Are mice afraid of glass wool and mineral wool? What kind of insulation does mice not eat? Which insulation is best to choose to protect against rodents?

Using high-quality insulation materials for your home allows you to create a cozy atmosphere for a long time. This process often takes a lot of time and resources. However, over time, destruction of the protective layer may occur, the culprit of which will not be natural or physical factors, but banal rodents.

In this regard, you need to know which insulation is not chewed by mice or other small pests. By choosing the best option, it will be possible to avoid irreversible damage to the integrity of the structure. In the resulting cavities, small animals hide from the cold, at the same time they make a lot of moves, as a rule, turning everything into dust.

Material differentiation

Before you find out which insulation does not breed mice, it is worth identifying the obvious differences between the products on the market in this area. There are two large groups that are offered to customers in construction stores:

Organic

The basis of such substances are natural natural materials. These include ecowool, reed, expanded clay, straw, damask, shell rock, etc.

Inorganic

This variety is presented in a larger assortment. Their production is based on modern high technologies. This list includes bulk vermiculite or perlite, soft basalt or glass wool, rigid foam or aerated concrete, polystyrene foam, styrene foam, polyurethane foam and other materials based on polymer processing.

The first to be hit is the foam. Moreover, mice gnaw it not for gastronomic reasons, but to build nests or passages in it. Polystyrene foam and its derivatives are not harmful to mice and rats and do not lead to the death of offspring.

What materials are not interesting to rodents?

To choose insulation that will not be chewed by mice, it is necessary to take into account most of its characteristics that create discomfort for living in it. Small pests can penetrate even carefully sealed areas. Let's review those insulation materials that rodents do not eat.

Foam glass

It can be found in two forms: in bulk or in slabs. Both options are unacceptable for household pests. Crumbly fractions are in demand for working with floors, floors, and ceilings. Rigid structures are used in most cases for vertical surfaces. It can be changed both inside and outside. When laying slabs, concrete mortar or adhesive solutions are used. Before laying, you can sprinkle crushed expanded clay or loose foam glass on a horizontal surface.

The manufacturing technology of this substance consists of melting and subsequent foaming of the glass mass. For this purpose, a temperature of close to 10000C is created. After cooling, the slabs form a strength structure with properties that protect against rodents.

In addition, the material has the following properties:

it does not harbor insects or fungal growths;
not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, does not paint;
high environmental qualities;
Easily sawed with a hacksaw or jigsaw.

Expanded clay

When choosing which insulation is not chewed by mice and rats, you should pay attention to expanded clay. In addition to this property, it has the following advantages:

insulates the house well;
takes care of sound insulation;
has zero fire hazard.

The basis for the material is high-quality clay, which is subjected to preliminary high-quality cleaning. During production, granules of certain fractions are formed from it, and then they are hardened at high temperatures, increasing strength characteristics and reducing weight. Thanks to these characteristics, it is able to withstand a lot of weight.

Granules come in different fractions, usually from 10 to 25 mm in diameter. Even if someone gets into the loose material, they will not be able to move far in it. There will also be a lack of air inside, an increased number of small particles that interfere with normal breathing. High strength will not allow it to be chewed.

Ecowool

When finding out what kind of insulation mice do not eat, you can hear recommendations for using ecowool. This variety building materials is relatively new. If the result of the interaction between mice and polystyrene foam is known to many, then the excellent resistance of ecowool to rodents is a discovery for many.

Installation is carried out using special equipment. It provides uniform distribution invoices for the processed area. At the second stage, an even layer is formed using a patented roller.

In addition to natural fibers, which theoretically could be susceptible to rodents, the base contains orthoboric acid. It is poisonous to mice and causes dehydration and suffocation during processing.

Positive qualities:

sufficient moisture separation;
good antiseptic qualities;
high fire-fighting properties.

Foam concrete

In order not to worry about how to treat foam against mice, you need to insulate your home with foam concrete. It is an excellent barrier to all pests. Manufacturers offer it in two versions:

in block form it serves as the basis for laying walls or is used as functional insulation on the outside;
in loose form it is used to fill the cavities between the brick layers.

It is based on sand, water, cement and special foaming agents. After drying, this solution has a cellular texture.

Traditional insulation

Many novice builders are often interested in whether mice eat polystyrene foam or penoizol, its type. Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Rodents grow there easily and can cause significant harm.

In some cases, when determining whether mice eat polystyrene foam, this concept refers to other varieties of it. For example, this means whether mice chew extruded polystyrene foam, which has a denser structure. Rats or other pests can chew it, ruining it separate parts integrity, but they are unlikely to live there. It can only serve as an entrance to the room.

