termite damage: Because One Thing Leads To Another
- 08/09/18 02:31 AM
I have the tendency to notice things about a house I am to inspect when I am driving up to it. When pulling up to this seven year old house I noticed even before I got into the driveway that the front porch roof seemed to incline toward the house. Looking closer I determined that it did!
That isn't good. Because one thing leads to another.
Then I noticed the staining on the brick. You can see it running from the inside corner of the porch roof all the way to ground beside the garage door. It also caused efflorescence on the brick.
Beside … (49 comments)
|
termite damage: When Wood Siding Is Too Close To The Ground
- 11/28/16 03:09 AM
This is what happens when wood siding is too close to the ground.
It gets wet, it rots, and it attracts termites!
Wood siding should be 4" or so from the ground whether that be soil or solid surface. Six inches would not be too far.
The further the better. When it is higher from the ground splashing water onto the wood is minimized.
The wood is not sitting in a moist or wet condition, so it is not wicking moisture.
And termites are less inclined to try to reach it with their mud tunnels.
But if wood siding is too close, even siding that has been … (7 comments)
|
termite damage: The Leaning Alcove
- 04/07/16 08:59 PM
Not entirely described in the photograph, I noticed the leaning alcove from the outside.
Then, when indoors, the floor going toward the door had a definite slope to it.
It is perched on a deck. It appeared to have been built much later than the house.
There can be only one reason why it would lean so much.
It lacks support. But why?
Resting on a deck, which was built very near to the ground, and in a shady yard, rot would be an issue.
And even termites.
If termites are attracted to the deck, they would therefore be attracted to the house.
But being so close to … (9 comments)
|
termite damage: Water Takes The Easiest Path - And Kills Houses.
- 12/09/15 06:43 PM
Water takes the easiest path - and kills houses.
It's called physics. And gravity always works. And physics and gravity make water work in predictable ways.
So consider - this house was built 10' lower than the street that runs horizontally along its front.
You MUST consider regrading and some means of sending the house. If you don't, water will always flow toward the house.
The water from the street continues to flow down the hill in front of the house and then toward the house. Water has to be redirected!
So, what to do?
Build a concrete block retaining wall!
But if you don't redirect the street … (15 comments)
|
termite damage: Termite Damage And Fungal Decomposition, To Say The Least
- 11/04/15 07:42 PM
This crawl space demonstrated termite damage and fungal decomposition, to say the least.
And all over the place.
The area has been so moist for so long the vapor retarder, the wax paper on the insulation, has deteriorated and fallen off! Yes, the insulation was placed with the vapor retarder facing the wrong side.
While in the living area, and walking around, here and there the floor felt weak and saggy.
Going below I found out why!
Where does the moisture come from?
---> The soil had no plastic covering anywhere.
---> The space was not vented anywhere.
---> The insulation was placed incorrectly everywhere.
---> The grading sent … (9 comments)
|
termite damage: Too Close Is Too Close
- 06/24/15 07:52 PM
Wood siding should be 4-6" from the soil, as too close is too close.
When it's too close to the soil wood siding becomes an invitation to moisture (and therefore rot) and termites.
Termites are looking for wet wood. That's their objective. Eating it and returning to the colony is their job!
And they are good at it.
Looking at the photo to the far right, the green algae is evident, the mushy wood is evident, and moisture retention is evident, and in the center, highlighted by the cropped section, termite damage is evident.
Are they active? THAT is another inspection yet to happen.
If I was to see … (13 comments)
|
termite damage: Pay No Attention To The Termites Under The Mattress
- 07/13/14 07:48 PM
This is a seller who is asking that a buyer pay no attention to the termites under the mattress.
I am surprised sometimes at the lengths people will go to hide problems with their house. Some people are VERY good at it. Others are not.
Outdoors I could see a potential problem inside.
The wood siding on this older house had been buried behind a sidewalk poured many years ago across the front of the house.
Not only was the wood getting soft, but burying the siding like this invites termites to enter the house from underneath. It's an invitation really.
… (94 comments)
|
termite damage: And This After The Proclamation Of "Termite Free"
- 01/31/14 08:18 PM
My clients, Marine friends of my son, are being transferred to Quantico VA from California. They were unable to come to be present at the home inspection.
I am very uncomfortable when clients aren't present. It means I have to be more careful with photos and explanations that would not be necessary if they were present.
And necessarily, since they aren't present I have to be extra careful. They aren't present!
The house features a screened porch off the master bedroom.
Very nice feature!
But inside it I noticed some weird moisture, and could not determine where it was coming from.
… (20 comments)
|
termite damage: You Might Call Termites Children Of The Wood
- 04/07/13 08:18 PM
Like the Stephen King short story of the "Children of the Corn," you might call termites the children of the wood.
This follows too - the termites live behind the walls...
I noticed this beam behind a chimney. Not being able to see further bothers me the most. It extends another 12' or so. How far does the damage extend?
What's behind this beam and wall?
A brand new kitchen, with brand new cabinets, brand new appliances and a brand new granite counter top.
The drywall is also new everywhere.
This beam obviously gets wet and is termite infested. I noticed … (29 comments)
|
termite damage: Sister, Sister
- 01/20/13 07:12 PM
Nothing but wood talk here when I says sister, sister.
A technique for strengthening or shoring up wood framing is to "sister" another board beside the one you wish to strengthen.
