Protecting Your Home from Termites, Mold and Other Threats

February 16, 2019 Dave Gladhill

When most homeowners think of protecting their investment, they think of security measures like strong locks, alarm systems, motion-activated floodlights, firearms and video cameras. And for good reason. When deployed in combination, these security elements can effectively deter most intruders. Nobody ever wants to have to rely on any of these, but they sleep better knowing they are there.

Unfortunately, none of these protect your home from its biggest threats, which all share a common point of entry: termites, mold and flooding at the basement level.

When people buy a house, they assume that the contractor has secured the home against these threats, but even when the home is new, it can still be vulnerable. The truth is that at some point most basements are going to leak.

We see it all the time. A homeowner finally has the time and money needed to finish their basement after years of saving and putting money aside. You add a nice bar, and, for a while, you enjoy spending time in it and having friends over and it’s everything that you wanted when you bought the house in the first place.

But then we have a summer like 2018.

And the basement floods.

And your favorite room in the house is destroyed after all of that work.

Cleaning up flood damage is notoriously difficult work, and on top of that, your home is now susceptible to mold, which as we’ve discussed before, can be spread throughout the house through the air ducts and even by disturbances caused by the cleaning effort itself.

So, as a homeowner, what can you do?

If you simply rebuild, you’re setting yourself up for disaster to strike again at some point down the road.

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to:

Prevent the flooding from recurring
Stop the mold from growing
Keep the termites from coming up through your basement floor

These are some proactive, preventative steps that you can take to protect your investment in your home before disaster strikes or – if the worst has already happened – to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. A dry basement that is free of mold and termites will save you money, preserve your health and give you piece of mind.

Unfortunately, we see a lot of people being reactive. We get the call once the worst has already happened, and now it’s an emergency that needs to be taken care of today.

Proactively Protect Your Home Through Prevention

1. Pre-treatments for mold and termites

As we discussed with commercial properties, it is possible to preemptively treat for mold and termites by spraying the site before construction begins, spraying the frame of the house before the softer materials are installed, and spraying the surrounding property preventatively on a routine basis.

2. Waterproofing

Whether you are just breaking ground on a new house, undertaking a basement renovation or cleaning up after a disaster, waterproofing is a critical – and often overlooked – step. When we seal up a basement, we are essentially creating a pool liner around the inside of your basement so no moisture can come through. Our waterproofing, vapor barriers and encapsulation services will not only keep your basement dry, but they will also help to prevent mold and termites.

3. DryTrak®

DryTrak systems are a water management solution that routes any water that does manage to enter your basement or crawl space into a sump pit where your sump pump would then remove it from the house.

4. Humidex®

Humidex systems are stand-alone wall-mounted ventilation systems. Because mold seeks damp, poorly ventilated areas, we often use DryTrak and Humidex systems together to make sure that it doesn’t have an opportunity to grow in your basement.

5. Duct cleanings

Paradoxically, the act of cleaning up after a flood or a renovation can kick mold spores up into the air that can come to rest in the ductworks of your HVAC system. Then, when it is turned on, those spores will be spread throughout the entire house. This is why we recommend professional duct cleanings after renovations and restorations.

6. Guaranteed satisfaction

We offer a one-year warranty (and an annual renewable warranty) on our mold remediations so you can breathe easy. To qualify, we usually require the homeowner to install a Humidex system because – as we mentioned above – if you don’t change the root cause of the problem, you really just applied a band-aid to the issue. We can kill all of the mold that’s there, but if you don’t change the environment, the mold will likely come back.

7. Home Protection Plan

Your house faces threats all year long, and they vary by season. When you sign up for pest-free living with Gladhill Services’ Home Protection Plan, we preemptively treat your property for the prime pests before they become problems. We also check in and around your home for signs of termites and possible entry points into your home to eliminate infestations, monitor issues and install preventative measures.

The Benefits of Being Proactive

Financial – It is almost always less expensive to take preventative measures than it is to try to remedy the situation after the fact.

Physical Health – Mold and pests can literally make humans sick, which makes them a direct threat to the people in your home. Fortunately, they can be prevented before they become problems.

Mental Health – Wondering if your basement will be safe from a flood or if mold is growing throughout your house can be stressful, but you can take steps today so you don’t have to lay awake at night worrying about it.

Gladhill Services

Gladhill Services is a family-owned company serving Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, providing termite and pest control, mold removal, duct cleaning, and waterproofing services for residential and commercial customers.