Family Living

How To Protect Your Greatest Asset – Your Home – From Subterranean Termites

February 4, 2012 By schmalz Leave a Comment

When it comes to protecting your home’s value, you have no control over some of the factors that influence real estate values, like nearby retail development or the job market in your area. You can, however, take control over one major factor in your home’s value, its health and the health of your neighborhood – termites.

Termites cause more than $2 billion in damage every year to homes in the United States, and statistics show that’s likely more damage than what fire, storms or earthquakes cause.

Subterranean termites are unlike many other problematic insects or rodents in that they forage for food 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They feed on wood and cellulose products, which are part of your home’s construction.

Termites live in colonies underground or above ground in moist areas, according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). Each colony can contain up to 2 million termites – meaning your home could have several million termites living around the foundation and they are constantly seeking a food source.

It is important to be able to spot the signs of a termite infestation by looking around your home. Termites typically create what are called mud tubes and together they travel through these tubes in search of new food sources. Look for these mud tubes along your home’s exterior. Keep in mind that termites are very small in size – from 1/8 to 3/8 of an inch – so they can travel through small non-cellulose cracks in your home, such as through your foundation.

The NPMA offers several tips to help you reduce the possibility of a termite infestation. These include lowering the humidity in crawl spaces or other areas with reduced ventilation to eliminate a moist atmosphere – the kind that termites seek out. Also, it is very important to keep wood or scraps of lumber away from your home. Never pile firewood against your home; that’s a sound food source for Subterranean termites. By putting lumber against your foundation or wall, you’re in essence inviting termites to feed right next to your home.

The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System from Dow AgroSciences provides a tough, environmentally responsible solution for protection against termites. The Sentricon System features stations that are strategically placed eight to 10 feet around the perimeter of your home. Bait in each station is highly desirable to termites, so worker termites who are responsible for feeding the colony will feed upon it and bring it back to the colony. Once other termites feed upon it they will start to die off, but even if they don’t feed on it the worker termites already have and once they die off, so does the colony’s food source. Soon the termite colony will be eliminated.

The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System currently protects more than 2 million homes. For every system that is used, fewer liquid treatments are being applied, so that means fewer liquid termiticides are being injected into the soil. For more information about the Sentricon System, visit www.sentricon.com.

Filed Under: Family Living, Home Buyer Information, Home Owner Information, News You Can Use

Save Money With These Energy Efficiency Tips

January 21, 2012 By schmalz Leave a Comment

Saving money is on everyone’s mind this winter season. Between the holiday expenses, colder temperatures and tight budgets, finding ways to reduce costs can be a bit of a challenge. If you’re looking for ways to save, look at your home, and see if you can improve on your energy efficiency – thereby keeping a few extra dollars in your pocket.

* Program the temperature. You already know that the lower you set the thermometer in winter, the less your furnace will work. Having the temperature set in the low 60s when out and about makes perfect sense. But when you are home, setting the temps a bit higher will help keep you comfortable. Instead of continuously running back and forth to the thermostat to constantly keep readjusting the temperature, install a programmable thermostat and preset the times you want the temps lower or higher.

* Clean your heating and cooling system. To help your furnace operate better, hire a qualified company to clean the ducts, blower, cooling coils and heat exchanger. To find someone certified contact NADCA – the HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association. NADCA recommends homeowners clean their heating and cooling systems annually, because dust and pollen build up on your ducts, and then recirculate through your home. This buildup of dirt prevents your furnace from efficiently running, making it work harder and run longer to maintain the temperature you set.

“A clean heating and cooling system helps to increase the airflow through your furnace, which in turn helps to make your home more comfortable,” says Matt Mongiello, president of NADCA. “And when you combine a clean system with controlled temperatures, you’ll notice the savings on your utility bills.”

