Termites are in our foundation - Page 2

riley1 · ‎03-10-2010

@gulf coast girl - You might also want to your lender and have him look to see if the inspection was done. I would think if it was you would have a copy.

Puppy Lips · ‎05-09-2010

We built our house in FL in 2007. I am fairly certain they pretreated the foundation for termites. Our house also has pipes between the outside walls, where the pest company shoots in some sort of spray that kills any bugs in there.

I would definately go back to your realtor and builder to inform them of what is going on. You should not have to deal with this and pay for this in a brand new house. Good luck to you. I am sure it is a big disappointment, but you are right, "It's always something."

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. Margaret Mead

Mindy D · ‎05-23-2010

@gulf coast girl @There are more than one type of termite. I sugggest you contact a well known company to get an estimate and to determine what you really have. I don't know what state you are in but some states have regulations about treatments to foundations. If you had an inspection and these were not discovered that could be an issue where you live as well. Some big builders flat out say they have termite treated foundations in their brochures too. The treatment you have been offered is probably not enough. Look over your paperwork from the builder and check any ads or brochures they had in their office. Your state might also require a clean termite inspection before a sale.

hckynutjohn · ‎06-15-2015

@gulf coast girl wrote:
yes hockeynut, they might not be eating any concrete but that's where they're coming up from, finding their way through the dirt and in through the cracks in the concrete. Have discovered two locations so far, in an inner hallway and out in the attatched garage. Swell...they must not pre-treat the foundations down here, we're in Florida

@gulf coast girl

Wow! In Florida and concrete is cracked? I get it in 4 weather states where I live, but there? Cold weather things contract, warm weather things expand. That's what happens to our streets/sidewalks, driveways.

That contractor better stay in your part of the country, he would never make it here. Probably be in court more than on his job.

Hope you get all these headaches straightened out. Sorry you are having to deal with all of this.

hckynut 🇺🇸

hckynut(john)

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

Get a lawyer and go after someone!

Bait traps for termites? OMG! The only way you're going to get rid of termites is to do the aggressive spray/soaking treatment around the entire foundation and continue with a monthly treatment. Your pest control company sounds like a joke.

5 years after we built our house, we found termites under our crawl space, before they got into the wood. Our pest control company brought in a hose that looked like a smaller version of a fire truck hose that was used to drench the ground in the crawl space. They drilled holes in our concrete every 18" around the inside of our basement and shot the same pesticide down into the ground. They essentially did the same thing outside around every inch of our house, and when they were done, the house was considered full treated.

We have maintained the lifetime termite protection thru a yearly inspection. Last year was 40 years since we built the house, and the company suggested we do another major treatment with the chemicals used now vs what they knew/learned about the effectiveness of the chemicals used back when our house was first treated. We did this suggested booster treatment and the price was based on what we paid for our original treatment years ago. It was a good deal.

I would NOT do anything else to your house until you talk to a lawyer!

riley1 · ‎03-10-2010

@Mindy D - I believe she is in Florida

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

Yikes!

gulf coast girl · ‎03-10-2010

thanks everyone for all your comments. much appreciated.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@gulf coast girl I found this interesting....I never thought ever about termites where I live....

The spread of termites across the U.S. is not even.

Unlike measuring flood risk to determine the worst cities for flooding, measuring termite density does not involve complex modeling. Instead, understanding the worst locations for termites requires that you look at termite biology, including their life cycle and reproduction behaviors.

Admittedly, no one wants to think about swarms of these underground insects. But on the other hand, no one wants to see termites chew away up to 20 percent of your home’s resale value or threaten your safety because of a weakened structure.

Where Is Termite Activity the Worst?

Even though there are multiple types of termites, the subterranean termites are the ones most commonly referenced because they’re the most destructive and have the largest colonies. Drywood termites can have localized outbreaks, but the subterranean termites have a broader and more pervasive spread. Estimates say the property damage from subterranean termites is $1 to $7 billion per year in the United States.

Subterranean termite infestations are largely a factor of a region’s climate and weather patterns.

They thrive in warm locations. That’s why southern states tend to have more of a problem, while the only state where termites don’t live is Alaska.

Termites also thrive in humid and damp environments. That’s why the arid and dry regions of the southwest tend to have less of a termite problem than the deep south from Louisiana to Georgia.

