Termites in this area (Oakland: new home, contractors, inspector)

[worried4kids]

We found a house in Oakland, TN. We have a potential contract pending (inpsections). Here's the thing. During an inspection in July - the house was found to have some termites. All they recommended was that there was spraying done. There was minimal damage. Our realtor said that this is fairly common in TN. Is this true? He said that if you have a termite contract on your house they come out every 3 months to spray and check and if there's damage, they fix it. My husband and I are kind of freaking out. But, it seems this is kind of common, and we could go pick another house and find the same thing or not find it. Can you please tell me more about this?? Anyone? I know this might not necessarily be the right forum - and I apologize. Tell me where to post it if you want me to remove it. Thanks

[worried4kids]

Originally Posted by rbohin

ITs' not unusual, but it's something you want to have your OWN inspector look at thoroughly.

I would not take the word of the realtor even though they may be acting in good faith---they are trying to sell the house ! and all they have to do is full disclosure !

Second, if it's a frame house as opposed to brick for example, I would consider passing on the deal anyway

The house is brick. It is surrounded by mulch and by a huge wood deck in the back of the house which is still completely strong and in tact. I thought if there was a huge problem, that the deck would probably be damaged as well.

[worried4kids]

Yes, we're going to look into the wood on the deck, and maybe just get rid of it or get a new one. Thanks for that input. I'm hoping it's southern yellow pine, because we LOVE the deck. I wish there was a way to treat the existing deck. That's allright. It's the house we love, and I'm not an outdoor person anyway, especially when it's 102 degrees. (it was on Saturday there)

[JoeCartpath]

I would assume the deck is already treated pine, since that's the most common material used in this area. If so, termites shouldn't be an issue...the wood may rot after many years, but termites won't eat it.

As for the termite issue with the house, that's probably a lot more common that most people believe. Years ago, the chemical used to treat new homes (can't remember what it was) was very effective against termites - but also pretty toxic stuff. Termite companies would respray every year even though it wasn't really necessary. Sometime in the 1980s (I think) that chemical was outlawed and the termite contractors used another chemical that was approved and thought to be effective. It was...for a while. Later it was found that the chemical was only good for maybe 10 years or so. During the same period, termite companies quit respraying every year because of concerns about overuse of chemicals and simply did an annual inspection - only retreating when termites were evident.

I wouldn't turn down a house simply because of some previous minor termite issue. I would hire a termite inspector (not just a generic home inspector) to assess the property. If the termite issue has been abated and any needed repairs done, I don't see any reason for concern - and I would certainly get a termite contract from a reputable company.

[Robert_J]

Don't use a pest control company that recommends the termite bait traps. It's hit and miss if they catch a termite and by that time the damage could be out of control. A few years ago my local company decided to switch and I did a little research on it. I finally found a company that still recommended spraying Termadore. They trenched around the house as well as drilled holes in my bricks, front porch and back porch. If I'm not mistaken, they sprayed well over 100 gallons of pesticide that day.

Not only have I not seen any termites, I have not seen any black widow spiders since then. The summer before the treatment we killed almost 30. I'm still very careful picking up things from the yard during the summer though.

-Robert