Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. The house
has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. If the assortment of
insulation between the joists is any indication, some has been replaced at
least twice, likely from this problem, and a bunch of it is torn/pulled
down/soiled now from the animals as well. It goes without saying that the
goal is to keep rodents out of the space, and I am working on that (just
found one primary point of entry that was missed by TWO exterminators that I
know of, and probably more). However I plan to have ALL the fiberglass
removed & replaced with new insulation. I am wondering if there is any type
of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or something sprayed on,
which is resistant if not impervious to rodents getting into it, on top of
it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any helpful insights into this
appreciated.

Dan

"Dan" wrote:

However I plan to have ALL the fiberglass
removed & replaced with new insulation. I am wondering if there is any type
of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or something sprayed on,
which is resistant if not impervious to rodents getting into it, on top of
it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any helpful insights into this
appreciated.


Don't know how rat resistant it is, but you might consider something like this:

http://www.tigerfoam.com/

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

Dan wrote:

Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. The house
has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. If the assortment of
insulation between the joists is any indication, some has been replaced at
least twice, likely from this problem, and a bunch of it is torn/pulled
down/soiled now from the animals as well. It goes without saying that the
goal is to keep rodents out of the space, and I am working on that (just
found one primary point of entry that was missed by TWO exterminators that I
know of, and probably more). However I plan to have ALL the fiberglass
removed & replaced with new insulation. I am wondering if there is any type
of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or something sprayed on,
which is resistant if not impervious to rodents getting into it, on top of
it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any helpful insights into this
appreciated.

Dan





Rats can chew through wood and metal, so impervious would have to be
something special. With a long-term infestation, I wonder what the
surrounding properties are like - open trash containers, pet food or
other food available? Rural? City? If you have neighbors nearby, do
they also have rat problems?

"Dan" wrote in message
...
Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. The
house has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. If the
assortment of insulation between the joists is any indication, some has
been replaced at least twice, likely from this problem, and a bunch of it
is torn/pulled down/soiled now from the animals as well. It goes without
saying that the goal is to keep rodents out of the space, and I am working
on that (just found one primary point of entry that was missed by TWO
exterminators that I know of, and probably more). However I plan to have
ALL the fiberglass removed & replaced with new insulation. I am wondering
if there is any type of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or
something sprayed on, which is resistant if not impervious to rodents
getting into it, on top of it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any
helpful insights into this appreciated.

Dan


Do you need to get under there easily for maintenace of pipes or wiring, or
could it be blocked off "with extreme prejudice", as assassins say in
movies?

Dan wrote:
Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. The
house has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. If
the assortment of insulation between the joists is any indication,
some has been replaced at least twice, likely from this problem, and
a bunch of it is torn/pulled down/soiled now from the animals as
well. It goes without saying that the goal is to keep rodents out of
the space, and I am working on that (just found one primary point of
entry that was missed by TWO exterminators that I know of, and
probably more). However I plan to have ALL the fiberglass removed &
replaced with new insulation. I am wondering if there is any type of
insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or something sprayed
on, which is resistant if not impervious to rodents getting into it,
on top of it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any helpful insights
into this appreciated.

Get a device called "Barn Cat." Maybe two. It's ecologically sound.

I think the main thing to do first is eliminate the access to the crawl
space from the outside and eliminate any sources of food and water.

Here's some additional rat info:

http://unexco.com/Rat.html



"Dan" wrote in message
...
Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. The
house has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. If the
assortment of insulation between the joists is any indication, some has
been replaced at least twice, likely from this problem, and a bunch of it
is torn/pulled down/soiled now from the animals as well. It goes without
saying that the goal is to keep rodents out of the space, and I am working
on that (just found one primary point of entry that was missed by TWO
exterminators that I know of, and probably more). However I plan to have
ALL the fiberglass removed & replaced with new insulation. I am wondering
if there is any type of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or
something sprayed on, which is resistant if not impervious to rodents
getting into it, on top of it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any
helpful insights into this appreciated.

Dan

"BETA-32" wrote in message
...
I think the main thing to do first is eliminate the access to the crawl
space from the outside and eliminate any sources of food and water.