For those wondering whether mice eat mineral wool, the positive answer is unlikely to come as a surprise. Such material, together with basalt wool, stone or glass wool, often proves too tough for small pests. They even make nests there for their families. Moreover, the paradox lies precisely in the fact that glass wool, although it contains molten glass, is more preferable to small rodents than basalt wool.

It would be more correct to formulate the question of whether mice breed in mineral wool, because in fact they do not eat it, but process it to form passages, nests and provide a comfortable space for themselves.

The problem is that it is undesirable to use poison for such situations, since the dead rodent will emit an unpleasant odor in the cavity for a long time. Therefore, it is not recommended to insulate the lower levels with this material. Bulk substances do this job best.

Why plywood is too tough for mice

Plywood, chipboard, OSB and other sheets that are made by pressing perpendicularly laid layers cannot be chewed by mice, rats and other rodents. What is this connected with? With the peculiarities of the structure of the teeth of small animals and the manufacturing method. The fact is that they always gnaw only crosswise. When the first transverse layer has been chewed through and they reach the second layer laid lengthwise, it becomes an insurmountable task for mice and their ilk. Naturally, they cannot lie down and chew on their sides, just as they cannot turn their heads at an angle of 90 degrees; therefore, all attempts to destroy the material and make passages, and especially burrows, in it do not work. What conclusion follows from this? Even if foam plastic and other materials that can be attacked by rodents are used for insulation, they must be covered on both sides with multidirectional fiber boards with a layered structure.

VIDEO: What kind of insulation mice don’t eat

Insulation is used everywhere to increase the thermal insulation of residential buildings. This allows you to reduce costs in winter, as it minimizes the thermal conductivity of the walls. During construction, it is important to consider which insulation is not chewed by mice and rats. This will reduce the costs of subsequent repairs of the premises.

What insulation materials do mice and rats prefer?

The favorite materials of rodents are those that are suitable for creating nests and are easy to crumble, which is not a barrier to entry into the house. They allow them to sharpen their incisors, as they grow throughout life and need to be ground down regularly.

Pests do not consider any thermal insulation material as food. They chew not because they want to satisfy their hunger, but only to remove obstacles on the way to food and vegetables in the room.

Unsustainable materials

The love of pests for insulation is completely justified. This type of material is suitable for arranging nests and passages in it.

The main types of unstable thermal insulation layer:

Affordable and popular insulation in the form of individual slabs, with a low level of thermal conductivity. and rats do not pose a serious obstacle. They instantly damage its integrity and create not only nests inside, but also entire labyrinths of passages.
Not as attractive an option as the previous one, but still does not rot, retains heat and shape, and is characterized by good ventilation. The irritant effect of glass wool is not able to repel these animals.
Penoplex. It is characterized by a denser structure than polystyrene foam, since it has increased resistance to moisture. Used for insulating attics and basements. But its properties do not prevent the invasion of mice and rats. Over time, nests, passages, manholes and labyrinths of animals will appear in it.
Foamed polyethylene. Its basis is foamed cellophane, covered on both sides with aluminum foil. Valued for its immunity to moisture. Used for insulation interior walls. Not able to resist pests.

What kind of insulation is not chewed by mice?

Pests easily damage materials with a low level of density and having a fibrous structure. To maintain the integrity of the thermal insulation, it must be dense, rigid and, if possible, have a surface protective layer.

Rats and mice also do not like insulation materials consisting of porous substances enclosed in a dense shell. Rodents can chew a hole in them, but will not settle in. Restoring thermal insulation will not be particularly difficult.

Sustainable materials overview

There are several types of insulation that mice cannot chew through. To avoid the cost of restoring thermal insulation, you need to choose materials that are resistant to damage.

The main types of insulation that can withstand pest invasions:

It has a cellular granular structure and its characteristics resemble aerated concrete. The basis is sand, water, cement, foaming agent. During construction, it is used to fill block cavities. Specific gravity significantly less than concrete.
Foam glass. Expensive material with a warranty period of 100 years. It is based on glass waste foamed with a carbon mixture. The finished structure consists of tightly fitting cells.
It is a round porous fraction obtained by firing clay. It is used for thermal insulation of roofs, foundations and as a filler for dry floor screed. The diameter of expanded clay granules varies from 0.5 to 4.5 cm; movement in them is difficult for rodents.
Ecowool. An innovative, expensive type based on cellulose fibers. It is applied with a special device, and after hardening the surface is leveled with a roller. The presence of orthoboric acid in the composition causes suffocation and dehydration in rodents.

How to protect insulation from rats and mice: 4 ways

Pest-resistant materials are more expensive, which significantly increases construction costs. Therefore, you can use the usual types of thermal insulation for insulation, but take care in advance of additional protection against pest invasion.

