It is said the devil is in the details. I couldn't agree more. Quality work is found in the little things, the details the person has taken time to add or complete. The details in the house's construction are what I look at when inspecting. There are times when I have just stop to admire someone's work, it has been done so exceptionally well.
One detail that is very important in house construction is wood to ground clearance. It is considered so important the distant to ground can be found in the building codes, a minimum of 6 inches to earth. The basic reason for this is to protect the house's wood framing from water and pest damage. Strangely older houses around Connecticut for the most part tend to have built well above the ground. Some where along the years, the distance to grade began to predominately shrink. I routinely find houses like the one pictured with the soil almost touching or in some cases over the framing.
When finding some portion if not the whole house situated in close proximity to the earth, special attention must be paid to these areas. On the corresponding interior area in the dining room, I noted that the baseboard radiator was looking a bit Titanic like, that is to say sunken.
Looking closer small holes were evident in the wood flooring. A bit further along, a larger hole was present in a floor board near the window. Probing revealed the floor boards to be crunchy and hollow along the wall. The original builder by ignoring one of the most basic details in construction, had resulted in one of nature's tiniest creatures taking full advantage of the error.
This house was infested with termites. The extent of the damage was one of the worst I have ever seen. It ranged front to back on the left portion of the house, and that is only what could be seen. There is no question hidden damage exists in the walls. The entry points were found under the framing where it is close to the soil.
It is the little things that can have a big impact.
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