Animal Repairs the Right Way

Some Do-It-Yourselfers and other nuisance animal removal companies we follow use spray foam insulation/sealer to keep nuisance animals out.

But, since we’ve shown up on the job, that means the spray foam repair has failed.

Ryan hates the stuff for “repair” work.

With this post, we are encouraging you to opt for a different way to seal out animals rather than using spray foam insulation. There are other ways.

Just say no to spray foam insulation/sealant as a blocking agent!

Why Not Use Spray Foam as Sealant/Repair?

It’s all about durability.

The main reason we don’t use spray foam as a repair/sealing agent is that most of our repairs are done on the exterior of the home. Being outside, these repairs are exposed to sunlight and weather.

And, it is our experience that the spray foams we’ve found do not do well when exposed to UV light and weather for multiple years.

Additionally, mice and squirrels have no problem chewing through it.

As you’ll see in the videos that follow, we find a lot of old spray foam that crumbles at the touch. This indicates that while it might have seemed okay at installation, it cannot be replied on for long-term animal removal solutions.

Bat Proofing Quality

In theory, bat proofing isn’t too difficult…Just find all the spots bats can get in and seal them. Right?

But, as we all know, putting theory into action is usually better accomplished by the experienced and proficient.

In practice, all bat proofing is not equal.

In the Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area (and probably everywhere) there are those who take jobs promising bat proofing and then actually provide a pretty crumby product.

The sad thing is, at first, most homeowners don’t even realize the service they’ve purchased is substandard.

In saying this, we’re not here to call out any specific service provider or toot our own horn. But, we continue to do bat jobs where we’ve been called after previous attempts by other providers has proven to be substandard.

In order to avoid hiring a bat proofing company that may not provide a long-term solution we offer the following advice.

Which Bat Proofer to Choose?

Here are some screening tips and some more video examples of sub-par work so you, the homeowner, are better prepared to ask good questions in your screening process.

Our first and best advice is ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

Any potential bat proofers should be able to tell you about:

the results expected
warranties they provide
the ethics of the timing and methodologies used
the materials being used for the bat proofing
how the finished product will look

This information should be provided by the contractor, but please don’t hesitate to ask.

In the conversation, the contractor should express to you that he or she has considered ethics, aesthetics, and durability in devising the bat proofing action plan.

Our second piece of advice is to ask these two questions:

Do you use that spray foam type of sealant/gap filler?
Do you guys own a siding brake? (A tool for custom bending/shaping siding, flashing, trim coil, etc.)

If the answer to the spray foam sealant/gap filler questions is, “Sure, we use that stuff all the time. Its great,” be very suspicious.

Sure, it is pet peeve that this “wonder product” gets used so often, but it is often not the best material.

As we noted earlier, when exposed to the elements or animals, its durability is suspect.

Gap filling and sealing should be accomplished with high-quality caulking and backing material of the right size. Check out this blog for more. If the gaps are wide enough, custom fit, durable trim materials should most likely be added.

If the bat proofing company doesn’t have a siding brake, you may want to cautious as well.

While this is not as critical as the spray foam sealant question, ownership of a piece of equipment like this speaks of both an ability and desire for better looking repairs.

We haven’t always owned a brake and it isn’t used on a lot of bat jobs per se. But, an animal removal company which regularly and skillfully uses a brake is often serious about quality repairs.

With that said, let’s take a look at a couple of jobs where Ryan followed other companies’ attempts to bat proof. In both examples, the bat issue may have been addressed in the short term but durability was an issue.