Pest-Proofing During Renovation
Gaps, Pipe Penetrations, Weep Holes & Mesh (2026)

Why proof during a renovation

Cockroaches, ants, rats, lizards and mosquitoes get into a house through gaps that are almost always hidden once the house is finished: behind the kitchen plinth, around the pipe that goes through the wall, under a door, around an aircon hole. During a renovation many of those gaps are exposed. Closing them then costs a little sealant and a few minutes; closing them later can mean pulling out cabinets.

ClickBina's pest control services guide sums up prevention as denying pests food, water, entry and shelter. Food and water are housekeeping. Entry and shelter are building details, and a renovation is when you can fix them for good.

Where pests get in

The cicak control guide lists almost the same points for lizards: the gap under doors, loose louvre windows, open aircon and cable holes, unscreened vents and gaps where the ceiling meets the wall.

Pipe and cable penetrations

Every pipe or cable that passes through a wall or floor leaves a ring of gap unless it is sealed. Plumbers and electricians often make the hole bigger than the pipe to fit it easily, then move on. Before walls are plastered, tiled or boarded, walk round and check every penetration:

• Kitchen sink waste and supply pipes going into the wall or floor.
• Washing machine inlet and drain points.
• Aircon refrigerant pipes and drain hose through the external wall.
• Cable entries for TV, internet and CCTV.
• Gas pipe entries where fitted.

Seal the gap on both sides with a filler that suits the location: mortar or a suitable sealant around rigid pipes in masonry, and a flexible sealant where the pipe will move or heat up. Where a pipe passes through a wet area, the sealing has to work with the waterproofing, not cut through it.

Kitchen cabinets and plinths

The kitchen is where cockroaches and ants live, and the space behind and under base units is their favourite shelter: dark, warm and close to food and water. During a kitchen renovation:

• Seal the back edge of the worktop to the wall, and the backsplash joints.
• Close the plinth fully, or fit it tight to the floor so there is no gap underneath.
• Seal the holes cut in cabinet backs for pipes and cables.
• Avoid hollow boxing-in that leaves a void pests can reach but you cannot clean.

A cabinet that is easy to wipe out and has no gaps behind it is the most effective long-term pest control a kitchen can have.

Floor traps and drains

Floor traps are a direct route from the drain into the room. A trap that dries out, or a cover that does not close, lets cockroaches and smells in. ClickBina's guide to cockroaches coming out of floor traps explains the fixes. During a bathroom or kitchen renovation, choose traps with covers that close, make sure every trap holds water, and cover any open drain outside the kitchen door.

Doors, windows and screens

The gap under an external door is enough for a lizard, a young rat or a snake. ClickBina's snake and monitor lizard guide recommends sealing gaps under doors, at typically RM30 – RM100 a door. Kitchen and yard doors are the priority.

For windows you actually open, insect screens keep mosquitoes and lizards out without closing the house up. ClickBina's mosquito net cost guide puts installation at roughly RM80 – RM350 per window and RM250 – RM900 per door, and it is easiest to measure and fit them while new frames are going in.

Weep holes and vents: screen, never seal

Some openings are there on purpose. Weep holes in window frames and in some walls let trapped water drain out; vents in bathrooms and roof spaces move air. Sealing them to keep insects out causes water to back up and damp to build, which is worse than the insects. The right answer is a weep vent, insect guard or fine mesh that keeps the opening working while blocking pests. Check new window frames after installation to make sure the weep holes have not been blocked by sealant or plaster.

Costs for the proofing items

These are ClickBina's published ranges (indicative 2026, Klang Valley). Sealing penetrations and cabinet gaps during a renovation is usually part of the trades' work, so it has no separate figure.

If you are building an extension, the ground under the new slab can only be treated before the concrete goes in. ClickBina's pre-construction anti-termite guide explains why that window closes for the life of the building once the slab is cast.

Keep the site from inviting pests

• Clear food waste and drink containers from the site every day.
• Do not leave rubble and packaging stacked against the house for weeks.
• Keep water from pooling in buckets, trays and hollows, which breed mosquitoes.
• Cap open pipe ends when work stops for the day.
• Remove cardboard and timber offcuts, which shelter cockroaches and attract termites.

How ClickBina can help

ClickBina is an experienced KL & Selangor contractor for whole-house refurbishment and trade coordination, so pest-proofing details can be written into the renovation scope and checked before the walls are closed. Pest treatment itself is carried out by a pest control company. WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: the rooms being renovated and the pests you have seen. We reply within the hour, the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges, and a site visit is RM150, waived if you go ahead.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina pest control services guide — food, water, entry and shelter.
• ClickBina cicak, snake and rat control guides — entry points and proofing prices.
• ClickBina cockroach floor trap and mosquito net cost guides — drains and screens.
• ClickBina pre-construction anti-termite guide — soil treatment for extensions.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above; they are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026.