[Technically Speaking]Seal it and they will come

I have heard numerous presentations and read articles about add-on services, ranging from mold removal to hanging Christmas tree lights. The question that comes to my mind is, "Why are pest management professionals looking for new business opportunities in areas they know nothing about and ignore an area where they are more than qualified, i.e., pest proofing?"

One thing that I have observed over the past several years is that homeowners, property managers and building owners have a very difficult time finding reliable companies to provide pest-proofing services. The problem is the building industry has been rolling along at warp speed and finding general building contractors, home improvement companies and even handy-people to do basic pest-proofing is almost impossible.

Another problem with these service providers is a lack of knowledge of how to pest proof a structure. I have observed this on many occasions, for instance, if you inspect these folks’ caulking from head-on everything looks fine until you look over it or under it and you find gaps large enough to drive a mouse through or let clover mites in.

Probably the most basic service our industry provides is sealing small holes around wires, pipes, and other wall, floor and ceiling penetrations. Typically this is accomplished with caulk and/or foam; however, there are many other sealing materials available. The following are some observations I have made using some of these sealant materials.

CAULK. This probably is the easiest material to work with and the one with which we are most familiar. The most common materials for our applications are latex- and silicone-based caulks. Latex caulk is easier to work with because it cleans up with water; silicone caulks require a solvent to clean up. Some considerations when selecting a product are the application surfaces, interior or exterior application, paintability and durability.

Some applications for caulk include sealing around wall penetrations, under the edge of roof flashing for bat exclusion, interior and exterior expansion joints, interior and exterior gaps around window and door frames and many other applications to prevent pest entry. One of the limitations to caulk is that it is not designed to fill large gaps. Using caulk to fill larger voids usually results in cracking and/or shrinkage, which defeats the purpose of the application. To overcome these problems, large holes and gaps can be filled with backer rod or pieces of foam board and then caulked. Caulk also is available in a variety of colors although this varies with the composition of the product.

FOAM. To handle large openings, new products originally designed for insulating purposes were developed. Originally most foam was high-expansion material that when dry would double (if not more) the amount of material applied. In some cases you would end up with large wads of foam protruding from the opening. This material can be easily shaped using a utility knife or box cutter. One of the most unfavorable aspects of many expandable foams is that as they age, particularly outdoors, they take on an unsightly rust color. We have used Hilti foam for the past several years and find this product much more forgiving with regard to expansion (virtually none) and there does not seem to be significant discoloration.

We have used these products in many applications, e.g., filling large openings around wall penetrations, pipes under kitchen base cabinets, exterior openings and other areas that cannot be filled with caulk. When sealing for rodents, particularly rats, it is important to reinforce the foam application with steel/copper wool or hardware cloth so they can not chew through it. One caution: Expandable foam will expand to the point that it will pop trim off and cause nail pops.

METAL PRODUCTS. There are a number of metal products used in the industry, e.g., copper and steel wool, hardware cloth and sheet metal. Copper and steel wool can be used to fill smaller openings similar to caulk and foam. I prefer copper wool over steel because even in indoor applications, moisture causes the steel wool to rust and rapidly decay. The latter two products typically are used to seal larger openings that cannot be filled with foam or otherwise sealed. They tend to be more permanent than other products discussed so far but require special tools, screws, washers and/or other hardware to attach them to the structure.

We use hardware cloth to seal a variety of exterior openings, such as exterior vents (if manufactured covers are not available), behind gutters, soffit areas, large holes in base cabinets, etc. It comes in many different gauges (thickness of wire), size of openings, galvanized, stainless and vinyl covered. Selection of the appropriate material is based on target pest, area to be sealed and aesthetics of the application. Likewise, sheet metal comes in different gauges and typically is either galvanized or aluminum. Aluminum is easier to work with but is not as effective against rats because they can chew through it.

DOOR SWEEPS. This is one of the least expensive products (average door costs less than $10) that provides the most bang for the buck — keeping pests from entering under and around the door. They are easy to install and can be adapted to large doors. Kits contain the sweep, mounting bracket and hardware. The most significant variables with the kits are the length of the brush and the angle of the mounting bracket.

FINAL THOUGHTS. In some states it is not necessary to obtain a home improvement contractor’s license to perform exclusion services as long as the company is licensed by a different state entity. Thus, exclusion and repair associated with pest prevention can be performed simply by having a pest control license. Check your local and state regulations for licensing requirements.

We find in talking with customers they are surprised to learn that we offer these services and frequently it is what convinces them to contract with us as part of our services. We strive to be the one-stop shop and if we seal it, the customers will come.

The author is president of Innovative Pest Management, Brookeville, Md. He can be reached at rkramer@giemedia.com.