White cypress pine is resistant to borers and termite attack, but Baltic pine and alpine ash are not these are a few of the most common used in floorboards. Check for Furniture beetle attack Anobium punctatum , which is commonly found in softwood flooring and furniture, the identifying signs are round holes approximately mm in diameter on the subfloor side of the floorboards.
If you do find these holes, look for the frass on the bearers or on the piers directly beneath the holes, if you cannot find the frass, bang the floor with you fist and it will drop out, then rub the frass between your finger and your thumb, if it has a gritty rough feel, you can be assured it is furniture beetle.
If it is smooth like flour, then it will be Powderpost beetle, however you will know that if it is Powderpost beetle, the timbers you are dealing with will be hardwoods, as Powderpost beetles can only re-infest hardwoods. Another way of identifying Furniture beetle is if you cut off a slice of damaged timber, it will look like an Aero chocolate or a violet crumble inside. In your written report you should if you find borer damage recommend that the affected timbers be sprayed with a registered spray for 3 consecutive years or replace the timbers.
If they do replace the timbers, then recommend that those timbers that have been replaced be burnt as soon as possible do not leave them hanging around they must be destroyed.
It should be noted, that ant capping is not designed to prevent termites entering and attacking a building, and they are placed there so that if they come up the piers, they will have to show themselves by means of their mud packing leads. It is so important that we make note of the condition of the ant caps, as any defect in the ant capping such as a break or rusted through will allow the termites to enter the building.
Not all buildings have ant cappings those built previous to World war 2 will not have them so your inspection will be harder. When inspecting the exterior of a building, and its surrounds up to 50 meters of the building or its boundaries which ever is the least, you should inspect any garages, carports, garden sheds, outside toilets and any other buildings within the distance required.
When inspecting these constructions, carryout your inspection the same way and degree as you did in the main building you have just finished.
If you keep your inspection process the same as you did for the main building, then you are sure to do a good job. When inspecting these structures, be aware that these buildings, are not normally looked after as much as the main building, so there will be probably more wood decay, concrete slabs covered right to the top in soil and plenty of areas with high moisture content.
Make note of any areas that you also did not have access to or was covered by vegetation. Termites love fences, so check all posts that are in the ground, in fact check all palings that are also in contact with the ground. Try and look at the next-door neighbours side also if possible if you cannot see or gain access, then put this in your written report.
Check for wood decay, bores and termites. Remember that you must inspect up to 50m of the building or within the boundaries of the property or whichever is the least. All trees and stumps must be checked for timber pest activity.
When inspecting the trees for termite damage, check for flight holes, broken branches that may have been hollowed out etc. Ensure all notes have been entered and that your check sheet has been fully filled out.
Also ensure that you have recovered any tools that you have left on site or used during your inspection. Australian Pest Control Association. APCA is an independently incorporated association - since Gently strike all skirting boards around all rooms, but take care not to damage them. If the skirting boards are close to the ground, strike them at more frequent intervals. If timbers are healthy, when tapped, they will sound crisp and clear but if infested with insects or wood decay, there will be a dull thud.
Be aware that different timbers will give off different sounds, and builders today often mix woods when building doorframes or skirting boards to save money. Check all Skirtings, architraves, windowsills and any in -built furniture for timber pest damage. Bathrooms, kitchens and toilet areas, will always attract moisture, so be very careful in theses areas when inspecting. Staircases should also be inspected for timber damage. Use of the moisture Meter When termites attack timber, they bring moisture into the wood that they are attacking, and hence this causes discolouration.
Window-sills When checking window sills, always probe the underside of the window sill, as not to damage the seen surface, there are a lot of areas around a window sill, that seem infested when you tap them, this is not always the case, there are a lot of hollow spaces around a window sill, and timbers are used to hide them.
Obstructions When you carry out an inspection, there will always be areas that you cannot inspect, due to stored goods, furniture etc. Wet areas Some rooms in a building require more attention than others, and that is because they are commonly called the wet areas; those areas include kitchens, laundries, bathrooms etc. Furniture Timber pest may also be found in the normal everyday furniture of a house, so be very vigilant, unless you have stated in your timber pest paperwork, that furniture is not included in the timber pest report.
