Critters pulling out insulation in crawl space under floor! (foundation, heating, installing)

[joeman]

Critters pulling out insulation in crawl space under floor! I'm planning on getting under there and pulling all the old insulation out and replacing it. But what else can I put over it to make sure it doesn't happen again? I was thinking chicken wire or some kind of screen, but mice could get through that. I think they are using the insulation for their nests. Any ideas?

[Cosmic]

Chipmunks, ground squirrels, etc could be lots of critters. You are lucky they ain't just taking it home. Will also built the nest in there. Store chow too.

Yep, heavy wire mesh probably is best, chicken wire might have too big of openings, they can go thru lil openings. Something metal in nature. They can chew thru just about any thing else. Fairly fine mesh is better, something like 1/2" openings.

[Sandy Nelson]

Joeman,

Walk the perimeter of your foundation and find out where the critters get their access. You're much better off closing any access points than to put chicken wire over the insulation. If you call a pest control company, they will inspect your crawlspace for you. They should be able to tell you what kind of animal has invaded your crawl space and can get rid of the invader for you.

Best of luck.

Sandy

[teatime]

I totally agree with Sandy. One of the first things I did when I bought my current home was to have metal skirting installed so no critters could get under my home. Since the critters already have access, you need to get pest control folks in before closing off the access.

[texdav]

Just make suire you still have good ventaltion after skirting as that can lead to alot of other problems in the crawl space and the house itself ;if not. Also a good idea to install a vapor barrier if your area needs it.

[teatime]

Originally Posted by texdav

Just make suire you still have good ventaltion after skirting as that can lead to alot of other problems in the crawl space and the house itself ;if not. Also a good idea to install a vapor barrier if your area needs it.

Good point! The folks I hired to do mine followed regs that recommended installing vents every so many feet.

[Barking Spider]

I agree with Sandy. Rather than take the time and the expense of hanging chicken wire on the bottom of floor joists, spend the time and effort closing off the outside openings.

First check the crawlspace vents. Many times the small mesh screen is either damaged or missing, allowing critters to enter. Get small gauge mesh and repair the vents.
Then take a look and see if there are any openings in the foundation wall. Generally, the critters that do this damage are not little mice, but larger critters, up to and including possum. You are looking for openings 3/4" or larger, not the little 1/8" cracks.

Here are a couple obvious points of entry that I see all the time. If your house has a package unit heating system installed at the side of the house, there is almost always a large gap at the bottom where cats could squeeze through. You can see this from the inside of the crawlspace under the two large ducts that connect to the unit.

The second most obvious is the crawlspace door itself. Many times they are not latched, or there are huge gaps at the bottom.

I bet that if you take the time to police the area around your foundation, you will solve the problem.

You still might want to contact a pest control guy to ensure that you don't seal the critters up inside the crawlspace.

Good luck