What kind of insulation do not eat rats and mice

Insulation - a necessary material that is used in the construction of houses, increasing thermal insulation. Its use reduces the cost of heating the premises in the winter. When making estimates, it is important to consider not only the technical characteristics of the material, but also the attitude of rodents to it. Knowing what kind of insulation mice and rats do not bite, you can avoid unnecessary repair work in the future.

Do rodents eat insulation

The structure of the teeth and their features make rodents constantly sharpen their incisors. If the animals do not do this, they simply will not be able to open their mouths, since long teeth will interfere. There is one more reason why mice encroach on the insulation. Small pieces of material are well suited for arranging a nest for rat cubs and mice.

Answering the question, what kind of insulation do not eat mice and rats, we can say with confidence that any. Tailed animals a priori can not eat building material. It does not represent any nutritional value for them. They use it only as a “file” for teeth, for the construction of nests.

On a note!

Rats and mice nibble fragile insulationmake their moves in it, thereby violating the integrity of the structure.

Favorite heaters of rodents

There are a number of heaters that rats bite with the greatest desire.

Styrofoam

Polyfoam - one of the most popular heaters. Its main advantages: ease, ease of installation, affordable price. Do not leave him without attention and rodents. Rats and mice do not eat polystyrenebut they are able to nibble it, to equip their dwellings in the voids near it, in which they will safely dwell and breed. Mice literally crush material into small pieces, pulling them along their holes. Special like mice nibble polystyrene foamwhich is characterized by low density.

Foam protection can cost more than the building material itself. To prevent attacks by pests, the sheets are covered with a fine metal mesh. You can process the foam with copper sulfate or boric acid. To eliminate the holes made by rat or mouse teeth, it is possible with the help of mounting foam.

Of all the types of polystyrene, sheets with small pores are most stable, but this does not mean that they are too tough for mice or rats. It's just that this material will retain its integrity a little longer.

On a note!

To lay out poison for rats and mice under the skin - a very risky undertaking. If the death of an animal catches up directly beneath it, the body will decompose and give off a nasty smell. Depending on the temperature and humidity level, the process can take several months. To remove the stinking corpse will have to dismantle the entire structure.

A type of foam is extruded polystyrene foam. Unlike the first, it is characterized by increased resistance to moisture. It is used to warm attics, basements.And although the density of the material is higher than that of traditional polystyrene foam, mice willingly gnaw at it, although they do not settle in it.

Foamed polyethylene

The material is a foamed cellophane coated with one or two layers of aluminum foil. It has good thermal insulation, does not pass air, moisture. With its help, walls are insulated from the inside. The main drawback is the possibility of the appearance of fungus, mold, as well as the complete "helplessness" of pests.

Stone wool

Stone wool is a fibrous insulating material. It is made from rocks, but basalt is most often used. For internal and external insulation of houses, basalt cotton wool of high density is usually used. It is characterized by low heat conductivity, moisture resistance, drowns out sound waves, does not burn.

According to the assurances of the manufacturers, special additives have been added to the composition and rodents will not gnaw it. However, according to reviews, in practice the situation is different. Mineral wool is occasionally attacked by pests, they bite it and can even settle in it.

As for glass wool, opinions differ. In Soviet times, it was believed that this insulation is afraid of rodents and it poses a mortal danger to them. Now you can see how rats in glass wool equip their homes and feel great about them. It is still not possible to establish the reasons why animals have changed their attitude to the material. There are two hypotheses. According to one of them, glass wool is produced using a different technology and differs in composition from its Soviet predecessor. Another version says that mice and rats adapted, mutated, and now glass wool no longer scares pests.

Sustainable materials

Advantageously, the insulation in which rodents of inorganic origin do not live has a dense and solid structure.

Expanded clay

One of the most popular building materials that mice do not eat. It is a light, porous fraction obtained by firing fusible clay. It is widely used for insulation of foundations, ceilings, roofs. Often used when arranging a dry floor screed. This is an environmentally friendly bulk material that does not emit harmful toxic compounds.

On a note!

The sizes of granules vary in the range of 5-45 mm. Even if the mouse gets into such a heater, its movement will be difficult. Before laying expanded clay, the surface is often covered with a cellophane film to provide reliable waterproofing. Being under a layer of insulation, the rodent will lack air, and the hardness of the granules will not allow you to try them on the tooth.

Ecowool

Another type of insulation that rodents did not like. Ecowool is a relatively new material, the advantages and disadvantages of which cause a lot of controversy. It is made on the basis of cellulose, in which special additives, additives that prevent fire are added. Mineral wool, known for its soundproofing properties, is four times inferior to ecowool for this indicator. The insulation is applied manually or through installations, filling all the cracks and leaving no joints

Ecowool could be an excellent material for rodents in which they would coexist peacefully. But the manufacturers provided a similar scenario and enriched the composition of the insulation with antiseptics, one of which is orthoboric acid and boric salts, which provoke the rodent's dehydration, suffocation and its subsequent death.

Foam glass

The material is presented in bulk or in slabs for the construction of rigid structures. One of the most expensive heaters. The declared term of operation is up to 100 years. It is made from glass waste by foaming with a carbon mixture.As a result, glass cells form tightly adjacent to each other.

Glass fiber has good thermal insulation properties, ease of installation, is not afraid of moisture, the material is absolutely resistant to rodents. Even if the mouse tries to bite through the insulation, it will immediately injure the oral cavity and this will limit its claims.

Foam concrete

Material is lighter in weight than concrete. Specifications are close to aerated concrete. The cellular material is produced in bulk form, which fill the necessary cavities and in the form of blocks.

On a note!

Despite its shortcomings: it is poorly plastered and is afraid of moisture, which is why molds can appear if improperly installed, foam concrete is not afraid of rodents. Using this material, you can not worry about the damage that rats and mice are capable of causing.

Plywood

Rodents eat or gnaw plywood, such a question also worries people planning to insulate a house during the construction or operation of a residential building. The manufacturing method, the structure of the layers of fiberboard, chipboard, OSB, or pli does not allow mice and rats to cause serious damage to these materials.

The oral apparatus of rodents is adapted to nibble across. In plywood there is an alternation of longitudinal and transverse layers. Even if the mouse managed to gnaw through the first layer, the next becomes an impossible task.

Linoleum

Although linoleum is not included in the list of heaters, however, it is this floor covering that remains the most popular and popular when arranging and warming the floor. Insulated linoleum can be laid both on special substrates, and on bare concrete, a wooden base. When choosing substrates, it is worth paying attention to those that do not attract rodents.

Ways to protect the insulation

If a population of rodents began to develop in the heat-insulating layer, then urgent measures must be taken. The following measures will help protect the insulation:

• replace the damaged material with a new one that is too tough for rodents;
• it is necessary to pour broken glass, wood shavings, which are pre-treated with copper sulfate, into the discovered passages, cavities made by mice;
• so that rodents do not have an incentive to settle in the insulation, they should be provided with a lack of a power source;
• in order to avoid the penetration of animals from the outside during the construction phase, ground glass or loose insulation is poured into the cavity of the floors in the basement, a strip foundation is arranged along the facade.