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Wednesday, November 15, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Stay on top of moisture and insect damage or pay the price
By Kym Pokorny
Oregon State University Extension Service
CORVALLIS – Ignoring
moisture and insect damage
in the home leads to seri-
ous problems down the line.
Annual inspection is essential
to head them off.
Whether you do it your-
self or hire someone, start
your inspection by checking
out the publication, Home
Moisture Problems, written
by Oregon State University
Extension Service experts to
help you solve many prob-
lems you might encounter.
The 12-page illustrated
circular provides informa-
tion on the causes of indoor
and outdoor moisture, drain-
age problems and how to fix
them, symptoms of wood
decay and ventilation and
dehumidification.
If you plan to inspect,
maintain or repair yourself,
begin by taking a tour around
the exterior of the house.
Does water wick up the
foundation? This indicates a
need for better drainage of the
soil next to the foundation.
Are there plants or tree
branches that touch the
house? These make perfect
thoroughfares for carpenter
ants to enter and leave. Plan
to trim plants back at least 24
inches from the house.
Don your raincoat and
go out during a downpour
or snow melt and examine
the gutters and downspouts.
Are there breaks or leakage?
Examine the area around and
under decks for rot, especially
where the deck attaches to the
house.
Now comes the fun part.
Put on some coveralls, gloves
and a stocking cap. Arm
yourself with a head lamp or
flashlight and a screwdriver
and crawl under the house.
Is there a layer of plas-
tic on the soil floor of your
crawl space? There should be.
Plastic provides an excellent
vapor barrier that helps pre-
vent decomposition of joists
and other support structures.
Inspect the sill plate, (the
wood between the foundation
wall and the floor members)
for rot and insect damage.
Newer houses should have
sill plates of pressure-treated
wood.
Examine floor supports for
rot and insect damage. Tap on
suspect wood with the screw-
driver to test how solid it
sounds. Is there any sawdust
on the ground or in spider
webs? Note its location and
brush it away so you can tell
next time if damage from car-
penter ants is still occurring.
Remove any rodent nests, a
source of mite, flea, lice, bed
bug and tick infestations.
Check for mud tubes on
foundation walls and supports
— they are a sign of termites.
When you have crawled
back to the outside world,
write a brief report to use for
comparison next year.
You are not quite done
yet. Now go indoors for an
inspection.
First check the attic. Are
there wet spots? These indi-
cate a leaky roof. Check for
and remove all sign of animal
nests.
Next, check for rot and
insect damage just like
you did in the crawl space.
Finally, inspect under the
sinks in the bathroom and
the kitchen. Gaps in pipes
that pass through the wall are
perfect avenues for mice and
rats. Seal these spaces with
tin or steel wool. Check for
leaks and damage.
Now write up an indoor
inspection report. And then
congratulate yourself. You’ve
come a long way in protect-
ing your house from insect
and water damage.
What should you do if you
find an infestation?
First, don’t panic. Chances
are the damage has been
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