Renovating
Renovating your home can be an exciting (though possibly frustrating) experience. Even for small renovation projects, there is often a lot of moving parts to the process, and this can leave you overwhelmed. But while you are calling painters, plumbers, and electricians, did you remember to call your pest company?
The fact is, renovating your home can create major vulnerabilities to pest invasions. Without taking proper precautions, you could find yourself dealing with a destructive pest infestation with easy access to your home.
But how does this happen?
Renovation projects can make your house a hectic place. Oftentimes doors and windows must be left open throughout the day to allow the movement of tools and materials in and out of your house. This can allow pests to simply walk right into your home when otherwise it would be sealed to them.
The problem is more complex when the renovations actually change the exterior structure. An open wall or half-finished water pipe can provide a direct access point to your home for pests. Sometimes these pests will enter your home exploring, and then be sealed inside once renovations are complete. From there, they are forced further into the home. This can be an issue in large building projects such as a new home. Pests such as rats move into the unfinished structure and are then sealed inside the finished walls. This can result in a brand new home already damaged by a severe rat infestation.
Beyond the problems posed by wildlife pests, renovation may weaken your home’s defense against one of the most infamous invasive pests: termites. Relocation of soil or alterations to the structure could create vulnerabilities that termites can exploit. If they are able to get inside the structure due to one of these vulnerabilities, they can cause major damage in secret. By the time you realize termites are feeding on your home, they could already have caused thousands of dollars in damages.
But how can you protect your home from these risks? How do you renovate AND manage your pests?
Generally speaking, renovations create a few major problem areas that you should try to mitigate. For one, make sure that any debris and building materials are kept away from the sides of the home. Debris can provide a hiding place for pests, particularly wood, food, and garbage. By keeping the build site clean, you can reduce the number of hiding places for pests and avoid attracting them to your home.
If you are making alterations to the exterior of your home, be careful to avoid adding direct wood-to-ground contact around the foundation. This creates a major weakness against wood destroying organisms such as termites.
To better understand the particular vulnerabilities of your home, you should call your pest control provider and discuss your renovation plans with them. Once they inspect your home, they should be able to advise you about potential problems that could arise and steps that can be taken to protect your home from pests. Further, you may want to consider having your home treated for termites and possibly having a bait system installed. This will ensure that your home is fully protected from pests throughout the renovation.
Renovating can make your home vulnerable to pests, but by working with a reliable pest control service you can ensure your property remains secure! At Canton Termite and Pest Control, we pride ourselves on providing hassle-free, quick, and easy pest control. We have decades of experience dealing with pests of all kinds! We employ industry-leading treatment techniques that are all backed by 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, so you can rely on us for pest control without any risk or stress!
So get ahead of pest threats this summer, call us today at 770-479-1598!
By: Tim
