Importance of Termite Inspection before Buying a New Home
It is true that buying a new home brings about a lot of excitement for new homeowners. However, this is also the time when we must take a detailed look at the home to make sure there are no ugly surprises in store for us at a later stage. Once we like a home property, some issues may appear to be not so important. However, that is certainly not the case with termite inspections. No matter how good a home is, the presence of termites around it is a clear red flag for prospective buyers. These pests are a common problem for homeowners around the world. In a worst-case scenario, a house may need to be completely demolished because of a termite infestation.
Termites are often insidious, and the current occupants of a home may be completely unaware of an infestation. Early detection is probably the only way to reduce repair costs resulting from the structural damage caused by termites. These inspections should only be carried out by trained termite inspectors, and not traditional home inspectors.
Termite Inspection Process:
It takes just a few hours for a termite specialist to thoroughly inspect a home along with the yard and exterior of the house. The inspection will start at the front door, and cover each of the rooms. All the door frames, room surfaces, and suspicious areas should be examined using special tools. Special attention should be given to slightly raised areas in wallpaper or paint as well as dropped termite wings or exit holes on window sills and door frames.
The inspector should also pay attention to your flooring and cabinets. Cracks in window frames, door frames, and cabinetry are clear indications of termite activity. Making use of specialised tools, the inspector will detect areas in wood that have been hollowed-out by termites.
The crawl space and attic are often happy hunting grounds for termites. In these areas, inspectors look for signs of damage in the roof rafters supporting the roof sheathing, joists attached to the ceiling, and the ridge pole attached to the rafters. Crawl space inspection should cover your foundation walls, floor joists, pipes, wood beams, and the fireplace foundation.
After assessing the home interior, the inspector will start inspecting outside the home. In addition to examining the perimeter of the house, he or she should also check all wooden structures and observe drainage patterns. All the windows, sidings, eaves, and frames of the building should also be examined thoroughly. One of the most critical indicators of the presence of termites is mud tubes running upwards along the foundation wall. Another potential issue inspectors should look for is wood to soil contact.
If the inspection reveals that your new home or office building has termite infestation, you need to find an effective termite elimination system to protect your property. At Exterra, we have developed environmentally responsible termite bait stations that not only eliminate termite infestation, but also provide protection from future attacks. Please get in touch with our experts to find out more.
