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 Termite Inspection & Damage Assessment
Case Report Shows How to Find Termite Damage
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Termite damage case study: this article provides a detailed case study of a termite inspection that found insect & rot damage:photographs, inspection advice & visual clues that led to discovery of severe hidden structural damage to a building. These include house damaging mold or fungus, termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles, & other wood destroying organisms in and on buildings.We are also concerned with choosing mold and insect damage repair and prevention methods which avoid unnecessary application of
chemicals or other environmental impacts. Preventing these problems by good design and by building maintenance is preferred to simple chemical
applications around a property. When use of pesticides is required, there are some important choices.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Severe Termite Damage Case Study, Inspection Clues, Photographs
 This disturbing case study reports a sequence of clues suggesting insect damage, then termite damage, then the discovery of very extensive hidden termite damage in a finished wood floor. We provide a sequence of photographs showing the course of our termite inspection and what we found.
See ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES for our home page about rot and insect damage at buildings. Also see INSECTS & FOAM INSULATION, and TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE for a discussion of prevention of insect damage at foam insulated buildings and foundations. Also see SLAB INSULATION, PASSIVE SOLAR. Readers should also see INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES, and may also be interested in the mold resistance properties of Icynene Foam Spray Insulation. Finally, because insect damage on buildings is very often related to locations of water leaks or moisture traps, readers should also see WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS.
Termite trouble signs outdoors
The first sign of trouble was that pile of wood flooring and debris by the garage door, outside the home (photo above left). We later looked through this pile and found it was full of termite-damaged wood flooring. If we had examined it at first, and had we confirmed it came from this home, we'd have known the story before ever entering the house. But as you'll see (below) the termite damage "repair" was horrible: it was a cosmetic-only repair intended to sell the home, leaving not only extensive termite damage in place, but the conditions that caused the termite attack had not been addressed nor had a professional termite treatment been performed.
Termite trouble signs indoors
The second sign of trouble at this home was siding close to, in contact with, and even below ground level at several locations that also exacerbated conditions by combining in-slope grade towards the building with roof spillage around the foundation. We were on red alert for insect damage before ever entering the home. Add that much of the home was over slab on grade or inaccessible crawl space, and extra care was called-for.
Watch out: if you are renovating a building where there has been termite damage, be careful not to disturb and breathe in dust from chemically-contaminated wood. Find out what type of treatment was performed, by whom (was it a qualified licensed pest control company), and where.
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Below right our photograph shows a beautifully-finished and "brand-new" looking floor in a family room wing. We knew that this floor was built over either a slab on grade or an inaccessible crawl area - there was no access from below. The room was described has having been recently remodeled by the owners in the course of preparing the home for sale.
Termite trouble signs in finished areas: floors, trim, walls, ceilings
But wait? What was that odd gray goop we spotted along the floor perimeter where some old flooring also remained in place? See our photo at below right.
The combination of old floor boards and wood filler and caulk shown at below right made us worry about what sort of damage had been "repaired" in this floor. We continued looking under furniture and behind doors - see our photo at below left: there remained a collection of older oak flooring extensively patched with wood-filler.
How to decide that termite trouble signs justify destructive or invasive inspection methods
These clues justified (with permission) pulling off baseboard molding trim to disclose how the floor was constructed and what damage to its support may remain. We saw rot, termite damage, mud, mud tubes. A disappointment at least.
Conditions at the floor perimeter led us to probe some small spots of wood filler in the center of the re-built, re-finished floor. With the slightest pressure the wood filler collapsed under our probe (above left), showing the extensive termite damage shown by the photographs at above right and the two termite damage photographs below.
Termite Inspection & Damage Finding Conclusions
This was an upsetting series of discoveries:
- The original termite damaged floor was incompletely repaired, leaving damaged support in place
- There was such a severe and active termite infestation that even the "new" materials had already been attacked by termites, months after the renovation work was complete
- No professional termite inspection, treatment, nor water and drainage problem assessment had been performed.
- We were concerned about possible improper use of chemicals by the homeowner and site contamination.
