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How to Evaluate and Prevent Structural Damage from Insects and Rot, fungus, Termites, Carpenter Ants, Powder Post Beetles, and Leaks or Water Entry in Buildings
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• How to spot & prevent termite damage on buildings
• Building flood damage control articles
• Building mold damage prevention articles
• Building humidity control articles
• Ice dam leak prevention and damage from ice
• Mobile home inspection guidelines
• Mold contamination or damage cleanup or prevention

This article lists articles that discuss the inspection, detection, prevention, and repair of structural damage from insects (termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, powder post beetles, and other wood destroying insects), indoor mold, rot and building leaks or water entry. These include house damaging mold or fungus, termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles, & other wood destroying organisms in and on buildings.

We are also concerned with choosing mold and insect damage repair and prevention methods which avoid unnecessary application of chemicals or other environmental impacts. Preventing these problems by good design and by building maintenance is preferred to simple chemical applications around a property. When use of pesticides is required, there are some important choices.

See see Insects & Foam Insulation, and TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE for a discussion of prevention of insect damage at foam insulated buildings and foundations. Also see SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR. Readers should also see INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES, and may also be interested in the mold resistance properties of Icynene Foam Spray Insulation. Finally, because insect damage on buildings is very often related to locations of water leaks or moisture traps, readers should also see WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Rot, fungus, Termites, Carpenter Ants, Powder Post Beetles, Leaks and Water Entry Damage in Buildings

• Basement water entry: what the basement waterproofing companies don't tell you? Water entry prevention and repair suggestions. -- in process
• Building floods how to respond to avoid mold
• Floods in Buildings & interior water damage cleanup, prevention, testing quick steps to prevent mold contamination
• Home Inspectors Directory accessible via Internet - a home inspection can point out maintenance details that are key in avoiding leaks, rot, mold, insect damage
• "House Eating Fungus" Meruliporia incrassata (also called "Poria" the house eating fungus) in the U.S. or Serpula lacrymans in Europe) can cause severe structural damage. Evidence of hidden "poria" may be found by expert inspection methods which include tracing sources and paths of probable Building leaks and moisture traps. Further, careful indoor particle sampling methods can often permit the presence of this mold to be identified in the laboratory.
• Humidity: How Low Should You Keep Indoor Humidity to Avoid a Mold Problem
• Ice Dam Leak Prevention by Proper Insulation, and Ventilation [Carson Dunlop] - also see Attic Condensation.
• Icynene Foam Spray Insulation - resistance to mold growth and resistance to insects
• Insects & Foam Insulation - guide to insect damage related to foam building insulation products
• INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES - where to place building insulation in basements and crawl spaces
• Insulation & ventilation issues
• Interiors: Attic condensation, basement water entry dampness, toxic mold inspection, testing, Moisture, Mold, Mildew, mold remediation advice,
• Mobile Home Inspections common defects unique to factory built housing, inspection methods
• Mold Resistant Drywall is mold-resistant or "mold proof" Sheetrock^R from US Gypsum or Georgia Pacific worth it?
• Mold Prevention: Avoiding Mold Problems in Buildings by Using Mold-resistant Construction Products & Practices
• Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold, mold action plan, valid and invalid test methods, mold remediation
• Pesticides Contaminate House [PDF] - news article about improperly applied pesticide chemicals and building contamination
• Sick House/Sick Building Information Website Organized, un-biased, in-depth advice about mold, allergens, and other indoor contaminants: finding, testing, cleaning, clearance testing, and preventing mold, mildew, wood destroying (rot) molds (fungi). Explains how to assure that testing for toxic or allergenic molds is performed using valid field and lab methods. Advice and test procedures are provided for odors and odor source detection, toxic gas testing and gas source identification.
• TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE - Use of Termiticide (termite poison) vs. Termite Shields on Styrofoam™ board insulated buildings
• Termite Damage in Buildings: causes, detection, prevention for hard-to-inspect properties - [in process], this article explains how visual clues both outside and inside a building can predict the most-likely points of insect attack (or leaks, water entry, mold, rot). That tells the inspector or home owner where to look first for trouble as well as how to avoid structural damage from insects, rot, mold, or water.
• Termite Damage Case Study#1 - exterior clues predicted insect damage; interior access was limited but certain clear clues led right to the damage as well as an attempted cover-up of termite damage below a "repaired" wooden floor. The real evidence was in the driveway. [in process]
• Termite Damage Case Study#2 - very limited visual access inside a building made this inspection for structural damage tough. Outside conditions suggested a risk of water entry and insect attack. Inside the house had mysteriously sloping floors - sloping in every direction. There were few indications of ongoing building movement to explain the sloping. Perseverance led to finding severe termite damage at the building sills. [in process]

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES
  TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE

INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
Insulation Material Identification Guide
  Asbestos Identification in Buildings
  Asbestos Pipe Insulation
  Asbestos-Free Insulation Materials
  Balsam Wool Batt Insulation
  Cotton Insulating Batts
  Cellulose loose fill insulation
  Concrete insulation, light-weight
  Fiberglass Insulation
  Foam Board Insulation
  Homasote & Other Insulating Board
  Icynene Foam Spray Insulation
  Insects & Foam Insulation
  Mineral Wool - Rock Wool Insulation
  Mold in Fiberglass Insulation
  Mold in Foam Insulation
  Paper Duct Insulation
  Perlite Insulation
  POLYISOCYANURATE FOAM INSULATION
  POLYSTYRENE FOAM INSULATION
  RADIANT BARRIERS
  RIGID FOAM USE INDOORS
  Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI
  Vermiculite Insulation

WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS

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The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

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