By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – As many Central Illinois homeowners dry out their basements after a week of heavy rains, a local construction manager advises to watch for mold.

You have to pull those carpets back, get that stuff out of there,” McLean County Habitat for Humanity’s Bill Waller said. “See if you can get rid of mold and mildew, you have to treat that. You don’t want that in your house, it can kill you.”

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Waller on WJBC.

He told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin a shop-vac will dry your carpet, but if you don’t remove that water now, you are also at risk of getting termites.

“When you get termites in your house, there will be mud trails down your foundation either inside or out because that termite has to get back to groundwater everyday,” Waller said.

Waller said water could be getting into your basement through cracks in the foundation you might not even see.

He said basement waterproofing should begin by grading water away from your home, making sure your gutters are clean and downspouts are far enough from your home.

As for your sump pump that got a work out last week, it might be time to replace it.

“Typically a 10-year lifespan on a sump pump is about it,” Waller said. “You get outside of 10 years, you are pushing your luck.”

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].