Before & After Photos

Recently, Cowleys installed two commercial-grade whole-house dehumidifiers in homes in Manasquan, NJ to deal with chronic high indoor relative humidity levels. High humidity can trigger dangerous mold growth and generic dehumidifiers are not built to work in the challenging environment of crawl spaces and basements. The SaniDry dehumidifiers we install and service are powerful machines that automatically empty, usually into sump pumps, so there is no water pan to empty or overflow. They turn on and off automatically with a built-in hydrometer. 

As many of us remember from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 or the many Nor’easters to hit the Atlantic coast, heavy rain can cause serious flooding in basements and crawl spaces, especially in our hard-hit coastal communities. Because of the high water table and potential for flooding in Manasquan, we wanted to install them in a way that would decrease the risk that they would be submerged should water flood the basement or crawl space and allow them to continue working. We framed boxes high above ground level to place the machines to keep them safe and operational should the home suffer from a major water intrusion event. We may not be able to prevent flooding, but there are preventative steps we can take to minimize flooding damage.

The Cowleys nuisance wildlife crew was sent to this home in Atlantic Highlands, NJ to handle the exclusion work following a wildlife infestation in the attic. The wildlife access points were around the PVC roof vents caused by deterioration of the surrounding vent boots. We arrived to do the repair work to fix the problem.

Vent boots encase the PVC vent pipes that stick out of your roof. When doing repairs around vent pipe flashing after wildlife entry, homeowners sometimes ask us why their home even has these mysterious vent pipes since they seem like nothing but trouble.

These pipes are part of your plumbing system, or what plumbers call you drain-waste-vent (DWV) system, At the risk of oversimplification, this system has three major parts. The “D” stands for drainpipes, the pipes that collect water from sinks, showers, tubs, and your appliances like your dishwasher and washing machine. The “W” stands for waste pipes, the pipes that remove water and waste from your toilets. All of these pipes connect to the municipality’s sewer line or your septic system. The “V” stands for the vent pipes that stick out of your roof. Building codes require at least one of them.

Vent pipes have two important functions for your plumbing system. First, they equalize pressure in the pipes by allowing air to enter so that the liquid flows freely. (Just think what happens if you put your thumb over a straw immediately after you suck in liquid or if you try to pour liquid out of a can without a second air hole. Without air in the system, water doesn’t flow well.) Second, these vent pipes remove or exhaust sewer gases that are produced and collected from the decomposition of wastes in the sewage system. Sewer gas contains a number of nasty gases including hydrogen sulfide and ammonia that are flammable, poisonous, and just plain stink. These vents are put high up on your roof so that the sewer gas is not pulled back into the home through the windows or attic. 

So, if all that’s too much information, the short answer is that you need those vent pipes sticking out of your roof for your plumbing system to work. Unfortunately, even though these vent pipes are essential, they are also rank up there as one of the most common causes of roof leaks. In addition, the PVC vent areas are vulnerable to wildlife like raccoons that can tear through the vent flashing to gain access to the attic. 

To help prevent leaks and give some added protection against wildlife entry, vent boots seal the area where the pipes come out. Unfortunately, vent boots often don’t last the life of the roof. Because they’re usually made out of rubber, over time, the sun and the outdoor elements will cause them to rot. With this home, the vent boots had deteriorated to the point where they were gone completely, leaving entry points for water intrusions and for pests and wildlife to gain access inside the home.

These homeowners in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, were having problems with squirrels “squirreling” their way into their attic. They were tired of dealing with these periodic squirrel infestations into their home, and contacted Cowleys in the hopes of finding a long-term solution. We had the perfect answer for them! 

Our contractor division installed CritterProof, a critter protection product manufactured by Leaf Supreme, a leading designer of gutter protection systems. CritterProof is specifically designed to cover the fascia gap and exclude various wildlife that often makes their way onto the roof and into the attic. The most common “attic invaders” that we see time and time again here in New Jersey are squirrels, raccoons, and bats. Mice also find their way into the attic, but usually they first enter the home through the basement or crawl space. 

CritterProof is a protective system that stops wildlife from chewing and clawing their way through the delicate fascia boards to gain access to the soffit area and, ultimately, where the attic. For wildlife, attics are the perfect refuge to escape the harsh outdoor elements and they make for a wonderful nesting area to care for their young. After all, attics are warm, quiet, private, and free from the preying eyes of predators.  

A home’s soffit/fascia area is one of the more common routes we see for wildlife to gain entry. CritterProof’s unique adjustable design provides custom coverage of the fascia gap while still maintaining critical attic ventilation. CritterProof is available in black, white, and other colors by special order.

This Seaside Heights homeowner wanted to cover his submersible sump pump, and contacted Cowleys. Cowleys offers more than just pest control. We also have a specialized division devoted to keeping crawl spaces and basements clean and dry. Sump pumps, a critical part of any crawl space system, pump out damaging groundwater that has found its way inside your home. While Cowleys sells and installs the sturdiest, most trouble-free sump pumps available, we also will take on specialized projects for homeowners like this one. 

What’s a submersible sump pump? These pumps are located inside the sump basin, and its motor is designed to work when completely submerged in water. The alternative is a pedestal pump. With pedestals, the entire pump is located above the sump pit, and its motor is not designed to be submerged. You’ll usually only see pedestal-type pumps where the sump pit is too narrow or shallow for a submersible. Submersibles are today’s residential standard because they are far more efficient and quieter than pedestal pumps. 

This homeowner understood the importance of covering his submersible sump pump, and contacted Cowleys to do the job. There are a number of important reasons to cover your sump. Covered sump pumps help reduce moisture, and keeping moisture levels down is essential for preventing mold growth. (The primary way to keep down moisture levels in your crawl space or basement is through dehumidification.) Also, covered sump pumps are especially important for homes with a radon gas problem because of the surrounding soil. While a sump pump cover will help to reduce the amount of radon, it won’t completely resolve the problem. Unfortunately, soil gases can seep in from many places, including floor cracks and floor drains. A sump pump lid reduces pump noise, stops debris from falling into the pit, and keeps out insects and rodents. If your sump pump is in the basement, a cover will keep out curious kids who may want to use the sump pit as a fun play site. 

We recommend solid covers if there’s a pipe beneath that drains water into the sump well, and a perforated one if water drains into the well after flowing across the basement floor. Because of two plumbing pipes that funneled into the sump pit, we needed to build a custom cover for this homeowner. While this cover may not qualify as an exhibit at some fancy art museum, the Cowleys crawl space technicians who worked on this job are especially proud of it! As you can see, the cover does exactly what it’s supposed to do, and it made an unattractive area of the home look a whole lot better.

This Brielle, NJ homeowner had a raccoon enter the attic through the soffit. The soffit is the underside of the roof overhang. It is commonly made out of aluminum or vinyl and has passive vents providing much-needed ventilation and air circulation to the attic and expelling the rising heat, which causes all sorts of problems both during the summer and the winter. Unfortunately, soffits, especially if they are damaged, are a favorite access point for wildlife to enter your attic. Raccoons and squirrels are innately able to find and exploit the weak points into a home, and soffits are at the top of the list of favorite entry points. 

Cowleys wildlife technicians had already come in to trap the raccoon, and immediately afterwards installed a temporary patch to seal the area. However, the homeowner wanted a more aesthetically pleasing repair. Cowleys has a home improvement division that, among other things, has an experienced crew that repairs damages caused by wildlife, termites, and other insects. The homeowner was quite pleased with our repair of his home, and so were we!