However, it pays to attach the two firmly and permanently with some form of bolt. Nailing the two together is temporary at best.
One problem very common to old construction is structural damage, particuarly from termites. This house is 127 years old, and there have been many years, and many owners, where diligence needed to be applied to insure protection against termite infestation.
The wood floor in the lower level … (37 comments)
|
termite damage: Major Termite Infestation And A Really Big Queen
- 10/24/12 07:35 PM
Sounds almost like a title for an article in Scientific American - "Major Termite Infestation and a Really Big Queen."
This house is 250 years old, a duplex, which was common then, and had been lived in by an elderly gentlemen. A son is living there now, trying to get the house ready for sale.
Also, a common building technique in that era was a cellar. It has been modernized over the years, with additional posts and a concrete floor, but still, it was and is a cellar.
I love historic homes and to see the building techniques. Especially interesting is … (30 comments)
|
termite damage: Keep Vegetation Trimmed And Far From The House
- 09/29/11 11:57 PM
It is crucially important to keep vegetation trimmed and far from the house.
Why? Vegetation holds moisture against the foundation, can grow under and into siding introducing moisture and insects into the walls, and generally do damage. Aggressive roots of trees too close can damage foundations!
This is one corner of a house on a recent inspection. Per agreement, this house is to be maintained by the occupant.
This is NOT maintained.
And that shrubbery is FULL of poison ivy to boot!
Is that corner of the house moist?
… (56 comments)
|
termite damage: Mr. Jay's School Of Inspectology 1.4
- 03/19/11 10:56 PM
At Mr. Jay's School Of Inspectology we never forget our motto:
Mr. Jay's School of Inspectology. Where the learning never stops. You can check out, but you can never leave.
Do you know why we can say that boys and girls? Because the sort of things found during a home inspection are the same over and over. It's the ground hog day of home inspections!
Another thing Mr. Jay hears a lot is this - "Oh, there aren't termites here. We have been on a maintenance contract." Sometimes they've been on one for years!
Lenn Harley had a very-well written … (29 comments)
|
termite damage: Mr. Jay's School Of Inspectology 1.3
- 03/18/11 11:02 PM
Hi boys and girls! This is our third lesson!
Let's get to the bottom of this thing, in more ways than one!
Remember, we have a loose gutter that dips in the middle. When it rains hard water flows over and onto the box window and front porch below.
Judging from that caulking, this has been happening for some time. That caulking is turning brown with mildew.
The homeowner obviously knows there is a problem because that caulk job was very sloppy. He probably did it himself. But caulking doesn't solve the problem!
So here are the final clues! Now it's … (69 comments)
|
termite damage: Beauty And The Beasts
- 03/11/11 10:56 PM
Once in a while you can walk around a house and see something really beautiful, and hope isn't the problem you think it might be. But try not to think out loud, something like, "We'll have to check that when we get inside."
This patio is a beauty. It is solid. No gaps. No moving bricks. No mortar deterioration. Angled slightly away from the house.
It is a beauty.
So why was I thinking out loud?
Because I am not a termite guy! But I talk to them. And they tell me that around here 90% of the time, when termites … (94 comments)
|
termite damage: Pay No Attention To The House Behind The Siding, Said The Wizard
- 11/12/10 09:53 PM
Sometimes I pull up to a house that is recently sided. In this case, the house was 47 years old, and I happen to know that in that neighborhood all the houses were originally sided with cement asbestos. It's a pretty good product. I still see that siding here and there, and it is fine so long as it is not broken or cracked. And even then it can be caulked to prevent it from breaking further, which can release asbestos fibers into the air. Being outdoors, though, that is not so much of a danger to anybody. But why let … (32 comments)
|
termite damage: Termites, Please Come To My House!
- 03/15/10 10:13 PM
These days, when you buy a brick house, it is not built the same way as was a brick house 40 years ago, or so.
In "the olden days" the brick work was structural. The wood framing inside the house was attached into the brick walls.
In today's construction the structure of the house is the wood framing, with a brick facade on the outside. And this brick is separated from the wood framing by an inch or two of space to allow for moisture removal. It is attached to the house with small straps which are nailed onto … (62 comments)
|
termite damage: One Thing Leads To Another
- 10/25/09 12:55 PM
I have the tendency to notice things about a house I am to inspect when I am driving up to it. When pulling up to this seven year old house I noticed even before I got into the driveway that the front porch roof seems to incline toward the house. Looking closer I determined that it did!
That isn't good. One thing leads to another.
Then I noticed the staining on the brick. You can see it running from the inside corner of the porch roof all the way to ground beside the garage door.
Beside the front door there … (13 comments)
|
termite damage: Do You Have A Mattress In Your Living Room?
- 10/19/09 09:51 PM
I am not a termite inspector. There may be some, but personally I don't know any home inspectors in Virginia who are. The home inspection and termite inspections are usually done at different times in Virginia, by two different companies.
If I see evidence of termites I mention it in the report. But if I was to see a 300 pound termite, and said so, it would be poo-pooed as "well, he is just the home inspector."
Outside a house recently I noticed this on the front porch, directly under a window. It is rotting wood siding and sawdust coming from … (13 comments)
|
I have the tendency to notice things about a house I am to inspect when I am driving up to it. When pulling up to this seven year old house I noticed even before I got into the driveway that the front porch roof seemed to incline toward the house. Looking closer I determined that it did!
;)
;)
;)
