How Critters Can Cause Damage to Your Foundation

From digging to chewing to burrowing, animals have the ability to find their way into places you would never expect. These unexpected places may include the areas around your foundation and basement walls. Unwanted pests can be the biggest culprit of damage to your home’s footing. Fortunately, there are some ways you can deter these pesky critters from infiltrating your exterior.

Identifying the Critter Is the First Step

To know how to best protect your home you first have to know what you’re protecting it from. When you inspect the perimeter of your home or yard to discover signs that animals are getting a little too cozy, those signs can help you identify which vermin is causing the damage.

The easiest way to distinguish between critters is by the tracks they leave behind. Snow and mud make this tactic even easier. Animals such as chipmunks and squirrels have four front toes and five in the rear. Look for tracks that display a hopping movement with the larger hind feet landing in front of the smaller front feet. Searching for images of animal tracks online is a great hack to figuring out what you have sniffing about.

A less delightful but even more effective method for determining which animal may be scurrying around your foundation is to check for scat, aka poop. Insects, snakes, lizards, and even frogs join all mammals in leaving droppings behind. Again, a quick Google search will bring up plenty of less-than-pleasant images to help you figure out what animal may be trying to make your home their home.

Know What Kind of Damage to Search For

Evidence of digging around your deck, patches of missing grass, odors, noises in your attic, and extended bulging through your yard all indicate the presence of animals on your property. Groundhogs and moles speedily excavate massive amounts of dirt from under or around your home. Squirrels, chipmunks, and various birds are notorious for finding their way in to basements through chimneys, furnace systems, or broken windows.

Your kids might be entertained by watching these critters mill about, but your foundation is paying the price. The use of fencing, keeping lids on garbage cans, and securing pet food are a few ways you can guard against pests making their way in.

To be sure your foundation and basement are well guarded against the threat of animals, call a professional foundation repair expert like Tom’s Basement Waterproofing at (586) 776-7270 or get in touch using our online contact form.