FAQs

I'm hearing something in my attic. What do I do?

Sounds from your attic could be many things – ranging from no problem at all (the sound actually being something on the roof itself), to annoying but not dangerous (mice or squirrels in the attic) to actually dangerous for your family (raccoons or bats in your attic). The best thing is to call us and talk through what you’re hearing. That could lead to us doing a FREE inspection.

Why do I care about an animal being in a part of my home that I never go into?

You care about bats and raccoons being in your attic for lots of reasons:

1. The feces they leave behind is toxic. Look on our web site for links to information from the Center For Disease Control.
2. The problem will just get worse. A colony of bats will continue to grow from year to year, and with raccoons, the smell they leave in your attic will simply attract more raccoons.
3. Someday, you will go to sell your house. You will have a buyer all lined up, being feeling really good, and… wham! The buyers home inspection will show that there is bat or raccoon feces in your attic. The buyer will require that this gets taken care of. And when you call your insurance company, and tell them you noticed this a few years ago and did not get it taken care of, they will tell you it’s not covered – you waited to long.

Why did raccoons choose my house?

Raccoons are always looking for a nice cozy home, and attics are perfect for them. Why your attic? Many times it’s because they saw an opportunity – maybe a bird had poked a small hole in your soffit. Maybe a squirrel had scratched an opening. Raccoons are smart, and when they see this, they will enlarge that hole and get it.

I had raccoons several years ago, and I thought they were taken care of. Why are they back?

Removing a few raccoons does not take care of the problem. Even if you have raccoons removed and the insulation removed, that will not take care of the problem. Raccoons leave behind a smell that must be dealt with by professionals who specialize in this field. If that smell is not taken care of – they will come back.

How bad is the health risk??

It’s not good – but don’t take our word for it. Read more from the Center for Disease Control about raccoon related diseases here, and about bat related health issues here.

Questions regarding warranty?

Raccoons

Newnam Restoration Services stands behind all of the work we do. Because of that, we offer a limited lifetime warranty and a one year animal re-entry warranty on our work. The limited lifetime warranty covers any kind of workmanship issue related to the insulation install. The only thing not covered is normal wear and tear – for example, as a building ages and shifts, cracks may develop in the dry wall we repaired. This is beyond our control, and understandably would not be covered under our warranty. The one year animal re-entry warranty covers animals re-entering the same spot they entered originally. This warranty is valid as long as all recommended reinforcing or exclusion work was completed by Newnam Restorations Services, and covers all Newnam Restoration Services labor and materials (trapper’s fees are excluded).

Bats

Newnam Restoration Services stands behind all of the work we do. Because of that, we offer a limited lifetime warranty and a one-year bat re-entry warranty on our work. The limited lifetime warranty covers any kind of workmanship issue related to the insulation install. The one year bat re-entry warranty covers bats re-entering the attic, assuming that raccoons, squirrels, exterior construction, gutters, siding, roofing, severe storms, etc., did not create an opening for bat reentry*. This warranty is valid as long as all recommended reinforcing or exclusion work was completed by Newnam Restorations Services, and covers all Newnam Restoration Services labor and materials. Should the warranty be evoked, it is the homeowners responsibility to do a bat watch to determine where the bats are entering the building.

What about urine stains on the ceiling? Can't I just paint over these?

When urine stains show up on your ceiling, more must be done than just painting over them. The urine started on the attic side of the drywall and seeped all the way through to the inhabited side of the drywall. If you only paint over this, then 1) the urine will eventually seep right through the paint again and 2) the smell of that urine – still trapped in the drywall – will remain. What has to be done is the urine damaged drywall must be cut out and removed; new drywall patched in; and then the ceiling treated so that this patched area does not stand out (new texturing and painting).

Is Newnam Restoration Services one company or 2? I see you operate in 2 different regions.

We are 2 separate corporations with 2 separate owners – 1 based in Chicago, 1 in Indianappolis. However, we share a commitment to making sure our customers are 100% pleased with the work we do!