- The owner's time, trouble, and money were wasted on this floor renovation as it failed to correct the termite problem and was itself damaged soon after installation
- The damage, combined with the representation that the work was simply a "lovely remodeling job" and the failure to report a long history of termite damage risked a case of real estate fraud
- Details about when, where, how & why to probe wood structural and nonstructural components on buildings are found at STRUCTURAL DAMAGE PROBING.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about how to inspect buildings to find termite damage & how to assess the extent of insect damage to the building
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
- David Grudzinski, Advantage Home Inspections,
ASHI cert # 249089, HUD cert# H-145, is a professional home inspector who contributes on various topics including structural matters. Mr. Grudzinski, Cranston RI serving both Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut can be reached at 401-935-6547 fax- 401-490-0607 or by email to Davidgrudzinski@aol.com. Mr. Grudzinski is a regular contributor to InspectAPedia.com - see DECK FLASHING LEAKS, ROT Case Study, and BASEMENT WATER MOLD IMPACT and VERMICULITE INSULATION for examples.
- Mara and Andy Gieseke, Tucson AZ, are contributors to InspectAPedia.com including photographs used at SIDING EIFS & STUCCO, Cracks at Control Joints in Concrete and ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES, and are family members of website publisher Daniel Friedman.
- Desert Termites, Thomas W. Fuchs, Extension Entomologist, Darrell N. Ueckert, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and Bastiaan M. Drees,
Extension Entomologist, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System, web search 09/13/2010, original source: http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-016.html
- Termites - Greenhouse Gases, U.S. EPA, Environmental Protection Agency. Web search 09/11/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch14/final/c14s02.pdf Quoting an interesting passage from this brief document:
Termites inhabit many different ecological regions, but they are concentrated primarily in
tropical grasslands and forests. Symbiotic micro-organisms in the digestive tracts of termites
(flagellate protozoa in lower termites and bacteria in higher termites) produce methane (CH4).
Estimates of the contribution to the global budget of CH4 from termites vary widely, from negligible
up to 15 percent.
- Truly Nolen Pest Control, Tel: 866-221-4765, is a national franchise of pest control operators in the U.S. Quoting from the company's website:
Truly Nolen [has] over 80 offices located in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. The company services more than 150,000 customers and employs about 1,100 partners, with almost 50 percent service technicians. Domestic franchises are offered throughout the United States. International franchises are also established in over 30 countries.
- U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances. 1997. Re registration eligibility decision:
Diflubenzuron. Pp. 17, 46. www.epa.gov/
pesticides.
- U.S. EPA. Office of Prevention, Pesticides and
Toxic Substances. 1994. Pesticide fact sheet:
Hexaflumuron. Washington, D.C.
- U.S. EPA. Office of Pesticide Programs. 2003.
Pesticide ecotoxicity database. Unpublished database.
U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic
Substances. 1998. Re registration eligibility
decision: Hydramethylnon. Pp. 16-18, 43.
www.epa.gov/pesticides.
- U.S. EPA. Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
Undated. New chemical New chemical fact sheet:
Noviflumuron. Washington, D.C.
- "Protecting Your Home from Subterranean Termite Damage", Journal of Pesticide Reform, Fall 2004, V 24 No. 3, - 6-7, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides/NCAP, POB 1393, Eugene OR, 97440 541-344-5044 www.pesticide.org: Web search 09/11/2010: http://www.hipspro.com/pubs/subterraneantermites.pdf
This document discusses alternatives for termite protection including reducing the attractiveness of the structure to termites (get wood away from the building, fix leaks), use of 16-grit sand (diameter 0.06 - 0.1 in) as a termite barrier 18" wide x 3" deep in crawl areas, or stainless steel mesh for the same purpose under foundations and slabs, boric acid, Diflubenzuron (insect growth regulator, risk genetic damage, EPA classed as carcinogen), Hexaflumuron (insect growth regulator, EPA didn't ID health concerns, waived some testing, partly because of anticipated very low risk of human exposure), Hydramethylnon (stomach toxicant, EPA: Carcinogen, highly toxic to fish), Noviflumuron (chemically similar to hexaflumuron), can cause anemia, EPA didn't ID other health hazards, some testing requirements waived, moderately toxic to fish).