* Wash clothes in cold water. Every household processes about 400 loads of laundry per year, according to the California Energy Commission , making your washer one of the biggest water consuming products in your house. To help save on energy, wash your clothes only in cold water so you don’t have to spend money using the water heater. And make sure you only process full loads to help conserve the number of loads you run and water you use. Additional energy savings can be found by line drying your clothes, or running them through the dryer for half the time, and then air drying them the rest of the time. Across most of the country, humidity levels tend to be lower during the winter months, which helps to speed up the clothes drying process.

* Unplug appliances. The amount of electricity consumed in your home often can easily be reduced by just unplugging and turning off items. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, 5 percent of residential energy use in the U.S. is used when appliances are in the off position. Consider unplugging smaller appliances such as your microwave, cellphone charger, coffee maker and desktop computer which can continue to consume energy, even when you’re not using them. If the appliance has a clock, or electrical display of some sort, electricity is needed to keep those items illuminated. If it’s a hassle to unplug these items after each and every use, consider putting them on a power strip, so you can quickly and easily flip the switch on and off when you need to use the appliances.

Tightening down on your energy usage can help you save a couple of dollars here and there, and also keep you more comfortable in your home. So sit back and relax in your home and enjoy the winter season.

Filed Under: Family Living, Features

Is there a Mouse in Your House?

December 13, 2010 By schmalz Leave a Comment

Is there a Mouse in Your House?

It is that time of year when the nights are cooling down and the outside food supply for mice is getting hard to find. Mice are looking for a place to stay warm, feed and live comfortable for the winter. Your home is a great place for mice to live as they can survive and prosper in close proximity to humans. House mice consume and contaminate food meant for humans, pets, livestock, or other animals. If you have pet food that is available inside your home or garage; this is an open invitation for mice.

Droppings, fresh gnawing and tracks are the sure indicators you have a mouse in your House. The house mouse is one of the most troublesome rodents in the United States. They are small and can enter the home in an opening as small as ½ inch in diameter. House mice thrive under a variety of conditions; they can be found in and around homes and commercial structures as well as in open fields. The House Mouse is the most common mouse found in our area but there are several different types of mice such as the deer mouse and white footed-mouse and they can spread several diseases and one that has gained a lot attention lately is the hantavirus; a respiratory disease that has flu- like symptoms and salmonellosis, a form of food poisoning.

Mice can cause considerable damage to structures and property. They shred materials for nest hiding in draws, cabinets, closets under blankets and clothes that are left on the floor, wall voids, and attics hiding in the insulation, appliances and even under furniture.

Mice are more active at night foraging for food, but they can be seen in the daylight. Seeing several in the daylight can indicate a high population of mice.

Exclusion and sanitation is the best practice for controlling mice problems. Sealing all openings in and around the house will help eliminate mice getting in. You can use caulk, steel wool or just about any building materials to “build out” the mice.

Keeping the trash away from the house, keeping lids on dog food containers and trimming shrubs back so there is not a reason for them to nest outside close to your home is helpful.

If you only have a few mice in your home a simple trap may be the best solution. They are safe, effective and inexpensive and can be baited with peanut butter, chocolate candy, bacon, cheese or dried fruit. There are several good reasons to use traps; you can confirm the rodent is dead, it easy to get rid of the carcass, no poisons is used inside your home, and you can eliminate the chance of a mouse crawling into an area and dying creating an odor you can’t find or access.

If you have a large population controlling mice can be a difficult task. Using poison is probably the best product up for the job but you must use caution and common sense with these products. Be careful and follow directions when using around pets. Handling the bait can contaminate it causing the mice to shy away from it. Be aware the rodents can crawl inside walls or furniture and leave you with a very foul odor to deal with. Always use caution and wear rubber gloves when handling the dead rodent and anything contaminated in the area and clean the area with a disinfecting cleaner.

To see more exciting articles like these or to see our sample inspection report please visit us on the web at http://homeinspectionnaperville.com/sample-report/

Filed Under: Family Living