| Mold and mildew can occur in your home at | | | | your house less accessible, by avoiding |
| almost any time of the year, if the moisture | | | | wood-earth contact around the house and |
| content of building materials is twenty | | | | keeping exterior trim in good repair. Keep |
| percent or greater. (You should start to | | | | shrubbery trimmed back, remove tree stumps |
| notice mouldy odors.) A good plan of attack | | | | and inspect regularly for shelter-tubes or |
| begins with decreasing dampness and | | | | any signs of damage, especially in dark, |
| increasing ventilation. Maintain a negative | | | | unventilated areas. Pay particular attention |
| slope away from your house; and ensure that | | | | to wooden decks and stairs, and areas where |
| evestroughing, down-spouts and drains are | | | | the structure rests on the foundation wall, |
| free of debris, and properly directing water | | | | and especially in crawl spaces or any area |
| away from your foundation wall.Wood-decaying | | | | with an earthen floor. Probe wooden |
| fungi attack wet wood, or wood in extremely | | | | structures with a sharp tool, as termites |
| humid, unventilated areas. They can cause | | | | often leave no surface indications.Look for |
| serious damage to wooden structures. To | | | | shelter tubes, seal cracks in foundation |
| inhibit rot, remove the source of moisture | | | | walls and check where pipes enter exterior |
| and improve ventilation, the same as for | | | | walls. Termites swarm to create new colonies |
| mould and mildew. Wet rot is characterized by | | | | closer to sources of cellulose; so be on the |
| dark, spongy wood, and members infested with | | | | lookout, especially in the spring, for large |
| dry-rot become brittle and | | | | numbers of flying insects or discarded |
| cracked.Subterranean termites are found in | | | | wings.If you suspect a colony, especially of |
| Southern Ontario and British Columbia, where | | | | termites, contact your local environmental |
| they feed on wood and can damage houses. | | | | agency, or call a licensed, professional |
| Termite colonies nest underground, foraging | | | | exterminator.Copyright Gil Strachan - All |
| for wood to satisfy their appetite for | | | | rights reserved.Gil Strachan is a |
| cellulose. Termites can travel above ground, | | | | professional home inspector, representing |
| and often into houses, via shelter tubes | | | | Electrospec Home Inspection Services in |
| constructed of sawdust and saliva. Termites | | | | east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. |
| are similar to ants, but with straight bodies | | | | Visit to learn more about home |
| and antenna.Carpenter ants and powder-post | | | | inspections."The Home Reference Book" |
| beetles are also common in Southern Ontario. | | | | |
| They don't ingest wood as termites do, | | | | You can probably find a home inspection for |
| however colonies nesting in wood can cause | | | | a little less than what we ask, but you |
| considerable damage. Look for sawdust and | | | | probably won't find the Home Reference Book. |
| frass (excrement) near exit holes in wood. | | | | A $60 value, this solutions-oriented |
| Carpenter bees are similar in appearance to | | | | reference tool comes free with every |
| bumblebees, and nest in exterior spaces such | | | | inspection we perform.It's the first tool you |
| as behind fascia, soffits or other trim.Make | | | | should have around the house! |