Completed project · Novato, CA 94945 · August 2026
It started, like every job here, with a free inspection — and this one turned up more than expected. 1,690 attic + 1,635 crawl space sq ft of Novato attic and crawl space, taken back to bare joists and rebuilt. New R-38 16in Fiberglass Batts installed on a stripped, sealed deck. Also in scope: a crawl space vapor barrier.
Seeing the same signs in your attic and crawl space? The inspection is free.
The challenge
Severe rodent activity through the attic and crawl space
The inspection found severe rodent activity in this Novato attic and crawl space — droppings, nests and contaminated material across the space, with open gaps around fixtures, piping, wiring and vents that rodents were using to come and go.
Once contamination is inside the insulation layer, cleaning around it does not fix the problem: the material holds the waste, the odor and the scent trail that brings the next rodent back. That set the order of work — clear the layer, treat what is underneath, close the entry points, and only then insulate. The layer covered 1,690 attic + 1,635 crawl space sq ft.
The service
What the crew did, in order
Prep and containment
Protective floor and dust barriers set through the work path before anything was opened, so the work stayed inside the attic and crawl space and out of the rest of the home.
Remove the old insulation
The existing insulation layer taken out with a heavy-duty vacuum across 1,690 attic + 1,635 crawl space sq ft, leaving bare joists and a clear view of the deck.
Clean and sanitize
Rodent waste, droppings and nesting material vacuumed out, then the surfaces treated with OdoBan sanitation to clear odor, bacteria and the scent trails that draw rodents back.
Seal and rodent-proof
Entry points sealed with wire mesh, polyurethane foam and cement. Gaps around fixtures, piping, wiring and vents air-sealed in the same pass — the openings that leak conditioned air are usually the ones rodents use.
Air ducts
The air duct run replaced with new flexible R6 ducting, installed to code.
Vapor barrier
A new vapor barrier laid across the crawl space ground to keep ground moisture out of the structure above it.
The result
1,690 attic + 1,635 crawl space sq ft, cleared, sealed and re-insulated
The attic and crawl space went from an active rodent problem to a code-level space in a single visit – cleared, sanitized, closed against re-entry, and rebuilt in R-38 16in Fiberglass Batts.
More from this job
A few more shots from the crew
Around the neighborhood
More Atticare USA projects near Novato
New Attic Insulation and Attic Radiant Barrier Installation in San Rafael, CA
Attic Clean Up and New Attic Insulation Installation in San Rafael, CA
One of 850+ completed projects across California — see all projects.
Questions homeowners ask
Attic and crawl space work in Novato, answered
Does old attic insulation have to be removed, or can new insulation go on top?
It depends what the inspection finds. Where the existing layer is clean and intact, Atticare USA can add over it. On this Novato project the crew found severe rodent activity in the insulation itself, so the whole layer came out and the space was sanitized before new insulation went in — why the order of operations decides whether it holds. More on the choice: cleaning versus full replacement.
What does rodent proofing include in Novato?
Rodent proofing is exclusion work: sealing the gaps and openings rodents use to get in, with wire mesh, polyurethane foam and cement. Live removal, where it is needed, is handled by a licensed pest control provider. Atticare USA has written up how Atticare USA seals entry points and the 5-step restoration process that follows. Worth reading before you compare quotes: how to compare rodent-proofing warranties.
Why does the crawl space matter as much as the attic?
A crawl space sits under the living space and shares its air, so contamination and open entry points down there reach the rooms above just as attic problems do — and it gets inspected far less often. The sequence matters as much as the work: why the order matters in a crawl space.
Start the same way this job did.
A free attic and crawl space inspection in Novato tells you what is actually up there — what it would take to put right, and what it would not.
