A home inspection will find insect and fungal damage to the wood
Every time you have a home inspected, your inspector will look at the structures and systems that make the home what it is. Naturally, he will look at wooden structures, such as floors, walls, doors, and windows.
There are four things that can cause problems in the structure of wood. They are: 1) Deviation and deformation, 2) Fungal and insect attack, 3) Fire, and 4) Connection failure and improper alteration. In this article we will look at insect damage and rot.
Insect and fungal damage is commonly found where wooden door frames touch the concrete or ground on the grade. Moisture is an open invitation to such damage. Dry wood will not decompose. If the wooden structures of a house are properly protected, the moisture content will not exceed 10-15%. However, at levels of 25-30%, you can expect rot from fungal or insect infestation.
Your home inspector will check the wooden components of the house. You’ll be on the lookout for wood stains, fungus, termite shelter tubes, holes, soft or discolored wood, and small piles of sawdust.
You can test all suspect wood with a sharp instrument and check its moisture content with a moisture meter to see if those problematic 20-25% levels are present. Sound wood separates into long, stringy chips, but rotten wood comes up in short, jagged pieces.
When your home inspector looks at the exterior of the house, they will look at the following areas:
* Locations where wood is in contact with the ground, such as wood pilings, porch and deck supports, porch trellises, wood steps, adjacent fences, and nearby wood piles.
* Foundation walls that could harbor termite harbourage tubes, including tubes in cracks in wall surfaces.
* Frames and sills around basement or lower level door and window frames, as well as the base of frames around garage doors.
* Wood framing next to slab-on-grade porches or patios.
* Wood that is near or in contact with roofs, drains, window openings, or other areas that are subject to periodic wetting from rain or lawn sprinklers.
When you inspect the interior of the house, you will check the following areas:
* Spaces around or within interior foundation walls and floors, crawl spaces, piers, columns, or pipes that could harbor refuge tubes, including cavities or cracks.
* The slab that covers the foundation wall and the joists, beams and other wooden components that are in contact with it.
* Partitions based on wooden frame.
* Plinth trim in slab-on-grade buildings.
* The subfloor and joists under the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry areas.
* Sheathing and roof framing in the attic around chimneys, vents, and other openings.
When wood is damaged by fungus or insects, it may be possible to repair it at a reasonable cost. Affected areas may need to be replaced or supported, depending on the cause of the problem. The damage may not be severe enough to seriously affect a home’s stability, but certain parts or components may be seriously damaged. Of course, an exterminator should be consulted when evidence of termite or other insect damage is found.
There is a lot to consider when it comes to the wood frames of a home. That’s why it’s so important to do a home inspection before you buy or sell a home to determine the condition of those structures and point the way to correcting any fixable problems.