Ridge-Guard® protects your home from unwanted pests and nuisance wildlife entering the house via the roof. Most homeowners are unaware of the numerous ways these visitors enter a home. We have written about common places to check for pests, tips for a pest-free backyard, pests in your garage, and trouble in your attic. Ridge vents allow for proper ventilation and an entry point to your home. Ridge-Guard® protects the ridge vent from damage or entry caused by pests and nuisance wildlife.
What is a ridge vent?
A ridge vent is a type of vent installed at the peak or roof ridge of a roof. Ridge vents are most common on asphalt, shingled, residential homes, or buildings. The ridge vent works by pulling in air through a soffit vent or vented perforated piece of soffit and then allowing the warm, humid air to escape the home or structure’s attic through the ridge vent.
When building a roof, a section of the roof decking is cut a few inches from the peak and down the entire length of the home on both sides. Once shingles are in place, a material used for venting (generally molded plastic or fiber mesh) is fastened down over the area where decking was cut back. After this ridge venting material is installed, a ridge cap, made from asphalt shingles, is installed over it to prevent water from entering the home at the peak of the roof ridge.
Are ridge vents beneficial?
Yes, ridge vents are beneficial and necessary to a home’s airflow and ventilation. It is the best way to allow damp air to escape your attic. When properly installed, it increases energy efficiency and may extend the life of your roof.
What type of pests enters a home through the ridge vent?
Once inside the attic, pests and nuisance wildlife can create a tremendous amount of damage and create an unhealthy environment.
Bats and Birds:
- Bats may bring bat bugs, which are a lot like bed bugs.
- Bat guano in the attic is also a severe health concern. It can bring about histoplasmosis, a respiratory infection caused by breathing the airborne fungus spores entering the living space through damaged air ducts or construction gaps.
- Both bats and birds can carry disease
- Bats can leave behind bat bugs and feces and need to be removed quickly upon learning they live in your attic.
- Birds also leave behind feces that cause disease and illness. Bird mites can exist long after the birds are gone and can infiltrate into your living space.
Squirrels:
- Squirrels travel within your walls, drywall, and eves of the attic and are voracious chewers. They love electrical wires causing electrical damage and even fire.
- They love their nuts, and you will hear them rolling around above your heads.
- Squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are primarily active during the day.
- Red and gray squirrels are active in the daytime, and you may not be home to hear them, but the damages are happening to your insulation and roofing.
- Flying squirrels are nocturnal.
Rodents and Raccoons:
- Mice tip-toe along the eves of your attic and sound like slight scratches. The sounds may increase after they have their young.
- Raccoons are nocturnal and love attic space. You may hear some banging sounds as they root through your insulation, looking for an exit or food or gnawing on the woodwork.
What is Ridge-Guard®?
Ridge-Guard® is the ultimate roof ridge protection system that helps to prevent animal entry at the roof ridge. With the advent of ridge vents to protect shingles from overheating in the summer and excess moisture build-up in the attic in the winter due to heat loss came the extra issues associated with a large vent opening across the entire ridge of the home.
Standard plastic ridge-venting and most other types of roof ridge vents can be made secure from pests by the application of Ridge-Guard®.
The RIDGE-GUARD® system protects your home without changing the esthetics of the roof. When properly installed, RIDGE-GUARD ® is generally not visible. The black expanded metal installed on a black backdrop is very inconspicuous.
Keep your home and family safe with AccuShield
Removing unwanted pests and wildlife in your home or business is only a temporary solution. We want to provide you with a permanent solution. Sealing up all entry points is key to successful eradication.
Accurate Pest Control and Nuisance Wildlife have kept residential and commercial structures pest-free and healthy throughout the Capital Region. We have developed AccuShield, a series of exclusion systems based on your pest or wildlife problems.
The Accurate Pest Control experts will evaluate the structure and locate areas where pests and nuisance wildlife can enter. A complete evaluation is performed and reviewed with the homeowner or business owner, and a course of action is determined.
Schedule a free inspection and protect your home and family.
resources: Lowe’s.com and special thanks to Ridge-Guard®
