What to expect from a termite inspection?
If you are not aware of the fact already then you must know that the damage caused by termites can cost you around thousands of dollars and this is the reason why you should follow all the precautions to not let this issue prevail. Being safe is always better than being sorry once the damage is done, hence to be on the safer side, always keep an eye on any abnormal thing happening in your house which can be an unexpected expense in the coming future. If you are looking for a place from where you can get the wood inspection, North Richland Hills has many options for you to choose from but as the market is very saturated, one needs to be very alert while making such a choice where you have to spend a few hundred dollars for an inspection of your house. If you are paying and even then an issue is not solved then this becomes a real headache. This fact is valid both ways because even when the home inspector is doing their best, little or no cooperation from the side of the homeowner can fail the inspection.
How to get your house ready for a termite inspection?
Here are a few tips to get your house ready for a termite inspection where you will know and be familiarized with the whole process.
When you select a home inspection company for your house and the date comes when the inspector will be visiting your house to perform the inspection, these tips will help you in keeping this inspection a smooth one:
The inspector visiting your house to perform a termite inspection will need access to all the places where he needs to test the presence of termites and you should move all the household items that can become a hindrance in a successful inspection. Proper access to the sinks and vanities of the washroom/kitchen, attic, crawlspace, garage, and even the exterior walls of yours will be needed to proceed with a thorough inspection.
1. Sinks and Vanities:
The space beneath the sinks and vanities of your washroom and kitchen is very important to be empty and there must be no items present there so the home inspector will have proper access to check if there are any leaks or the presence of termites in this area,
2. Garage and Exterior Walls:
The point where the walls meet with the slab floor can be a potential entrance for termites hence what you should do is to move everything present in the garage two feet away from the walls so the inspector can have access to these and the exterior walls should also be free from anything that might block the inspector’s view.
3. Attic:
Many people use the attic as a storage space hence if you have an inspector coming to visit your house it is better to move the things present there or an even better thing will be to just empty the whole space. The entrance towards the attic can also be present in a closet in some homes so it is important to remove the clothing items from there and insulation too if present so that it may not fall on the home inspector.
4. Crawlspace:
If the foundation of your house is raised then it must have a crawl space underneath or even a basement is built in many houses. The home inspector should have proper access to these spaces and anything present there or near the entrance should be removed to help with any blockage towards a smooth process of a thorough inspection.
Many people ask about the points from where termites can have access to the house so that they may be able to track any changes there or any symptoms that termites might be infesting that space.
Termite Access Points:
1. The sides of piers
2. The sides of foundation walls
3. Hollow block walls
4. Cracks in foundation
5. Cracks in plumbing joints
6. Expansion joints
These are some of the points in your house from where the termites can enter and then infest the complete wooden structure of the house. These points are found in many places inside a house and they should be fixed as soon as someone develops a doubt that these might be becoming a reason why you are facing termite problems inside your house.
Reasons why termites might infest your house?
The main reason why termites enter your house is for the food search. Wood or anything in cellulose is their food and in the search for it, they infest all the wooden structures like doors, windows, cabinets, furniture, drywall, or any other wooden accessories present at home.
Many people ask about the reason why termites might be attacking a house and how can we stop this from happening so we will provide you the two places from where they start attacking and then reach the woods present inside your house and eat it to the point where it makes the whole house hollow and to repair that, thousands of dollars are needed which no one is ready to spend on something which could have been prevented with proper care. These two are:
- Wood to soil contact
- Plumbing leaks
As the termites are present in the soil and if the wood is in contact with the soil, there is a high chance that they will make their way up to the wood and start eating it and cause more destruction. The same is the case with plumbing leaks as this is also a loop from where the termites can enter your house.
When the termite inspector visits your house, here are a few questions that you must ask them to get a little more familiar with the whole process:
1. How long will the whole process take?
2. What is the cost of initial treatment?
3. Where is the infestation found?
4. Which treatment is recommended from your side?
5. What guarantees are provided by your side?
Or any other questions you have in mind.
If you are looking to get a termite inspection done while being a local, try searching with the keywords with the name of your town for example if you live in Dallas, Fort Worth, try searching ‘Inspect-All Services Dallas Fort Worth’ and you will find your answer!