About US
About Critter Quitter®
About Vent Repair, Critter Quitters® and how our product can help the consumer and various industries
What Is A Critter Quitter®?
Unlike other products that are either screens or guards that just cover the vent to keep squirrels away, the Critter Quitter® has a patented design that takes the rain water and directs it into the vent and out the house drain, thus keeping the area between the outside of the pipe and the damaged flashing from becoming wet. This stops further leakage into the plywood base, which is called decking in roofer language, and thus further damage. Its outside shell protects the vent from squirrels, and it’s an attractive addition to any roof.
Critter Quitters® come with a screened inlet that keeps pests such as rodents and frogs out of your home, and thus out of your plumbing. So you need not worry about any animals being where they shouldn’t be. Plus the screened inlet will keep leaves and other debris out of the vent, so it cannot become plugged and slow or stop your sink or toilets from working properly.
Critter Quitters® can also be used on new and used roofs. In fact install them on a new roof is the best time as the vents will not require repair in the future. Also as a side benefit, since the vent is protected from the sunlight and the elements, lead oxidation is reduced, and thus roof stains are eliminated. So no more unsightly gray runs down your shingles making the roof look far older than it is.
Critter Quitters® don’t require any modification to the existing flashing so they can be used on new or damaged vents. They are easy to install with 4 screws, and come in a standard pitch that will fit most homes.
Why Use Critter Quitter®
Below is a little background on what a roof vent is and why Critter Quitter® is the answer
What Are Plumbing Vents?
Plumbing vents are those little pipes you see sticking up from your roof. They serve an important function in your homes plumbing system. When you flush your toilet, run the dishwasher, or drain the sink, water runs out of your plumbing system through a P trap that keeps sewer gasses from coming back up into your home. Plumbing vents allow air to come in behind these traps and displace the waste water being flushed out of the home. If they were not there the water would not flush. They are vented on the roof to keep the sewer gasses out of the home since these smell bad and can often be explosive.
Since they vent to the outside, a method is required to seal the vent to the roof to prevent leaks when it rains. This is called “flashing” and is either lead or rubber. Critter Quitters® are designed to work with lead flashing, not rubber flashing. If your flashing looks like the pictures below, Critter Quitters® will work. If you see a black rubber gasket then Critter Quitters® are not appropriate, although they will still fit. They will do no harm and improve the look of the home.
What Is Lead Flashing?
Lead Flashing is simply a soft lead pipe with a square plate at the bottom that is slid over the vent, nailed down under the shingles, and the top folded over the vent pipe to seal it. They often look “beat up” or wrinkled. If you live in the deep Southern states or along the coast of Texas, Georgia, and the Carolinas odds are you have lead flashing, although it is fairly common in other states.
Lead flashing is used in these regions because the combination of high sunlight and lots of rain make rubber a poor choice. Rubber deteriorates in sunlight quickly, and when it does the roof will leak. Lots of rain brings lots of leaks. Lead lasts the lifetime of the roof, at least until the squirrels get to it.
What Is A Rubber Grommet?
Rubber Grommet flashing is a flexible rubber disk that is nailed down to the plywood roof base and the vent runs though the rubber which seals it. These can always be identified by the white or painted PVC pipe sticking through. Generally these do not require shielding from squirrels. Unfortunately in high rain high sun these become brittle and crack after a few years and are thus not used much in these areas. This is mainly the Southern states.
How Do I Know If My Vents Are Damaged?
If you look up at your roof and see white sticking out of your lead flashing, your vents have been damaged. But really the best way is to go on the roof and check them, often squirrels will chew the top of the flashing and you cannot see this from the ground. If you have never been on your roof before we recommend using a professional or someone that has experience on roofs. But be aware they may not be aware of Critter Quitters® and vent repair, so they may wish to do a shingle removal and put in a new flashing. This is risky as the shingles may be hard to match and it may result in a dog patch looking repair. So make sure your vent repair is done with Critter Quitters®.
Do You Get Frogs, Rats Or Snakes In Your Toilet?
Have you ever heard of a frog, rat, or snake getting into your toilet or sink? It happens. In fact it happened to me. My wife was screaming about a frog in the toilet, and sure enough a giant tree frog was in there. Later on, my father in law called and said he had a rat in his toilet. Now frogs are bad enough, but rats are dangerous and can both bite and spread disease, plus if they get loose in your house they are hard to catch.
Apparently, the vents are a major way these animals get into the house. They either jump in or crawl in. Once heading down they can’t turn around, and they fall into your homes drainage system. They will swim through the toilet or sink trap and end up in your house.
