Table of Contents
What is checked during a termite inspection?
The inspector will look at the interior and exterior areas of your home, checking for visible signs of a termite infestation, which include: droppings, broken wings, mud tubes, and damaged wood. The inspector will check your baseboards, walls, windows, crawl spaces, door frames, insides of cabinets and closets.
Do Home Inspectors check for termites?
No. While most home inspectors are qualified to inspect and identify termite activity, the two inspections are distinctly different and serve different purposes. Also, in every state, the licensing for home inspectors and termite inspectors is different.
What is included in a pest inspection?
What does the pest inspector do during an inspection? A quality pest inspection includes detailed, methodical and careful visual examination inside and outside your home by a trained and experienced pest inspector looking for evidence of termites, borers, wood decay, fungi and mould.
What happens if you ignore termites?
They Bring Costly Structural Damage Hollowed-out and even collapsing structures — that’s what happens if you ignore termites. Give them enough time, and they can cause the inner parts of these structures to become porous. If that happens, the materials can quickly disintegrate.
How do exterminators check for termites?
A Termite Inspection is a visual inspection of the readily accessible areas of a home for evidence of termite activity and or termite workings/damage. The inspector will visually inspect the interior and exterior of the home or building including any accessible roof cavities or roof void, and sub-floor areas.
How do you know if termites are in your walls?
Common signs of termite damage to a wall include: Small pin holes, where termites have eaten through the paper coating on drywall and/or wallpaper. Faint ‘lines’ on drywall. A hollow sound when you tap on the wall. Bubbling or peeling paint. Baseboards that crumble under slight pressure. Jammed doors or windows.
Is a termite inspection the same as a pest inspection?
The importance of a wood-boring pest inspection when buying a home. This inspection is more commonly referred to as a termite inspection. It’s called a WDO because termites are not the only wood destroying organisms in the world. The WDO inspector is trained to look for things that we are not.
How important is termite inspection?
These materials include cellulose insulation, framing timbers, and even drywall. An annual termite inspection can help prevent these devastating infestations by catching and eradicating them early, preventing significant damage and saving money in treatment and repair costs.
How much does it cost to fix termite damage?
Repair costs for termite damage vary from case to case and can run from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Some estimates for repair costs show an average cost of repair of around $4,500.
What happens during a termite treatment?
Structural fumigation is a termite treatment process that involves putting a specially designed tent over your house. The tent will keep the gases used to kill the termites inside in order to protect the surrounding homes and ensure that every area of your house is permeated.
Who pays for the termite inspection when buying a home?
The associated costs of a pre-purchase building and pest inspection are shouldered by the buyer. Depending on the qualifications of the inspector and the level of detail of the inspection, you can expect to shell out between a few hundred dollars and $1000.
Is it OK to live in a house with termites?
Buildings or houses that are made of wood can be unfit to live in if termites have already caused considerable damage to its foundations, beams and other supports of the structure. This is considered a serious safety issue as once a solid wood structure turns weak and brittle.
Does homeowners insurance cover termite damage?
Here’s the quick answer: Pest control is your responsibility as a homeowner. Insect infestations can be prevented with proper maintenance, so termite damage is not covered by home insurance.
How fast can termites destroy a home?
With about 2 million termites working in the right condition they can cause significant damage within the first few months. A home can be totally destroyed in a year or two.
What are the early signs of termites?
Keep an eye out for the following signs of termite activity: Discolored or drooping drywall. Peeling paint that resembles water damage. Wood that sounds hollow when tapped. Small, pinpoint holes in drywall. Buckling wooden or laminate floor boards. Tiles loosening from the added moisture termites can introduce to your floor.
How often should you check for termites?
Ideally, all homeowners should get inspected once a year. Older homes do tend to be more at risk for termites, making it absolutely essential to not only stay vigilant about inspecting your home yourself on a regular basis but also get a professional’s opinion every single year.
How many years does a termite treatment last?
On average, termite treatment lasts about 5 years. Liquid termite treatment can last five years or more, whereas termite bait stations only last one year and need to be maintained annually.
How do you find a termite nest?
What to Look For. Pencil-thick to inch-wide tunnels on foundation and crawl-space walls (above) shelter subterranean termites traveling to and from the nest. If you see cream-colored insects when you break open the tubes, your house is infested. If you don’t, the colony may be dead or using another route inside.
What attracts termites to a house?
In addition to wood inside the home, termites are drawn inside by moisture, wood in contact with house foundations, and cracks in building exteriors. Different combinations of these factors attract different species. Additionally, geographic location plays a role in how likely homeowners are to deal with infestations.
Do termites get in drywall?
Drywall, also called sheetrock, is used for walls and ceilings in homes. It is made of panels of plaster enclosed on both sides with thick sheets of paperboard. Since drywall is partially made of cellulose, termites can readily feed on the paper in drywall and cause damage.
What should I ask a termite inspector?
7 Questions to Ask Termite Inspector What attracts termites in the house? Are termites harmful to humans? Why did termites come to my property? Which types of materials are termite proof? Will termites go away naturally? Do supermarket products work? Can you treat my property for termites?.
Can you hear termites with a stethoscope?
The noises termites make are faint and rarely heard. You would need a stethoscope to hear termites at work. Alternatively, if you tap the surface of the wood surrounding termite damage, a hollow sound can easily be heard.