What will help protect your home from uninvited guests:

Base profile. It is a metal strip that needs to be mounted on the bottom row. A heat-insulating layer is installed on top, so its edge is reliably protected from rodents. This method allows you to withstand moderate pest attacks.
Metal mesh. Installation is carried out on top of thermal insulation. It is important that the cross-section of the mesh is frequent and small, and the wire diameter is at least 2 mm. This method is reliable for protecting your home.
Plastering the heat-insulating surface. Application on top of special facing solutions allows you to strengthen the outer layer. After hardening, the finishing surface becomes dense and durable, which acts as a protective barrier.
Poison and ultrasonic devices. If you find holes and labyrinths in the thermal insulation, you need to put special chemicals in them, such as “Mortorate”, “Rat Death”. And to prevent repeated invasions, use special ultrasonic repellers, turning them on during the most dangerous periods of the year - autumn and winter.

Which insulation should not be chosen when mice are already infested?

If pests have already appeared in the house, then you should not use materials that have a light porous structure to insulate the home. It will be a waste of money and effort.

Such materials include:

penoplex;
foamed polyethylene;
foam;
expanded polystyrene;
glass wool

To use these types, you first need to get rid of pests, and only then install them using protective materials.

Conclusion

Knowing which types of thermal insulation are most susceptible to, you can select in advance the insulation that is suitable in this particular case. This will allow you to prepare in advance for the invasion of uninvited guests.

Any private house needs additional insulation. And here the owner is faced with the question of what kind of insulation mice will not chew. After all, pests love places where it is warm and dry. There they make nests and dig passages to food sources. It can be very difficult to eradicate mice from insulation, and the material loses its properties due to the animals.

There are two large groups of insulation materials: organic and inorganic. There are more materials belonging to the first group, but the second group also has insulation that will be tough for pests.

Organic insulation

For their production, waste from woodworking and agricultural production is used. Some types contain cement and plastic.

Such insulation materials include:

Ecowool. Made from paper production waste.
Fibrolite. Consists of wood chips.
Sotoplast. It is made in the form of a honeycomb, filled with special fabric or paper.
Foamed polyethylene. Made from polyethylene and a foaming agent.
. Better known as .
Polyurethane foam. Used to treat ceilings and walls.
Chipboard and fibreboard. Contains wood waste.
Arbolit. It is made from shavings, sawdust, reeds and straw.

The mice can easily gnaw through any of these materials and arrange them inside the shelter. IN wooden house Straw is often used for insulation, in which pests feel comfortable.

Inorganic insulation

Mice cannot chew through these materials. They are solid, and it is impossible to stay inside due to the small amount of oxygen.

Note!
Insulation is made from slag, glass, asbestos and rocks. It can be hard and free-flowing and can be produced in the form of slabs, mats, and rolls.

This group includes:

Mineral wool. It can be stone or slag. Stone wool is made from rocks. The second type is made from slag, which is obtained during metal casting. Mice will not breed in mineral wool, but they can chew through it.
Glass wool. It is made from the same materials as glass or from glass production waste. This includes the following types of insulation: basalt wool (fiberglass) and slag wool. Its most famous manufacturer is Izover.
Perlite and vermiculite. Loose and hard. This insulation is not eaten by mice because it is very hard on their teeth.
Foam concrete and aerated concrete. Used when working with ceilings, walls and floors.
Penoizol. Expensive insulation that can be used in a built house.

Rodents do not breed in inorganic insulation materials. But in mineral wool it is easy for them to make moves. in glass wool they are also capable of gnawing a hole to a food source.

Note!
Waterproofing films are often laid on top of the insulation. They help protect the structure from excess moisture and extend the life of the insulating material.

To protect and insulate pipes, fiberglass is usually used, which rodents do not favor.

What mice won't chew

What Mice Don't Chew Solid insulation doesn't breed mice. They simply cannot make a hole for themselves in these materials.

Foam glass

It has sufficient strength, thanks to which it protects the house from the invasion of rodents and insects. There are two types:

bulk;
tiled.

The first type is used when it is necessary to insulate floors, ceilings and ceilings. Plates are used to insulate walls.

Foam glass has the following advantages:

Does not emit harmful fumes environment and is safe for human health.
Allows you to use a jigsaw or hacksaw, so it's easy to work with.
Does not affect insulation sun rays or moisture. It is durable and easy to operate.
Rodents are not able to gnaw a hole in it.
Prevents the appearance of fungus.

Although mice do not like this insulation, they can enter the room through the seams between the slabs. To prevent this from happening, you should use a sealant and lay the material on a solution whose quality has been confirmed by positive reviews.

Expanded clay

It is made from special clay, which is cleaned and then formed into granules with a diameter of 10 to 25 mm. The granules are hardened at high temperatures, increasing their strength and reducing weight.

Interesting!
More often, expanded clay is used to insulate attic floors and basements, but the material can also be used for walls.