Here's some additional rat info:

http://unexco.com/Rat.html



And mo
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20.../index.html?hp

Thanks for the replies. The house is in a suburban area, but heavily
wooded. I don't think it's an issue of garbage or dog food. The footprint
of the crawlspace is probably 1300 sq'. If you're as small and clever as a
rat, and basically have nothing else to do when not looking for food &
screwing, the odds of you finding a gap for entry are pretty favorable. I'm
thinking given the history, and the complexity of finding & irreversibly
sealing off every conceivable entry point, if there were an insulation
alternative that wasn't quite as accomodating as fiberglass batts, it might
be a good choice.

Dan

"Dan" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. The house is in a suburban area, but heavily
wooded. I don't think it's an issue of garbage or dog food. The
footprint of the crawlspace is probably 1300 sq'. If you're as small and
clever as a rat, and basically have nothing else to do when not looking
for food & screwing, the odds of you finding a gap for entry are pretty
favorable. I'm thinking given the history, and the complexity of finding
& irreversibly sealing off every conceivable entry point, if there were an
insulation alternative that wasn't quite as accomodating as fiberglass
batts, it might be a good choice.

Dan



Do you need regular access to the crawlspace for maintenance?

On Dec 5, 12:26 am, "Dan" wrote:
Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. The house
has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. If the assortment of
insulation between the joists is any indication, some has been replaced at
least twice, likely from this problem, and a bunch of it is torn/pulled
down/soiled now from the animals as well. It goes without saying that the
goal is to keep rodents out of the space, and I am working on that (just
found one primary point of entry that was missed by TWO exterminators that I
know of, and probably more). However I plan to have ALL the fiberglass
removed & replaced with new insulation. I am wondering if there is any type
of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or something sprayed on,
which is resistant if not impervious to rodents getting into it, on top of
it, pulling it down & nesting in it. Any helpful insights into this
appreciated.

Dan

I don't know of any insulation that would be impervious to rats or
mice. Maybe it would be better to just go with no insulation for now,
until you are sure the rodent problem is licked. Meanwhile you can
see how much it affects your heat bill, cold floors, etc. and then
decide whether to try insulating again. -- H

On Dec 5, 5:01�pm, Heathcliff wrote:
On Dec 5, 12:26 am, "Dan" wrote:

Bought a mid 1970's vintage house in the Seattle area last April. �The house
has had ongoing problems with rats in the crawl space. �If the assortment of
insulation between the joists is any indication, some has been replaced at
least twice, likely from this problem, and a bunch of it is torn/pulled
down/soiled now from the animals as well. �It goes without saying that the
goal is to keep rodents out of the space, and I am working on that (just
found one primary point of entry that was missed by TWO exterminators that I
know of, and probably more). �However I plan to have ALL the fiberglass
removed & replaced with new insulation. �I am wondering if there is any type
of insulation, maybe a rigid foam board material, or something sprayed on,
which is resistant if not impervious to rodents getting into it, on top of
it, pulling it down & nesting in it. �Any helpful insights into this
appreciated.

Dan

I don't know of any insulation that would be impervious to rats or
mice. �Maybe it would be better to just go with no insulation for now,
until you are sure the rodent problem is licked. �Meanwhile you can
see how much it affects your heat bill, cold floors, etc. and then
decide whether to try insulating again. �-- H

cover affected area with screen like hardware cloth or chicken wire.

insulate floor well say blown in foam then ventilate the lower part
well

rats like warm spot so they will move to your neighbors crawl space

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
Do you need regular access to the crawlspace for maintenance?

Occasional access, anyway. There is one door on an exterior wall, but it's
sealed well & isn't the problem.

"Dan" wrote in message
. ..
"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
Do you need regular access to the crawlspace for maintenance?

Occasional access, anyway. There is one door on an exterior wall, but
it's sealed well & isn't the problem.



Although the idea might be impractical due to expense, I would take some
pictures and show them to a couple of sheet metal fabricators. Perforated
aluminum over the insulation or some such thing.....vague idea. There has to
be something rats can't chew through.