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Xeta
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2017 06:57 - Edited by: Xeta
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Hello.
We are having a 3x4 meter (about 10 x 13 feet) wood cabin, with a wood floor and piers foundation, built by a local carpenter. The insulation of the floor, walls and roof will all be made of rock wool.
I have practically no construction skills or knowledge, but I have been advised by someone who does, to have the insulation covered with screening (especially under the floor), to keep rodents out of it.
So, my question is, what kind of screening could be used for this purpose?
Thank you.
Edit:
A little more detail; the walls will be made of two wood panels with rock wool in between while the floor and roof will be made of OSB on one side, wood panels on the other side with rock wool in between.
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Atlincabin
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2017 09:58 - Edited by: Atlincabin
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Best stuff to use in my opinion is hardware cloth. Looks like oversized window screen with either 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch square holes and is galvanized (zinc-coated) steel. Typically comes in rolls of about 25 feet by 2 feet wide. Use a staple gun and staple it in place over the sheeting. Better than standard window screen (which is usually either aluminum or nylon) and will keep out even the most determined rodent (including porcupines).
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Borrego
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2017 11:24
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Search for 'insulation' and you will find a lot of good info
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/2_7290_0.html#msg105962
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2017 11:28
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And this is an option...
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Xeta
Member
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2017 12:28
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Quoting: Atlincabin Best stuff to use in my opinion is hardware cloth. Looks like oversized window screen with either 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch square holes and is galvanized (zinc-coated) steel. Typically comes in rolls of about 25 feet by 2 feet wide. Use a staple gun and staple it in place over the sheeting. Better than standard window screen (which is usually either aluminum or nylon) and will keep out even the most determined rodent (including porcupines).
Thank you. So, we apply it on the outer surface of the floor and not inside (ie. between the OSB and wood panels), is that correct? Also, should we use it for the walls and roof as well?
Thank you, I have read this thread. I will check out other search results as well.
To be clear, the insulation will not be left completely exposed, it is covered with OSB underneath (and wood panels for the walls), but it is my understanding that that will not be enough to prevent rodents from coming in, is that correct?
Btw, I'm having trouble viewing the jpeg, is there perhaps a larger picture?
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Just
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2017 09:41
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I built a 9 x 12 or 10 sq. m .cabin last spring . in a etempt to keep them out I covered the bottom with 1/2 in presure treated plywood. Not sure if that will help but the owners dident want metal fabric. It has been my experance to establish a regular rutean of pest control and you will not have much trouble.Keep debree from accumulating under the cabin keep it as high off the ground as you can. keep a ongoing trapping regiment or bate placement under and around your cabin.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2017 10:28
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Rodents are excellent climbers but if you prevent them from climbing you reduce their invasion... Putting a smooth metal sleeve on your piers will prevent them from climbing up. Additionally you can put a "collar" which extends 6" out and is angled downwards, they can't jump or climb around it.
Depending on the build and method there are different things that can be done to make it hard to get in, unhospitable if they do... Do realize that mice outnumber humans and they are very determined to get into shelter and your attempting to fight a war against a hardened enemy with countless reserves standing (squeaking) by.
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Atlincabin
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# Posted: 8 Oct 2017 10:51
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Yes, I would put the hardware cloth on the outside of the building to protect the plywood/osb from chewing critters. Porcupines especially like the glue (actually the salt in the glue) in plywood and I've seen squirrels chewing happily on PWF treated plywood as well. In my case, I put hardware cloth on the bottom sides of our outhouse and guest cabin - basically the first couple of feet up from the ground. We have had no issues with rodents.
If your cabin is well-built and tight, mice and other small rodents are not likely to chew their way in. They prefer to enlarge an existing, if small, hole or crack. Our cabin is on concrete piers and the underside is tightly sheathed in 1/2-inch PWC plywood and we have seen zero indication of any chewing. However, a lot of my plywood and PWC plywood scraps out by the workshop have been chewed on the edges.
My advice would be to put the hardware cloth anywhere that will ultimately be inaccessible (by you) after the cabin is built but not anywhere else. Then keep an eye out for any sign of rodent activity/entry (and it won't take long for them to find any entry points) and deal with it at that time. I doubt you will need to put anything on the sides or roof except possibly near the ground.
Regarding the porcupine problem (or potential problem), they prefer to chew on places where there is an edge to get started, so again, a clean and tight build will help with this. However, if they are really hungry, I've seen them chew a hole in the middle of a sheet of plywood with no edge starting point. They are not particularly interested in getting inside, but can really make a mess of any plywood. OSB seems to be much less attractive to porcupines than plywood - I'm guessing it's a different and less salty type of glue.
Hope that helps.
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Xeta
Member
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# Posted: 10 Oct 2017 04:54
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This is very helpful.
Thank you all, I really appreciate it.
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JavierRoussel
Member
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2018 02:33
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Thanks! This is very helpful.
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creeky
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2018 12:03
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Please don't poison your pests. The poisoned critters may be eaten by birds and this then kills the birds. 2/3s of all raptor deaths are now attributed to eating poisoned rodents.
Use of good quality wire mesh underneath is a good idea. Personally I don't see the benefit of protecting the side walls etc. I don't see how that would work.
Luckily rock wool insulations like Roxul are pretty critter proof by nature.
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Slowmoe
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# Posted: 1 May 2018 14:12
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I live in mouse capital and can’t stand rodents they can fit through a dime size hole and climb like spider man also they can jump like Michael Jordan. My trick is metal mesh along the bottom of my cabin dug down a bit because they are diggers too essentially mesh is stapled to cabin and then I pour cement over the mesh. This also is good for water shedding, I do this all the way around the cabin and have not had one rodent problem since bottom wrap was completed. Hope this makes sense, the mesh is cheap on my 400ft cabin I don’t even think it took 10 60 pound bags of cement. I will always look at the bottom of a cabin and be able to see right where rodents are entering. Remember no holes whatsoever from a little below ground to at least five feet up. You can also run a trim piece on mesh on cabin then cement from ground to trim piece to cover mesh.
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