Michigan Attic Restoration Services
Bat Guano and Animal Waste Clean-up
If you have bats or other animals in the attic of your home or building, then you may have large piles of guano, raccoon feces, rodent droppings, or bird nests.
Bat Guano in the Attic- How Much Does it Cost to Clean Up Bat Poop?
Bat guano is another term for bat excrement or feces. It'll cost anywhere from hundreds for a small pile to thousands of dollars to remove guano from your home, depending on how much guano is present. Generally, the larger the colony and the longer it's been there, the more it'll cost.
Bat guano has a unique strong odor smell. Bat guano can cause a lung infection called histoplasmosis. This is caused by inhaling fungi spores of a fungus that is carried in bat guano. Urine and droppings will contaminate the insulation making it ineffective. In addition, the droppings and urine can deteriorate wood trusses and drywall. In a few Michigan homes we have seen the droppings were so heavy the ceiling collapsed in. Bats also can have a tiny little mite on them called the bat bug. As you can see bats in the attic can do great damage and become a health risk.
Rodent Droppings in the Attic
Mice, rats, or squirrels in the attic can create damage to your insulation and become a health risk. Rodents like to use your insulation as nesting material. They will damage it by bringing in nuts, pine cones, and other hazardous materials into your attic. Mice and squirrels will create tunnels in your insulation diminishing the R-value. Rodent droppings call also be a health risk. You can get a lung infection disease called the Hantavirus.
Raccoons Attic Damage
Raccoons will do the most damage out of any animal in the attic. Raccoons use your insulation for bedding material and a toilet. Raccoon urine and feces have a very unique smell and if you have allergies then you will be a mess. Out of any wild animal we have experienced raccoons tend to carry the most allergens. If the smell of a raccoon remains in your attic it will invite more raccoons to nest. Raccoons destroy your insulation, making it almost ineffective. Raccoons also can cause a health risk. The eggs or the roundworm found in raccoon feces can be damaging to humans.
Birds in the Attic
If you have birds in the attic, consider them a nuisance and a health hazard. Bird nest material can become a health concern as well as ruin the R-value of your insulation. Just like bat guano, histoplasmosis comes from bird droppings. Bird nest material and droppings are the cause of over 60 different diseases. Bird nests can also contain over 50 parasites like tiny little bugs called bird mites. Nest removal from attics and homes is important due to these factors. We have removed over 20 garbage bags of just bird nest material from one home.
How Our Attic Restoration Services Work
As an added service we can get rid of all wild animal waste including bat guano, raccoon feces, bird nest, or rodent droppings. Damaged insulation is also removed and hauled away in a dumpster container. There are several steps we take before, during, and after the clean-up. Below we describe how to professionally get rid of unwanted waste and damaged insulation from the attic.
1. Before the Clean-up: Once you have had the wildlife excluded from your attic you can start the clean-up process. Knowing how to clean up the attic is important before you start. First, all flooring should be covered in plastic to prevent the spread of diseases. If you are removing insulation and animal waste through the attic hatch it is important to create an attic hatch barrier. This can be done using plastics around the attic entrance. It is best to remove insulation through a gable vent if possible. Some attics even have windows in them. If no gable vent is present then a window in the same room should be used. Make sure the entire room is covered. The use of an air purifier or ozium machine is good to remove any dust or allergens in the air. Now that you have everything set up it's time to start the clean-out process.
2. Start of Clean-up: The best way to remove contaminated insulation caused by wildlife is through a high-powered vacuum. Our company owns a 20 horsepower vacuum. The vacuum sits outside of the home with 100'-150' of hose attached. This hose is run from the exterior of the home to the inside of the attic through an open window or gable end. If the insulation is not of the loose fill variety then you must bag up the insulation by hand. Typically heavy construction bags work well for doing this. Once all of the insulation is bagged up and removed from the attic, vacuum up any droppings left behind. Now the attic is completely removed from any damaged insulation or bat guano.
3. Odor Control and Sealant: Probably the most important step to completely restore your attic. After the attic is completely cleaned out and there is no more contaminated insulation it's time to apply odor control and seal the structure off. We use a paint sprayer for odor control and sealant. We spray an encapsulated paint to make sure all odors are locked out of the trusses and drywall beneath the insulation. Encapsulate paint also works for decontaminating the attic as well. You can see an example of what your attic will look like once it is painted in the picture. We may also use a clear depending on the severity of the staining. Once it's done it is now to time to put the insulation back in.