Mice will not be able to move in walls covered with expanded clay. They will simply drown in small fractions. The dust contained in the insulation will not allow rodents to breathe normally and will clog their noses, and the teeth of mice and rats will break on durable balls. Animals cannot survive in such conditions.

The material has the following advantages:

It insulates walls well.
Has zero fire hazard.
Does not allow extraneous sounds to pass through.
Inexpensive and durable.
Provides reliable waterproofing.

Expanded clay is not used for wall insulation wooden house. Brick walls are insulated during the construction phase.

Clay balls are also used to insulate the underground. To do this, small granules are selected and laid using the “dry screed” technology. In this case, expanded clay can be poured onto the ground or onto concrete.

Foam concrete

It is produced in the form of blocks and in the form of a solution. The latter type is good because it does not have seams through which mice and rats can enter a person’s home.

Insulation materials are treated brick walls from the street or pour it inside the masonry during construction work.

Interesting!
Foam concrete is made from sand, water, foaming agent and cement. After hardening it becomes very hard. And if builders are concerned about the question of which insulation does not harbor mice, it is worth paying attention to this material. Rodents will avoid it.

Blocks are used to insulate walls. The floor is insulated with a solution. The material has many advantages:

Houses made of foam blocks are warm, quiet and durable.
The insulation does not absorb moisture and does not crack.
Rodents, ants and cockroaches cannot live in it.
Laying the blocks is easy because they are light in weight.
The material is easy to process. It is sawed, cut and drilled if necessary.

Insulation is not used indoors, because condensation may form at its joints, which will cause the development of mold fungi.

Ecowool

Insulation is a new material in construction, but it is becoming increasingly popular, despite its high cost. Fiber can be applied only with special equipment. After it hardens, it is leveled using a roller.

Thermal insulation material is produced from cellulose. It can be located inside and outside the building; it has no disadvantages in use.

The list of advantages of ecowool is as follows:

It is safe for humans and animals living indoors.
It muffles any noise that the street makes and keeps the house warm.
Does not rot or decompose.
It has a low fire hazard because it actively releases moisture when heated.

The material is light and soft, so some people don't understand why mice and rats can't chew it. The fact is that ecowool contains ortho boric acid. It causes suffocation and dehydration in animals. If a pest wants to make a nest in the material, it will not be able to live there for long.

The acid is also endowed with antiseptic properties, and it is this that prevents the cotton wool from catching fire when heated.

How to protect insulation

So that you don’t have to think about how to get rid of mice in the insulation and spend money on new material, you should take care of the safety of your home during construction.

The following points should be followed, and rodents will not be able to damage the insulation or enter the home:

To insulate the floor covering, use bulk material.
Minimize the number of seams when insulating walls.
Use roofing felt when insulating the roof.
Finish the façade of the building with durable cladding.
Make a strip foundation.

It is necessary to take care of the type of insulation before construction begins, because not all materials can be used when the building has already been put into operation.

If the house uses organic insulation, it should be rolled into concrete or covered with a fine mesh. In this case, rodents will not be able to create a mouse hole in it.

Sometimes mice still bother their owners, despite all the work done. Then you have to deal with pests accessible ways: enable ultrasonic repeller, set mousetraps, lay out poisonous baits. You can have a cat in your home. Its smell will scare away rodents from human possessions.

Builders or consultants at a hardware store will help you choose the appropriate type of insulation. Order suitable material It is also possible via the Internet. It will be delivered wherever you are - in Moscow, St. Petersburg or a small town.

No matter how high the performance and thermal insulation qualities of the insulation, rats and mice can destroy all the efforts of the builders. Rodents create passages and burrows in materials. They are hard to stop. However, there are materials that are less susceptible to rodent attacks. Additional protection methods can also be used. What kind of insulation mice do not gnaw will be discussed in detail below.

Features of materials

When planning construction work, each owner own home must choose the most suitable type of insulation that is not chewed by mice and ants. The fact is that such pests can penetrate inside the thermal insulation through the smallest cracks, cracks in the facade, foundation, etc. Once they settle here, they will never leave their cozy little house. It will be extremely difficult to smoke them out of here.

If such a problem occurs, major repairs will be required soon. The old thermal insulation only needs to be dismantled. It will be impossible to get rid of rodents any other way.

Mice and rats do not eat insulation. But they gnaw passages in the material and create holes. Through these areas, heat quickly leaves the room, creating cold bridges. As a result, you will need to pay much more for energy in the winter. Due to improper functioning of the thermal insulation, condensation will appear in the house. Other building materials will begin to quickly deteriorate.

To prevent this, you need to know which insulation is not chewed by mice and rats. Most of the modern materials on the market today cannot resist pest attack. When choosing thermal insulation, you need to understand what qualities it must have in order to be less attractive to rodents. Such materials have a very reasonable cost.

