Attic cleaning and decontamination removes droppings, nesting and soiled insulation left by mice, squirrels, raccoons and bats. The old fill is wetted or treated and taken out with respirators on and the exhaust outside, and the empty attic is then disinfected and treated for odour before anything new goes in.
We carry full insurance on each of these cleanups. Animals get into London attics through gaps at the soffits, roof vents and chimneys, and they often stay for months before anyone notices.
Taking the insulation out is the only reliable way to get droppings out of an attic, because they sink into the fill and cannot be picked out. Mouse droppings can carry hantavirus. Raccoon droppings can carry roundworm eggs that survive most household cleaners. Bat guano can carry the fungus behind histoplasmosis, which affects the lungs.
Bats are worth a closer look in this area. The Middlesex-London Health Unit reported that all 11 animals that tested positive for rabies between 2014 and 2018 were bats. The health unit wants to hear about any direct contact with a bat where a bite or scratch cannot be ruled out.
None of this means an attic is dangerous to live under. It means the cleanup should be done with care.
Raccoons tend to use one spot in the attic as a toilet, and the droppings and urine soak deep into the insulation beneath it. Roundworm eggs in that pile can survive for years, and ordinary cleaners do not kill them.
That patch is bagged with extra care during the insulation removal, and the wood and drywall underneath are cleaned and treated before the rest of the attic is sanitized. Squirrel and mouse damage is usually spread thinner across the whole attic, with tunnels through the fill and nests near the eaves.
Health units warn against dry sweeping or vacuuming droppings. A shop vacuum or a broom throws fine dust into the air, and that dust is what people breathe in.
A removal crew does the job another way. The droppings and the insulation are dampened or treated before anything moves, each person up there has a respirator on, and the material runs through a hose to a machine and bags outside the house. The exhaust air goes outside as well, so nothing is blown back into the rooms below.
Once the insulation is out, the attic is cleared of nesting, food scraps and other debris. The joists, drywall and roof boards are then sprayed or fogged with a disinfectant and treated to remove the smell.
Fresh insulation is never laid on top of droppings. When the attic is disinfected and dry it can be filled again, as the attic insulation replacement page explains.
A clean attic will not stay clean if the animals can get back in. While the attic is being cleared, we note the holes, chewed vents and gaps we can see and show them to you in the photos.
Trapping and removing animals is not part of our work. A wildlife control company should deal with the animals and seal the openings, and we can plan the cleanup around their visit so the work happens in the right order.
Phone +1 (226) 400-3320 to arrange a free visit. We check the droppings and the insulation, then send one written price covering the cleanup and the insulation removal. You will find our other services on the home page.
Droppings, water and thin coverage often turn up in the same attic, so one visit can price several of these at once.
Attic insulation removal clears out insulation that has flattened, gone dirty or stopped holding heat. A vacuum machine parked outside pulls loose fill through a hose into large bags, and batts are rolled up and bagged by hand, leaving bare joists that are ready to be checked, sealed and filled again.
View Attic Insulation Removal
Blown-in insulation removal clears away old cellulose and fibreglass loose fill that has sunk, compacted or been spoiled by leaks or animals. A long hose draws the fill from between the joists into big bags standing outside, so nothing is carried through the house and the attic finishes empty.
View Blown-In Insulation Removal
Wet, mouldy and smoke-damaged insulation removal deals with fill spoiled by roof leaks, ice dams, a bath fan that exhausts into the attic space, or a fire. The damage is photographed for any insurance claim, the ruined material comes out, and the roof boards are left open to dry and be checked.
View Wet, Mouldy and Smoke-Damaged Insulation Removal
Vermiculite insulation removal is a job for trained asbestos abatement workers under Ontario rules. We spot the pebbly grey-brown fill, stop work in the attic, arrange a test through a proper lab, coordinate the abatement contractor if the test is positive, and re-insulate after the air clearance.
View Vermiculite Insulation Removal
Attic insulation replacement puts the attic back together after the old fill comes out. While the joists are bare, leaks around wiring, plumbing and ceiling boxes are sealed, eave baffles are fitted, and fresh loose fill is added until it reaches R-50 or R-60, which matches Ontario's new-home standard.
View Attic Insulation Replacement
Pre-sale and home inspection insulation removal handles attic problems that surface during a house sale, such as droppings, soaked insulation or possible vermiculite. Buyers, sellers, agents and inspectors receive a quick written price, then a set of before and after pictures they can pass along.
View Pre-Sale and Home Inspection Insulation RemovalWe climb into the attic, measure it and put the price in writing. Nothing is owed for the visit, and saying no costs nothing.
Describe the attic and anything you have noticed, such as droppings, a smell, water stains or thin insulation. Your name and phone number are all the form needs. If you would rather talk it over, you can call us at +1 (226) 400-3320.
