Protect Your Home From Termite Damage

In the United States, termites are most abundant in the South and Southwest. Here in North Carolina, we are definitely in the “termite belt”…and as Home Inspectors, it is quite routine for us to discover damage, or visible evidence of likely damage, during the performance of a Raleigh Home Inspection. The little critters are a very big problem that can potentially plague your home…..and your pocketbook…. if they are allowed to reside with you in your home. You just want to live in and enjoy your home, right? Well, the pesky little termites live only to eat it and destroy it! (Boooo….hisssss….bad). This excellent article contains some great tips to protect your home from damage.

Protect your home from termite damage

(ARA) – As Americans head outside to tend to their lawns and repair their houses, it’s just as important to consider what might be happening out of sight, deep inside the home.

Termites, which are found in every state except Alaska, live in colonies that eat continuously. These wood-destroying pests eat homes from the inside out, making their presence difficult to detect. Termites annually cause more than $5 billion in damage, and the destruction termites cause is not normally covered by homeowners insurance, leaving owners to pay an average of $3,000 in out-of-pocket costs for repairs, according to Terminix.

“In most cases, it’s easy to tell when a house is in need of repair. Either the paint is chipping or the roof is leaking. But that’s not usually the case with termite activity,” says Paul Curtis, a Terminix entomologist. “Because termites are often active in the least visible areas of a home, it can be difficult for the homeowner to tell whether they have a termite problem or not.”

Usually, homeowners will only be able to tell they have a termite infestation during swarm season. That’s when winged, reproductive termites leave their colonies and establish new ones.

A swarm can be identified by the large number of flying termites and by the discarded wings they often leave near doors and windows.

“Termites do not discriminate. They eat wooden framing, support beams and the wood flooring inside your home the same way they would a tree in the forest,” Curtis says.

While swarming only takes place during certain times of the year, termite colonies never stop eating, even to rest or sleep. Unless evidence of a swarm is discovered, or damage is severe enough to be noticed, a trained professional will most likely be required to identify the presence of termites within a home.

Although eliminating termites requires the help of a trained professional, homeowners can take the following proactive steps to make their homes less inviting to these wood-destroying pests:

1. Fix the roof or plumbing leaks. The moisture from these allows termites to survive above ground.

2. Clean and repair gutters. Gutters that do not drain properly can allow water to accumulate near the foundation.

3. Eliminate wood-to-soil contact. Any wood that simultaneously touches the soil and the home can provide termites with direct access to the structure.

4. Keep mulch or soil from being piled against the home’s siding. Soil or mulch allowed to pile up against the home can hide termite activity.

5. Avoid storing items in the crawlspace. Pieces of scrap lumber, boxes or even books can serve as a food source for termites.

6. Maintain adequate ventilation in crawlspaces. Termites prefer moist conditions. Eliminating moisture can help make the environment less suitable to them.

7. Use a mesh screen on all windows, doors and ventilation openings. Screening will help prevent winged termites from entering the home.

8. Schedule an annual inspection with a trained professional. Prompt treatment and regular inspections can save thousands of dollars in damage repair.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Call your Raleigh Home Inspector today at 919.848.4833 to schedule your Home Inspection. Quality Residential Inspection is your trusted source for professional Home Inspection and related services.

Home Inspections Help You Sell……

These days, in a generally …..no, make that a significantly down market, home sellers need to do anything and everything that they can to improve the odds of their home selling quickly…..a pre-sale Home Inspection can help circumvent repair-related issues so that they don’t become bigger issues late in the real estate transaction process.

Home inspections help you sell

(ARA) – When you’re ready to sell your home in the current market, you need to take every step you can to ensure a timely sale at the price you want. A surplus of homes for sale means that yours needs to stand out in style, amenities and quality to make an impression on potential buyers. The more steps you take to make your house sale-ready, the better results you’ll get. Read more

Another satisfied Home Inspection client from Knightdale, NC

Our client, Willette, forwarded us these comments about her Raleigh Home Inspector and her Home Inspection that we performed last week on the New Construction home that she is purchasing……

“Dear Gary,

You were wonderful today. More importantly you were very patient with me. Which is very important to me. I was able to ask you anything without feeling like it was a stupid question. You are very down to earth.”

Willette Yarborough
Hope Mills, NC

We Thank Willette for her comments…….

Clear, concise, and effective communication between a Home Inspector and their client is of the utmost importance. There are never any silly questions and all Home Inspection findings should be communicated using “plain ole’ language”……That’s our story, anyway……and we’re stickin’ to it!

Raleigh Home Inspector Inspects Morrisville Home for Amanda and James……

Amanda and James let us know what kind of a Home Inspection they thought their Raleigh Home Inspector did for them on the home they are buying in Morrisville, NC……Thank You Amanda and James! We are so pleased that you are pleased!

“Thank You for taking the time to do the home inspection. We were pleased with your service. The report was well organized with clear photos demonstrating your points. Most of all thank you for all the tips that were above and beyond the home inspection. There is really nothing we wold have liked to see happen differently.”

Sincerely,

Amanda and James Layne

In this video our valued Client, Brett, shares his experience with Quality Residential Inspections

Listen to what our valued client, Brett, has to say about the service he received during his recent Raleigh Home Inspection. Quality Residential Inspections strives to deliver this level of satisfaction with every Home Inspection performed……Call 919.848.4833 and schedule your Home Inspection today!

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Stay Tuned for Episode 000 of the InspectBits Podcast

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Overheated electrical outlet

One look at this receptacle and you just get that feeling that it just isn’t a good thing

……heat might be good when furnaces are the topic of discussion but not so much if it’s an overheated electrical outlet that is the focus….

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), some 3,900 injuries that may be associated with electrical receptacle outlets are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year. Approximately a third of these injuries are reported to occur when young children insert metal objects, such as hair pins and keys, into the outlet, resulting in electric shock or burn injuries to the hand or finger. The CPSC also estimates that electric receptacles are involved in 5,300 fires annually which claim 40 lives and injured 110 consumers.

This type of deficiency is the type that you need to recognize before finalizing your home purchase…… A professional Home Inspection will identify these types of deficiencies, as well as many others, and provide you some guidance as to what should be done and by whom.

Watch for a new topic series…..Home Safety and You….What you can do to make your home a safer place?

Check back here often for our new information series regarding Home Safety.

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