It is also worth saying that there are methods that can protect even those insulation materials that are becoming a favorite option for mice and rats from pest attacks. When drawing up an estimate for future repairs or construction, these features must be taken into account so as not to have to redo the work again in the near future.

What qualities should the material have?

When studying which insulation mice do not like, you should consider what qualities such a material should have. Rodents choose thermal insulation for nesting, which is low-density. This kind of thermal insulation is easier to chew through. Water should not accumulate in this material. Inside such a “house” mice and rats should feel warm and comfortable. These are the materials that pests choose. Rodents can also use some of them as food. Therefore, when purchasing thermal insulation, you need to find out whether mice eat the insulation of this group.

To avoid troubles and additional costs, you need to pay attention to materials of increased density. Rodents cannot harm them. Therefore, dense blocks are much preferable to soft rolled materials.

It is also worth noting that mice do not breed in thermal insulation that has been impregnated with special antiseptic compounds. The concentration of such reagents should be minimal so as not to harm human health. However, it is better to purchase such insulation for external insulation. Their use indoors is not recommended.

Another factor that helps prevent rodent infestations is the flowability of the material. Here it is impossible to create a cozy hole or gnaw through a passage. This repels mice and rats. They leave in search of another suitable nesting site. A number of insulation materials meet these requirements. However, not every material that is in demand among buyers today can boast of similar qualities.

Where do mice like to live?

When choosing insulation that is not chewed by mice, it is worth considering which types should definitely not be used during construction work if there is a high probability of damage by mice. There are 3 groups of such thermal insulation:

based on foam plastic (including expanded polystyrene, penoizol);
mineral wool;
MDF boards, chipboard, fiberboard.

The listed materials are characterized by relatively low density. Rodents especially liked polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam. These are synthetic materials. Mice don't eat them. But here they gnaw through passages easily. At the same time, they feel comfortable in dry, warm polystyrene foam. Therefore, all types of polystyrene foam should be excluded from the estimate. Up to 80% of this material is chewed off by pests within a few years after repair or construction.

It is worth noting that penoizol (liquid polystyrene foam) and polystyrene foam are also readily spoiled by mice. Although these insulation materials are denser than polystyrene foam, they are not able to withstand the attack of rodents.

Some buyers are interested in whether mice chew basalt insulation. The answer to this question is yes. Rodents do not eat this material. However, they willingly make passages and nests in this material. It does not matter what type of mineral wool (glass wool, basalt fiber, etc.) the home owners use. Mice ruin this material.

This is also typical for fiberboard, chipboard, and MDF. Mice can chew through these plates. But they can even eat natural materials, such as straw, reeds or sawdust. Therefore, such insulation will not only a cozy home for hordes of mice or rats, but also for lunch.

Ecowool

Almost all of the most popular insulation materials are not suitable for installation in areas where there is a high risk of rodent attacks. So what to do? What kind of insulation is not chewed by mice and rats? There are several options that are not inferior to the listed materials in terms of thermal insulation properties. At the same time, they will not allow pests to settle inside the walls.

One such material is ecowool. Its thermal conductivity is minimal, and its service life with proper installation reaches 80 years. In terms of its performance indicators, ecowool is not inferior to mineral wool and expanded polystyrene.

It is worth noting that the bulk of this material is formed by cellulose. At the same time, ecowool is not subject to combustion and does not emit into the environment harmful substances. Sound insulation performance is 4 times higher than that of mineral wool. Ecowool is not afraid of moisture. Condensation does not accumulate in it.

Ecowool is applied manually or using special pneumatic equipment. The second option is preferable. However, the equipment will require additional costs. Also, the insulation itself is quite expensive. Therefore, ecowool has not yet become so widespread. Like other types of insulation. There are certain installation requirements. Ecowool dries out within 2-4 days at normal humidity. Therefore, it must be protected from moisture.

Why is ecowool the insulation that mice are afraid of? It contains boric acid and brown salts. Their concentration is low. It does not harm human health. However, for mice this becomes an insurmountable barrier. They run away from this insulation. Also, fungi and microorganisms do not grow in ecowool. Therefore, the high cost of the material is completely justified.

Foam glass

What kind of insulation does mice not eat? There is another option that is suitable for creating thermal insulation in a private home. This is foam glass. This material has not yet gained much popularity. However, it is gradually conquering the market. This material is made from waste from the glass industry. They are crushed and mixed with anthracite, coke, and other similar substances.

The blanks are placed in special molds and then fired. Bulk type foam glass is available for sale, as well as thermal insulation in the form of slabs. This material is not affected by moisture. Even with prolonged contact with water, it does not lose its performance qualities.

