Home Remodeling

Remodeling your home can be a fun affair. There are a lot of options and details to consider, and it is important to do everything right to avoid having any difficulties or expense down the road. While most people are aware of this, one commonly neglected detail of such renovations is how they will impact your home’s risk of pest infestation.

If done incorrectly, renovation and expansion of a home can result in a sudden incursion of pests resulting in damage and expense for homeowners.

So the question you may have is: what steps should you take to ensure remodeling does not expose your home to pest risks?

Pest activity is often heavily linked to the existence of what are known as conducive environmental conditions. These are certain conditions that determine whether or not a pest infestation could thrive in a certain environment. These conditions vary from species to species, but generally speaking all pests require a few major conditions to be ideal such as temperature, moisture level, and food availability.

When you are performing remodeling projects on your home, it is possible that you could be changing certain environmental conditions, making an area previously pest free into an infestation hotspot.

The most common instances in which this can occur are when homes are expanded or unfinished areas are completed. When you complete an unfinished area such as a basement, the change in temperature can sometimes produce moisture content in and around the wooden structure of the home, and thus oftentimes can attract various wood destroying pests such as wood decaying fungi, termites, and powderpost beetles. These types of pests can cause major trouble for homeowners, and can quickly cause damage that is expensive to repair.

Thus, when you remodel a part of your home, it is important to consult with your pest control provider to avoid creating any unknown vulnerabilities in your pest protection.

This is especially true if you are expanding the structure of the home, as this can create a hole in external treatments such as bait station systems and thus allow pests to sneak past. Oftentimes, it is best to get advice from a pest control professional before you begin renovations, as there are a variety of treatment options such as borate products that can more permanently protect your home if applied during construction.

Beyond structural changes, you should also pay careful attention to the materials that you are using in renovation. The popular trend of using “reclaimed wood” and antiques from deteriorated structures such as barns can create a various pest vulnerabilities. Not only are these types of wood often untreated, they may also have a pest infestation active inside the wood. This can result in a homeowner unknowingly bringing an infestation into the heart of their home.

Even new materials can present risks if they are not properly stored. One of the most common mistakes made at new builds or renovation projects is to leave building materials unprotected at the job site. These materials can become a hiding place for a variety of pests such as spiders, roaches, and termites.

For this reason, it is important make sure to keep properly store any building materials and to have those materials, new or otherwise, carefully inspected for signs of pest damage before bringing them into your home. This is a job best left to a pest professional, as the evidence of certain types of pests can be very subtle.

In conclusion, if you are considering renovations for your home, make sure that you take the proper steps required to protect your home from pests. If you have any questions regarding specific renovations, it can often help to call your local pest professional and consult them regarding any plans or necessary pre-treatment. Oftentimes there are a variety of pretreatment options that you could consider that will same you time, money, and frustration in the long run.