Can Fumigation Cause Damage to my Home?
No one wants to have their home fumigated, yet there are times when there is no other alternative. Can fumigation cause damage to my Home?
Some pest problems can be successfully treated by the homeowner with locally sourced chemicals and others can be spot-treated by a professional service.
However, some infestations are so devastating that the only choice is to fumigate the entire property.
Truth be told, a whole-house fumigation is inconvenient. Food items have to be sealed or removed from the home to avoid contamination.
No one wants to have their home fumigated, yet there are times when there is no other alternative. Can fumigation cause damage to my home?
Some pest problems can be successfully treated by the homeowner with locally sourced chemicals and others can be spot-treated by a professional service.
However, some infestations are so devastating that the only choice is to fumigate the entire property.
Truth be told, whole-house fumigation is inconvenient. Food items have to be sealed or removed from the home to avoid contamination.
It is best to remove all linens from beds and out of closets and either seal them or move them off-site.
The homeowner has to find lodging elsewhere for a couple of days. To top it all off, the fumigation process may cause some damage to the home.
There are three different types of unintended damage to a home that are possible during the fumigation process.
Potential Damages
#1 – Roof Damage
During the fumigation process, the home is covered and sealed with tarps. These tarps weigh as much as 200 pounds. The people carrying those tarps may also weigh as much as 200 pounds.
This means that a single crewman, carrying a tarp may represent as much as 400 pounds of a single pressure point on a roof. Additionally, the tarps must be dragged across shingles, tiles, and roof vents to be properly placed.
Depending on the type of roof and its condition, it may be subject to a good degree of damage.
Here are a few considerations to keep in mind to help control or address roof damage:
- Find a termite control operator that offers a roof warranty that holds the operator accountable for any roof damage incurred during the fumigation process.
- Inspect the roof beforehand for any soft spots, bent roof flashing, or loose shingles.
- Discuss the possibility of roof damage with the termite control provider long before the fumigation occurs.
Because it is impossible for a termite control expert to be aware of the quality of a roof or its maintenance history, the homeowner may be required to sign a waiver releasing the termite control company from liability of roof damage. Be sure to discuss this concern early in the conversation with the termite control provider.
#2 – Plant Damage
The tarps that cover the roof during the fumigation process are draped down to the ground and then weighed down by sandbags to obtain a secure seal that keeps the fumigant within the tarp.
Plants experience damage from crew members who walk multiple times back and forth around the perimeter of the home to manipulate and move the tarps and eventually weigh them down with heavy sandbags.
Landscaping, plants, and shrubbery within 3 feet of a home’s exterior walls are going to experience traffic from fumigation crewmen,
from tarps being moved on or around them, and could have heavy sandbags placed near or directly on them. Plants that remain within the tent during the fumigation of a home are likely to be damaged.
Before fumigation, it is advisable to walk the landscaping directly around the house with the termite control expert to understand where plant damage may occur and to what extent.
#3 – Incidental Damage
Some damage to the roof and plants is likely unavoidable and to be expected.
Incidental damage is damage that is unplanned and unexpected by either the homeowner or the termite control provider. Here are a few common examples:
- Ladder dents or broken rain gutters
- Damage to lawn sprinkler heads
- Knocked down mailboxes
- Fragile furniture and housewares being broken by crewmen
Be certain to discuss a service provider’s policy for dealing with incidental damage during fumigation. Accidents sometimes happen; however, the homeowner should not be responsible for the costs associated with those accidents.
The provider should agree to be accountable for any incidental and reasonable damage caused by the fumigation process.
Whole house fumigation is an intrusive, but necessary process when a pest infestation is too significant to be treated by less invasive methods. In all honesty, some damage during fumigation is prone to occur.
The key to a smooth process is to clearly communicate and establish expectations and responsibilities before the work begins.
At Accurate Termite and Pest Control, we take your trust seriously and conduct business in such a way that will motivate you to let us be a part of your home for years to come. Our desire is to be your partner, not just your provider.
We continue to be Southern California’s preferred termite and pest control service, provider.
After tenting a townhome complex (a building of 6 units) can you have issues with gas leaks? (especially coming from the roof)
SoCal Gas/SDG&E techs will not restore gas to the building if any leaks are detected. Any such issues are to be handled only by the gas service provider.
If tented would I have to sign an agreement releasing your company of liability for possible health issues due to lingering gas within the home?
No, the fumigant is thoroughly ventilated, and air quality is tested to the molecular parts per million to ensure no fumigant is ‘lingering’ by the time you return home.
You do have to acknowledge and affirm that you received proper preparation instructions. Also, you sign a waiver to release the company of any issues that may arise should you fail to comply with the preparation instructions and regulations as they have been given and explained to you.
Would it be possible to lay carpet face down on the roof tiles in some areas
To allow some cushion as well prevent a broken tile from coming loose and possibly
Cause a workman to slip?
At times it is possible to use padding that can be sponge, carpet, rubber, or otherwise as a buffer. Field crews may use padding for different purposes to help prevent tarps from tearing at corners and alleviating pressure on certain parts of the building to prevent property damage. However, padding must be minimal as it increases slip risks. Additionally, excessive obstacles or intrusions on roofs is prohibited by OSHA regulations. For example, placing carpet face down on tile would cause the roof to be more slippery and would likely result in more tile damage, not less.
At every job, we take every precaution possible to minimize the probability of broken roof tiles.
Does whole house tinting fumigation negatively affect gold or silver?
We use Vikane gas which has no binding or residual properties. It cannot bind to your metals and will therefore have no effect on them. This video may be helpful: see video
Supposedly the sand bags used for anchoring termite tents can cause permanent discoloration to artificial turf. At least the termite pro is telling me that and has a pen and a waiver for me to sign. There is nothing I find on Google, however, the tenting crew has stopped working until a plan can be hatched.
In our experience, this has not been the case. However, we have heard discoloration occurring in fumigations where certain fumigants. We use Vikane gas, which is non-coloring.