Keep Pests In Mind During Home Renovations
The spring is a few days away which means many homeowners are ready to dust off their tool boxes and do some home renovations. Whether your a DIYer or you are going to hire a professional we want to advise you to keep pests in mind when renovating this spring and summer. Sometimes during home renovations much activity can be going on around the house which leaves contractors and homeowners cloudy headed, sometimes forgetting minor details. In todays blog post we will give you the best advice we have to keep pests in mind.
The most overlooked part of home renovations are pest entry points. Depending on the type of renovation your doing you may need to ventilate the work space. Whether you may be painting, sanding or its just a beautiful day and want fresh air be mindful of the open windows, doors and vents. This seems nothing but innocent but the truth is many pests enter in through these access points. Birds love open windows. Whether they are seeking shelter or fly in by accident, once inside they are surely doing some damage. Birds may fly into duct work, wall voids and PVC tubing and cause damage and headaches. The simple remedy for this is issue is to use screens on any windows you may be opening while renovating. Also make sure to close any doors that are propped open to allow easy access to contractors when carrying materials. Close off any open ducts until all entry points are closed so if an animal does enter it doesn’t find its way in your central AC unit.
Another overed look aspect of home renovations are animal wildlife entering your home when the sun begins to set. Unfinished roofing, chimney, or siding work could attract a new pet raccoon or squirrel into your home. If its the right time of year these animals will nest in your chimney or attic and produce a litter of pups. A simple mistake such as not closing off access points could cost your thousands in animal removal and clean up. After each day of work do a walk around of the home to make sure all small holes and openings are closed tightly to prevent animal access. When on the roof make sure to inspect chimney caps or screens to make sure they are sealed tightly.
When tearing down old sheetrock walls try to locate small holes around pipes that may no longer be in use and try to seal off any access points. While these walls are open check for other areas where you suspect pests may enter. The key is to ‘think like a bug’. The rule of thumb is if you can see through it, seal it off. Pests can squeeze through holes that are an eighteenth of an inch so every little help counts. Take advantage of having the walls opened up. You may even want to hire a local exterminator to do a termite inspection while you can see behind the walls.
If your doing any remodeling outdoors or foundation work please be advised that any digging can disturb pests that may be living underground. Using a backhoe or bulldozer can disturb rat boroughs and other pests that are living in the soil. so be ready for a rush of pests during any digging you may be doing and keep the kids inside.
It may seem like common sense but the reality is failure to follow the above suggestions could cause you additional monies and delay of renovations. Remember if you do have an animal inside your home do not try to capture it your self. Hire a licensed wildlife trapper to remove the pest. You also may want to have a pest inspection done during these renovation. A licensed exterminator will be able to tell you what exclusionary service you may benefit from. Get those hammers and hard hats ready for a beautiful spring!