Critter Quitters® come with a screened inlet that keeps these pests out of your home, and thus out of your plumbing. So you need not worry about any animals being where they shouldn’t be. Plus the screened inlet will keep leaves and other debris out of the vent, so it cannot become plugged and slow or stop your sink or toilets from working properly.
How does Critter Quitter® Work?
Unlike other products that are either screens or guards that just cover the vent to keep squirrels away, the Critter Quitter® has a patented design that takes the rain water and directs it into the vent and out the house drain, thus keeping the area between the outside of the pipe and the damaged flashing from becoming wet. This stops further leakage into the plywood base, which is called decking in roofer language, and thus further damage. Its outside shell protects the vent from squirrels, and it’s an attractive addition to any roof. It doesn’t require any modification to the existing flashing so it can be used on new or damaged vents. They are easy to install with 4 screws, and come in a standard pitch that will fit most homes.
Can Critter Quitters® Be Used On New Roofs?
Absolutely. In fact it’s the best time to install them as the vents will not require repair. They don’t require any flashing trimming or modification, so they can be installed and protect your vents from potential squirrel attack and keep animals out of the plumbing.
Also as a side benefit, since the vent is protected from the sunlight and the elements, lead oxidation is reduced, and thus roof stains are eliminated. So no more unsightly gray runs down your shingles making the roof look far older than it is.
Are Critter Quitters® Easy To Install?
Yes, all it takes is a screw driver. Each unit has 4 screws that hold it in place by passing through the lead flashing and biting into the pipe. This provides a firm mount. The average time to install is about 15 minutes per unit, and you don’t have to pull up shingles or cut the flashing. Simply cut the unit to fit (unless you ordered a precut unit,) slide it over the damaged flashing and put the screws in place. Its an easy vent repair vs. an expensive vent flashing replacement.
Real Estate Professionals
As a real estate professional, you know a home has to pass a home inspection before it can be sold or bought. Often a home will fail inspection because the home inspector finds that the plumbing vents have been chewed off by squirrels and are leaking. In the past the only answer to this would be to call a roofer and have the home re-flashed, an expensive repair that requires removal of shingles. This can be problematic on older homes with worn shingles, and certainly opens up the possibility of having to replace damaged plywood if the vent has leaked for a long time. On top of that, the new owner would be faced with the same problem in a few years when the squirrels repeat the process on the new vent flashing.
Critter Quitters® offer a great alternative to this. If a home fails inspection due to leaking vents, instead of re-flashing, install Critter Quitters®. These will stop the vent from leaking, protect it from further attack, and add an attractive look to the home. They are a cost effective vent repair and simple to install by any handyman or even the home owner themselves.
So whether the home has a new roof or an old one, when your client buys Critter Quitters® they are buying piece of mind.
Pest Management Professionals
Critter Quitter® Vent Repair is an ideal adder for Rodent and Animal Exclusion Contracts. Pest control companies have purchased thousands of Critter Quitters® for this purpose. The reason is that not only does the unit exclude frogs, rats, and snakes from a homes plumbing, but it also stops damaged vents from leaking and protects the vent from future squirrel attack. This provides the customer with multiple benefits. They are also attractive and add value to the home.
If your pest control company doesn’t do roof work, offering Exclusion Contracts with Critter Quitters® should be considered as an additional revenue stream. The benefits to the customer are worth it and it will provide tremendous good will as you would have stopped a host of issues. In addition, they often bring in additional business when neighbors see them being installed as often they will want them also. It is one of the few products that is very profitable a pest control professional can do on a roof that doesn’t require a license as you are not removing shingles, you are simply sliding this onto an existing flashing. Its an effective vent repair without the cost. Consider giving them a try, we offer a free sample if you wish.
Building Maintenance Professionals
Building Maintenance Professionals from the handyman to apartment, hotel, or condominium maintenance can also benefit from Critter Quitters® as once installed there will be no more leaks and the vents will be protected from further damage. Once installed, the vent is protected and there will be no need to re-flash. This is a major advantage over previous repairs. In the past, the shingles would have to be removed and a new flashing installed. This often looked bad, especially if the shingles were old and cracked. It also was often a very low margin project as the roofer would have to spend time hunting for shingles that matched, repair the damaged shingles when removed, and have to charge a large fee for his time. This often would not be easily accepted from the home owner, especially if the shingles didnt match, something out of the control of the roofer. Now with a Critter Quitter a roofer can simply use the existing flashing and just repair it with no shingle work. Fast and it looks great. In addition, the chances of frogs and rats getting into the building are greatly reduced
Easy to install and effective, Critter Quitters® are a great solution to roofing professionals seeking additional revenue streams.