Under the influence of temperature, foam glass does not shrink or collapse. In this case, the slabs can be sawed. They are glued using mastics. The service life of this material is 100 years.

This is quite expensive material. At the same time, it has a lot of weight. A more powerful foundation will be required, which also entails additional costs. Various microorganisms and fungi cannot live in such material. Rodents cannot handle this material, since foam glass is an abrasive. They are not able to live in slabs of this insulation. It is also not possible to set up burrows, for obvious reasons.

Therefore, when considering which insulation does not allow mice to grow in, this option should be considered as one of the possible ones. Its high cost pays off with a very long service life.

Foam concrete

You should also pay attention to a material such as foam concrete when choosing insulation for walls. Mice will not gnaw on walls made of this material. These are cellular blocks. The uniform distribution of bubbles is ensured by stirring. One layer of the wall is laid out from cellular hollow foam concrete. This will be enough to ensure high-quality protection of the home from heat loss.

It should be noted that not all brands of foam concrete can be used as insulation. For these purposes, you need to purchase types of material such as D400 or D500. The blocks can be sawed and used for gluing mastic.

The advantage of this insulation is its non-flammability and durability. Load-bearing structures they don't build from it. However, foam blocks have proven themselves as insulation materials positive side. Their installation is quick. Even a non-professional builder can cope with this task. It's also environmentally friendly pure material. It does not release toxins into the environment even with significant heating.

The disadvantage of this material is its susceptibility to moisture. It must be additionally protected from precipitation. To do this, a layer of plaster is created. In this case, a vapor barrier must be used. When exposed to moisture, fungi can develop in foam blocks.

This material is too tough for rodents. Therefore, you can safely build a layer of foam concrete insulation.

Expanded clay

When choosing insulation that is not chewed by mice, you should pay attention to loose expanded clay. This is an environmentally friendly option for thermal insulation. It consists of granules of different sizes. Contains clay. It undergoes special processing. The material is fired at high temperatures.

Depending on the fraction of the material, expanded clay sand, crushed stone and gravel are distinguished. The thermal conductivity of this material is higher than that of ecowool or mineral wool. However, its cost is relatively low. Therefore, this material is considered first during construction planning.

Expanded clay is difficult to use in the construction of large, high objects. However, among the advantages it should be noted that this material does not rot or burn. It is also not susceptible to corrosion. Rodents cannot live in it. This is a bulk material in which it is impossible to build tunnels. The material may lose its thermal insulation qualities with prolonged contact with water.

Expanded clay has an acceptable cost and a long service life. It is comparable to the service life of the building.

Having considered what kind of insulation mice do not live in, it is also worth considering several nuances. They need to be taken into account when choosing material. Of course, due to its low cost, expanded clay is the most attractive for buyers. However, experts say that its use is not always possible.

So, for a wooden house that requires reconstruction, expanded clay is not used as insulation. The fact is that the weight of such material will be significant. This will increase the load on the foundation. He may not be able to stand it. Therefore, you should give preference to lightweight materials.

Expanded clay is well suited for insulating the floor and ceiling of a new home. Its weight is taken into account when developing the foundation.

It is advisable to use foam concrete by creating a layer of insulation in brick house. This is essentially the second wall of the building. A non-standard solution is to insulate the house from the inside using such blocks. This can be done even in a wooden structure. However, the internal space will be slightly reduced.

This material is relatively light, since the blocks have hollow chambers inside. They additionally accumulate heat. In winter, such blocks will release the accumulated energy back into the room. Therefore, it is more advisable to create such a layer inside the house. Load on existing foundation will be minimal.

When can you use ecowool and foam glass?

Knowing which insulation is not chewed by mice, you should take into account the recommendations of builders about which material is better in a particular case. Foam glass can be used for different types objects. This thermal insulation is used to insulate both walls, floors, and ceilings. It can also be used to make finishing for facades and indoors.

The only limitation for the use of foam glass is rooms with high humidity. It is better to install other types of materials here. Otherwise, the walls will begin to rot. It is worth considering that this material is quite heavy. It should not be purchased for building reconstruction. The foundation of such a house is not designed to support additional weight.

For most construction work, ecowool is suitable as insulation. Its cost may confuse the buyer somewhat. However, its service life will be very long. Ecowool is suitable for both stone, brick and wooden buildings. At the same time, the material has high adhesion. Therefore, it can be applied to surfaces of any configuration. All cracks in the base will be filled with this insulation.

Ecowool is a lightweight material. There is no need to worry that the weight of the structure will increase. Moreover, this insulation can be applied to both vertical and horizontal surfaces, ceilings, attic walls, etc. Ecowool fits tightly to the base, preventing moisture from penetrating inside.

