3 Ways Rodents Can Damage Your Pier and Beam Foundation

Invading rodents aren’t just a hazard in your attic or your yard. They can also do a lot of damage once they find their way into your home’s crawl space in the pier and beam foundation. Whether you’ve seen a few critters running in and out of the foundation or you’ve already dealt with the rodent problem, get the foundation itself inspected. Then you can be sure they didn’t leave these three problems behind:

1. Shifted soil that leaves your piers unsupported.

Your crawlspace isn’t just a warm place to hide from a sudden storm. It’s also the perfect place for a warm, long-term burrow. But when rodents and other neighborhood animals start sifting through the dirt, they can kick away vital soil around your home’s wooden supports. This can make them tilt or shift over time and warp your floors.

2. Chewed or damaged supports and pipes.

Animals can also directly damage the wooden beams and pipes they can access in your crawlspace. They can chew on or scratch the wood enough to weaken the pieces’ structural integrity. Larger rodents can also knock pipes askew. Even a small leak over time can rot through your sub-floor and the beams.

3. A gap in the perimeter of your crawlspace.

However the rodents initially got into your crawlspace, they’re going to keep using that entrance. They might even widen it over time. This could be a gap between two intersecting walls, a hole they burrowed under the barrier, or even the crawlspace door. When they leave that access point wide open, they’re letting water follow them in. They’re also leaving your foundation exposed to bugs that can chew through the wood quickly.

If you know that rodents currently are or were just in your crawlspace, contact a foundation inspector. They can make sure your foundation is still in good shape.