termite inspection?

[Austin023]

Originally Posted by naturoses

This is a part of small room which has some shelves ..

Today is the home inspection and I am not sure whether they will solve the mystery because termite is a constant and a never ending problem...

So the plywood in question is not part of the building structure? Termites can be dealt with, though yes they can be difficult to eradicate from a house dependi9ng on conditions...you really won't know until the termite inspector goes in...please let us know what he finds, specifically...

[naturoses]

Originally Posted by Austin023

So the plywood in question is not part of the building structure? Termites can be dealt with, though yes they can be difficult to eradicate from a house dependi9ng on conditions...you really won't know until the termite inspector goes in...please let us know what he finds, specifically...

During inspection, it was observed that infestation occurred in multiple areas in the basement which were visually accessible to the termite inspectors. The extent of the wood panel damage on the outer side made the inspectors presume that the inner **side of the panel would be damaged too, leading to a possible structural deterioration. These plywood/wood panels are attached to the concrete foundation walls. The Joist and beams are not discovered of having anything during the visual inspection. They did not pry the panels. The infestation is not active but the wood has deteriorated.

Termites inactive now means that when conditions are right they will come back. It looks like the termites came from the ground.

I paid $175 for termite inspection. Treatment plan is $970 (can't remember exactly but close to a 1K). Annually, I have to pay $250 for the rest of my life. They will visit twice a year.

[Austin023]

what are these 'panels' exactly? Are you talking about sheathing or siding or some other portion of the building structure?
Just because a home once had termites does not mean it will be hard to sell later, but the extent of infestation...and where it has occurred can be a factor. They can be dealt with but its important to get them exterminated soon as possible. The goal is prevention of a re-infestation afterwards, which can include physical barriers, eliminating wood to soil contact (such as siding touching or coming within a foot of the ground, deck supports encased in concrete 8 inches above ground). Basements are a common place for an infestation to start.....

how old is this house you're describing? Is the basement finished in whole or part?

[naturoses]

Originally Posted by Austin023

what are these 'panels' exactly? Are you talking about sheathing or siding or some other portion of the building structure?
Just because a home once had termites does not mean it will be hard to sell later, but the extent of infestation...and where it has occurred can be a factor. They can be dealt with but its important to get them exterminated soon as possible. The goal is prevention of a re-infestation afterwards, which can include physical barriers, eliminating wood to soil contact (such as siding touching or coming within a foot of the ground, deck supports encased in concrete 8 inches above ground). Basements are a common place for an infestation to start.....

how old is this house you're describing? Is the basement finished in whole or part?

The panels infested are not the main structure. These wood/plywood panels are covering the basement concrete walls. Above the basement walls i.e., on top rest the main wood beams which visually looked okay. The termite inspector did not guarantee that there would not be any damage. These panels can be removed and destroyed. Yes, the basement is totally done. It has concrete flooring. This where there is a boiler, washer and dryer and garage converted into a room where the infestation is...

What I do not know is whether infestation creeped into the walls upstairs where the bedroom/s is. This will be difficult to tell without removing the walls.

I would like the entire house treated including upstairs behind the bedroom walls and living room walls etc., I saw on youtube videos that they do make a small hole in the sheet rock wall and fill up with chemicals spray/foams.

Do you guys know a best pest control company in Massachusetts? Also can someone kindly comment on what warranties I get as well the cost of the yearly service contracts...

Humble thanks to all

[Austin023]

Originally Posted by naturoses

The panels infested are not the main structure. These wood/plywood panels are covering the basement concrete walls. Above the basement walls i.e., on top rest the main wood beams which visually looked okay. The termite inspector did not guarantee that there would not be any damage. These panels can be removed and destroyed. Yes, the basement is totally done. It has concrete flooring. This where there is a boiler, washer and dryer and garage converted into a room where the infestation is...

What I do not know is whether infestation creeped into the walls upstairs where the bedroom/s is. This will be difficult to tell without removing the walls.

I would like the entire house treated including upstairs behind the bedroom walls and living room walls etc., I saw on youtube videos that they do make a small hole in the sheet rock wall and fill up with chemicals spray/foams.

Do you guys know a best pest control company in Massachusetts? Also can someone kindly comment on what warranties I get as well the cost of the yearly service contracts...

