Ideas for covering vents to stop pests getting in

crawlspacepest-controlvent

We have a crawl space under our house and the wire mesh covering the vents is shredded. I want to keep the animals out and would like some ideas on the best way to do it.

Dimensions of the old crawl space vent

I was planning to replace the wire mesh that is currently there with new mesh (1/8") but it is difficult to get access to the back of the vent from inside the crawl space. Also the old mesh is difficult to remove and that makes attaching new mesh hard.

There are some commercially available vents but none that seem to fit.

I had thought to create a wire mesh plug for each of the 3.75” x 5.25” holes (they are about 0.5” deep) but I am low on ideas for how to create a frame and attach it (I would like it to be replaceable for the next time the mesh is damaged).

Any ideas gratefully received.

Best Answer

enter image description hereYou can purchase stamped louvered foundation vents and attach with (stainless) screws and wall anchors or make a frame with window screen frame parts and mesh and attach in similar fashion but with swivel screen clips. The open screen has a higher air flow rate than the louvered vent.