Before & After Photos

Recently, a momma raccoon decided to take up residence in an elementary school in Lincroft, NJ. She set up a nesting area above the school’s drop ceiling for herself and her three babies. Needless to say, school administrators were none-too-pleased with this wildlife problem. Raccoons are large aggressive animals that also happen to be New Jersey’s primary rabies vector. Mother raccoons can be particularly aggressive if they feel that someone is threatening their kits. In short, raccoons, in and around any structure, especially a school where there are curious little kids looking for trouble, is a dangerous situation. I was told that the raccoon noises were becoming a serious distraction to both students and faculty. In addition, raccoons can cause extensive property damage. With this infestation, as often happens, the raccoons ruined much of the insulation above the drop ceiling. They tear up the soft, cushiony material for nesting and it becomes a sponge for their wastes. The school will handle the insulation removal and replacement later on.  And it’s not just the animals that pose a danger. Wildlife urine and waste particles, which can become airborne, can contain dangerous pathogens.  

Upon arrival, as with any wildfire infestation, I inspected the building to to determine how the raccoon gained access to the building. Usually, with large animals, the entry points aren’t too subtle. Here, I immediately saw that the raccoon ripped out one of the flimsy air vent screens. Often, standard air vent screens used by contractors are not sturdy enough to withstand a wildlife “break-in.” They are simply not made with wildlife intrusions in mind and standard vent covers are no match for a determined raccoon. There animals are not only strong intelligent animals, but they also have human-like five-fingered front paws that are extremely dexterous. They have been known to open doors and screw the lids off cans! 

It was important to trap these raccoons, and get the job done quickly. We placed four baited traps on the roof of the school in strategic locations based on their activity. The mother raccoon must leave the nest in order to forage for food for herself and her babies. Two days later, “momma” was successfully captured. We then proceeded to retrieve the helpless babies, removing them one by one, and reunited them with their worried mother. One thing we don’t do is split up happy raccoon families! We relocated the family to a safe area far away from human habitats. Finally, to prevent future re-infestations, we fortified all of these potential entry points by screening off the eight roof vents with 1/4-in, galvanized hardware. Raccoons or squirrels will not be able to gain access into the building through these heavy-duty vents. This Lincroft school that should not have to worry about another wildlife infestation anytime soon! 

This crawl space is located extremely close to the Barnegat Bay in Toms River, NJ and was constantly having water and moisture issue. Now they have a clean and energy efficient crawl space that can even be used as additional storage space!

This Toms River, NJ home had a dirt floor crawl space that was poorly insulated, was likely to attract pests and insects, and (in its current state) allowed for the spread of mold and mildew due to the high humidity levels. 

First, we removed all the contaminated insulation and debris, leveled the ground for proper draining, and installed a drainage matting and a vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. It cannot tear and is extremely durable. Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture and once the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise and can lead to mold problems.

To correct this, we installed Sani-Dry Sedona dehumidifier to control the humidity levels in the crawl space and a Smart Drain. The Smart Drain prevents any moisture from sitting on top of the vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is also treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold and is installed over the foundation walls and floor to create a continuous air and moisture barrier. Now the homeowner has a transformed crawl space that is clean and dry.

A Toms River, NJ homeowner, who lives near the Barnegat Bay, was plagued with a chronically wet crawl space. Due to the high water table, his crawl space had at least an inch of standing water throughout the year due to groundwater seepage. Fortunately, Crawl Space Solutions by Cowleys was call in to save the day. 

This Toms River homeowner contracted with Cowleys for a full Clean Space install. An important part of the encapsulation process is installing a special Everlast™  vent cover. These covers, which can be installed against wood framing or masonry, close off outside air and moisture from entering the crawl space through the exterior vents.  These covers not only work well, but, as shown in the pictures, are aesthetically pleasing. Made with a hard durable plastic, they stand up to the worst weather conditions, and, unlike wood vents, these covers are completely maintenance free. They never rot, warp, or crack and they never need to be painted. Even though these vent covers completely seal the vents from the outdoor elements, they are easy to open if you need to access your crawl space to have repairs done or for storage (another benefit of encapsulation — a clean, dry area for storage!). To open these vent covers, all you need to do is twist a few knobs, and you’re in! The attached pictures show the outside of the crawl space of this Toms River home before and after one of these vent covers was installed. 

A business owner in Toms River, NJ called our office and wanted our Contracting team to add a vapor barrier and a dehumidifier to his crawl space. 

First, we removed all the debris and then leveled the ground. Afterward, we installed the vapor barrier, which is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. It's extremely durable, treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold, and is installed over the foundation walls and floor to create a continuous air and moisture barrier.

Lastly, we installed a Sani-Dry Sedona commercial-grade dehumidifier which directs the extracted water that is pulled out of the air directly into the sump pump. These dehumidifiers are maintenance-free, turn on and off automatically with a built-in hygrometer, and there is no water tray to empty or overflow.