Termite damage in home

3 years ago

We are currently under contract and about to close on a house. We are in the middle of the inspection process and get the pest inspection report today. We already knew the home had turn it’s damage from a few years ago, but today we got all the information. The only thing the inspector recommended is that we have the house treated for termites to make sure that they stay away , which they have for about 3-5 years. But he said that some of the sub flooring and joists are damaged from when the home used to have termites. didn’t answer us about how extensive it is or recommend that we fix the sub flooring or joists. I guess my question is how serious could this be and how expensive and time consuming is it to fix? Can the house fall in? Or can the walls or floors fall in from this damage? I mean it’s been years since the termites were there and nothing has happened. And they haven’t returned since because the home is under contract with a extermination company.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

PRO
G & S Floor Service
3 years ago
If, the subfloor is bad. The joist is most likely bad also. The damages can be costly since it is all hidden. This can be a big money pit. Walk away.
ci_lantro
3 years ago
he said that some of the sub flooring and joists are damaged from when the home used to have termites....didn’t answer us about how extensive it is

You would be buying a pig in a poke. I would walk, too.
Related Discussions
Safe termite control for organic garden
Q
Comments (24)
I know I'm late to the discussion. Fipronil trench is a perfect solution to preventing termites from getting into your walls. It is a very labor intensive job, and a homeowner can accomplish this if dedicated to the job. In conjunction to this, exercise the bait stations in and around the perimeter of your house. You can also create your own termite killing bait stations. Get some pine garden stakes, a 5 gallon bucket. Mix a super concentrated solution of fipronil in some water, soak the garden stakes in the solution for several weeks, occasionally stir the solution with the stakes about every 2-3 days. Hammer stakes in the ground around your house. Termites cannot detect the fipronil, will eat on the stakes, bring the poison back to the colony and destroy the hive. Use the old solution of fipronil around dark damp areas surrounding your home to amend your barrier. Agee with other post; the chemical deterrent barriers simply don't work and the termites will find the area that is deficient in treatment, whereas the undetectable barrier is the Trojan horse. You can find this stuff on domyownpestcontrol.com or Amazon Love that website. BTW, I use Taurus SC as opposed the more expensive Termidor SC. Now, back to the question. How do I keep the termites out of my garden, and to stop eating away at the planter box. Here is my intentions. On the bottom of the planter, spread a grip load of diatomaceous earth down nice and even with special attention around the wood areas, lay a weed block barrier down. Apply a plastic barrier between the planter box and the garden dirt (stapled). Wet the planter box boards and rub diatomaceous earth (DE) on the boards (use rubber gloves), and as you work your way to the top of keep pouring DE between the plastic sheet and boards. Cover the top of the boards with the plastic sheet to the other side and down about an inch. The diatomaceous earth (if ingested by any bug, will rip their intestines apart and keep grub and termites from coming from the bottom of your planter). Not sure if this is going to work, but it is plausible in my mind. In one growing season, the termites have eaten about halfway through my pine 2x10's! Nasty critters.
...See More
Termites in Yard: Cause for Concern?
Q
Comments (8)
If the termites are less than a foot away from the house then I'd be especially worried -- in my experience at least, the soil up to a foot from the house is injected with termiticide to form a chemical barrier. So if they're that close, there's no effective barrier. Even if they're further away, then this is a wake-up call to get a barrier treatment, if you have no record of a recent treatment. Definition of "recent" depends on the kind of chemical, so get a few pest control operator opinions on that. Incidentally, once the barrier is in place, you'll need spot retreatment if the soil is disturbed in specified ways (e.g. if a plumber digs it up to fix an underground pipe). As for bait systems... My pest control guy is as honest as the day is long, and he doesn't believe in baits. He treated a house that had severe termite damage (e.g. you could poke a screwdriver through one of the interior walls) despite having a monitored bait system for years. Here's an anti-Sentricon web page: http://www.syix.com/emu/html/sentricon.html Personally I wouldn't sleep well if my house was protected only by baits.
...See More
Termite Damage...
Q
Comments (3)
Yes, but it depends on the extent of the previous damage. I've bought two houses with past termite problems, but they were long taken care of. As long as there is no current activity and no foundation or structural problems, it doesn't worry me at all. Do you know if the house is currently bonded with termite protection? If not, you can always activate a new service when you take ownership of the house. Good luck.
...See More
removing blue foam insulation - termite damage
Q
Comments (3)
The only one I know of is Perform Guard DPS. However, as you are not using this in a below-grade application, I think non-treated XPS (extruded polystyrene) or EPS (expanded polystyrene)would be fine. But to avoid future termite problems, determine how the termites came in and try to block the route and/or keep an eye on the area. And follow all the usual rules on keeping them at bay. Keep all wood away from the foundation. Watch for shelter tubes. Treat the soil if feasible. Termites have been a problem in parts of Toronto since the 1930s, when they probably hitched rides in on wooden crates arriving by ship to the Harbour. So it's not just a southern US problem. Here is a link that might be useful: Termite Tips for Gardeners
...See More
mononhemeter
3 years ago
Not a pro. How did the inspector see the joists? From the basement? If all the damage is exposed, you could get an estimate from a contractor for new joists and subfloor and flooring. But I doubt you can guarantee that it is all exposed. I would walk away. Another house always comes up.
SJ McCarthy
3 years ago
Subfloors can be $3-$5/sf to remove/dispose of and then replace. That does NOT include new flooring, etc. That's just the basics. When it comes to termite damage you MUST ASSUME the MOST DAMAGE is hidden. Anything that has 'wood' can and will have damage (ahem...studs in the walls, rafters, etc).

