Saturday, October 25, 2008

Old Termite Damage - Not a problem? Is it?

A typical scenario I have come across in many of my inspections is like this;

A home has suffered a Termite Infestation some time in the past which was successfully treated.

The owners have followed up with annual inspections as advised by the Pest Control firm.

Termite damaged timbers were not removed and were not ever assessed by a building consultant

This is a common scenario and on the surface it appears as though all that could be done has been done. The agent may even provide you with all the available documentation to prove the termite infestation was successfully treated and maintained free of termites to date.

That's all good.....BUT!

What about the timber structure? 

Has the structure been assessed by a building inspector? 

I know from my many years of experience the answer to this question when asked is a whole lot of mumbling. Well..um.. we...they..um...we were told...

Well I can tell you that when a termite infestation has occurred the damage caused by the infestation is far more extensive than the initial workings found. Unfortunately this is not normally discovered until the new home buyer decides to renovate. 

Wall linings may be removed to reveal massive amounts of timber damage and mud packing.

The signs that this damage existed may have been present before this is discovered however the signs are usually too subtle to be detected by the untrained eye. Compression of the wall frames, floor frames, jambing doors, uneven floors or ceilings may all be signs of termite damage. you will need help from a professional building consultant to properly diagnose, as long as you don't ignore the signs.




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