Pier Foundation Damage from Rodents and Other Pests

When rodents or other pests make their way into your crawl space or even under your slab, your home is at risk for pier foundation damage. The Tampa area has many rodents and other animals like snakes, raccoons, and squirrels, all of which can enter your crawl space through existing entries or ones they create. Not only is the damage these creatures cause to the stability of your home especially bad, but the things they leave behind can also be detrimental to your home and health.

Pier Damage by Animals

Animals cause pier foundation damage in two main ways – chewing and digging. When they chew on the piers or posts holding up your home an important structural piece weakens. If a post is damaged to the point that it can no longer support the area above, you may find you have an area of your floor that sags or dips. If there is a wall above the area that lost support you may end up with cracks in your walls, doors that don’t close properly, or you may notice molding no longer aligned along the floor or ceiling.

If the critter enters your home just to have a place to live they may dig to make their space more comfortable. Digging near a pier in a pier and beam constructed home will lessen the structural stability of that pier. The pier was intentionally set into the ground at a specific depth for stability. When the dirt is removed, part of the designed support is missing which can lead to the pier shifting.

Sometimes the pests simply want a dry place to be during one of our heavy rains or hurricanes. When that happens they go in and find a dry spot to stay. If they created an entry point or entered through your crawl space door, they didn’t close it and now water will enter your crawl space. When water enters, it can speed the deterioration of your foundation and cause mold or mildew in your home. So although they may not stay long or do any damage directly, standing water will speed deterioration of your foundation.

Signs You Should Call Heavenly Foundations

Some signs of pier foundation damage include cracks in the interior or exterior walls, doors that no longer close properly, broken or cracked floor tile, and dips in the flooring. If your home experiences any of these signs of foundation damage, you should contact Heavenly Foundations, your Tampa foundation repair company for an inspection. (727) 228-6144