Now for the joists. The WORST CASE scenario = complete damage (no structure left to lay new subfloor down onto) = $25/sf. Several weeks/months worth of work with a BIG crew of guys going hard from sun-up to sundown. If you have a house that is 1000sf, you could be looking at $25,000 - $50,000 worth of 'fix'.

It is entirely possible (lower percentage but POSSIBLE....yay Statistics course...you saved my bacon!) that it is cheaper to tear down the house and start again. Yes this is a 'scare' tactic. It probably won't come to that, but NOW is the BEST TIME to walk away.

Ask yourself: How MUCH MONEY can I LOSE to buy a house? Do you have the FINANCES to rebuild this house? Is the price SOOOOOOO GOOD (like $80,000 under value) that you can FINANCE the fix with another mortgage without causing stress?

If $25,000 worth of work is too much for you, then walk...no RUN...away from this home. Or you have your lawyer write a caveat that has the old owner on the hook for 80% of the 'costs'. That might be the way to get the old owner to WALK AWAY from your offer.
rwiegand
3 years ago
The last two houses we bought had visible termite damage. They needed work anyway, so tearing back flooring, swapping or sistering a few joists, reframing a wall, and replacing some of the sill was pretty straightforward. I did it myself in less than a week in each case so with the significant discount that "TERMITE DAMAGE" on the report got us on the house we made out really well. In each case between what we could see and a few discreet holes in the wall (made with permission) I was able to pretty well scope out the extent of the damage and see that they had't gotten more than 8-10 feet from the entry point in any direction. If all you have to do is get in and replace damaged framing and fix drywall it's pretty easy; if they are in an expensive finished spaces like a tiled shower, or have severely compromised structure that's a whole different ball game. An ice pick or sharp screwdriver is your friend when scoping out termite damage.

Pretty much every older house, even up north in MA, has some termite damage. Running away from every one of them would leave very few choices for many home buyers around here.
ci_lantro
3 years ago
This statement by the OP:

But he said that some of the sub flooring and joists are damaged from when the home used to have termites. didn’t answer us about how extensive it is or recommend that we fix the sub flooring or joists.

Leads me to believe that repairs are beyond OP's DIY skills. At a minimum, I would want to personally inspect the damage and probe around with a pocket knife to try to get an idea of how extensive the damage might be.

OP appears to be relying totally on the inspector's report. That's why I think it is in their best interest to pass. Assumption being that the OP will be paying skilled labor to make replacements & repairs.
zmith
3 years ago
My realtor said there are two kinds of houses in a Texas; those that have termite damage and those that will have termite damage. Still, I would walk-no, I would run away unless you can renegotiate a substantial discount. Termites can feast on a structure for years before being discovered. I have remodeled about 75% of my house and have encountered termite damage in each space but in isolated areas and in varying degrees of severity. By now I’m desensitized to any new discoveries but it still irks me that I didn’t ask for more of a discount when I bought this house.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
3 years ago
It sounds like the termite inspector does not want to make a call about the structural stability of the house- that is fine. I presume you had a home inspection done on the property, what did they say? It is hard to know from your description (and I'm sure you don't know either) the extent of the damage- my house technically had termite damage- two 2x4's and a couple square feet of subfloor. Literally nothing to even warrant a repair. I have fixed houses where the termites made their way to the roof and the entire first floor had to be reframed as we held the house up on sticks (in my defense I told the client not to buy the house...)

Termite damage in home

Comments (8)

G & S Floor Service

ci_lantro

Related Discussions

mononhemeter

SJ McCarthy

rwiegand

ci_lantro

zmith

HALLETT & Co.

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US