Professional builders claim that ecowool is the most preferable option if you need to create thermal insulation. It is safe for human health, but rodents will not be able to live in it.

Other methods of protection

Having considered which insulation mice do not chew, you should consider ways to protect conventional thermal insulation. Can be covered with regular material metal mesh with small cells. This will prevent rodents from getting inside. Special chemicals can also be used. The most popular of them are “Goliath”, “Ratsid”, etc. The insulation is processed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Some owners make a backfill from dry leaves. The sounds repel rodents. However, this method is the least reliable of all.

Having considered which insulation is not chewed by mice, you can choose the appropriate option.

Insulation is a necessary material when building a house. It increases the thermal insulation of the building and allows you to create an optimal microclimate for human habitation. It is the correctly selected and installed insulation that allows you to reduce the costs spent on heating the room when the temperature drops.

When choosing a thermal insulation material, you should pay attention not only to its performance characteristics, but also to whether rodents breed in it.

The teeth of mice and rats require constant grinding. If the animals stop gnawing, they simply will not be able to open their mouths normally due to their incisors being too long. In addition, rodents use some materials to build nests. Today we will figure out which insulation is not chewed by mice and rats, and we will also tell you about the secrets of choosing the right material, which in the future will prevent the need to re-insulate.

What kind of insulation do mice and rats like?

All thermal insulation materials can be schematically divided into two groups. The first includes insulation materials that rodents use as nests or for boring teeth. The second group includes building materials that are of absolutely no interest to rodents.

If you plan to use insulation from the first group, then you should take care of their additional protection.

The main parameter by which rodents choose housing for themselves is that the material must have low density, be warm and dry

The insulation materials favored by rodents include:

Pepoplex;
Chipboards;
Penoizol.

Polystyrene foam is most often used when carrying out work on insulating premises. This popularity is due to the lightness of the material, affordable cost and does not cause problems during installation work. Rodents also loved the material.

If rodents get into your home, the foam may not be enough for several seasons

The animals will gnaw through the insulation and then arrange a place for their home. In addition, rodents crumble the material into small fractions and use the pieces to insulate their nests.

This is interesting! Foam with small pores is more resistant to rodent teeth.

Some owners of private houses try to fight pests by placing various poisons directly under the cladding. This method of control is quite controversial, since the rodent can die right in the insulation, and the decomposing body will cause an unpleasant odor in the house. To remove the corpse, you will have to dismantle the structure.

Extruded polystyrene foam is a modern version of conventional polystyrene foam. It differs from the base material in improved resistance to high air humidity. The material is used for insulation of residential and production premises. It is widely believed that due to its high density and strength, rodents avoid it, but this is not true. Mice and rats destroy polystyrene foam no less readily than regular polystyrene foam.

Penoplex, like foam plastic, is not eaten by rodents, but they use the material to build a nest.

Rodents do not eat Penoplex, but they violate its thermal insulation properties.

Remember that penoplex whose integrity has been compromised almost completely loses its thermal insulation characteristics, and restoring the insulation will require significant physical and financial costs from the home owner.

Despite promises from manufacturers that rodents do not use mineral wool to build their nests, using insulation will not help protect your home from pests.

Rodents not only use mineral wool to build their homes, but also live in this insulation much more often than in many others. Experts have found that rodents create the most optimal and closest to natural conditions for permanent residence.

The material has enormous advantages over other insulation materials, but resistance to rodents cannot be considered one of its advantages.

Mineral wool has excellent soundproofing characteristics, so you won’t even hear rodents inside

Chipboards

If you decide to insulate your house with chipboards, then you should think in advance about how to protect the material from rodents. Like all similar materials, chipboards are made of wood, and therefore will not become a serious obstacle to entry into the home for mice and rats.

Penoizol

There is an opinion that, unlike polystyrene foam, the liquid material penoizol is too tough for mice and rats, but this is a fairly common misconception.

You can do a simple experiment - just seal the mouse hole with this insulation and wait a while. The material will not become an obstacle in the path of the rodent, since very soon a hole will appear in it.

Passages are created in the casing for fast travel around the house. It is interesting that rodents also do not use penoizol to furnish their homes, preferring other materials.

Rodent-resistant insulation

In general, rodents avoid insulation materials of inorganic origin, which have a rather dense and hard structure that they cannot handle. Such insulation materials include:

Foam concrete;

Most often, mice avoid inorganic materials with a solid and friable structure.

A modern thermal insulation material, available for sale in the form of a bulk substance or solid slabs. The insulation has an increased service life and is absolutely impervious to the teeth of rodents.

The material is made from waste glass foamed with a carbon mixture. The result is strong glass cells that fit as tightly as possible to each other.

The advantages of the material include:

High thermal insulation characteristics of the room;
Easy installation;
Immunity to high air humidity;
Pest protection;
Can be used for insulation of residential and non-residential premises.

