional to deal with a rat infestation. Typically, a professional moistens the feces and insulation with a disinfectant spray to prevent the release of harmful pathogens into the air and carefully clean up the mess. That’s why the cleanup and removal of soiled and damaged materials, and the repairs to damaged insulation and other materials requires professional equipment and experience.
Have Rats Damaged Your Home’s Insulation?
At Critter Control® of Tampa, we don’t just deal with your rat infestation and safely clean up afterwards, we also provide residential insulation restoration services. To get a free estimate, or for more information regarding our CritterSafe® services, please call us today.