4. Replacing the Insulation: After the insulation is removed and the attic is sanitized it's time to re-insulate the attic. Depending on the type of home will depend on which insulation we put back into the attic. Older homes typically will use cellulose because of the moisture in the attics. On new homes, we can use batted or blown-in fiberglass. Most attics these days require a value of R-49 to R-60. Meaning an attic should have 16-20 inches of insulation. Even if your attic does not need to be cleaned or restored we are still capable of adding or replacing insulation.
5. After the Clean-up- Pictures are taken and shown to the homeowner to make sure everything is done to their specifications. We clean all of the flooring up and vacuum the carpets.
How Much Does Attic Restoration Cost?
Attic restoration estimates are usually pretty straightforward. We typically quote attic restoration jobs based on square footage. Remove and replace insulation estimates can run anywhere from $4 to $6 per square foot. Some homes can be much cheaper if only portions of the attic need to be cleaned out. Some bat infestations in the attic are only bad at roosting points. A lot of the time bats roost down the center of the attic. This may not be the most efficient way to clean out your attic, but is a great start to keep costs down. A lot of times homeowner insurance will cover attic restoration jobs. If you would like a more detailed quote, please click on the free online quote button.
Attic Restoration Pricing Guide- How We Do It
Surface Clean-up
Spot Cleaning
$400-$800 /Clean-up
- Minimal Piles of Clean-up
- No Insulation Replacement
- May Leave Some Droppings Behind
More Clean-up
Small Area Restoraton
$1,500-$2,000 / Clean-up
- Spot Insulation Removal
- Sanitize/Odor Control
- Replace Insualtion
Get the Best
Full Attic Restoration
$2,000+ / Clean-up
- Insurance May Cover Damages
- Complete Insulation Removal
- Full Attic Fog/ Odor Control
- Complete Insulation Replacement
Find Out What Sets us Apart
We service over 14 counties in Michigan for attic restoration jobs. See our service area to see if we are in your area. Looking for a professional wildlife control expert specializing in the attic restoration process, but not sure who to hire? Click here for information on hiring a wildlife control expert.
If you have bats in the attic, rodents in the attic, raccoons in the attic and you live in Michigan we service you. Common areas we serve throughout our service area are: Bay City, Dewitt, Eagle, Elsie, Fowler, Maple Rapids, Ovid, St. Johns, Westphalia, Bellevue, Charlotte, Dimondale, Eaton Rapids, Grand Ledge, Mulliken, Olivet, Potterville, Sunfield, Vermontville, Waverly, Burton, Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flint, Flushing, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Linden, Montrose, Mount Morris, Ottisville, Swartz Creek, Dansville, East Lansing, Lansing, Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Stockbridge, Webberville, Williamston, Jackson, Grass Lake, Almont, Attica, Clifford, Columbiaville, Dryden, Imlay City, Lapeer, Metamora, North Branch, Otter Lake, Argentine, Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell, Pinckney, Whitmore Lake, Armada, Center Line, Chesterfield, Clinton, Eastpointe, Memphis, Mount Clemons, New Baltimore, New Haven, Romeo, Saint Claire Shores, Shelby, Sterling Heights, Utica, Warren, Midland, Carleton, Dundee, Estral Beach, Luna Pier, Maybee, Monroe, Petersburg, South Rockwood, Auburn Hills, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Clawson, Commerce Twp., Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Holly, Lake Orion, Madison Heights, Milford, Novi, Oak Park, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, South Lyon, Southfield, Troy, Walled lake, Wixom, West Bloomfield, Wolverine Lake, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Merrill, Oakley, Saginaw, St. Charles, Zilwaukee, Bancroft, Byron, Corunna, Durand, Lainsburg, Lennon, Morrice, New Lothrop, Owosso, Perry, Vernon, Akron, Caro, Cass City, Fairgrove, Gagetown, Kingston, Millingston, Reese, Unionville, Vassar, Ann Arbor, Barton Hills, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti, Canton, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Wayne, Westland. For more areas we service visit our locations page.