10 States with the Worst Risk of Termite Damage

Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Alabama
Mississippi
Louisiana
Texas
California
Arkansas
North Carolina

Florida Has the Highest Risk of Termite Damage

Researchers at the University of Florida predict that within the next 20 years, half of all homes in southern Florida will be at risk for termite damage.

This dramatic increase is the result of the number of termite species that have taken hold along with the radius of potential spread around each infestation.

As to the types of termites, there are currently six species of termites that have a foothold in the state. Two of the most damaging are the Asian subterranean termites, which currently reach from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach County, and the Formosan subterranean termites reach from the Keys all the way to Charleston, SC.

Any structure within a 500-meter or 1,640-foot radius of a termite infestation of these two species is at risk.

Since 1990, the geographic range of termite damage has expanded considerably. The spread is expected to increase to more homes in Florida and to increase the risk in other parts of the country.

Orlando, Tampa, and Miami are frequently named as some of the worst termite-infested cities in the country. This Florida termite map provides anonymized data about where termite species have been identified.

Why Do Termites Cause So Much Damage to Homes?

For many people, just the thought of termites in your home can cause a strong reaction. The scope of damage and loss of financial equity can be significant.

They eat the cellulose found in wood or other plant fibers such as paper or cotton fabrics. In their search for food, they can also damage plastics, rubber, and even thin metal.

Termites are one of the worst pests that damage homes and foundations. Each colony can eat about a pound of wood per day.

What makes them so problematic is that they can go undetected for a long time. After five or six years, a colony could have several thousand to over one million termites. When you finally realize you have a problem, wooden beams in your home could look more like the inside of corrugated cardboard than something capable of holding your roof up.

Are Some Buildings More Susceptible to Termite Damage?

Your susceptibility to termite damage is also a factor of the structure of your home, how you maintain your foundation, exterior drainage, and water issues.

Termites can eat away at underlying structural components like wooden supports. Wooden floor joists in a moist crawl space can become a tasty meal for termites, but this has a negative impact on your home. When the supports are weakened, they can in turn lead to sagging, bouncy, and uneven floors that are not properly supported. This also affects the structural integrity of the rest of your home.

As the USDA notes, “Termite prevention begins with good building practices.”

The main issue is that termites can only live a few days without water. If you have a damp basement or crawl space, they’ll happily move into your home. Then they can travel up into your structure and return to the damp below-grade areas for water. If there’s a plumbing leak or other water source on an upper story, they can center their colony there without needing to travel back down to your home’s ground level.

Any home issues that increase dampness or humidity also increases your termite risk. In particular, the USDA notes that pest management can be difficult for slab-on-grade foundations and homes with certain types of patios or terraces.

Effective water drainage continues to be an important way to direct water away from your home. It’s also important to address moisture issues in a basement or crawl space. Even a rebar-reinforced, poured-concrete foundation could have a small crack. That’s all a termite needs to crawl up from the ground into your home.

What Can You Do to Protect Your Home Against Termites?

An exterminator can provide termite services to help you eradicate an infestation from your home.

However, chemical or biological termite control is only part of the picture. A thorough response also involves addressing foundation repairs, moisture issues, and property maintenance.

At Groundworks, our team of building and foundation experts has seen how one underlying structural problem leads to multiple property issues, including termite damage. For example, moisture in a basement or crawl space can attract termites, cause dry rot, grow mold, and create air quality issues throughout your home.

Local Groundworks basement waterproofing and foundation repair experts offer free inspections so you can better understand the underlying issues of your property.

Some properties may be able to reduce dampness and humidity by adding interior drainage, a sump pump, and a dehumidifier to your basement or crawl space.

There are also solutions that help create a bug barrier with a crawl space encapsulation system or professionally fitted rigid insulation panels. These solutions are specially treated to resist termites and can make it easier to perform future termite inspections. When encapsulation and insulation is completed, a gap of a few inches is left so an extermination company can still complete their inspections and work. Additionally, something unique about the ExTremeBloc™ insulation used by Groundworks is that these rigid panels are integrated with a termiticide, deterring termites and pests below grade. This ensures the wood-destroying pests cannot tunnel through the panels to attack your wooden structures.

Your basement or crawl space is the first line of defense against termites, and building experts can work in tandem with pest control services to help you prevent and eradicate termites from your home.