Nature is a powerful force and without a lot of maintenance and care, it can quickly have a serious effect on the structural stability and safety of your home. From extreme weather to tiny insects, there are countless natural threats that can affect your property’s safety and value.
Keeping on top of these potential issues can be challenging and time-consuming, which is why being aware of the warning signs is so important. To help you monitor the natural threats to your home, here are some of the most common problems you might come across.
Squirrels
Squirrels are one of the most common rodents in the world and whilst not commonly considered dangerous, they do actually pose a threat to your property. As very active and successful climbers, squirrels are excellent at getting into high spaces which can result in them accessing your attic through the eaves of your roof. Once inside, squirrels often build nests in these attic spaces and aren’t afraid to chew through your property during their time there.
Particularly important is the threat of squirrels chewing through pipes and wires. Damaged pipes can quickly lead to expensive leaks and water damage, whilst the live wires can pose a serious electrical or fire hazard.
If you begin to hear scratching, rolling or skittering in your roof, there is a high likelihood that it could be a squirrel nest. Be sure to investigate if you hear anything suspicious, particularly during the early morning, and investigate your options for getting the rodents to leave.
Woodworm
Woodworm is an incredibly common natural occurrence but few people realise exactly what it can do to your property if left unchecked. Woodworm is actually the name given to the larvae of multiple species of wood-boring beetle. These insects burrow into timber and lay their eggs within; when the larvae hatch, they chew through the wood to grow until they are ready to exit as fully grown beetles, after which they bore out of the wood and leave small exit holes as evidence.
These exit holes are the most common woodworm infestation identifier but there are actually a few different signs of woodworm that you can look out for. This is particularly important because the exit holes only become visible after the infestation has done its damage.
Stopping woodworm is important because whilst small in size, the larvae are great in number and weaken the timber that they infest and chew through. For small furniture items, this might not be a huge problem, but woodworm infestations can also destroy wooden structural supports and beams, causing serious damage to your property. With that in mind, if you suspect you have a woodworm problem, be sure to get an expert opinion to confirm your suspicions.
Plants and Trees
Plants are easily one of the most powerful forces that can damage your home. Given enough time, tree roots and wall climbing plants like ivy can disrupt property foundations as well as wall strength and stability.
The good news is that the process of tree and plant growth is fairly slow, meaning that you can usually catch the start of the problem and fix it before it gets too serious. The common fixes are simply cutting back the plants or roots and sometimes, creating a barrier to prevent the problem from happening again. However, prevention is better than cure, so be sure to keep an eye on what type of trees are near your house and what plants are growing nearby.
These three natural threats are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what can damage and affect your property. The most important point to remember is to stay aware of your surroundings and question anything about your home that doesn’t look quite right. The smallest issue can grow into a major problem if left for too long.
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