Having vents on your roof is an essential part of maintaining good ventilation and airflow in your home. Roof vents allow for excess humidity, air and heat to escape your home, helping to preserve the life of your roof and shingles. Unfortunately, the fact that these vents provide a direct route into your attic means that they’re also a prime target for pests who are looking for a warm and safe place to create a den or nest.
Installing animal-proof roof vent covers is a necessary step when it comes to having a pest prevention strategy but there’s likely still a few questions that you have about the process.
Why are roof vents such a draw for pests?
If you’re in Burlington, Oakville or surrounding area we can delivery or deliver and install animal proof vent covers that will keep wildlife out of your home attic and vents!
The vents on your roof dispel an often-warm air, making them a major target for pests looking for a place to create their den. The warm air that blows out of the vent will be like a flag waving to a refuge-seeking squirrel, raccoon, bat or bird. Since roof vent covers are often just a thin plastic or aluminum, pests are easily able to rip, break or chew through them to get into your attic.
Roof vent covers can offer protection
Installing animal-proof roof vent covers can help protect your attic from a number of different pests. These animals are likely trying to enter your attic in order to create themselves a warm, dark and safe space to live and have their babies. The thin covering usually found on vent covers doesn’t provide much of a barrier against determined pests so installing a wire mesh barrier can transform your easily accessible roof vent into a no-go zone for backyard pests.
Prevention is the cheapest solution
While there is some initial cost attached to installing animal proof roof vent covers, doing so as a preventative measure is going to be far cheaper than having to hire a professional to remove pests once they’ve created a nest, and to repair any damage that they’ve done while in your attic.
Pests like raccoons and squirrels can create a significant amount of damage if not caught quickly and repairing things like stripped wires, chewed up wood, torn apart insulation and any urine or feces they’ve left behind can get quite involved very quickly.
If the pests have had babies while in your attic the steps required to remove them get a bit more complicated, since you can’t just seal off the vents after they’ve left one day. Removing a nest of babies from your attic can be a major hassle if your attic access isn’t very good.
DIY or store bought animal proof vent covers?
Installing animal proof vent covers just requires someone to get up on the roof to remove the vent covers already in place, then install a wire mesh cover before replacing the vent cover back over top. As long as all rooftop safety precautions are used this is a job that you can easily do yourself however pest removal companies are often the safer bet.
Since installing animal proof vent covers essentially means installing a mesh cover between the vent and the thin plastic vent cover, you can make your own if you are handy or opt to purchase them already made. Head to any local hardware store to make your own or order online to have them delivered direct to your home if you’re in the Burlington or Oakville area.
Call in the pros for professional vent cover installation
If getting up onto your roof is a task that you just don’t want to take on, or if you suspect that pest already in your attic may have had babies, contacting a professional pest removal company might be the best way to go. Professionals are aware of all the safety requirements of climbing on your roof so they can complete the job safely and efficiently. They are also well equipped to deal with babies in your attic without putting the litter at risk when they remove them.