Humble thanks to all

Termites most often will get in via wood to soil contact or any wood close to the soil, such as wood siding within a foot of the ground, etc and get into a basement...really any place where there is moisture and low light, which is common in basements and crawl spaces. They like moist wood, preferably soft woods (they do not like teak for some reason) and will feed on it as conditions permit.

Go up above the basement, into the living space and you will most often have less moisture so they tend to not infest up inside the structure as much, but places to be suspect of are kitchens or bathrooms where you might have water leaking and they will be attracted to wet wood there too, if thats the case....but termits usually will stay in the lower parts of a house unless if there is some reason for them to feed upward (like water leaks). But chances are better if you don;t have infestation in the basement, then you probably don't in the upper areas of the house.

Then you have dry rot, which is caused by a fungus and that can be very damaging as well....it too is caused by moist conditions, usually in damp or wet basements or where water has manged to infiltrate the structure for periods of times, such as roof leaks or under kitchens where water has leaked for a period of time without intervention. Beetles can also destroy wood, like termites and they too often like moist wood in basements where the conditions are right.....in other words water and wood do not mix if you want to keep a house in good condition. Get a good inspector familiar with the conditions for the area you're in. The sooner an issue is found and treated, the better.

[naturoses]

Thank you for your detailed reply:

Tomorrow is my second termite inspection:

In the first inspection: the inspector found mud tubes on the plywood in the basement and they could not find anything upstairs in the living room, bed rooms etc.,

In order to do a thorough examination, I hired another termite contractor to do an in depth study. In this second inspection, I got permission to remove the infested panels in the basement and look in the back. I also hired carpenters to help remove the infested wood panels. These wood/plywood panels are covering the basement concrete walls. Above the basement walls i.e., on top rest the main wood beams which visually looked okay in the front (one side) but who knows what is happening on the remaining 3 sides of the wooden beams.

I am doing everything I can to know the truth and learn more about the infestation.

People told me that the seller would not give permission to rip the painted walls upstairs to see what's going on in the back. Hence, I also requested whether the termite companies have small camera's or any other sort of devices to help reveal any infestation (active or passive) in the upstairs behind painted walls in the bedrooms, living rooms etc., No one here in Boston Area has these special devices.

I am nervous...

Thanks

[3cents]

I'm curious. Why not just walk away from the deal?

[Austin023]

Originally Posted by 3cents

I'm curious. Why not just walk away from the deal?

Because it might not really be much of an issue; frankly from what the OP is describing, it probably is not a serious infestation at all but a professional inspector will be able to say so or not with a reasonable degree of probability.
So long as its not an infestation which is widespread into main structural members, it can probably be dealt with pretty easily....ever see sills (sill plates) which have been eaten away by termites or dry rot?
The wood literally turn into a sponge-cake like texture and the structure starts to settle unevenly (as the sills are what support and anchor the structure to the foundation) as they loose structural integrity. That's when you know the house needs serious, serious work. Sometimes the damage will extend up into the lower parts of the walls too, if enough moisture is present...that is when you have repair bills in the tens of thousands if you even decide on keeping the structure.

[naturoses]

Originally Posted by Austin023

Because it might not really be much of an issue; frankly from what the OP is describing, it probably is not a serious infestation at all but a professional inspector will be able to say so or not with a reasonable degree of probability.
So long as its not an infestation which is widespread into main structural members, it can probably be dealt with pretty easily....ever see sills (sill plates) which have been eaten away by termites or dry rot?
The wood literally turn into a sponge-cake like texture and the structure starts to settle unevenly (as the sills are what support and anchor the structure to the foundation) as they loose structural integrity. That's when you know the house needs serious, serious work. Sometimes the damage will extend up into the lower parts of the walls too, if enough moisture is present...that is when you have repair bills in the tens of thousands if you even decide on keeping the structure.

Dear Austin023: I am a still trying to make this happen because of proximity to my work and kids school. There is a bus top close to the home for parents and wife.

Austin023: I am hopeful that the infestation is localized to the panels. Today during the 2nd inspection we will remove the infested panels and they will give us more insight. The home inspector as well as the first termite inspector did not report any structural damage with their screw driver poking method and flash light visual inspection. This 3rd inspection may not reveal anything also helping me move forward with the P & S agreement.

Thanks