Termites are tiny insects that can cause extensive damage to your home if left unchecked. They can cause severe damage to the walls, floors, and even the foundation of a house, compromising its structural integrity. These tiny scampers have cost $5 billion in repairs to the US residents. Termites are very common in Houston and become a nuisance every year.
When Is Termite Season In Houston?
Termites like moist, warm regions and that makes Houston a favorable place for termites. They attack in full force especially during spring when the warm weather starts setting in. Although they are present all year round it is in the spring season when they start emerging from the ground underneath in search of food. Termites can be spotted because of their distinctive black swarms. Termite Season in Houston is dependent on the amount of rainfall and weather conditions, excessive rains can jumpstart termite season, sending Houstonians on a termite-eliminating rampage.
Termite Hot-Spots In A House
Termites are attracted to anything made of wood and containing cellulose. Different species feed on different types of wood, for instance, a dry wood termite is not picky and can attack anything from furniture, walls, or the structure of a house. Damp wood termites will make wet wood like the lumber stored outside a house or rotting decaying wood stumps their habitats. Termites don’t stop at wood alone, they can consume electrical wires and carpets too.
Can You Get Rid Of Termites on Your Own?
Looks can be deceptive, termites though small in size, cannot be eliminated by using fly sprays or traditional age-old methods. Killing a few hundred termites is not a solution when you have the mighty queen bee laying 20,000-30,000 eggs each day. Termites have a life span of 1-2 years but a queen termite can live up to 25 years. If you suspect there are termites in your house, you need to get in touch with a residential inspection company in Houston that offers termite inspections amongst their services. A termite inspection company Houston will depute a trained termite inspector, to carry out a thorough inspection in your home and look for signs of termite and their root cause.
Prepare For A Termite Inspection
A termite inspection is not a complicated process. You will first need to schedule an appointment for a termite inspection at your place. This appointment can be timed according to your convenience. A termite inspector will need access to your garage, attic, or whichever place you suspect termites are present in, so your being at home is required for him to attain access.
Not every inspection company requires you to prepare for a termite inspection but some will want you to prepare your home for an inspection before they come. This saves time and money. You will need to remove anything that is stored in the attic or hinders access to places that need to be checked by the home inspector. Clear cabinets below sinks, empty garage, or crawl spaces if your house has any.
Where & What Will An Inspector Look For?
Home inspectors are familiar with the traits and patterns in which termites operate. Their experience and years of on-field training help them find termite infestations in any home with ease. An inspector does a complete inspection looking for tell-tale signs of termite presence. In particular, he will be looking for the following signs around your home;
Bubbled up paint
Termites attack wooden surfaces from underneath. Painted surfaces that may have been infested will bubble and peel. Subterranean termites will eat wood right up to the painted surface and then stop just below the layer of paint, this causes air pockets and bubbled spots on the wall, a sign that a termite infestation is underneath.
Mud Tubes Inside Cabinets, On Floorboards Or Walls
Mud tubes are made of soil and wood and provide termites with the shelter and moisture they need when working. Dry tubes mean termites were present but are now working elsewhere in your house. Moist tubes are active tunnels and will have busy termites inside.
Hollowed Wooden Surfaces
Your home inspector will tap wooden surfaces to check for a hollow sound. If a hollow sound is heard under a wooden floorboard or piece of furniture, it means termites have had their hay day. It may be too late to reclaim the damage but further destruction can be halted by stopping them in their tracks.
Moist Damp Spots
Termites are attracted to moist dark spots, a good home inspector will assess all such spots in your home. He may even look for hidden moisture-prone spots behind walls using a thermal imaging device. This device can detect temperature changes because of the presence of moisture. It can also detect infestation because swarms of termites working behind a wall emit body heat which can be detected by an IR camera.
Swollen Ceilings Or Walls
Swollen ceilings and walls are a sign of water damage. A termite inspector Houston Tx will do a thorough check to see if these spots are more than what they seem.
Droppings Or Broken Wings
Termites leave behind frass, which is a fancy name for termite droppings. An inspector will look for these tiny dark brown pellets in corners and spots. He will also search for termite wings that they leave behind. Any of these findings can confirm termite presence in your home.
A professional termite inspector can decipher if termite activity is current or from the past. In both cases, he will prepare a documented report along with visuals of his findings. If a termite infestation has been discovered in your house, there is no need to panic and start packing to leave. It’s only time to call a termite exterminator. All residential inspection companies who offer termite inspections but don’t do exterminations will refer a reliable extermination company if the need be.
Whether you are currently living in a house you fear has termites or are about to buy one, and want to check for termite infestations, 1st Rate Inspections are the go-to people. They excel in all types of home inspections. They have a massive 38 years of experience inspecting homes in Houston and are an inspection company of choice for the majority who want to safe keep their investments and future.
