Step 4 – Decontamination & Restoration

Animal urine, droppings and other contamination pose a health hazard that has to be remedied quickly.

Note: If these problems appear during a home inspection, someday when your welling your home, it will be called out and require immediate remedy—if not cost you the sale of your home as many buyers back out with such news.

Decontaminate & Restoration

Your Cascade service technician dons protective gear to enter tight spaces and remove filthy debris that pest animals have left behind. This work is extremely difficult and unpleasant, but you need it done and we're trained, equipped, and dedicated to do it. Often this service can include includes use of an industrial vacuum, sweeping, gathering contaminated debris, location and removal of animal nests and even animal carcasses.

Damaged Insulation – Removal and Reinstallation

Nesting animals – raccoons, opossum, squirrels and rodents – destroy, compress, and contaminate the insulation in thousands of attics and crawlspaces each year in the greater Seattle area.

In crawlspaces beneath homes the insulation is tucked between floor joists just under the floor. Small animals create runways and nests up inside the gap between the insulation and your floor. Larger animals tear it down for nesting materials. When that happens the insulation becomes contaminated and matted, so in addition to the filth, the insulation can no longer hold in heat (its “R factor”). In either case your Cascade technician will crawl above or under your home and work on his or her side or back to unfasten and remove this damaged insulation. packed out – often in plastic bags – before we disinfect the area and install new insulation.

In attics most insulation is the loose, blown-in type. Pest animals love living in attic insulation because it provides great nesting material and they can burrow into it, which makes them feel safe. The problem is that, not only do they leave copious amounts of droppings and urine that contaminate the attic space, but their activity, body weight, and urine compress the insulation greatly, reducing its ability to keep your home warm. Attics are tough places to crawl and work, but your Cascade technician is up to the task. In these cases we often use a industrial vacuum to remove huge amounts of rodent debris and damaged loose insulation. This removes as much contamination as possible so we can then remove filthy, matted insulation and replace it with fresh.

Disinfect & Deodorize

Disinfect/Sanitize

Pest animals carry diseases and they leave filth that can create a biohazard. As part of either attic or substructure crawlspace cleanup, Cascade Pest Control applies a disinfectant to surfaces. This disinfectant can't be removed, and greatly aids in the decontamination process. It is applied as a fog that drifts into hard-to-reach areas or, when needed, as a heavier spray that penetrates deeper into the surface build-up.

Deodorize

The odor from animal urine, feces, and dead carcasses is horrendous. The stench is always found where they've lived and sometimes it reaches into the living space of your home. A related problem is the pheromones. These are scents that attract other rats or mice. We apply a proven deodorizer to help bring your home back to the comfortable and pleasant place it should be.

Insulation Reinstallation & Structural Restoration

After removing contaminated and damaged insulation (and other damaged items), our crew professionally installs new and proper R-valued insulation in difficult to reach areas. We install insulation from within the crawl area, overhead up under the subfloor. We also set up the reaches of an attic and provide blown in, high R-value insulation. Other damaged items could be flex exhaust ducting or even heating ductwork which are fully replaced.

Note: Damaged wiring is referred to a qualified electrician.