Articles about Rot, fungus, Termites, Carpenter Ants, Powder Post Beetles, Leaks and Water Entry Damage in Buildings
- Basement water entry: what the basement waterproofing companies don't tell you? Water entry prevention and repair suggestions. -- in process
- Building floods how to respond to avoid mold
- Desert Termites, Thomas W. Fuchs, Extension Entomologist, Darrell N. Ueckert, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, and Bastiaan M. Drees,
Extension Entomologist, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System, web search 09/13/2010, original source: http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-016.html
- Floods in Buildings & interior water damage cleanup, prevention, testing quick steps to prevent mold contamination
- Home Inspectors Directory accessible via Internet - a home inspection can point out maintenance details that are key in avoiding leaks, rot, mold, insect damage
- "House Eating Fungus" Meruliporia incrassata (also called "Poria" the house eating fungus) in the U.S. or Serpula lacrymans in Europe) can cause severe structural damage. Evidence of hidden "poria" may be found by expert inspection methods which include tracing sources and paths of probable Building
leaks and moisture traps. Further, careful indoor particle sampling methods can often permit the presence of this mold to be identified in the laboratory.
- Humidity: How Low Should You Keep Indoor Humidity to Avoid a Mold Problem
- Ice Dam Leak Prevention by Proper Insulation, and Ventilation [Carson Dunlop] - also see ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE.
- Icynene Foam Spray Insulation - resistance to mold growth and resistance to insects
- Insects & Foam Insulation - guide to insect damage related to foam building insulation products
- INSULATION LOCATION for CAPES, CRAWLSPACES - where to place building insulation in basements and crawl spaces
- Insulation & ventilation issues
- Interiors: Attic condensation, basement water entry dampness, toxic mold inspection, testing, Moisture, Mold, Mildew, mold remediation advice,
- Mobile Home Inspections common defects unique to factory built housing, inspection methods
- Mold Resistant Drywall is mold-resistant or "mold proof" SheetrockR from US Gypsum or Georgia Pacific worth it?
- Mold Prevention: Avoiding Mold Problems in Buildings by Using Mold-resistant Construction Products & Practices
- Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold, mold action plan, valid and invalid test methods, mold remediation
- Pesticides Contaminate House [PDF] - news article about improperly applied pesticide chemicals and building contamination
- Sick House/Sick Building Information Website Organized, un-biased, in-depth advice about mold, allergens, and other indoor contaminants: finding, testing, cleaning, clearance testing, and
preventing mold, mildew, wood destroying (rot) molds (fungi). Explains how to assure that testing for toxic or
allergenic molds is performed using valid field and lab methods. Advice and test procedures are provided for
odors and odor source detection, toxic gas testing and gas source identification.
- TERMITE SHIELDS vs TERMITICIDE - Use of Termiticide (termite poison) vs. Termite Shields on Styrofoam™ board insulated buildings
- Termite Damage in Buildings: causes, detection, prevention for hard-to-inspect properties - [in process], this article explains how visual clues both outside and inside a building can predict the most-likely points
of insect attack (or leaks, water entry, mold, rot). That tells the inspector or home owner where to look first for trouble as well as how to avoid
structural damage from insects, rot, mold, or water.
- Termite Damage Case Study#1 - exterior clues predicted insect damage; interior access was limited but certain clear clues led right to the damage
as well as an attempted cover-up of termite damage below a "repaired" wooden floor. The real evidence was in the driveway. [in process]
- Termite Damage Case Study#2 - very limited visual access inside a building made this inspection for structural damage tough. Outside
conditions suggested a risk of water entry and insect attack. Inside the house had mysteriously sloping floors - sloping in every direction.
There were few indications of ongoing building movement to explain the sloping. Perseverance led to finding severe termite damage at the
building sills. [in process]
- Termites, Wikipedia web search 09/11/2010, original source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite provided some information about termite size.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
- Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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