Jumat, 05 Desember 2014

Residents Of Atlanta Protect Your Home From Animals This Winter With These Tips

By Dave L. Weglin


When temperatures outside drop, many wild animals begin searching for nooks and crannies they can use for shelter. The attics, vents, and chimneys of people's homes are some of the preferred places skunks, raccoons, squirrels and other creatures may invade. Conducting an inspection can help prevent this problem, homeowners in Atlanta protect your home from animals this winter by following these tips.

These tiny spaces can easily go overlooked by homeowners until they see an animal going in or out. Wildlife are particularly adept at locating these spots that the home's human inhabitants had no knowledge of. Carefully inspecting the residence from foundation to rooftop will help identify any such openings so they can then be remedied.

When fall arrives, many property owners clean up their gutters, trim their trees, and they can also use this opportunity to do a wildlife inspection. One must be absolutely certain that there are no animals still inside before any actions are taken to repair these openings or they can get trapped where they will die and decompose.

It will be necessary to have some binoculars, a flashlight, a ladder, and a camera to keep a record of all spots which will need sealing. Start by inspecting the foundation, particularly assessing seams where different construction materials join, window wells, vents, and where cables, wires, and pipes go into the house. When checking the roof and siding, watch for areas that have deteriorated or have come loose.

If an attic has droppings on the ground or shredded materials such as those used for nesting, this would strongly suggest that creatures are living there. In this case, it is necessary to find the access points to the attic, commonly they are located in an exhaust vent or where the roof and trim meet. Chimney flues also need to be inspected, and provided no animal is inside, install an animal-proof chimney cap.

Small openings can usually be filled with either expandable foam, copper mesh, or caulking. While larger ones will need to be patched with hardware cloth or fixed permanently by a professional. The type of species of wildlife can also determine how the damage is addressed, wire mesh flashing will work against squirrels and raccoons, but a stronger gauge is required for the latter.

Other steps homeowners can take to discourage creatures include placing trash in secured containers and put it out in the morning rather than the night before, and covering compost piles, making sure they do not contain meat scraps. Tree branches around the house should be trimmed so they are no less than six feet away from its exterior.




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