This courtyard (although enjoyable in the spring and summer) is covered with foliage that can lead WDO’s right into the house. The wisteria grows from ground to eaves; this can provide a highway for insects to access the upper portion of the house through the soffit vents. There is also a 2x8 board that lines this portion of the house, i believe it was installed to separate dirt from stucco, but this actually provides a wood-on-soil-against-the-house situation. Bugs love my courtyard…
I read a few articles on termites and ants, focussing on the differences between the two and how identify the nests (damage) from each. I live in New Mexico and the common belief is that termites are not a big concern here, this is not true! 2nd highest actually! This was very surprising to me. It’s also very surprising that a termite/dry rot inspection is not a standard part of the general home inspection, seems like pretty important part of a home’s health.
What do you need in the state of Florida to perform a WDO? I run up against this all the time.
The Florida website for licensing does not come out and say you MUST be a licensed pest control operator. Or does it? The qualifications are poorly written.
There seems to be a disconnect between inspectors inspecting for the presence of WDO and those that apply chemicals to treat, yet it seems like the state wants inspectors who are pest control licensed to inspect.
I am confused. Someone straighten me out. BTW, I have taken the InterNACHI exam for WDO and Passed. Trying to figure out how to use it.
Thank you.
Soil is in contact with wooden deck.
this is a conducive condition for wood destroying organisms.
The presence of termite bait is evidence of previous treatment.
As mentioned in the article termite baits are new and i think they will work only as a preventive option ,because when the termite enters the structure there is no need to go out for food.
the following is a picture of tree limbs touching the shingles on the roof line. this is a easy way for carpenter ants to gain access to the attic area. proper trimming of the tree limbs so that they don’t touch the building is a good start in keeping unwanted insects away from entering the home. keeping tree limbs trimmed away from the building is also a good way to keep the roof from unwanted damage. tree limbs can rub against the roof covering and cause damage to the shingles.
termite baits.
termite baits are easy to install, less intrusive on the environment, and occupants.
the down side to the baiting system is that termites move through the soil tasting the soil for food sources. it can take a long time for the termites to find the bait station.
there are no guarantees that the termites will even find the stations. it also takes a lot of human man hours checking, relocating, and changing the stations. this could scare an active infestation way from the stations.
wood decay.
wood destroying insects don’t cause wood decay they use it as a tool to help them break down the wood. termites use wood fungi to help break down the linin. linin is the termites main food source.
fungi is the main source of wood rot. it is spread by the air and can go dormant for years. it just waits for the proper moisture levels and it comes alive.
wood rot is responsible for about 10% of the worlds wood product production.
Inspection: Floor and Header Joists
The floor and header joists exhibit extensive and ongoing water damage and dry rot. A lack of ventilation and leaking from the exterior contribute to the problem. Damaged wood must be removed and replaced by a licensed contractor. Crawl space requires 1 sq ft of ventilation per 150 sq ft, water must be directed properly away from the structure by means of a minimum grade (6 in over 10 ft min) and earth must be 8 inches below top of concrete foundation wall. Excessive moisture can be further reduced through the use of a vapor barrier on crawl space floor. If crawl space remains damp after remediation, mechanical ventilation or other steps may be required.
Articles read:
IR Cameras: Inspecting for Moisture Intrusion
Vapor Barriers
Essay:
Infrared cameras can be used to quickly and accurately identify water and air leaks, even if they are not visible to the naked eye. The source of larger leaks can be quickly identified due to the lower temperature of wet building materials. Thermal images included in a home inspection report provide a professional and impressive way of indicating problems in a structure.
the above photo is of a exterior shelf outside of a window.
The photo shows signs of a wood-destroying organism.
The wood destroying organism could be, decay fungi, possible dry rot. The cause could be moisture related from a garden sprinkler.
Reading assignment
1., ant inspection
ants are among the most prevalent pests in virtually all buildings. Winged ants are often mistaken for winged termites.
Worker ants have elbowed antennae while the termites antennae are not elbowed. Termites actually subsist on wood while ants tunnel through wood.
2., crawlspace hazards
crawlspace’s may be the most hazardous area of home inspection. Mold, fungus, pests, animals hantavirus, standing water or sewage, are a few of the hazards that might be encountered.
