How Waterproofing Your Basement Can Send Termites Packing

December 18, 2015 Guest Post

There’s no doubt that termites can be a true menace in a home. If left unaddressed, termites can do a lot of damage to your home very quickly. Fortunately, once you detect the presence of termites there are lots of things you can do to get rid of them and/or to avoid future infestations of termites.
If your home has a basement, you are especially vulnerable to termite infestations. Basements, which are generally cool and damp, provide an ideal environment in which termites can thrive. On the flip side of that, however, the basement also provides an ideal opportunity to stop termites in their tracks. By waterproofing your basement, you can not only keep your basement try in case of floods, you can also turn away any termites who may threaten to take up residence in your woodwork. If you’ve never considered waterproofing your house for any other reason up until now, the threat of termites is a very good reason to start thinking about your waterproofing options.

 
Here’s how waterproofing works to keep termites out of your house. Basically, termites need two things in order to thrive in a certain environment: First, they need an environment that is humid enough to provide the water they need to live and they need a way into that humid environment to begin with. In one fell swoop, waterproofing your basement can take care of both of requirements, eliminating the humid environment and sealing off the access point.

 
Clearly, the primary goal of waterproofing is to prevent the inflow of water into your basement. Although in most cases homeowners call upon companies such as www.affordablewaterprofingllc.com to protect their basement from threats of water damage caused by flooding and melting snow, many homeowners are now starting to see the added value of being able to keep termites out.

 
Waterproofing works by effectively creating an exterior seal on the outside of the house, keeping water from entering the basement through cracks or gaps in the foundation. Because water cannot penetrate the barrier, the environment inside the basement is less humid, making it much less favourable to a thriving population of termites.

 
In terms of the second requirement for termites to mount an infestation, waterproofing eliminates any potential access points around the exterior of the home. Termites generally enter your home through small cracks in the walls or floor. However, when you waterproof your home those cracks are sealed off completely, thereby eliminating the entrance points for the termites. Because they can’t get through to your basement, termites will go off in search of food somewhere else.

 
So, if you are looking for a way to both protect your house from floods and to keep out termites, consider waterproofing for your basement. Contact a reputable company today to discuss your options. Don’t let moisture, humidity and cracks in your foundation invite termites into your home. Those little critters may be small but they can cause big trouble in your home if they are left unattended.