Hey everyone! We have a problem with Norway rats burrowing under our house, and they've caused quite a bit of damage to the ductwork. Our house is on piers with concrete footings and a sill around the edges, but most of the crawlspace is just bare dirt. We're considering installing a rat slab as a solution to the rodent issue, but I'm worried it might take up too much vertical space since the crawlspace is already super tight—there's barely enough room to crawl in there. I want to know if installing a rat slab typically reduces the vertical clearance, and whether it's common practice to dig out some of the dirt before pouring the cement. I'm getting mixed signals from the contractor, so I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks!
3 Answers
From what I've heard, a rat slab can take away at least 3 inches of clearance if they don’t excavate any dirt first. It's really important to ask the contractor how they plan to deal with such tight conditions; you'll want to ensure they have a good plan for pouring the concrete without compromising the space even more!
If you manage to make the slab smooth enough, you could keep a creeper down there for easy access to do maintenance. It would be much better than crawling over dirt, even if you lose a little space. Just make sure the slab is flat!
I haven’t dealt with a rat slab myself, but it sounds like it could reduce your space. Have you thought about using hardware cloth or mesh for rodent control instead? It might be a less invasive solution that keeps your crawlspace accessible!
Good idea! I’ve been looking into some other options like flashing or mesh, but I’m curious about what the slab might involve since people say it’s a thorough solution.
Thanks for the heads-up! I'll definitely ask them about their plans!