Many homeowners often come across this problem – termite wood damage. Termite damage is often not detected early enough and can lead to much more expensive repairs and hassle when discovered later than sooner.
If you’ve noticed that your house has damages as a result of a termite infestation, you might consider a few repair options. We will discuss them in this post, but at first let’s start by figuring out what termite damage is represented visually to help you detect it as early as possible.
How to Spot Termite Damage?
If termite damage is not detected quickly, it can be very destructive to your house structure and foundation. Termites feed on wet and dry wood, specifically targeting the softer tissue of the timber. They are able to eat their way through entire wooden studs and beams which can lead to very significant and expensive repairs.
Termite damage may resemble water damage at times, and at other times, you may notice mud tubes extending from the ground into concealed areas of your house structure. And in specific times of the year, the termites swarm as a result of overcrowded colonies. As a result, they are attracted to plumbing drains and fixtures where they can find sources of moisture.
You can detect termite damage if you carefully inspect the wooden surfaces of your home, interior and exterior, and look for some clues as described above. In some cases, you might notice little holes in wood or drywall, where the termite exit tunnels are present. When this is the case, if you knock on the wall, specifically where the studs are, you might hear hollow sound or muffled sound as opposed to a solid knock or thud.
The sooner you notice or become aware of a termite infestation, the less damage will have been caused to your house structure and foundation, and in turn, this allows for simpler and less expensive repairs and mitigation.
The amount of damage accrued over a specific period of time will depend on the type of termite present as a result of a termite infestation. For example, the Formosan termite is considered “dangerous”, having potential to cause a lot of damage in a short period of time. The aftermath of a large infestation may lead to severe damages to a house structure and foundation.
On the other hand, damages caused by dry wood termites can take a few years longer to reach larger proportions, but given enough time, they can be equally be as destructive.
Termites or Carpenter Ants?
Damage caused by termites or carpenter ants may look very similar. Is it possible to find out what type of insects caused the damage? Yes, it is!
Both types of insect feed on the wood and often cause extensive damage to a house structure. These insects prefer moist wood over dry as moisture is essential for their survival and also softens the wood for easier consumption.
The main difference between these two insects is that termites create entire galleries and pathways as they feed on the wood while carpenter ants create holes in the wood surface, leaving piles of sawdust behind. This allows for easier detection. Carpenter ants are directly identified by their appearance and the sawdust they leave behind. Termites leave mud tubes, galleries and frass behind themselves. There are many more indicators, but these are primary and practical for any homeowner.
It is vital to discover both infestations as early as possible to allow for repairs and prevent further damage.
Steps to Take to Fix Termite Damage
Detecting the problem early and understanding how to repair the damage caused by termites is very important. Depending on the stage of infestation, you might need professional help as it can be difficult to rid of the infestation or repair the structural damage to your home.
Termite damage repair consists of these two main steps:
Step One: First and foremost, you must hire a licensed company to perform a termite treatment of the entire house structure, specifically targeting infested areas. Many homeowners opt out of professional treatment for a DIY remedies, but to this day, there is no better way of termite extermination than professional treatment. Leaving an infestation present, prior to commencing repairs is pointless, because newly repaired wood and structures will soon be re-infested once again.
Step Two: Repairing the damage. Repair costs and the extent of repairs is always determined by the severity of the damages caused by the termite infestation. There are no guarantees for determining the extent of damages on any given home, regardless of time, aside from uncovering any or all damaged areas to evaluate the situation visually.
Minor termite damage can be repaired by re-supporting and sistering framing members with new lumber for reinforcement. Cosmetic features of the home, such as siding, doors, or windows, will need replacement for an appealing presentation. However, if an infestation has been present for a long time, it is highly likely that there are significant damages and compromises to your home that, in turn, lead to expensive and long repairs and restoration.
Our team of termite repair professionals will be glad to assist you in assessing the condition of your home and repairing the damage caused by termites. Proactively maintaining and caring for your home will lead to long term savings and general peace of mind, knowing that your greatest investment is safe and sound for you and your family.
Why Choose Rot Repair?
Rot Repair, a branch of Good Life Construction, was established in 2008 and has been providing excellent repair services ever since.
We specialize in repairing many types of damage related to rotten wood and damaged wood that is caused by different conditions including severe damage by termites.
Our mission here at Rot Repair is to provide you with long-term solutions and quality repairs. We treat all our clients like family and create lifelong relationships. We always treat our clients with understanding, love and respect.
We understand that your home is your safe place, and we treat it like our own home. We also understand that termite damage repair can be complicated due to extensive damage and high costs for repairs. However, it is not advised to leave a termite infestation and termite damage untreated as it will lead to more damage in the future and manifest some major issues to the structural integrity of your home.
We understand how much is at stake, and we provide all our clients with excellent service and care. Our work is of exceptional quality and we always make sure all our clients are happy and satisfied with the work performed.
If you need us to evaluate the condition of your home and create a plan of repair for your home, please contact us today, and our team of professionals will be happy to help. Call us today for your free estimate and inspection at (916) 833-1379.