A structure will not last forever without human intervention. Mothballing is the technical term for securing a building in an effort to extend the life of the structure. Mothballing is a lot more than just boarding up a building, it can include roof repairs, structural support, and security from human scavengers. It is amazing how much damage a "midnight plumber" can cause in just a few hours. Copper currently has a scrap value of around three dollars a pound making it a target for people trying to make a few bucks quickly. They will tear entire walls and ceilings out of the home to aquire the metals concealed behind them.

One of the most important aspects of mothballing is securing a building from humans. Whether their intentions are sinister or just curiosity no good can come from people trepassing in abandoned houses. Not only does the plumbing have a value but also the historical architecture contained within. Stained and leaded glass windows, molding, mantles, door handles and ornamental hardware all can have considerable values and once they are gone they are gone forever. When boarding up the building make sure you include a vent in the plywood to allow for air circulation. You want the structure to breathe and sealing up a building tightly will only accelerate rot, mold and mildew. The screws used to secure the ply-wood to the windows should also require special drivers other than the common standard and philips drivers. Most people who commonly break into these houses carry the standard set of tools with them and do not usually have a star driver or #2 square bit on them. You can never use to many screws and I would recomend putting as many as possible in any place that cannot be easily seen.

Roof repairs are almost impossible to accomplish without a budget, tools and safety equipment. I do not recommend taking on roof repairs to an abandoned structure unless you have permission and proffessional guidance. I am only mentioning roofing for the sole fact that once a roof goes and water penetrates the exterior of the structure there are only a few years left before the structure is beyond repair. Water has the ability to virtually gut the interior of a structure and once this kind of damage begins restoration of the structure is complicated.

Animals can also cause problems and any problems you come across should be taken care of before you board the home up permanently. Rats, mice, racoons and insects love to make their homes in abandoned structures. Call your local government or animal control specialist for help dealing with any type of animal infestation you come across.

Structural repairs may be possible if the damage is not to severe. You would be surprised how far a few 2x4s can go in stabilizing a sinking floor or weakened wall. If anyone in your neighborhood has any sort of construction experience than this is the time to start cashing in favors.

I want to mention that unless you have the permission of the homeowner or your local government all of these acts would be considered criminal and caution should always be taken when participating in these types of activities. I also will sometimes go as far as removing exterior staircases when they pose a hazard to children playing on or around them. Old decks/porches will often need to come down if for nothing else than the safety of the residents in your neighborhood. An issue that I am currently watching is one of the slate roofs on our street is deteriorating at an alarming rate and as it falls apart giant chunks of slate slide off the house and crash to the ground. If someone happened to be under it it would probably kill them. Due to the fact that this house is falling apart there is little that I can do. Next summer I will probably have to put up caution tape around the perimeter of the house.

One of the most important aspects of mothballing is making the structure look like it is currently watched and cared for. Sometimes fresh plywood is all it takes but cleaning and clearing out the lot that the structure is situated on will make a copper thief think twice about entering the structure. Once the word gets around that the houses in your neighborhood are secured and carefully watched over the vandalism will most likely stop for good.

Peace - Chris Condello