Flight Cuts Sometimes you may find slits in paintings or walls, these slits may be from termites swarming, so always have a close look, and probe around as much as possible, without causing damage to the local area. Inspecting the Roof Void Before going up into the roof, stand outside the building you are about to inspect, hold a piece of A4 paper up in front of you and line the two highest points of the roof up with the flat edge of the paper you will see if the roof has any sag in it, if so then there is a good chance that there may be substantial timber pest damage in the roof.
Now that you are familiar with the roof layout, you should note the following Condition of the roofing material Insulation Wildlife Dust and debris Roofing Material Take a close look at what the roofing material is made from, as there could be roofing iron on the inside and slate on the outside, so be careful about what you are inspecting and note everything down.
Insulation There are many types of insulation on the market, if it is pink bat type, it makes an inspection easier than say that of the spray type used a few years ago. Warning Just a word of warning, when moving about the roof void, please be careful of where exactly you place your feet when moving about. Timber Construction Termites and delignification will be the most common damage you will find in a roof, however, you may find on the rare occasion Anobium punctatum, but this will be rare as it is normally too hot for them in the roof void.
How to Carry Out a Detailed Roof Inspection Start off as near to the edge of the roof as you can possible reach, lie down on a ceiling joist and with your probe sound the tope plates for evidence of termite attack.
Delignification When you are at the edge of the roof, inspect the tile battens that are normally made of timber, if they look furry, they are suffering from delignification, which is basically the organic glue that binds the wood fibres together have been leached out by industrial pollution, salt air and heat.
Termite damage In Roof Voids Termites usually enter through top plates Attack all timbers Can hide their progress under insulation Will travel large distances to gain access to timber that they prefer They are very secretive, need to look hard to find them Can enter roof voids through conduits band piping Detective Work Basically there are no short cuts to a proper inspection in the roof void and it is up to you to methodically inspect visually, probe and sound timbers in the roof void.
Check list What type of roof was it? What was the roof made of? What do Termites Look Like August 31, What it takes to Renew a Termite Barrier August 4, Difference in Termite Barriers April 11, Internal Damage caused by Coptotermes April 22, Customer Reviews We have a perfect 5 rating on Google They were very considerate. I had an infant at home who was sleeping and, as part of the inspection, the guys offered to perform the outside Christopher Macindoe.
Alice Munding. The entire team, including receptionist staff, were polite, friendly and helpful. Prompt, thorough professional service carried out with ent Areas where concrete meets wood, like on steps, concrete slabs, and porches.
And cracks in brick construction, their expansion joints, and also cracks or spaces in cement, where termites might gain access. Now that you know where to inspect for termites, keep your eyes open for these common termite signs.
Winged termites, individually or in swarms located near indoor or outdoor windows. Their presence can indicate a nearby nest. Mud tubes, which are tunnels made by subterranean termites to get from the soil to the wood. These may be present on wooden elements, concrete slabs, or walls in your basement or crawlspace.
Other signs include piles of wings, damaged wood- especially small homes in the wood, and cracking paint. If you see any of these signs, take the sharp tool and probe these areas. This will expose any tunnels and their termites. Now you know how to complete a thorough termite inspection.
The next step will be treating these areas with products the pros use. So make sure to check out our other videos in the termite series for product recommendations and application instructions. Inspecting for termites can be a dirty job. You may want to purchase and wear a pair of disposable coveralls and a pair of gloves. A bright flashlight will come in handy to light up dim or dark areas and a flat headed screwdriver will allow you to probe wood to find weakness that is indicative of termite infestations.
Mud tubes. Subterranean termites will often make their nest in the soil moisture source and then build highways called "mud tubes" that run vertically or otherwise to connect the nest to a wooden food source.
Mud tubes are a definite sign of termite infestation, but the absence of mud tubes does not mean that no infestations exist, since there are other ways that termites reach food sources.
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