Did Pests Cause Structural Damage to Your Home?

Did you know that pests can damage the structure of your home? “Termites, which target wood in both structural timbers and flooring and ultimately cause more than $5 billion in damage every year in the United States,” according to the National Pest Management Association.

Signs of Pest Infestation

Here are some warning signs that pests might be moving into your home or business:

Noise – While pests are quiet, they are by no means silent. Listening at night is the best way to hear them, as this is the time they are most active. Putting your ear against the walls of your home will allow you to hear any movement in the wall cavities—one place pests tend to hide out. It is also important to listen to the ceiling, especially if there is an attic, or any location that has a crawl space. A little pitter-patter sound is all you need to confirm that they are inside the house.

Smell – If you are in high risk areas for pests, such as the kitchen or basement, and catch a whiff of a musky odor, it is important that you investigate properly. The nasty smells pests leave behind are often described as being similar to a pet rabbit’s hutch if said hutch hasn’t been cleaned in a while, a musky odor with a distinct note of ammonia. Not a fragrance that is going to smell well. Tracking down the source of the smell will often lead you to the next items on our list, and concrete evidence of pest infiltration.

Nesting – Once a pest enters the home, it is probably going to want to stay there. If you think about it, the pest has just found a warm environment which is safe from predators and has plenty of access to food and water. This means that they’ll have just one more thing on their mind: reproduction. To make their tenancy long-term, pests like to make nests. They will do this in the darker, less-trafficked areas of your home, such as behind appliances, in wall cavities or within loft insulation. However, as mentioned above, smell is a strong indicator of a nest, so follow your nose!

Damaged Furniture and Wiring – Nothing says mice more than a gnawed chair leg. Rodents in particular will chew at anything, as it helps wear down their constantly growing teeth. This means nothing is safe: pipes, insulation, wood, plastics, wires, you name it, they’ll eat it. Check around the skirting boards, at the base of cupboards and other pieces of furniture, especially in high risk areas. If you spot a mysterious chunk taken out the side of your bread box, for example, it most likely wasn’t a hungry burglar.

Leavings – Something of a delicate matter, the finding of foreign animal droppings in or around your home should be met with extreme caution. Be it urine or fecal matter, the waste of a pest is not only a clear sign they are there, but also a vessel for dangerous pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. Make sure any contaminated area is cleaned thoroughly after contact. The trick now, however, is identifying the pest by its leavings. Larger pests, such as mice, rats and raccoons all leave rather obvious droppings, but smaller animals, such as cockroaches, are a bit more subtle. As with the example of cockroaches, their droppings tend to look like coffee granules, so be weary of anything that looks like granules but is distinctly out of place.

Pests that Cause Structural Damage
These three pests can cause major structural damage:

Termites
“Termites cause more damage than tornadoes, hail storms, wind storms, and hurricanes combined and cost Americans an estimated $1 billion each year,” reports Cardillo Law. Formosan termites areaggressive and form massive colonies above ground. Theeastern subterranean termite causes more structural damage than any other species of termite in America.

Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants feed on other insects or organic materials containing protein or sugar. Carpenter ants remove wood to hollow out tunnels for nesting which can cause significant structural damage.

Powderpost Beetles
Another damaging insect is the Powderpost beetles. They attack softwood used for floor joists, wall studs, and other structural lumber or hardwood used for cabinets, furniture, floors, and interior trim and moldings and can cause major damage.

Recommendations
First, make sure you have a local experienced pest control company making regular inspections to ensure that you do not have any pests that could destroy your home.

Second, if you have pest-related structural damage to your home, bring in a Home Renovation Company that is experienced in insurance claim work so they can help you navigate the process and get your home back to being safe and beautiful.

About Georgia Home Remodeling
Georgia Home Remodeling is a Gwinnett-based remodeling and renovation contractor company that has been serving Metro Atlanta and North Georgia since 1991. Originally created by company founder and president Chris Allen as a small painting company, GHR has since grown into a full service custom remodeling and home renovation provider.

Georgia Home Remodeling is dedicated to providing great service and quality work at a fair price. From the initial contact until the job’s completion, we will be prompt, courteous and communicative, and will always do exactly what we promise to do at the price we quoted.

We are fully licensed and insured home renovation contractor, and our diverse and experienced crews include carpenters, painters, electricians, plumbers, flooring specialist and HVAC professionals. Company president Chris Allen, who oversees and manages each GHR job, is also a Certified Graduate Builder, Certified Lead Carpenter and Certified Remodeler.

Contact us via email or call today 678-635-5429 to request a quote and let us help you make your dreams for your home a reality!