The owner of a restaurant established in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville for several years called us after seeing cockroaches in the professional kitchen and receiving a warning from the municipal inspector during a health control visit. Due to the strict requirements of Quebec food regulations, it was imperative to identify and eliminate all infiltration routes before the next inspection visit. Catering facilities have particularly pest-friendly conditions: constant heat, high humidity and plenty of food within reach. A smoke test in a food commercial environment was prescribed to map all the flaws in the plumbing and the building envelope before starting any corrective work. This preliminary diagnostic process is essential to obtain lasting and not only apparent compliance.
Complexities of a Foodservice Establishment
In a restaurant, the plumbing network is considerably more complex than in a residential setting: grease interceptors, several floor drains, mechanical ventilation ducts, pipe passages through the fire walls and the exhaust hood. Before proceeding with the test, the technicians of our team in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville carried out a preliminary inspection of all the kitchen equipment to identify areas of moisture retention and potential passages around the pipes. They also checked the space under the stainless steel counters and behind the refrigeration appliances, areas that are particularly conducive to cockroaches due to the heat released by the engines. The test was carried out on the Monday morning before the arrival of the staff, after temporary sealing of all the floor drains and traps. The inert smoke was injected under pressure into the main system, and technicians methodically patrolled each area of the kitchen and basement for smoke outlets.
Leaks were detected around the grease interceptor gasket, along the wall adjacent to the street, and in the space between the commercial floor and the concrete slab near the emergency exit. A particularly concerning result was identified under the walk-in cooler, where the concrete slab had a longitudinal crack in the floor drain. This crack was a direct entry point for Oriental cockroaches that move through the ground beneath the building, seeking warmth and moisture. This discovery confirmed the origin of the infestation despite the surface treatments carried out previously. The complete fault mapping was sent to the owner in the form of an illustrated report with coordinates of each problem point.
Correction and sealing procedures
Repairing the crack in the tile drain required resin lining in place, a technique that allows the crack to be sealed without having to excavate the kitchen floor, thus avoiding a prolonged closure of the facility. The grease interceptor seals have been replaced with grease and acid resistant EPDM seals. Along the exterior wall, a food-certified silicone-based sealant was applied along the entire length of the wall-floor junction, followed by a galvanized metal panel for rodent-accessible areas. The caulking of all identified ports of entry was documented photo-by-photo to create a regulatory compliance record that could be presented to the municipal inspector. A second passage of smoke the next morning confirmed the tightness of all the treated areas.
Continuous prevention for food stores
Nova Extermination supports restaurants and food businesses on the South Shore with pest management programs adapted to regulatory obligations. For establishments located in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville or in neighbouring cities such as Sainte-Julie or Saint-Basile-le-Grand, an annual service contract that includes two smoke tests and quarterly inspections is the best protection against fines and temporary closures. The restaurant’s management now has a complete register including photos of sealed areas, materials used and recommendations for periodic maintenance. Discover our similar work in our smoke test in a business and our case study in commercial caulking.