Never enter a crawlspace without your ppe and notifying someone that you are going to inspect inside the crawlspace.
The image above shows a WDO, carpenter ant found in an attic. Moisture was noted inside the attic due to the roof leaking. The insulation was against the attic sheathing which gave the carpenter ants cover from the elements and blocked any visible damage. At the time of the inspection the appeared infestation was not active.
The recommendation for remediation would be to consult a pest control company.
Wood Decay-
Generally wood decay can be prevented from lack of moisture and preventative maintenance.
Decks for example are typically the most common area to find wood decay. The reason for this is, as builders, we do not seal all sides of materials. When we are building a deck,the deck is built then sealed if desired. Meaning the undersides of decks, typically are not sealed or protected. This allows moisture to intrude through the underside of the materials, acting like a sponge. Water wicks up through the material and eventually causes “white rot fungi”, or the beginnings of wood decay. On decks that are primarily in contact with the ground this condition is more prominent.
Note: That moisture is a wood destroying organisms host, once removed typically the host/food source has been removed to prevent further growth or decay.
I have tried many times over to upload a picture of Carpenter ant wood shavings but it won’t accept my upload. This hasn’t happened before.
I will continue with my post anyway and hopefully can continue on to the exam.
The picture shows Carpenter ant wood shavings laying on the garage floor. This is evidence of Carpenter ant intrusion into the garage walls. After further investigation it was determined that the ants were coming in from the driveway, under the aluminum trim wrap and they were going up the jamb studs to the over head door header board.
They were making nests in the 1/2" plywood shim board in between the 2x10 boards.
This issue was remedied with a biannual visit from Terminix.
Further clean up around the home and more inspections have controlled the problem.
WDO’s are typically found by evidence of their presence which is usually seen by frass, fecal, wood shavings, or tunnels. The most preventative way to find the WDO’s is to be able to identify them. Places to find their presence can include, window sills, as they are attracted to the light. Exterior convoys of insects. Moist or wet wood or areas.
The most non intrusive way to exterminate the WDO’s is bait stations. They take much longer but are far less likely to harm people and pets. All extermination procedures are required to be completed by a licensed exterminator.
I tried to upload my picture needed in the previous post again with no luck, sorry.
I found this during a recent inspection in South Florida. It’s not WDO related, but I wrote it up as a structural deficiency. I recommended the “repair” be examined by a structural engineer. I’m not sure how the original damage happened.
This is a photo of an untreated wood wall in a partial basement that had a high moisture/humidity level and the finished area was open to a crawlspace without a ground cover. In addition the home was adjacent to a saltwater bay. There was visible access/exit holes of Anobiid beetles along with frass visible on the edges of the wall. A 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier should be installed to cover all of the exposed earth, 4 additional 7"x15" screened foundation vents should be added along the east and west crawlspace walls and the infested area treated by a Washington State Licensed Applicator for the infestation. The area should be monitored for any increase in moisture of beetle activity that would require additional action
The image above shows frass at the bottom of a post infested by powder post beetles. This post contained an abundance of small exit holes. When looking at the post at first sight it looked normal because of it’s color. After further inspection and frass on the floor it was determined that it was in fact powder post beetles.
The two articles I chose to read are the Garage Inspection and Inspecting Aluminum Wiring.
In the the garage inspection article you read about how to look at the supports for the structure. In a garage you can learn a lot about the rest of the building. The reason is that most of the time the garage is unfinished on the inside, so you can look how things are built.
The aluminum wiring article tells you how to inspect and things to look for with aluminum wiring. The years that are associated with aluminum wiring are 1965 to 1973. But it never hurts to check even if the building you are inspecting is few years older or newer. I have found aluminum wiring in homes built as late as 1975. Manufactured Homes are well known for having aluminum wiring.
There should be at least 8" of clearance between the earth and wood siding. The wood siding of this structure is in direct contact with the earth. This can cause problems with moisture and also allow unobstructed access for WDO. This is an area of particular concern where I would use moisture probe, I also could use pick test, infared camera, etc. I also would recommend having the situation corrected by licensed technician.
