I have an attic whose insulation is destroyed by rodents
Hannah61
| Posted in General Questions on
Would I be better off hiring a contractor to redo the attic with spray foam and at the same time get rid of the rodents?
I need help!
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Replies
Hannah. Spray foam may or may not be your most cost effective. Where do you live, since climate is a consideration?
Eliminating rodent access to your home should happen regardless.
Hannah,
You didn't mention what type of insulation you have in your attic. I'm guess that you might have fiberglass batts.
It may be impossible to eliminate rodents from your attic, but it's worth looking around for obvious access holes. The more of these holes you can seal, the better. Old-fashioned rat traps, mousetraps, or Havahart traps for red squirrels may be needed to lower the population.
It's up to you to decide whether you want to do the work yourself or hire a contractor. Either approach is possible.
If you have fiberglass batts destroyed by rodents, the first step is to climb up in the attic with 40 or 50 garbage bags, and to bag up the damaged insulation. Into the dumpster it goes.
Then, clean up with a vacuum cleaner.
The next step is air sealing work. For more information on this topic, see Air Sealing an Attic.
When that work's done, it's time for new insulation. I recommend blown-in cellulose, not spray foam. (Cellulose is a lot less attractive to rodents than fiberglass. Evidently the rodents don't like the borates.)
Here are links to two articles about insulating an attic with cellulose:
How to Insulate an Attic Floor
Borrowing a Cellulose Blower From a Big Box Store