Foam glass is one of the most expensive insulation materials with a stated service life of up to 100 years.

The insulation differs in that it damages the animal’s oral cavity when trying to gnaw through it. Even if a mouse or rat tries to chew through the passage, they will abandon this idea as quickly as possible.

Foam concrete

Foam concrete is a material for insulating various premises, both residential and non-residential. It is supplied to the market in the form of a bulk mixture or blocks. According to their own technical specifications is as close as possible to concrete, but has less weight.

The material is used infrequently due to its disadvantages:

Plaster does not adhere well to the surface;
Increased sensitivity to moisture;
If installation rules are violated, you may encounter the development of mold fungi in the joints.

Its only advantage is its resistance to rodents.

Another popular material for insulating buildings, which is immune to mice and rats. The material is obtained by firing clay. The result is light fractions of various sizes with a porous structure.

The material is poured into cavities when insulating the foundation, floors of the house frame, as well as when performing roofing work.

When moving under expanded clay, the animal will begin to experience hypoxia

The main advantages of the material include:

Simplicity when carrying out insulation work;
Absolute safety from an environmental point of view.

Another advantage is the hardness of the granules, which turns the material into pest-resistant insulation. Moreover, even if a rat or mouse penetrates the cavity with the heat-insulating material, they will not be able to move freely and will experience discomfort due to lack of air.

Ecowool is a modern insulation material, the advantages and disadvantages of which are still fiercely debated among builders around the world. At the same time, the main advantage of the material remains undeniable - mice and rats avoid it.

The material is made from cellulose, and special additives and additives make the material resistant to fire. Another advantage is excellent noise insulation characteristics. For comparison, mineral wool, which is famous for its soundproofing properties, is almost 4 times inferior to ecowool.

The material can be applied manually or using special spray installations. After installation, there are absolutely no joints, due to which the thermal insulation characteristics are at the highest level.

Ecowool is a very light material and is great for insulating ceilings or floors

Manufacturers supplement the composition with orthoboric acid and boric salts. Substances, interacting with a rodent, provoke the development of dehydration, lack of air and sudden death. In this regard, pests prefer to avoid the material.

How to protect insulation from pests

If you notice that a population of rodents has appeared in the insulating material, you must immediately begin pest control measures. We act according to the following principle:

We disassemble the structure, dismantle the damaged insulation and replace it with a new one, which rodents prefer not to chew;
It is necessary to fill the mouse passages with broken glass;
Rodents will not live in the insulation unless there are provisions for them. optimal conditions for life, and there will be no source of food;
Provide additional protection for the foundation from the outside, and then rodents will not be able to get inside the room.

To protect the insulation, you can use a special mesh, ultrasonic devices to repel pests, or simply get a cat, which rodents are afraid of at the genetic level.

Metal mesh

Galvanized metal mesh is mainly used to protect the floor of the house. It is fixed to the joists and prevents pests from gaining access to the insulating material.

The advantages of the material include:

Simple installation that does not require special construction skills;
The product is sold at an affordable price;
Does not contain toxic substances:
Does not rust and does not lose its performance characteristics over time;
Does not affect air circulation.

Boric acid is an excellent preventative against rodents. The powder can be used to treat the insulation or scatter the substance near existing rodent burrows, as well as around the perimeter of the entire room.

Boric acid, used as a disinfectant, will also help deal with rodents

When the substance enters the pest’s body, it provokes dehydration and disrupts normal breathing, ultimately causing the rodents to die.

This is important! If small children and animals live in the room, then boric acid cannot be used!

Ultrasonic repellers

Such devices create special sound waves that are not perceived by the human ear, but at the same time have a negative effect on nervous system rodents, creating unsuitable living conditions indoors.

After connecting the repeller, the first few days you may encounter an increase in the number of rodents. In fact, the unpleasant sound forces pests to hastily leave their homes and crawl out into visible places in search of a way out of the room.

The advantage of such devices is:

Environmental safety;
No harmful substances;
They can work without interruption, without causing discomfort to people living in the premises;
They lure rodents out of walls, floors and holes in insulation;
Large range of action.

Disadvantages of repellers:

Sound does not pass through walls, so the device must be installed in every room.

domestic cat

The cat is a natural enemy of rodents and will help get rid of the pest population. Mostly, pets are used to fight mice, since not every cat can cope with rats.

It is quite difficult to force purebred cats to hunt, so the best mouse hunters are yard cats.

A biological weapon called the “house cat” will help protect not only insulation, but also your food supplies

Properly selected insulation will help protect your home not only from the cold, but also from rodents. It is advisable to immediately give preference to those insulation materials that are resistant to animals. Replacing insulation after building a house will cost serious material and physical costs.