Jamie Rivera

For more information, you can visit our website at: www.ardentermite.com

While it is called a "Termite Inspection" it is officially a "Structural Pest Control Inspection." In addition to termites, the inspector will also be looking for fungus and water damage and for conditions such as plumbing leaks or earth to wood contact that can lead to termite or fungus damage. For a complete inspection, there are a few things you can do to prepare for the inspector:

Remove any storage from the areas under sinks in the kitchens & bathrooms. Remove any storage from the area within two feet of the exterior of the house Remove any storage in the interior of the garage two feet away from the wall. Trim back any bushes or ground cover that conceals the walls or foundation. If your home is built on a raised foundation, the inspector will go under the house. Be sure the access opening to the subarea is not blocked by storage.

When you are putting an offer on a foreclosure home, you should definitely get your inspections done. Whether this is an investment property or a home you plan to make your own....it's better to know what potential problems you may have to correct on your own.

Most foreclosure homes are as-is sales. Which means you are purchasing the house in whatever condition it is in. There are no guarantees expressed or implied from the seller. Most of the time, it is up to the buyer to do their homework and get the inspections done.

What you may not know is that fungus dry rot , when not taken care of, can spread and continue to cause additional damage if the problem is not corrected. What can start out as a minor repair can manifest into a major construction project.

The cost of a pest inspection is very low, considering the valuable information it gives you.

For more information, you can visit us on the web at: www.ardentermite.com

Wood Decay Fungi

Brown rot, white rot and soft rot are three classes of fungi that are listed according to the type of decay they cause. Wood decayed by brown rot fungi looks like dry leather and breaks easily into small cubical pieces. The strength of the wood decreases as the growth spreads. Most of the damage to structures is caused by brown rot. Wood decayed by white rot often assumes a bleached appearance, frequently has black lines through it and feels spongy. The strength of wood attacked by white rot decreases gradually with little loss in strength during early stages of decay. If caught soon enough White rot may be treated by spray of a bleach and scraped away. It is important to correct the moisture problem that caused the wet wood in the first place.

Soft rot fungi looks like brown rot but the affected wood softens gradually from the surface inward developing cavities (invisible to the naked eye) within the wood cell walls. Soft rot occurs in situations where wood is wet over a long period of time, such as an earth-to-wood contact.

Some types of decay fungi colonize only when some event such as a roof or plumbing leak brings wood that is below the fiber saturation point into contact with water for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, we cannot always see an event. Other types create root like strands, called ÒrhizomorphsÓ, which can wick water from wet portions of the wood to dry portions. Decay begins when dry wood reaches the fiber saturation point. Under certain conditions, rhizomorphs have been known to travel 25 ft. and break out again. They needed a long term source of moisture; an earth filled porch will do it. If you cut off the moisture, you stop the invasion and keep it from spreading throughout the house.

Four principles of decay prevention

• 1. Build with properly seasoned wood if possible.
• 2. Keep wood dry.
• 3. Break contact of untreated wood and soil.
• 4. Where soil must contact wood, use properly pressure treated lumber. Concrete counts as soil.

(Subterranean termites)

The answer is yes. Although the colony is more dormant in the winter and the homeowner may not notice the same type of activity during the spring time, the colony is still active and still causing damage.

It's important to get the treatment done as soon as you are aware of the problem. You can then be sure that your home is not suffering future damage. It may not be necessary to replace the termite damage right away, as long as the damage isn't continuing to occur.

If you notice damage to wood or tubes that appear to be made of mud, call a licensed professional to make a positive identification and provide you with a written plan and estimate to get it taken care of right away!!!

If you have questions, you can visit us on the web at: http://www.ardentermite.com

Or you can reach us at our office at: 916-338-4700.

I get a lot of phone calls from people who are not familiar with termite reports, asking what is Section One? What is Section Two? Those are very valid questions. If I didn't work in the termite business, I would be just as confused as others. I don't know why they call it Seciton One or Two, but I can surely give you the meanings of them.

Section One - is an active infection or infestation of the wood. Which means something that is actively destroying the wood. For example....fungus, dry rot, termites. beetles.

Section Two - are conditions which could lead to a section one item. For example, water damaged wood (which is section two), if not corrected, could lead to fungus damage (AKA dry rot). Other common section two items are: plumbing leaks, earth to wood contacts, missing caulking, moisture condtions.

When in doubt, always get clarification from a professional in the industry. Termite reports can be very confusing. With a good company working for you and your clients, it makes things a lot easier.

For more information regarding Section One and Two, you can visit us at: http://www.ardentermite.com

Or if you have questions on of one of our reports or any other companies reports, give me a call at: 916-338-4700. I would be happy to help you determine what exactly is on that pesky report!!!

Thanks for reading,

Jamie