Protect Your Home from Water Damage

Any location near your home’s foundation that has a moisture level of 20% or more will attract pests. A variety of pests seek out damp locations to build their homes, and if there is a food source, like wood, near the damp location, you better believe they will move in a bring all their relatives with them. Water damages your home in two different ways: first the water itself damages the structure, then secondly the dampness sets the stage for pest infestation and mold growth. Protect your home from water damage with these tips.

Inspect Exterior

Inspect the exterior of you home, especially near ground level. Look for shady ares that remain damp, which is prime real estate for pests. If you find shady, damp area, look for small piles of saw dust. Carpenter ants and carpenter bees bore into wood and leave tell-tale piles of saw dust behind. Termites build dirt tunnels so they can travel without exposing themselves to the light of day and love to nest and multiply in a dark, damp location. If you find evidence of pests around your home’s foundation, call an exterminator.

Look Up

While small pests like to enter your home near the ground, large pests often choose to break and enter from a higher location. Under the roof eaves or roof vents are easy locations for squirrels, raccoons and other climbing critters to enter. Woodland critters have sharp teeth and claws, making it easy for them to create a hole large enough for them and rain water to enter. Rain water can get into these animal entrance holes and seep down between the walls, causing mold, mildew and wood rot.

Flowers and Shrubs

Flowers and shrubs look nice when planted up against a home’s foundation. They also require regular watering to thrive and that regular watering creates a moist environment near the home. Moist soil and mulch, combined with reduce sunlight and air flow sets the stage for water damage at the foundation level. Pests also like to build their homes in the shadow of tall plants and shrubs.

Prior to planting anything near your home’s foundation, add some top soil to create a slope that will allow water to run away from your home instead of towards it.

Gutter Cleaning

Regular gutter cleaning is essential to keep rain water moving away from your home’s foundation. Clogged gutters cause rain water to overflow the gutters and run down the side of your home and seep down into the soil around the foundation. Flooded basements, shifted foundations and wood rot are often the result of clogged gutters. Please be sure to give us a call if your gutters need cleaning.