New Canaan has a name for mid-century modern architecture. Records describe about eighty modern homes built from the late 1940s to the 1960s, of which about twenty have since been demolished, and the Philip Johnson Glass House, built in 1948 and 1949, is a landmark of the style. We do not know how any particular house in town is built, so this guide offers only general reasoning, and it says so where it does.
Why the style changes our checklist.
Houses of this style often use large glass areas, wide overhangs and flat or low roofs, with simple rooflines and fewer conventional attics. That does not make them more or less likely to have rodents. It changes where gaps may appear and how we reach them. A walk-through begins with the structure in front of us.
Places we would look first.
- The edge of a flat or low-slope roof and any parapet.
- Joins where different materials meet, such as wood, metal and masonry.
- Thresholds and the base of large glass doors.
- Utility penetrations through walls and roof decks.
- The space between ceiling and roof deck, if accessible.
- Carports, garages and storage areas attached to the house.
General experience suggests that joins between materials can open as they expand and contract with temperature. We make no claim about how common this is in any house here.
| Feature. | Possible gap. | Check. |
|---|---|---|
| Wide overhang. | Soffit edge, vent screens. | Look for lifted or torn material. |
| Flat roof edge. | Flashing, parapet joins. | Inspect from a ladder or roof access. |
| Large glass door. | Threshold and sweep. | Check for daylight at the base. |
| Attached carport. | Wall joins and storage. | Look for nests in stored items. |
Trees and surroundings.
Whether a house of this kind stands among trees depends entirely on its lot. If yours is wooded, branches near the roof and ground cover at the foundation add routes, and if it is open, the edge of the lawn matters more. Tell us how your lot looks.
What to do.
Begin with an inspection and describe the style, roof type and any recent work. Where entries are found, sealing uses metal and mesh that suit the assembly. If an animal has damaged material, repair follows as a separate step.
Curious what a visit looks like? Ask when you call and get a direct reply.
Ring (888) 686-4821What we cannot say.
We do not know the age, materials or condition of your house, and we will not guess. If you own a landmark or a protected property, ask the relevant authority before altering the exterior. Our work is to find and close the openings that animals use.
Planning a visit around the house.
Tell the dispatcher the roof type, whether there is an attic, and whether the house sits over a basement, a crawl space or a slab. Mention big glass doors, carports and attached storage. These details decide what equipment comes along and how long the walk-through might run.
If a roof edge is high or unusual, the technician may need a ladder or roof access, so say if anything blocks the way. A clear description at the start makes the first visit more useful and avoids a return trip for something that could have been planned.
Questions to ask any contractor.
Whoever works on your roof, windows or exterior should be asked to leave no gaps and to close any penetrations they make. Ask for flashing and screens to be checked as part of the work. After any exterior project, walk the outside to see whether a gap was left.
If you plan renovation, ask whether rodent-resistant details can be added while walls are open. It is far easier to place mesh behind trim than to find a gap afterward.
While you wait: what to do and what to avoid
Rodent waste can carry germs, so technique matters more than speed. The steps follow the CDC cleanup page named at the bottom.
- Hold the broom. Dry droppings crumble, and sweeping turns them into dust you could inhale.
- Fresh air comes first. Open the space, wait about half an hour, and only then go in.
- Gloves shield you during the work and soap shields you afterward, so use both.
- Nobody should touch droppings until they are completely wet and have rested about five minutes.
- Choose a sealed bag over an open bin for waste, and use gloves or a tool on a carcass.
- Fever, body aches or breathing trouble in the weeks afterward belong with a physician, who should also hear that rodent waste was nearby. Our trade is pests, not medicine.
Public guidelines this page relies on
The cleanup and poison statements on this page come from the public pages listed here.
- EPA: rodenticide product limits: Why the strongest products are for licensed applicators, and why shelf products arrive as ready-to-use stations.
- CDC: cleaning up after rodents: Opening up a closed space, soaking droppings in place of sweeping, and bagging waste carefully.